Briana @ Pages Unbound
Written on Mar 21, 2013
Review: “The Orphanage of Doom” is a story just as captivating as the first three books in the Grimm Chronicles series. Alice is back with her snarky yet intelligent voice, walking a fantastic line between sounding like a credible heroine and a realistic teen. In this installment, school has started once again for Alice, and she must balance the demands of her homework, her social life, and her duty as the world’s hero.
Fontaine and Brosky never let their stories feel episodic, and they add a twist in “The Orphanage of Doom” by introducing the creepiest plot and atmosphere of the series yet. Previously Alice was dealing with adults. Here, there are children’s happiness and lives at stake, and the reader cannot help feeling as badly for them as Alice, as she spends night after night dreaming about their sufferings in preparation to take down the Corrupted who has trapped them. The imagery of her dreams, and then the reality, is brilliantly chilling.
The authors also dig a little deeper by introducing Corrupted who have larger plots than before. Alice’s previous enemies were dangerous, but tended to take down one victim at a time. In Book 4, things get worse, as the Corrupted victimize larger groups of people and even intentionally plot to ruin the world. Higher stakes keep the series exciting and also encourage Alice to continue growing as a heroine. She is capable but not allowed to become overly confident or cocky.
A great addition to the series that hints Alice’s story will continue to become bigger and more exciting with each book.