Given that I DNF'd this book, I do not feel comfortable giving it a star rating. I read the first in this series (The Grimrose Girls) and had issues with the first book that I hoped would be corrected in the second, which is why I attempted to read book 2.

Starting off, I will say I appreciated Laura Pohl's attempts to retcon one of the most glaring issues I've seen brought up in regards to the first book in the series, which was the implication that if Nani was Belle, then Svenja, a trans woman, would be considered the Beast.

That said, the book dragged for me. It felt like there wasn't a lot of forward motion in regards to the plot or the characters, and it made it difficult for me to be excited to read. I felt similarly about the first book - it didn't pick up in pace until the last fifth of the story - and I'm finding that perhaps that is simply Laura Pohl's style, and it's not for me.

Great ending to this incredible duology.
The pacing was faster this time, with everything already set from the first book.
The ending was great and it wasn’t so predictable, also the last chapters got me a bit emotional, it was really well done.
The development of the characters was also good, the way their stories happened and the way they ended were great, I love the diversity that the four of them brought to the story.
Overall really good book 4,5/5 ⭐️

The Wicked Remain is a fantastic sequel to The Grimrose Girls. The plot remains delightful and concludes in a wonderful way. Highly recommended!!

An absolutely phenomenal conclusion to the Grimrose Girls duology. The characters and their connections truly shine at their best here.

genre: YA Fantasy
Minority representation: LGBTQ+, disability, POC
Trigger warnings: violence, domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse, gore, blood, suicide, mentions of cancer. (Trigger warnings were included in the book!)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Laura Pohl for letting me review this gem of a book! I was so excited to read about Yuki, Rory, Ella, and Nani again! The wicked remain starts right after winter break with the girls coming back to Grimrose. The end of their stories is rapidly approaching, especially so for Eleanor. Can the girls find a way to break their curse? Or should they accept their fates?
This thrilling sequel to the Grimrose girls is everything I longed for! The girls grow into their characters even more, mysteries are uncovered, and even more questions arise. The wicked remain is definitely darker than the Grimrose girls, which I loved. There’s more LGBTQ+ rep to fill our hearts with enough joy to crush them in the next chapter. It felt like a great emotional rollercoaster with more action and a lot of dilemmas.
Yuki’s aroace identity is explored more, which warmed my heart as I’ve asked myself the same questions as her. I related very much to her struggles with her identity and relationships. The loneliness being aroace comes with is very accurately depicted. I also loved the LGBTQ+ identities of the other girls being explored!
As for Rory’s chronic pain rep from her fibromyalgia, I loved how it was ever present in het chapters but didn’t completely dominate her character! It’s not romanticised as the illness is very much at times described as debilitating. I think Pohl did an amazing job at writing a disabled character who isn’t there for anyone’s pity and has so much more to her than the illness!
If you love a fairy-tale retelling true to their dark originals this duology is very much written for you! Although it’s YA it does a great job at keeping the mystery and being dark enough to frighten readers. Also, not that the Gore trigger warning is not a formality as this book does get pretty grim ;)

I really loved this sequel, The Wicked Remain, by Laura Pohl. I had enjoyed reading the first book in the series, The Grimrose Girls, earlier this year and was eager to see where the story would take me. I thought that the further development of the characters deepened the story and really brought it to life. Each of the main characters had something deeper to share in their stories (including some twists I wasn't expecting) and it really helped to push the story forward. (I also really love the diversity of the characters in the book.)

I admit that as much as I liked the first book, there were points where I felt it sort of stalled as a I read it - I didn't feel that way at all about The Wicked Remain. I thought the story moved right along, keeping me engaged the entire time.

This was a really fun read and I look forward to more books from Laura Pohl!

A stunning follow up to the first Grimrose Girls book, an enchanting tale that will keep you hooked right up until the end

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. Ella, Rory, Yuki and Nani have to step up their game in this one. The fairytale curse they're under is soon to reach its climax, and if they want to survive, they have to break it first. The relationships, both friendly and romantic, were amazing. I loved seeing the characters grow and become comfortable in their own skins. This was the perfect end to the story that started in The Grimrose Girls.

Omg, this was amazing. After reading The grimrose girls I was impatiently waiting for the second book and it did not disappoint. I love the bond between the girls, I wish I had this kind of friendship. Rory was my favourite character as I could relate so much to her. The whole storyline kept me on my toes I just couldn't keep this down.

The dynamic between the characters, the representation and the writing everything was just amazing. The relationship between Rory and Pippa had me on my knees istg I love them so much and the same for Nani and Svenja and Ella and Freddie. Oh and Yuki our Aroace queen I love her so much.

This book was incredible and I recommend this.

The Wicked Remain, the second installment of the Grimrose Académie duology, is a delightful and satisfying conclusion to the series. Pohl created greater depth and substance to the MCs; Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory, which made me invested in their plotlines. I was pleasantly surprised by several developments ( I LOVE being surprised) and the pace of the book. It was a fun, quick read that I greatly enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the digital ARC of this novel in exchage for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3. stars.

TW/CW: death/murder, violence, domestic abuse, panic attacks. cancer, transphobia.

I love retellings and this series gave me not one but multiple fairytales reimagined in the modern world with a dark twist. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible for me to suspend disbelief to get fully immersed in the story, root for the characters and find the stakes real. Consequently, the epic final showdown fell flat for me.

The pacing also seemed a tad uneven in this installment which didn't allow for fast reading - compared to the first book, it took me such a long time to finish The Wicked Remains!

I did like the realistic future paths the author establishes for the four female protagonists - unlike the traditional happy endings of the fairytales.

This series just didn't do it for me. I loved the premise and I love the subtle references to so many fairy tales but the plot just moved too slowly to keep me hooked. I was hoping the second book was going to pull it all together but it really just dragged along until the very end.

Points for creativity and a unique idea, just wish it had better execution. Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks fire Publishing for letting me read this copy, I am grateful but my thoughts are my own.

I an not a fans of mediocre retelling stories. And I am glad this book actually give me very intriguing premise. After struggling with their friend's death, all four main characters continue with their personal journey arc. The pace is slower than my usually favourite but I enjoyed the narrative. I think it suited this story the best. The plot twist and turn all interesting. With all those LGBT tags, actually this book very good at portraying girls romance deeper not only physically level. The mysteries all wrapped and solved nicely. I am enjoyed the time I spent with this book and looking forward to author another works in the future.

This review may include spoilers for The Grimrose Girls.

This is now one of my favourite series and I have not shut up about it since I read the book.

The characters' development arcs all finished in a satisfying, but unique to them way. Since the characters all differ from each other so much, you would expect for at least one of them to get on your nerves, right? That somehow did not happen here -- I was equally invested in all of their plots.

This book has an immaculate atmosphere to it, and there were so many lines at which I teared up and plot points that had be gasping. Also, I love the clever use of narrative structure here. The pacing may have lagged at times but that only added to the tension being built up.

I loved the thought and care that had gone into the creation of the girls' romances -- there is a solid base of communication and genuine enjoyment of each others company which I think is missing from a lot of other YA books.

Of course, friendship is a key element of this story -- I thoroughly enjoyed all the scenes of the girls together, they play off of each other incredibly well and their bond is believable.

The worldbuilding was also well executed, the curse heartbreaking. It may not be intricate and with pages of explanation but it does not need to be that way to be menacing and a vehicle for the girls' development.

Overall, a wonderful conclusion to the Grimrose Girls series! A diverse and beautiful story that I would recommend to everyone.

I really enjoyed the first book and I am so thankful to receive an ARC of The Wicked Remain. I really enjoyed this one, the book was so well written and the plot was interesting and captivating. There’s more romance in this one then the previous book which I didn’t mind at all. If you like mystery I definitely think you’ll enjoy this one!

I loved the first book of this series and was delighted when I got accepted for this arc and I can say, the book didn't disappoint.
The characters where all well-written and the plot was well-executed and thought, it made the book fantastically enjoyable, there was a bit more of romance than in the last book but it made the story more realistic and it gave the characters something to fight for, specially since they could be killed at any moment.
The book was really good and I would recommend it to almost anyone who likes mystery.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


The Wicked Remain is the second installment within the Grimrose Girls series. Just like the first book, I completely devoured this in one sitting. We are also still following the same girls - Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory. They are determined to discover the truth and so am I.

I'll admit that the curse for the girls within this book was pretty interesting from the get-go. Not sure how I would feel about a fairytale death for myself, but at least it would be unique. Slightly entertaining. There are honestly worst ways to go. As to who was behind it all? Well, I wasn't expecting that reveal to happen towards the end. More towards the middle of the book but beggars can't be choosers.

Other than that, we do still get the romance. Not even mad about this because I absolutely adored it all. Especially since we needed a break or two from figuring out the curses and everything else. Then again, maybe that's just me thinking that way?

Either way, I really enjoyed everything about this. The ending was so freaking good and put a smile on my face. It's a little bittersweet to walk away from this world but I will definitely be on the lookout for Laura's next book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for get me a eARC in exchange a honest review.

I really wanted to like this book as much as I liked the first book "The Grimrose Girl". It was really hard to get through the first chapters even, and that's problem because the plot didn't feel like it was moving forward. To be clear, the real plot that we were gonna get in the first book is in this book.

The characters are amazing as always. Laura Pohl has done an incredible job with nuances in each girl. Each one of the them represents a character in a fairytale story and bring the nuances of the fairy tale into these girls is really amazing. Another thing really well done was the LGBTQ+ characters. Here, we have ace characters, biromantic & demi and a sapphic couple. I haven't read a good ace representation in a book till now. Thank you, Laura Pohl

As I said in the beginning, i really wanted to like this as much as Grimrose Girls. But the pacing really didn't collaborate and i felt unattached with the story in the middle of the book.

Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this novel. I am rating this book based the stars due to lack of time to leave a full review. #NetGalley #TheWickedRemain

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A satisfying end to this fairytale, some of it unpredictable, and some I hoped for.

The reveal of the true mystery of the duology, the secret of the curse and the final resolution was all a bit Disney/Once Upon a Time, but that was the point of it all!

I thought it was ver in tune with fairytales how romance forward this book was, and with four MCs I’m sure it was quite a task to set them up properly and it was set up, I thought, at the expense of us having a sharply written investigation into the crux of the curse.

Nevertheless, I feel like fans of the first will not be disappointed.