The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, Book 2)

by Michael Buckley

Hardcover, 2005

Status

Available

Local notes

Fic Buc

Barcode

69

Collection

Publication

Harry N. Abrams (2005), Edition: 1St Edition, 192 pages

Description

Although filled with anger over her parents' disappearance, eleven-year-old Sabrina Grimm--along with her grandmother, sister, and several fairy-tale characters--tries to discover who has killed her teacher.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2005-10-01

Physical description

192 p.; 5.75 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member beserene
Series note: one part Lemony Snicket, two parts "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and a healthy dose of just about every other children's fantasy written in the last decade...

#2 was more of the same, though I think it pulled me in a little more. Serious mayhem involved, which is delightful, and though
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this still seems to be a series for the tween set, this second volume had some scarier moments and some extra-cranky almost-a-teenager antics. It seems like the author is forcing a few things -- the time frame here is weeks rather than years, so the progress of characters seems a bit speedy, especially the intimations of a possible love toward the end -- but still a fun, fast-paced read.
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LibraryThing member booksandbosox
Definitely want to keep reading this series, although Sabrina does keep getting more and more obnoxious. I just love seeing which fairy tale character is going to turn up next and this one has a number of pleasant surprises! I'm also very intrigued by the Scarlet Hand organization. I'm such a
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little kid sometimes!
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LibraryThing member the1butterfly
This was not my favorite fairy tale retelling. I didn't like the main character or the situations she ended up in. There were some interesting fairy tale interpretations, and some things came together in an interesting way, but this isn't at the top of my recommendations.
LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Sabrina is avoiding going to school so she can continue to research ways to free her parents from their kidnappers. Finally, she and Daphne have to go or face being taken away from Granny Relda. Daphne loves school and is immediately popular in the second grade. Sabrina though faces bullies and
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sleepy kids in sixth grade. She senses something just is not right. Soon she is proven right when her teacher is killed by what might be a giant spider.

Much craziness ensues as the girls try to solve the case on their own, with Puck's help and the assistance of an everafter's kid. Along the way they learn some lessons about relying on the wisdom of their elders and Sabrina learns a lesson about bigotry.

Lots of crazy fun.
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LibraryThing member my624persona
Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are back, with a host of new and old friends--and enemies--and a fat new problem: someone, or something is killing and eating the inhabitants of Ferryport Landing. Will they solve the mystery in time, or will they be prey themselves? Unfortunately, the skill and craft
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Buckley showed in the wonder and discovery of the new fantasy world in GS1 does not follow through in his second. Full of character inconsistencies and jumped conclusions, the follow up falls short of the mark. His staff of whimsy, which bent towards the darker sides of magic and mystery in the first book, has cracked in half and landed in a lagoon of violence, deceit, and predatory guidance counselors. Buckley just can't stretch his gimmick wide enough without diluting its power, and so he ends up distorting characters and introducing elements that just don't work-- not-so-Swiftian Liliputians and key elements from Alice in Wonderland, for example, make an appearance; apparently by Mr. Buckley's standards, anything fantastical and older than himself is fair game for his meddling in an increasingly haphazard fantasy world. As in the first novel in the series, GS2 focuses heavily on the corruption, political repression, and revenge among the Everafters and their relations to the human inhabitants of Ferryport Landing. Devoted fans of the first novel might be able to make it through the second en route to a promising third, but the fate of the Grimms Sisters novels is grim indeed. Possibly interesting and engaging for middle schoolers reading at a younger level, given the advanced darkness of his themes, but not a well constructed book. Overall, GS2 is a disappointment after GS1, but is still a creative--if mangled-- synthesis and resetting of familiar characters.
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LibraryThing member drebbles
Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been living with their grandmother for over a month and they are just now starting to go to school. Seven-year-old Daphne adjusts to school immediately, who wouldn't with Snow White as your teacher? Twelve-year-old Sabrina has a harder time adjusting; her teacher, Mr.
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Grumpner, lives up to his name, and the kids in her class aren't exactly friendly. Plus, she'd rather spend the time looking for her missing parents instead of being in school. But Sabrina's attention is soon caught after a series of attacks at the school. Before long, Sabrina, Daphne, their grandmother, and the faithful Mr. Canis are wrapped up in a series of events that threaten the entire town and beyond.

"The Unusual Suspects" is a great entry in what is proving to be a delightful series. Michael Buckley deftly weaves several fairy tales into the book, and to his credit, he uses elements from the book versions rather than the sometimes more popular movie version, as when Sabrina uses the golden cap from the Wizard of Oz books. Children will enjoy the fairy tale aspects of the book, while adults will appreciate the subtle humor in the scenes mimicking westerns and detective movies. Sabrina and Daphne are both very believable characters, especially Sabrina and her anger over her parent's disappearance. The fairy tale characters are also well done, presented as real people with real problems and readers will notice the irony at the despair of the Pied Piper of Hamelin when his own child disappears. And readers may be surprised at which fairy tale characters turn out to be heroes and which turn out to be villains. Finally, Buckley ends the book with quite a cliffhanger, which will make readers want to immediately read the next book in the series.

Well done!
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LibraryThing member wmshub
I like this one a little bit better than the first Sisters Grimm.
LibraryThing member SandraKLee
This is book two in a series. The book has illustrations and is available on CD.
LibraryThing member hailelib
A fair sequel but ends on a real cliffhanger with Sabrina in a very bad situation. I will eventually read Book III.
LibraryThing member bell7
Sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been living with their grandmother for three weeks. In that time, they fought off a giant, learned the secret of Ferryport Landing, and have been researching how to free their parents by consulting the vast number of fairy tales collected by their families.
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Yes, they are descendants of Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, and now they have to begin the most annoying mission of all: going to school.

As in the first book, the prologue takes an exciting moment of the climax, suddenly stopping to start the story from the beginning until that portion of the story makes sense and it is repeated nearly word for word - only now we understand its significance. The series is a fun blend of fantasy and mystery, with some odd characters thrown in for good measure. The girls' social worker really gets me, though, she's downright abusive at times and her entire discussion with the grandmother about school seemed forced and not actually legal, I think. A bit extreme. But once the story got going, and I started meeting some of the new fantasy characters - it's always fun trying to recognize old characters with a new spin on them - I really enjoyed the story and the humor. In the end, I liked it even better than the first book, and I'm looking forward to starting The Problem Child soon.
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LibraryThing member sensitivemuse
Very few books have managed to make me laugh. And I mean burst out laughing until your cry or until your guts hurt laugh. sure, I get a chuckle here and there from some books I’ve read in the past, but this one really got to me. I couldn’t stop laughing at some parts (the dodgeball part really
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did it in for me) and tears started coming down and my stomach hurt. It came to the point where I was told to keep quiet because I couldn’t stop laughing so much. I can’t remember a time where I enjoyed a book so much like this one.

The plot of this book was much better than the first one. There’s more mystery involved and with Puck, the humor is increased ten fold. Sabrina is still having a hard time adjusting and her rude behavior is still there, but whatever Puck does to her to upset her is justified in my opinion. I still find her disagreeable but I don’t dislike her as much as I did in the first book. Grandma and Daphne are still loveable as ever. The plot is certainly darker than the first one, and I like it. Although the culprit may have already been guessed, the plot still continues to be attention grabbing with some action, comedy, and magic scenes which is sure to keep the reader going.

The illustrations also add a nice visual stimuli for the reader, and I thought they were well done. The last drawing was a little creepy and gave me a bit of a chill but the way the ending was written, it certainly got me curious and I’m definitely going to continue reading this series. There is still the unanswered question regarding Daphne and Sabrina’s parents which I think is the main problem they’re trying to solve while other mysteries pop up in their way.

An extremely fun read, with lots of laughs, a lot of fun magic and mystery. This book is definitely recommended for all ages who love fairy tales and don’t mind a little twist to them. (Think Shrek). I wonder if others have laughed as much as I did while reading the dodgeball game scene.
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LibraryThing member Ms.Turtle
Good book! As Sabrina and Daphne return for a second book, they have to learn to survive in the Ferryport landing school. This book is a great fiction book and is funny and is a really good book for advanced readers.
LibraryThing member ASBiskey
The start of this book, the second in the series, is a little cluncky. Once the plot begins to get going, things settle down into a quick, enjoyable flow. A tremendous cast of familiar characters with some unexpected twists picks away a little more at what you thought about fairy tales. The ending
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is a cliff-hanger. Now I will definetly have to get the third book. I would recommend the series for ages 9 and up. Girls particularly will sympathize with the sister's relationships and interactions with others.
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LibraryThing member takieya
A decent follow up to the first novel, The Unusual Suspects find Sabrina and Daphne Grimm once again in the middle of a mystery. This story continues in the style of the last, using different fairly tale characters throughout, leading the Sisters Grimm through a series of challenging situations,
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and diving a bit deeper into the tale of the Scarlet Hand.

This one ends in a cliff-hanger, one that makes me want to hop right into the next book… which thankfully is sitting on my bookshelf.
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LibraryThing member deepikasd
Michael Buckley has done it again.


After the events of the previous book, Fairy-tale Detectives, Sabrina and Daphne have sort of settled into their new lives with the Granny. They are detectives who sort out the problems in the their town involving the fairy-tale characters called Everafters.
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However, it is time to start school, even though the two girls try to get out of attending the new school, claiming that they need rest and are sick. In the end, the two begin their adventures at school. Daphne soon becomes the star of her class, while Sabrina's hopes of being a normal student are dashed almost immediately. Her attitudes and distrust of Everafters seem to grow worse and worse and worse, even getting her into trouble. But when a teacher is murdered, the Grimm family must band together again to solve the mystery, even if the teacher seemed evil.


Though the first book basically introduced the characters, the second does a good job of not only continuing the story, but to also help deepen the mystery of the Scarlet Hand. Sabrina's want of her parents starts to make her distrust every Everafter. There is once again a mystery surrounding the Scarlet Hand, and many clues to the actual culprits are found throughout the book. The cliffhanger ending makes you want to pick up the next book and read it immediately.


ADVICE: If you read this book, make sure that you have book 3 with you so that you can continue....
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the second book in the Grimm Sisters series by Buckley. I thought the first book was okay, but a bit weak in characterization and plot. This book was much better than the first book and I enjoyed it a lot more. I listened to this book on audiobook and the audiobook was well done. This
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narrator isn't my favorite but he does a good job of giving the characters distinct voices.

Daphne and Sabrina finally have to start school; they've been putting it off for as long as they can but if they don't start school soon their granny with get in trouble with Child Services. So off they go to school. Their first day of school is off to a bad start when Sabrina finds her homeroom teacher dead in the classroom wrapped in a giant web. Something is killing off members of the faculty and the kids at school are eternally sleepy. Sabrina suspects foul play from the Ever Afters; Sabrina, Daphne, and Granny Grimm have to wrap up this case before anyone else gets hurt.

The characters were better developed in this book than in the first. I felt like we got to see more depth to even the side characters like Prince Charming and Snow White. I still am not a big Sabrina fan; she is an angry and, at times, mean girl that I just don't like. It looks like Sabrina's bad attitude will be address in future books though. I enjoyed learning more about the characters, I really like Puck and Daphne and have high hopes for Sabrina in future books.

The plot was excellent, it was very much a fairy tale mystery. It is a twisty turny plot that is fun and keeps the reader engaged. I enjoyed the various fairy tale characters that popped up throughout the book and also enjoyed watching Sabrina and Daphne unravel the mystery.

One thing I really did not like was the absolutely obnoxious cliffhanger ending. The story in this book is very nicely wrapped up, but then another story is started and left in an absolutely horrible place with a "to be continued" added on. People who read my reviews know I hate this. I don't understand why an author can't draw readers just by writing a well-written book. Doing silly cliffhangers with obnoxious 'to be continued' statements is gimmicky and tacky and just plain annoying.

Overall I enjoyed this story more than the first book. I thought the character development was much better and loved all the fun fairy tale characters (Ever Afters) we bumped into throughout the story. The plot was twisty turny, fun to read and really kept me engaged. The fact that this book ends on an absolute cliffhanger annoyed me a lot. I don't understand why writers have to do that. I'll read the third book, The Problem Child, because I already have it on audiobook...if that one ends on another really obnoxious cliffhanger than I probably won't keep reading this series.
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LibraryThing member Melissa.mhan3754
The Unusual Suspects is the second book in the Sisters Grimm series. It is about this mystery they solve about why Sabrina's teacher was found dead in her homeroom in school. The Grimms find clues in the room and Sabrina finds out that the school cousolor is Rumplesteilskin, and that he is a bad
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guy even though he acted so nice and cool. At the end Mr. Canis risks his life to save everyone else. Daphne, Sabrina, Puck and another kid do some sneaking though. They get through the janitor's room by shrinking, but end up making a mouse grow to an enormous size. At the end the school is destroyed and Mr. Canis is gone.
I thought this book was just as good as the first. It is so interesting and easy to follow along and read. It is one of those books that once you start you just keep reading and go on to the next book. I thought is was cool when Daphne, Sabrina, Puck and their friend shrunk with the drink me bottle to get through the janitor's closet. The Sisters Grimm is also amazing because it has all the farie tales and it is fantastic to be able to read about them and know what character it is. Sometimes in the books they need to know it they are talking to an Everafter which may sometimes be difficult for them even though they are great detectives. i think this is an awesome series to start reading.
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LibraryThing member Kplatypus
After their parents mysteriously go missing and the girls get bumped from foster home to foster home, they're taken in by the grandmother that they had been told was dead. In Fairyport Landing, the girls find out that the story of their family is far stranger than anyone would have guessed: the
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fairytales that the Grimm brothers documented were all real, and the stars of those stories have made Fairyport Landing their new home. They've been trapped there by a spell, cast by Baba Yaga at the behest of the Grimm Brothers, so not everyone looks too kindly on the family, especially since the spell will only be lifted when the last Grimm descendant leaves Fairyport. Nonetheless, the girls eagerly join in their grandmother's self-imposed duty of fairy tale denizen monitoring and detective work. Their zeal for the work only increases after they learn that their parents' disappearance is linked to the fairytale community.

The first book saw the girls settling in and beginning their adventures; this book continues in the same vein but with a new twist: the girls have been forced to start attending school again. They think school might be a refreshingly normal change of pace but no sooner do they start classes than it becomes clear that something is amiss at Fairyport Elementary; something that smacks of fairytales.

Will the girls find their parents? Will they figure out who's behind the strange goings on at their school? Will they manage to win a game of dodgeball? All these questions and more will be answered within the pages of The Unusual Suspects

Obviously, I rather enjoyed this book- just good, clean fun with a clever idea and entertaining characters. Definitely a good pick for the late elementary/junior high crowd, especially those who enjoy their fairytales. Good for a light and quick read for those grown-ups with the same fondness.
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LibraryThing member scote23
I just finished listening to this book, and man does it end on a cliff-hanger! Sabrina Grimm has had enough of the Everafters and their evil ways. But not everything is what it seems in Fairyport Landing...

One thing I wish is that this series was told from Daphne's point of view, rather than
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Sabrina's, as she is often a snot. And Daphne is not afraid to tell her so.
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LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Rating: 3 of 5

The Unusual Suspects was another entertaining entry in the Sisters Grimm series; however, it's unlikely I will read any further than Book Two. I enjoyed the humor and the mash-up of different fairy tales. But it's all too simple for my current tastes. Even the cliffhanger ending just
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wasn't enough to grab my interest.

The Sisters Grimm would be a great fit for kids around 8-14 *or* people wanting to read aloud to kids those ages.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER FOLLOWS***

Note to self: Rumpelstiltskin and his children were thought-provoking ideas. Beauty and the Beast, the Frog Prince and Princess, and Little Miss Muffet and the spider had babies, were too poor to support them, and sold them to Rumpel (who is a 3' tall, troll-like creature). Why does he want first born kids so bad? He feeds off their emotions.
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LibraryThing member liz.mabry
I really want to like this series - I liked the first one, and read the second one as well. But something is off about it - the characters don't ring true to me. I'm not sure why. I checked out the third one at the same time, and still have it, so I'll probably read it just to give it one more
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chance. Like I said, I really want to like it, as I think the premise is fantastic and it could be great.
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LibraryThing member SRaval
This was a great book that was filled with excitement and suspense. Usually once I read a book I don't read it again but this one had so much detail I would gladly read it again.
LibraryThing member scote23
I just finished listening to this book, and man does it end on a cliff-hanger! Sabrina Grimm has had enough of the Everafters and their evil ways. But not everything is what it seems in Fairyport Landing...

One thing I wish is that this series was told from Daphne's point of view, rather than
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Sabrina's, as she is often a snot. And Daphne is not afraid to tell her so.
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley is the second in the Sisters Grimm series. Sabrina's teacher, Mr. Grumpner is found dead in a spider's web. She and her sister and grandmother have to figure out who is behind his death.

The only clues the Grimms have are some red hand prints left at various
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crime scenes. Mayor Charming is desperate to have the case solved.

Mixed into the regular mystery is the on-going one regarding the Grimm parents. It looks like the villagers know more than they're pretending. Further confusing things are Puck's annoying antics Ñ he's the Q of this series.

Where the book falters is its pacing. Like the second of the NERDS series, there is too much crammed in here. The story starts off slow, is bogged down by Sabrina's complaining, and later by disagreements between sisters. When it's time to wrap things up, we're given a cliffhanger instead.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
In this volume Sabrina and Daphne finally get enrolled in school. Daphne's teacher is Snow White and her classmates love her. Sabrina's teacher is Mr. Grumpner and she is not doing quite as well as with her fellow classmates. Sabrina is angry all the time, her classmates are always sleepy and there
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have been murders at the school.

I liked the story but the narrator just wasn't working for me. This story ended on a cliffhanger and I cannot decide whether I want to try listening to it again or whether I should just get a paperback. Some of his voices were good, but his voice for the girls in particular just wasn't working for me.
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Pages

192

Rating

½ (341 ratings; 4)
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