I feel like this book had the potential to be much better than it was! Overall it was decently written, but I feel there were too many points of view which caused a lack of character development. I could only read about 25% of the book before I gave up because this book just didn't draw me in.

I love a good dark academia book with some murder in it. But I have...mixed feelings about this book. I'm gonna give it a 3.5...maybe a 4? The main reason I feel conflicted is that this book did not have me in the first half. That first hundred or so pages felt like the audience was more middle school rather than upper YA. But by the end of it, I was confused because of the gruesome content and language used it just threw me off.
However, once the plot really started to get going this was no longer an issue for me. I was INVESTED in this story, I love the whole concept of the fairy tales and the unhappy endings. The diversity in this book did not feel like a checklist and the experiences didn't feel like tokenism. I enjoyed the characters, I found that each of the POV girls had their own identities but at times it felt like there was one aspect and one aspect alone that made up their personality. For the larger part, the characters felt static and most development happened off page. The twists and vivid descriptions literally had me asking what in the world just happened.
All in all, I did enjoy this! It fell a bit flat for my expectations but I'm going to pin that on me not being the intended audience for it.

Thank you Netgalley for sharing an ARC with me in return for an honest review

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl should be at the top of your TBR pile. The characters, setting, and twists kept me turning page after page. It has been a while since I have read a YA novel, so I was unsure if this one would be able to captivate my attention. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I fell in love with the tone of the character's narration and Pohl's storytelling ability. I was fascinated with how the characters illustrated their fairytale counterpart. Each character was nuanced and original despite being modern examples of fairytale characters. The bonds between the characters are authentic and intriguing. Pohl's writing was enchanting and the dark gothic setting only made the words more impactful. I can't wait to see what this author does next; I will be first in line for pre-order.

**I read an e-arc of this through the "read now" section on NetGalley!**

“Four friends, one murder, and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.”

The Grimrose Girls is a contemporary take on fairytales with a dark twist thrown in. It follows 3 girls at the Grimrose Académie after the mysterious death of their best friend, and their new roommate, as they try to figure out the circumstances surrounding their friend’s death. They uncover more secrets than they were anticipating about their school and its gruesome history.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a bit of a slow start for me, but once it got going I couldn’t put it down and read the second half in basically one sitting. Each girl has their own POV and they are all so different from each other. There is mental health rep (OCD) and LGBTQA+ rep from the main characters. It was great watching their relationships and characters grow and change as they discovered more secrets about their best friend, their school, and themselves. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so I’m very excited to see what’s next for Ella, Yuki, Rory, and Nani. This story was such a unique take on fairytales and I think the author did a great job weaving this story together!

An enjoyable blend of mystery and magic with the focus on a group of girls, their bonds with each other and their relationships with others. Each girl has her secrets and as the story evolves, so does our picture of each girl and their background. There was enough mystery to keep me guessing.

I expected the audience to be teen but as I was reading it, it felt more like middle school. Either way it is a good clean read with nothing explicit.

The ending is satisfying while making it very obvious that there will be a follow up novel.

With a wide range of representation for lgbtqia fiction fans, this will be a hit with our book club so I will definitely be adding it to our purchase list.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The book isn't badly written, but I felt the amount of backstory shared between at least four POV characters got in the way of forward momentum. When I got to the 20% mark and realized I still wasn't invested in the characters (and therefore not in the story or the mystery), I surrendered.

The Grimrose Girls had a lot of components which piqued my interest but I was left wanting a bit more. For example, the school in a remote location, possibility of a curse, diverse casts, and multiple POVs had great potential. In the end, I felt that there was not enough time spent on any one character's POV to get to know them. Especially at the beginning of the book, I was struggling to keep all of the characters straight. The ending seemed rushed and there were many parts that felt too perfect (such as multiple characters ending up with romantic interests).

I would have enjoyed this book more if it had fewer points of view, took longer to tell the story, and had more character development. I would still recommend this book to anyone wanting a quick, slightly suspenseful read. There was good representation of people with different genders, sexualities, and backgrounds.

3.5 stars

RATING: 2.5 STARS

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl is a dark spin on fairytales that the Brothers Grimm would be proud of. The book is a solid choice for those who are fans of mystery and dark academia - but might fall short in the eyes of fantasy readers.

At the start of the story, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are returning to the ultra-exclusive Grimrose Academy in the mountains of Switzerland. Things will not be the same, however, as they are missing the fourth member of their group Ariane. Some think Ariane committed suicide or simply drowned, but her friends believe someone killed her and are determined to find out what happened. After new girl Nani finds a mysterious book of fairytales in Ariane’s closet, things get even stranger and they must race to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

While reading, I was reminded of the Once Upon a Time tv show. Both Once Upon a Time and The Grimrose Girls leave you wondering which fairytale corresponds to each character. Some of the fairytale relations were fairly obvious (Ella) while others were hard to pin down (Yuki). I enjoyed figuring out who was who - this aspect was my favorite part while reading.

It was a little hard at times to connect the fairytale retelling aspect to the dark academia. Admittedly, these two genres are not commonly crossed. The atmosphere definitely felt dark and the author did a great job building the setting. I had no problems envisioning the academy, though I did wonder at times why they set it at an academy if they barely covered any school-related issues or scenes.

However, the fairytale aspect was where the book fell flat. I felt like I was missing something in explanations on why things were happening, and I think that made it harder for me to connect to the story as a heavy fantasy reader. This book is supposed to be part of a series, so I'm hoping the author leans more into the fairytale aspect for the second installment. Despite giving this book a low rating, I would still consider reading the next installment as the author did enough to make me curious about what happens next for the foursome.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to read an early copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity.

This book combines three of my loves: fairy tales, LGBTQ+ representation, and murder. To put it simply, I couldn't put this book down. It was absolutely engrossing. I absolutely loved the gothic boarding school/castle setting, and the characters were memorable and the plot kept me engaged. I can't wait to get this book for my classroom.

The Grimrose Girls was one of those rare books I knew I wasn’t going to like right from the beginning. I came into it with very high expectations since the premise sounded wonderful, but the opening scene already made it evident that there was a lack of emotion to the writing. I knew it wasn’t going to get any better from there since that first chapter was supposed to introduce and set up a few of the most important people and facts in this story and it failed spectacularly for me.

I do want to say that I very much appreciated how diverse this was, though. It was refreshing, in that sense, to read a book with no heterosexuals lol that sadly wasn’t enough to carry everything else for me.

The story was told in multiple POVs and… I think that was a mistake. There wasn’t enough time for each character to be developed when the perspective kept shifting and that contributed to my feeling of experiencing this as an emotionless story. We met each one of the girls while they were grieving, but that was very quickly moved to second–and sometimes third–plane in favor of introducing secondary characters and/or have the girls interacting with each other or others.

The plot was also not my favorite and that was because of the leaps of logic from the girls so that the story could move where the authored wanted it to move. None of the magic bits were explained in any way, shape, or form and it was never ever clear why things were happening the way they were. The girls just accepted them as reality and moved on from there as if no discussion was needed.

The book also ended in a bit of a cliffhanger and I, in no way, felt like I got any answers at any point about anything. I understand this is the first installment of the series, but that lack of something solid to hold on to in regard to world-building didn’t work for me.

A sinister take on fairytales, Laura Pohl twists the stories we know into a gothic sophomore novel about the narratives young girls are trapped in.

Those at the Grimrose Académie for Elite Student mourn the apparent drowning of one of their own. What a tragedy to lose such a girl, what a horror. However, the secrets she kept start to unravel as her friends investigate. Ella, who is trapped by her cruel stepfamily: Yuki, who keeps her cold heart hidden, and Rory, who is determined to be no one's damsel. When the new student Nani joins them, so does the danger that exists inside the school. Full of troubled friendships, diverse queer romances (my beloved lesbian with a sword!), and fun explorations of what power fairytales have, The Grimrose Girls has a strong aesthetic!

At times, it felt like there were so many plot threads that the narrative became tangled. One can hope these will be explored further in the sequel. And while I went in having different expectations – less Pretty Little Liars and more Truly Devious – I was still charmed by the soapy dramatics that had real-life elements grounding them among the magic and curses.

A copy was provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire. All opinions are my own.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I have been on a dark academia kick lately and I loved this unique perspective on the sub genre! It’s not often that you get to read a fantasy retelling with a dark academia book, so I really appreciated how unique this was.
This book followed the stories of 4 reimagined Fairytale princesses who have to figure out how their own curses can be stopped. This is not the Disney fairytales that we remember though, these stories follow the much darker original fairytales.
I appreciated how inclusive this book was and the incorporation of LGBTQ characters, specifically those on the ACE spectrum as well. I haven’t checked if this is the start of a series yet but I truly hope it is because I’m hooked and I need more.
This was also a really fast read, so it’s perfect to binge in a night.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the moment I laid eyes on the gorgeous cover art, I knew The Grimrose Girls was my kind of YA book. A group of girls at an exclusive, maybe-cursed boarding school. A whole cast of LGBTQIA+ and disabled characters. Fairytale heroines solving a murder mystery while also piecing together their own identities (in more ways than one). For a reader who loves the darker side of magical stories, there isn’t a whole lot more you could ask for in a YA novel.

The story focuses on a group of girls at Grimrose Académie, an exclusive boarding school which is obviously in Switzerland and obviously a castle. Ella, Rory, and Yuki are best friends mourning the loss of their missing piece, Ariane, who drowned in the school’s lake just a month prior. Nani Eszes, a bookish outcast in search of her wayward father, is the new girl who just happens to take over Ariane’s room. When Nani finds an old book of fairy tales featuring some very, very grim endings in the late Ariane’s wardrobe, she becomes a reluctant fourth to their group as they are thrust into a mystery older, darker, and more magical than they could have imagined.

First off, let’s applaud Laura Pohl here. The amount of inclusivity and representation in this book is phenomenal, as there are characters of all different sexualities and gender identities. And can I just say, it is so refreshing to see teenage girls actually comfortable in their sexuality! I can see this story having a profound impact on teenagers who may be questioning or at odds with their own sexuality, as the ease with which our POV characters describe their attraction (or lack thereof) to the people around them feels natural and confident.

The premise of the story is wonderfully imaginative and well-executed. Once the girls find the book, the story picks up speed very quickly, and I will admit my horror-loving heart had a few moments of grossed-out joy when things started getting dark - and let me just say, the author has a gift for writing gruesome imagery that took me by surprise in the best way. For example, there’s a certain scene involving porridge that...Well, I won’t be eating oatmeal for a while.

Each POV character has a unique voice and the transitions, for the most part, are smooth and keep the story moving along nicely. My personal favorite was Rory, a lesbian sass machine who loves fencing and profanity, and who struggles with chronic illness in a way that felt realistic while also showcasing her determination. More than once, I found myself laughing out loud at her snappy comebacks.

The story’s strength lies in its characters and central mystery, though I found the ending to be somewhat disappointing. The grand reveal at the end left me wondering if it was even supposed to be a twist, as it seemed to be more spotlighted than foreshadowed from the first chapters. Also, the resolution of this book felt a little unsatisfying thanks to having so many loose ends. I know this is the first installment of a series, so it was certainly intentional, but I felt like our heroines (and myself as a reader) deserved a little more closure.

With that small piece of criticism aside, I fully intend to pick up the next installment. While the book itself may not have perfectly stuck the landing, I really really really need to know what’s happening at this boarding school/magical death trap and, more importantly, to Rory and her f-bombs.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book via NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy twists on fairytales and Queer reads, this is the book for you. Laura Pohl’s The Grimrose Girls takes what you know about The Grimm Brothers’ fairytale heroines and flips it on its head. We have four main characters in the story: Yuki, Rory, Ella, and Nani attend a boarding school for girls in Switzerland where students are mysteriously dying. One death is that of their best friend and leads them to hunt for answers they are unsure they will be able to find.
I love the characters, the setting, and picture that Pohl paints of this boarding school. The Grimrose Girls is a fast read, but a slow build. Pohl spends a lot of time flushing out the characters for us and this can make some moments feel stagnant, unless you are a character driven reader, in which case this is book is perfect for you. If you need a little more action, the first few chapters might be hard to get into, but if you power through, it will reward you.
Pohl weaves her words together beautifully and it so easy to picture every scene in this book. There isn’t a moment where you are confused about what is going on. This was a fantastic book to start my October off with and whether or not you read during spooky season, definitely add this book to your TBR.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. *

“Descendants meets pretty little liars” SUCH AN ACCURATE COMPARISON. This is the first book in a duology of the Grimrose girls. Ella, Yuki and Rory have returned to their elite boarding school after their friend Adriene has died. They were told it was suicide but the girls think there’s something more to it. Nani the new girl joins them in their search but they discover things they couldn’t even imagine. They uncover ancient dark fairytales curses and attempt to forge their own fates before it’s too late.
It has LGBTQ+ characters, it has mystery, it has dark fairytale retellings WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT!? I absolutely fell in love with this book. It surprised me, it made me intrigued, it made me wanting more and I just need the second one ASAP!
The only downside I found was it dragged a little bit at the beginning I got kind of bored. But as soon as it got into it more I was hooked! It just so effortlessly incorporated so many fairytales that it just amazed me.
Dark fairytales is one of my favourite genre of fairytales. I have yet to find books that have incorporated this so I’m insanely happy I did! I may even go and buy a physical of this book once it’s out.
Overall I gave this book 4.5 stars! I loved it but the beginning wasn’t the strongest. This book comes out on the 26th of October and I’d HIGHLY recommend picking it up!

Thank you to sourcebooks fire for the ARC via Netgally in exchange for an honest review!

Grimrose Académie, an elite boarding school, is also home to unfortunate girls who are cursed by their analogous fairy tale stories. Ella, Yuki, and Rory are grieving the recent death of their best friend Ariane who's drowning was labeled a suicide. With a little help from some new friends, the trio is determined to find out what really happened to Ariane. They soon discover that Ariane wasn't the first death at Grimrose when they stumble across an unusual book of Grimm fairy tales which appears to foretell their deaths and if they can't figure out how to break their curses they could be next.

Grimrose Girls is a new YA fairy tale reimagining series with a modern day setting. Each of the students shares similarities with a specific fairy tale written in the pages of an unusual old book. These fairy tales aren't the happily ever after endings they remember being told as children but rather tells a story of the horrific and often graphic deaths of the main characters. The story follows the different characters as they grieve the loss of their friend, try to determine how to break their curse, and discover truths about themselves. Although this novel kicks off with a mysterious death, I felt as though the plot wasn't really "fleshed out" enough. It felt as if I was being dragged along through a story with not enough information. The novel is a quick read with each chapter being fairly short but I found myself not relating to or caring about any of the characters. The novel is an interesting twist on fairy tale reimagining's and although enjoyable, it just didn't live up to the hype for me or have the level of oomph that I was hoping for.

This book has so many elements that I love—fairy tale characters, murder, sweet romances, boarding school vibes, dark twists and turns—but I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and the mystery aspects, while interesting, didn’t grip me like I had expected.

I was hoping I could follow along with the main girls as they tried to figure out what was happening, but the reveal seemed to come out of nowhere (all of a sudden three of the four girls KNEW who the murderer was) and I felt as if I had missed something while reading. It also takes a long time for things to start rolling after the initial opening, and even then there are a lot of elements thrown into the story that never get explained as thoroughly as I wanted. The ending left me wanting a more solid reasoning for what was happening and more explanation as to why it was happening. The book as a whole comes across as a set-up for something much bigger, which I look forward to reading in the sequel.

The fairy tale retelling aspects are so cool, though, and it was fun to guess which girl was which fairy tale princess. I love the concept a lot, and the atmosphere of the book definitely captures that dark fairy tale vibe I was hoping for.

This book will appeal to readers who like murder mysteries, a variety of diverse representation, and dark fairy tale retellings.

I am such a fan of dark academia and the setting of The Grimrose Girls is catnip to my little kitty soul! Set in a Swiss castle, aptly named Grimrose Académie, it starts with the mysterious death of Ariane and the friends she left behind to grieve. Ella, Yuki, and Rory all know that Ari would never kill herself despite what the police investigation rules. When new student Nani arrives, taking Ari’s place as Rory and Yuki’s roommate, the girls begin to work together to unmask the truth of what happened to Ari. More death and destruction occur and a mysterious book may hold the answer to the curse that the girls are looking for.

Full of fairytale magic and curses, the girls struggle to change what fate may bring. There’s an overwhelmingly dark and sinister atmosphere that I loved and I think the combining of well-known fairytales is so clever and entertaining.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire, for this gifted copy.

This review is from the author, LOL. I really loved writing this book, and glad to see every reader enjoyin these fairytales, and having as much fun as I had writing it.