3.5⭐️

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Overall, I thought this was a really solid ending to this fun, dark fairytale fantasy. There were elements that I completely adored, but some things that left me wanting a little more. 

So let's start with what I liked -

I loved how a "HEA" was different for each other girls. And it didn't automatically mean that they each ended up in a committed romantic relationship - especially considering these characters are teens and just graduating high school.

I loved the emphasis and friendships and platonic love. Yuki and Ella's relationship is so fierce and unending and I was living for it. 

The last quarter of this book is a RIDE. I never wanted to put this book down once things were being revealed. Definitely make sure you have time to spare once you get to the last 100 pages. Because you won't be able to put this down.

However that leads into some of the things that didn't quite work for me.

While the ending was action packed, the first half was quite slow. It felt like almost nothing happened for the first 30-50% of the book. It was just the main characters having the exact conversations over and over. Which left me feeling like this book did not need to be nearly 500 pages long. So much of that could have been cut without loosing any development or plot.

I also felt that while the ending was action filled and fast paced, I was left feeling underwhelmed by the final reveals. I didn't feel like there was good foreshadowing done throughout the story to lead to the conclusion and reveal. The people behind the plot felt sudden and odd and I wasn't a huge fan.

And the way the curse broke... didn't make a ton of sense to me. Especially considering all the searching and clues our heroines found throughout the book. I don't entirely understand how they got to that conclusion or why it worked.

So in the end I'm left feeling a little torn. I felt like this book had amazing messages and discussions about love and loyalty and friendships. But I thought the wrap up of the mystery could have been handled better. 

This is definitely still a book I recommend for anyone who loves fairytales and wants a dark, queer take on those tales. And I'm excited to see what Laura Pohl does next!

I absolutely adored the first book. I gobbled it up in less than a day and couldn't put it down. The second book however dragged, especially in the first half. Once I made it to  chapter 37 or so the pacing picked up and it became a much more enjoyable read. Would I deam this my all time favorite book, no, but it also wouldn't be my all time worst. Thank you so much for to Netgalley and  Sourcebook Fire for an advanced copy of the Wicked Remain.

thank you netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC!

a pretty much perfect fairytale ending.
i saw a video saying that the girls from pretty little liars don't... act as friends, but as colleagues, same with the avengers. although i don't fully agree with that statement, i can draw a parallel of how much the girls from grimrose truly feel like best friends.

grimrose girls is a perfect spiritual sucessor to pretty little liars and once upon a time, with a dash of dark academia. it's been a while since i read the first book so i forgot which characters were supposed to be which fairytale conterpart, so the experience of relearning all of this at the beginning was awesome. do you remember the first season of once upon a time, and every episode you're like "omg she's the red hiding hood!! wow the mad hatter!! snow white's huntsman!!"? it's the same feeling.

in "the wicked remains" all the loose ends are tied in an almost flawless way. i didn't fully enjoy the reveal of who was behind the curse, but i didn't care either way. just being with the characters trying to solve the mystery was enough. also... there was one couple who broke up that i wish would stay together.

all our main characters are great, and their loved ones also. you know when you're watching a movie or a tv show and you think "well, this one main character had nothing to do with the main story"? that doesn't happen here, and all the little quirks, the personalities of our main girls are useful to the ending without making it feel forced. yuki, ella, nani, rory, i can't even rank my favorite.

i would recommend this duology to all who like pretty little liars, once upon a time, fairytale retellings, dark academia and soft mysteries. definitely gonna read the authors next books!! she's also translating one of my favorite books (if we were villains) to portuguese, so i guess Laura Pohl's my newest "auto-reads".

Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I really loved this book! I enjoyed The Grimrose Girls so I was excited to get the second book! Ella, Nani, Rory, and Yuki are determined to stop the curse but with no leads and no information can they do it? I enjoy the dark look at fairytales that these books have! I enjoy all for girls and I love that each one of them brings something different! I enjoy their strengths as well! I love the found family, friendship, and love that they all have for one another! I enjoyed the tale of the curse as well not what I was expecting! I’m excited to add this book to my collection! If you enjoyed the first book you will not be disappointed by this one! Highly recommend!

The second book in this series was just as engaging and imaginative as the first. I was immediately enraptured with the magical storytelling, the amazing cast of characters, and the drama of it all! so much drama! just loved reading this twist on the classic fairytales.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e arc of this book. I was hesitant to read this after feeling slightly underwhelmed with the first book in this series. However as the books progressed I realised that I had nothing to be worried about. This sequel follows Ella, Yuki, Rory and Nani after the dramatic incidents of last year that have emotionally impacted them all (especially Yuki). Despite the four of them feeling very disillusioned towards the academy they have no choice but to keep on going as the curse on them is intrinsically linked to the academy.

My main problem with the first book was the lack of character development. All throughout the first book I felt as if I didn't know who the characters were despite following individual perspectives. This was remedied by the fact that in this book the characters felt much more fleshed out and they all had individual and distinguishable voices. This allowed me to feel more connected to the characters and thus actually care about what was happening in this book. 

Prior to reading this I did not reread The Grimrose Girls but this did not detract from the reading experience, the author recapped the ending of the last book in a concise and in a not too forceful way which meant as a reader we were easily placed in the storyline and the action could kick off almost instantly! 

The pacing of this book was good especially towards the end with twists and turns preventing the plot pace from dropping off entirely. Although there were some plot points that I didn't really see the significance of and in some cases it felt like a filler episode of tv I would still recommend this book if you enjoyed the first book or if you felt a bit uncertain on the first book.

Okay, okay, okay. Everybody stay calm. Everybody stay f**** calm! 

I want to thank SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley so much. Because this book? My favorite of this month. It has everything. 

So after a messy and bloody winter ball, and some holidays, the four girls are back together and have one goal: break the curse. But it may not be that easy, and maybe not what it seems. 

I loved the first volume; this was my most anticipated book of the year. So when I was reached to read an e-arc I HAD to say yes. And you know what? I don’t regret it. Our characters have significant development, and the mystery and thriller sides are fantastic. I loved the focus on Yuki’s power. Because our girl deserves to be badass and morally grey. I was scared for them all along. Also when I thought “I know what’s happening”... Well no, I did not actually. 

The fact that I loved all the girls equally just proves how great Laura Pohl is for writing characters. She’s great at writing mysteries, action, touching, and sad scene. There’s a bit of romance, but what is a fairy tale without a bit of romance? Also, one of them may surprise you.

But what I loved more? The relationships between all the characters. It evolves with good and bad. They are real relationships, and that makes the characters even more real. 

So, yes, I loved this book, as I planned to. Thank you Laura Pohl for it. 
Also, I annotated it so much…

I liked this even more than the first one! I definitely reccomend picking this up if you loved the first book.

I didn't realize this was a second in a series, so I was pretty lost. But that's obviously my fault. I can see this appearing to reader who like things spooky but not downright scary. It's very atmospheric. Also good LGBTQ+ rep which is always nice to see in YA fantasy.

The Wicked Remain allows for readers to discover the final answers to The Grimrose Girls mysteries with some unexpected twists. The series is inclusive of the LGBT community and one of the characters is an indigenous Hawaiian girl. It is a complete ending that highlights the young women taking action to determine their own stories.

This is a cute YA fantasy/thriller series with fairytale aspects. Thank you Sourcebooks for the digital review copy.

I read an arc book of The Wicked Remain from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

That ending, no spoilers, but it was the type where a 4.5-star becomes a 5. Beautiful, beautifully written, just perfect. 

But what is this book about?

This is the sequel to The Grimrose Girls. Which, stop reading this review now and go read that because this review will spoil that book, and if you like fairytale retellings that are dark and set in an academic setting with lots of representation, then go read it!

Most of you should have already read it so let's continue. 

This continues where the last book ended. Penelope has thought to have run away after the body of the real Penelope has been found, but our main characters are all making alibies just in case. They now have the white book that has all their deaths, and the black book, with all their happily ever after’s and their portraits, but now the girls have to figure out how to get their happily ever after's when it seems they're cursed to get tragic endings instead. All this while they deal with tragedy, family drama, romance, and just being a teenager on the cusp of graduating high school. 

Overall, I was enjoying this book a lot more than the first, and I did like the first. It still has a lot of points of view, every girl has her own chapter, and it bounces between them in quick chapters that I have trouble following sometimes, but I know others enjoy, and it seems to span a long period of time that sometimes I wish would slow down, but now I really have a feel for these girls, and I'm invested to see where they're going. Plus, some of the truly wicked parts of their personalities start becoming apparent, and the school's dark side does as well, which makes for a magnificent dark read that I think is just dark enough for YA readers looking for that edge to their fairytales that they're being promised. 

And as I said, that ending is perfect. 

One of my favorite aspects of this book is also that one of the main characters takes a prince role, which I love to see. 

So yes, if you like dark and twisted fairytale retellings, pick this duology up. This book comes out in November. Perfect for saying goodbye to autumn and calling in the winter.

The second instalment to The Grimrose Girls duology starts off after the unfortunate incidents during the winter ball in the first book. We are reunited with Ella, Yuki, Rory and Nani who continue on their quest to break the curse surrounding The Grimrose Academie and stopping the deaths of more girls. Finding out the real deal with the two books that hold the tales and its' link to the girls' lives. Unravelling secrets spanning hundreds of years.

The intensity in this second book kicked off right from the start and i must say, i enjoyed the ride especially in the last third. The turn of events and how the fairy tales played out were done so well. I wasn't exactly into the romance, probably an unpopular opinion here. No offense really, cause eventhough it was sweet and all, i was truly more invested in wanting to crack the secrets behind the curse and having the girls solve all the mystery. Towards the end, i felt all the relationships were where it was supposed to be. But i mostly loved the fact that despite each girl understanding more about their individual needs and desires and sexual orientations, the bond they formed was what thrived in the end. That no matter what and how things went, their friendship was the strength in everything. I also loved the insight on Rory's disability with her fybromyalgia, got sad at how tortured Ella was at home and Nani's struggles to find the truth about her father. In the end, i felt the duology closed satisfyingly well.

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an eARC for an honest review. 


The Wicked Remain is the second installment of the Grimrose Girls duology. It was a phenomenal conclusion! I was so excited to be approved to read this. Laura Pohl does a magnificent job with tying up her story. It was a fun, quick read that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves the first!

5 stars

I read The Grimrose Girls earlier this year, and when I finished I was a little nervous about the sequel. I’m rarely satisfied with the ending of book series, and I didn’t really know how well The Wicked Remain will continue the story of the first book. When I started reading, it picked up right where it left off and I thought that this was a fantastic ending to the series. 
This series is definitely one of my favorites. It has a diverse cast of characters, takes place in a boarding school, and has a bunch of gory fairytale retellings. I already want to reread it!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an e-Arc!

I loved the first book in the series. I enjoyed this one too, but not quite as much. I found that I forgot some of the details from the first one, and then they weren't rehashed enough in this book for me to entirely remember some of the events and characters that were important. There were some parts that moved a little too slowly, but overall I was engaged in the book and invested in the characters.

The Wicked Remain is the second book in the Grimrose Girl Duology. I enjoyed the first book a lot however the second book was oddly paced in my opinion. The first half had alot of repetitive information and not much character development. The ending just seemed off with the villains being side character we don’t really talk about.  

I did really enjoy the message at the end. No matter what  we're facing in life, it's important to remember we are never alone! 


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC on exchange for an honest review!

I'm surprised this series hasn't received more attention. It's honestly an extremely entertaining duology with satisfying queer representation and a great storyline. I love a good fairytale reimagining mixed with romance and a curse. Laura Pohl is a great author and someone I will be on the lookout for more from. I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory have discovered the truth about the curse that's left a trail of dead bodies at Grimrose. But the four still know nothing of its origins, or how to stop the cycle of doomed fates.
And each girl harbors her own secret. One is learning why she was brought to the school. One struggles to keep her new and deadly power under control. One knows exactly how much time she has left.
And one, trying to escape her dark destiny, will come even closer to fulfilling it.
Can the girls change their own stories and break the curse? Or must one of them die to end it forever?
Book 2 of grimrose girls 
Really enjoyable read totally recommend 
Thank You NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire
I just reviewed The Wicked Remain by Laura Pohl. #NetGalley

So was very shocked to be invited to review this book after reading the first one. 

So glad I did as this book is just as good as the first one and has no second book issues. The character grown is natural and just flows right. 

You grow to love the characters as you read their POV and the reps in this books are *chef Kiss*