In a Glass Grimmly (2012)

“If the first book made you squirm, this one laughs and says: ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’”


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Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

Non-Spoiler Rundown

If A Tale Dark & Grimm was Adam Gidwitz testing how far you could push fairy tales, In a Glass Grimmly is him gleefully ripping off the safety labels. This book doesn’t just reimagine Hansel and Gretel — it drags in Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), Jill (yes, the one who tumbled after him), and even the Frog Prince, and then throws them into a blender of nightmare-fueled folklore.

The trio go on a quest for the “Seeing Glass,” but the journey is what makes this brutal. They stumble through grotesque giants, deranged mermaids, talking corpses, and enough gore to make you wonder how this was ever marketed as “middle grade.” Like the first book, the narrator keeps breaking the fourth wall with warnings — and the warnings aren’t exaggerating.

I grew up with this book too, and it’s the one that really made me realize just how dark old folklore can get. Disney may have turned fairy tales into happily-ever-afters, but this book reminds you: the originals were nightmares meant to scare you straight.


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⚠️ A Word of Warning

This book is even nastier than the first. The violence is detailed, and the body horror is dialed up.

There’s a scene where a giant literally bites a human in half and the narrator describes the blood dripping down his chin.

The mermaids aren’t pretty or magical — they’re described as hideous, with rows of sharp teeth and a hunger for flesh.

Jill suffers through brutal humiliation that leaves her scarred both physically and mentally.

And yes, there’s still decapitation, mutilation, and monsters that look like they crawled straight out of a nightmare.


This is not a bedtime story unless you want your kid waking you up at 3am crying about severed heads.


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Pros

Expanded cast – Jack, Jill, and the Frog Prince join the chaos, making this more of an ensemble horror adventure.

Escalated horror – If the first book dipped your toes in gore, this one dunks your head in it.

Themes of trauma – It actually gets real about what these kids are going through emotionally, not just physically.

The humor – Dark, sarcastic, and sometimes the only thing keeping you from gagging.


Cons

Can be too much – Some sections feel like Gidwitz was seeing how far he could push his audience, and it might lose some readers who liked the “fun” side of book one.



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Final Thoughts

In a Glass Grimmly is the middle child of this trilogy — darker, meaner, and way more experimental. It doesn’t just rehash the first book’s formula, it ups the stakes and expands the scope. But it also might alienate some readers because of how relentlessly bleak it gets.

Personally, I love it. Growing up with this, I felt like it was daring me to keep reading, like a carnival barker yelling, “Come see the gore, kids!” It’s wild, it’s disturbing, and it absolutely earns its place as the sequel.

⭐ 10/10 — For those who can stomach it, this is peak dark fairy tale horror.


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Spoiler Warning ⚠️

Let’s dive into the five most unforgettable, most scarring stories in this sequel.


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Spoilers – The 5 Most Memorable Stories

1. The Frog Prince
We kick things off not with Hansel and Gretel this time, but with a Frog Prince who isn’t charming or magical — he’s grotesque. When kissed, instead of turning into some handsome royal, he turns into this awkward, confused mess. It sets the tone: these aren’t the fairy tales you think you know.


2. Jack and Jill’s Humiliation
Jack and Jill are mocked, bullied, and dragged through humiliations that go way beyond “tumbling down a hill.” Jill, especially, faces verbal and physical cruelty that leaves scars. It’s harsh, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s written with such detail that you can feel her anger and shame.


3. The Flesh-Eating Giants
Possibly the most grotesque part of the book. Jack and Jill encounter giants who literally eat humans like snacks. One giant is described ripping a man in half, blood pouring everywhere. It’s horrifying, but it’s also one of those moments where you stop and go: Okay, this is a kids’ book??


4. The Mermaid Horror
Forget Ariel — these mermaids are described with jagged teeth, sunken eyes, and a craving for flesh. They drag victims into the water, tear them apart, and laugh while doing it. Jill has to face them, and it’s one of the most nightmare-inducing chapters.


5. The Glass Ending
The climax with the “Seeing Glass” is surreal and unsettling. The kids confront visions of their own trauma, pain, and worst fears. It’s not just physical horror this time, but psychological horror. It hammers home the point that fairy tales weren’t just stories to entertain kids — they were meant to scar them into learning lessons.