I can't rave enough about this middle grade series. My 11 year old self would have worn physical copies of this out with rereads. I highly recommend these for all fantasy readers depending on what you're mood calls for. As an adult, they're a lighthearted read with delightful seelie/unseelie dynamics. For a younger reader, these are full of adventure, friendship pros/cons, and coming of age themes that are important for that age group. I combo read these with a a physical book and audiobook. Both options are great. Happy Reading!

Returning to Fern’s School for Wayward Fae feels like stepping into a magical, eerie, and slightly chaotic dream—and I mean that in the best way possible. The Grim Adventures is the second installment in this delightfully odd series, and it continues to blend quirky humor with real emotional depth.

Rosemary Thorpe, almost thirteen and always curious, is facing her weirdest challenge yet: Death is literally stalking the school, statues are coming to life, and mushrooms are trying to take over. The plot moves quickly, offering just the right mix of mystery, mischief, and meaningful moments. I was hooked from the start.

One of the standout features of this book is its narrator—Piper CJ, a fictional character with her own personality and flair. Think Lemony Snicket but with a modern, magical twist. Her commentary adds humor, insight, and an occasional touch of snark that makes the reading experience extra fun.

The magic system here is also a highlight. It’s well-thought-out, with real limits and consequences. That grounded approach makes the story feel more believable and the stakes more intense.

Personally, this book gave me major nostalgic vibes—like reading The Spiderwick Chronicles or A Series of Unfortunate Events as a kid, but with its own fresh spin. It’s spooky without being scary, clever without being too complex, and heartfelt in all the right places.

If you love middle-grade fantasy with a darkly whimsical edge, The Grim Adventures should definitely be on your TBR. It’s clever, creative, and full of fae-fueled fun.

Just like the first one, this is such a fun, dark, whimsical read. I was always left guessing but that was the whole fun of it! I can’t wait for the rest to see what other secrets and revelations there are!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this ARC.

The Grim Adventure is a fabulous follow up to the first book, The Graveyard Gift. I loved all of the adventures that Rosemary is put through. I love the representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. The writing was amazing!

This was fun and quirky… and a nice replacement for Harry Potter. The world-building was fun, and the characters were lovable. You are going to want to read this in order, as it will answer some questions from book 1. This was fun!

Review: ✨️✨️✨️✨️ a well written story for 6th-9th graders 😍 it was a good quick read (read it to my little one and she enjoyed the adventure of it all) Thank you for writing this book! She enjoyed books 1&2! (She's 5 haha)

4.5 Oooh... Key words for this one: Reaper (who was a student) and mushrooms. Rosemary is the kind of character who always ends up doing the right thing. This is a fun academy portal adventure, with a great small format. I love the covers so much. It's the type of fantasy that I recommend for those wanting to start reading the genre (fantasy/portal/fae academy). Has a good pacing, not too frenetic, and not too many details to keep track of, perfect for reluctant readers. Iris is still a thorn, but there's always one in any school.

Rosemary is separated from her friends and is running for her life when suddenly she is elsewhere and the thing is still there looking for her but is not right behind her that buys Rosemary a few minutes. Rosemary has no idea where she is but hides in a wardrobe when it comes looking for her, only to not see her. Rosemary finds it is the sweatshirts that makes her invisible, and there are plenty of them so who would miss one. She is finally able to go home without danger following. But when weird things start happening at the school no one seems to understand how or why they are happening but Rosemary thinks it might have something to do with the sweatshirt especially after she finds out it is deaths sweatshirt. They need the help of everyone to make it through this, even Fern.
I really liked this book. I found out answers to questions not answered in Book 1. I love the characters new and old. The adventurous and ever action filled ways the students think outside the box are wonderful and fresh. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next, I can only hope I will have the privilege to review it as well because there is so many ways this can go.

Loved this ending! It has me so excited for book 3! This book really pulled together a not of what was happening in book 1 and moved the story along quickly. We learn new things about some of the kids at the schools as well as meet some new characters, good and bad. Some big secrets are revealed in this book and it made for an exciting read. I had guessed the ending a few chapters before I got there and was excited to see I was right. I like the direction the author is headed with this series. It’s fun and clever and very imaginative. Book 4 is sure to have some exciting answers.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

I'm truly loving this series and I cannot wait to get the kids at the library hooked on it as well. I will admit I figured out the twist at the end halfway through the book, but it's meant for middle grade and I am an adult who loves to figure out the secrets. What I did not see what Fern's relationship with one of the students but it makes so much sense. I don't know if I can wait another year for the next book!

This was a strong sequel in the Fern's School for Wayward Fae series, it had that charm that I was looking for from the previous book. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and was engaged with what was happening. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed the way this was written. I hope there is more in this series and glad it worked overall.