‘Grimm: The Chopping Block’ Book Review

Are you a fan of the series Grimm? I am, and if you’re anything like me you tune in to see what kind of creature is going to show up next but hate that wait in between episodes (or seasons) to see what’s going to turn up next. Now I found something to fill those voids a little better; a book series from Titan Books based on the TV show Grimm that plays out much like an episode but, in my opinion, is actually a lot more fun than watching the show. The book I read was the second in the series titled The Chopping Block. The storyline is pretty simple: a bunch of stripped bones is found in the woods outside Portland and Detective Nick Burkhardt and his partner Hank Griffin have to investigate.  This undoubtedly leads to a wesen involvement and Nick’s special skills to solve the case (with the help of reformed wesen Monroe).

I really don’t want to go into too much detail of the story as to not write a bunch of spoilers. That said, the tone of the books is perfect. The writer has a clear understanding of the characters on the show and writes them accurately. The book also delves a lot deeper into side stories involving the main characters; Monroe has his own side story as does Nick. Juliette gets a LOT more time devoted to her and her daily life as a veterinarian. But most interestingly to me is that reading the book allows so much more room for imagination. The wesen and crimes on television are very well-defined but when you read about them and their descriptions your mind really forces you to create something more interesting/frightening than any TV special effects. It makes for a great read!

As a fan of the show I really enjoyed the book but I don’t think you necessarily need to be a watcher of the show (though it would probably help). The story is written well enough that anybody could follow along. Probably the most difficult part is reading the Germanic wesen terminology but it’s never a real problem; it just slows you down a little at times. The pacing can be a little slow in places but it all leads to a mystery solved at the end where you never predict what’s going to happen until it actually happens. It’s fun not to figure out what happens before you finish the book.

Overall, it’s a fun read and matches, if not surpasses the television show.