Gretel Pushes Back (Grimmtastic Girls #8)

All Gretel wants to do is hike and work on her hiking guide, but everything keeps getting in the way, from the weather to the strange, mean girls at school. The E.V.I.L. Society is up to something bad, and Gretel is in danger…especially once she runs into a candy cottage.

What I Loved:

GRETEL PUSHES BACK in the eighth installment of the popular Grimmtastic Girls series, which does quick reimaginings of popular young women in fairy tales. Though this is several books into the series, since each focuses on a different character, it’s easy to catch up to what’s previously happened. This time we hear Gretel’s, from Hansel and Gretel, story. The twists on the original tale are creative and fun. The relationship between Gretel and her brother is quite the realistic sibling relationship, full of bickering but underlying affection. The best part about the story, however, is the positivity about finding and exploring your passion. Gretel loves to hike, and she has her own goals about the outdoors and what she wants to do with her passion.

What Left Me Wanting More:

While there is much to enjoy in this story, the characters do rely fairly heavy on gender norms in parts. Having that isn’t necessarily a negative aspect, but it would have been nice to see some diversion from them.

Final Verdict:

GRETEL PUSHES BACK is a nice addition to the Grimmtastic Girls line-up, excellent for young readers, especially those who love lengthier chapter books.