The Grimrose Girls is a refreshing twist on the popular style of fairytale retellings. I greatly enjoyed reading the perspective of each girl while trying to guess which fairytale they belonged to ( I only guess 2 right). This isn't just the everyday retellings of Disney fairytales. Laura Pohl is able to give all main characters depth and individual personalities even to the put that I became frustrated with characters because their attitudes were so well written. I was happy to read that many of the characters are not heterosexual and there was a large inclusivity of different race, size, and other physical characteristics. This is a series I'm really looking forward to and it will be a top recommendation from me!

DNF @ 40%
thank you to sourcebooks fire and netgalley for the digital ARC! :)

'the grimrose girls' is a murder-mystery with fairytale retelling aspects. it follows four girls - elle, yuki, rory, and nani - shortly after a fellow student's mysterious death. the death was ruled a suicide but the four girls aren't so sure, which leads to them investigating the death. as they investigate ariane's death, they realize that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this mystery.

this plot was what originally drew me to the book. if you don't know, i love mysteries. and i especially love them when they're set in a prep school. to add on, the story has some fairytale aspects, another thing i absolutely adore. however, this book personally wasn't for me

+ the representation in this book was a huge plus. there's a f/f romance and an acearo protagonist, as well as POC characters. it's portrayed in a way that's very natural and the characters' struggles with their identities is were handled well.

the initial plot is an amazing idea. the idea of real life imitating the deadlier parts of fairytales is something that's really intriguing. it was fun (but easy) to piece together exactly who was what fairytale.

- my biggest problem with this book was the writing. it personally wasn't for me and it really lessened my enjoyment of the book. the writing felt really clunky and made the story drag more than it should have.

the author told me things instead of showing me. they told me what each character looked like, often dedicating whole paragraphs to it. they told me how each character felt instead of showing me. this is a personal bookish pet peeve of mine and it was really hard to look past when reading. i did get used to it around the sixth chapter or so, but it was still something that hung over my head like a cloud.

i also found the characters to be really bland. for the first few chapters of the book, i was struggling to differentiate between them and it wasn't until i was actively trying to read that i remembered who was who. it was really hard to connect to all of them and i couldn't find myself caring for them.

i would not recommend this book to anyone unless they can look past the writing style. that was ultimately my biggest problem with the book and what lead to me DNFing it. this story had so much promise but ultimately did not deliver.

This was a fairytale inspired novel combined with a murder mystery. In a boarding school. The girls all seem perfect little "stepfords" until the suicide of one of the them causes her friends to decide to start their own investigation. What they uncover, the secrets they learn, are leave the reader impressed by the darkness the author imbued to the classic fairy tale. Loved it.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I think this story has a lot of potential, but it just fell flat for me. I love the idea around it, with reimagined fairytale characters - but the descriptions were just too on the nose and the dialogue felt unbelievable. The queer representation is the book’s biggest strength, and I hope many teens and young adults find themselves within the characters of this story.

Three stars because of the wonderfulQueer representations

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an onest review.

The plot was interesting and kept me entertained throughout! the characters were interesting, however at times I got confused between them! I also loved the representation throughout this book!

I would recommend this if you enjoy fairytale retellings with a mysterious twist. I cant wait for the next book!

Grimrose Girls is a fairytale retelling set in modern day Switzerland at a school for Elite Students called Grimrose Academie. A student is found dead the first week of school and although Ari's death is ruled a suicide, her closest friends Ella, Rory, and Yuki don’t believe it. The chapters alternate between the three girls and a fourth girl named Nori who is a new student at Grimrose. We find out that each girl has her share of secrets that she wants to keep concealed. The girls discover a book of fairytales that Ari had kept hidden, but these are no Disney fairytales. The fairytales in this book are the creepy Grimm Brother fairytales that don't end in happily ever after. The girls try to uncover clues about the death of their friend but soon they begin to receive threats from an anonymous person. The bodies at the academy also start to pile up and soon everyone is a potential threat. I loved the combination of the fairytale retellings. I was able to pick out Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White, among others. Each girl is similar, but yet different enough to her fairytale persona to keep things interesting. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that sets up perfectly for a sequel. There is a lot of LBGTQ+ representation in this story that readers should be able to appreciate. Overall this was a delightfully creepy at times, but quick read that keeps you guessing. I look forward to reading book #2. Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and author Laura Pohl for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read full of friendship, devilish murder, secrets... it was like a darker Pretty Little Liars. I ate it up. If you're looking for a quick read that will leave you breathless, pick this up today.

→ 3.5 stars (rounded up)
★ ★ ★. ☆

trigger warnings: suicide, death, violence/gore, grief, abuse

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

The Grimrose Girls is a unique blend of fantasy and reality. I know it’s pitched as The Descendants meets Pretty Little Liars, but i think it’s more One Upon a Time meets PLL.

The plot was amazing. It’s a unique idea with a great execution! i loved the fairytales blending with real life. plus i’ve always been interested in the Grimm versions of the stories and it gave the book a cool dark undertone.

our main characters, ella, nani, rory, and yuki, all have their own problems beside the murder mystery of course, and i would’ve loved to have read more about their backstories! i also felt the dynamics between the group weren’t very fleshed out, we barely see any girl interacting 1 on 1 with another. their friendship was very “tell” instead of “show”, if that makes any sense.

i thought the author did a great job of including diversity though, and accurately portrayed teens figuring out their sexuality, relationships (love freddie & svenja btw), and all of the angst that comes with being a teen.

overall this was a great book with a captivating mystery and i can’t wait for the sequel!

Marissa Meyer meets Karen McManus in this fairytale inspired murder mystery. In a boarding school filled with seemingly perfect girls, the suicide of one of the students throws the school out of balance. When her friends decide to dig deeper, the secrets they uncover are darker and more dangerous than any cursed spindle.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I have always been a big fan of fairy tales and to have them come to life in this way was interesting. There were times where it confused me though just because I didn't know what fairytale the book was referencing.

Hello! I'm back with a review of The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl! I was very grateful to have been approved for this e-ARC through Netgalley.

Blurb: After the death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are determined to find out what really happened as they can't believe it was a suicide as the police ruled. Nani arrives as their newest roommate and her arrival sets into motion a series of events. As the story progresses, the girls uncover dark secrets about themselves and their fates. This story is a contemporary take on classic fairytales - Descendants meet Pretty Little Liars is a perfect descriptor of this book.

High Rating Points:
1. I couldn't put the book down once I started. I love when a book fully captures my attention to the point where I need to know what happens next.
2. Multiple points of view. There are four main characters and the chapters bounced around to each character's point of view. The author did a beautiful job in making the transitions where I was never confused about what was happening.
3. With each character getting their own chapters, a lot of secrets and plot points are brought up. Some of which you get full answers, some points you get some answers, and some points where you get no answers, haha. The way the author shapes each secret, each plot point is done beautifully and perfectly sets up the next book in the series. Which I cannot wait for. If any of you read book series and not just stand alone, I know you all feel my pain of waiting for the next book in the series to be released.
4. The main characters are strong and caring females. The majority of them fall somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
5. Lastly, there is a found family trope which I am a sucker for.

Low Rating Points:
1. My biggest flaw with this book that influenced my rating of this book was the ease I had in determining who the "bad guy" was. Although the author attempted to describe characters and their actions in a way to confuse the reader, I was able to pick out who the bad guy was early on in the story. I'm not sure if this is because I watch and read so many mysteries that I am just more aware of these things, but it was a bit disappointing to figure it out early on. The one saving grace is that there were plenty of other secrets and mysteries that I couldn't figure out. So overall, there was still this air or presence of unknowing.

Extra Points:
1. The cover is beautiful! Just look at it, it makes you want to pick this book up and read it.
2. The title of the book also caught my attention.

I HIGHLY recommend that you pick up a copy of this book when it comes out on November 2, 2021!

This book left me with so many questions and book two better come out REAL SOON because I want ANSWERS. But omg. This was brilliant.

As a self identified fairy tale nerd, a fairy tale inspired murder mystery? Heck yes. A fairy tale inspired murder mystery set in a boarding school of ultra rich kids with little grasp of the real world? Even more yes. Add on a disabled MC and an aroace MC and I couldn’t be happier.

So let’s get into the details. First off: the characters. There were four main characters, Yuki, Rory, Ella, and Nani. I adored Ella and Nani, but I kept getting Yuki and Rory confused. Their characters and voices were just similar enough that I would forget which one was which, and that made it super confusing. The entire cast of supporting characters were also similar enough that I kept getting them confused too, with the exception of Svenja, a trans girl who actually had a distinct personality, and Fredrick, who was seemingly the only boy in the entire school? Not sure what all was going on there or why there weren’t any other male characters in this book.

The plot was intriguing, and I found myself wanting to know more about each of the girls. We barely delved into their backstories at all, which was a little sad. I really enjoyed the setting, it was almost like if Harry Potter met Andrew Lang. The ending was incredible, and without spoiling it I can say I was completely surprised by how that played out. It was a bit open ended, so I’m excited for the next book to see if things start to resolve.

Overall the only thing I didn’t like was how confusing it was, and that a few characters were similar enough I kept getting them confused. I definitely plan on reading the next book!

The Grimrose Girls is a fairytale retelling of sorts, but brought up to now in the vein of Pretty Little Liars apparently. While I enjoyed it, and read it pretty quickly, I didn’t love it. I thought it was an interesting idea, and the writing wasn’t bad, but I just feel it didn’t live up to my expectations. That being said, I’m sure I’m not the target audience, and I would definitely still recommend it!

The Grimrose Girls follows three girls, Ella, Rory and Yuki of Grimrose Academy who are suffering from the death of their best friend, Ari. Then there was one new student Nina who wants to meet her father again. And then there were four. The story is told from four perspectives and I found myself enjoying reading from multiple point of views.

Nina found a fairytale book that Ari left behind when she moved in the room and she’s now taking Ari’s bed and passed the book to Rory. The book is full of list of people that are already dead. They didn’t believe that Ari committed suicide, they knew Ari has been murdered. They want to find the truth. In order to do that, they must be careful and to not be the next target. The more they investigate, the more they know about the secrets that lie behind Grimrose.

It was hard to get into the story at the beginning because of the slow introduction to get readers to know what is actually happened in Grimrose Academy. The story actually getting more and more interesting after the 40% of the book. It kept me wanting to know more. I could guess the classic fairytale retelling and the easiest guess was Cinderella. The other retellings, I’m just not so sure. LOL. They all reminded me of Once Upon A Time.

Despite the slow introduction, it also has short chapters and diverse characters. Two of the main characters are lesbian, one is pansexual and one is asexual romantic.

Laura Pohl left us with so many hints about what had actually happened to Ari, but I just couldn’t see it. I was too blind to see that it’s already in front of my eyes. It was quite mystery this one. A little bit gory.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sharing the eARC with me in return for an honest review. This book will be available on November 2nd, 2021 onwards.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Wow just wow. What time it is so wrong to make this up this is what the world has been waiting for. Action intrigued and let's not forget some badass girls.

This is the first instalment in the Grimrose Girls series.

Ella, Yuki, and Rory have returned to their elite boarding school missing the fourth member of their tight-knit friendship group. Ariane will not be joining them for anything ever again. Whether it was suicide, which the girls highly doubt, or murder, that ended Ariane's short life, the trio become determined to solve just what happened to their friend. And then new girl, Nani, arrives, unwittingly taking the place that Ariane once occupied and bringing with her new revelations to help solve this mystery.

I love any isolated and elite academic setting and so I loved exploring this one. The place was foreboding and alluring, in equal measure, and I wished even more depictions, if anything, had featured to help cement the setting in my imagination.

The characters that featured inside of it were painted in vivid and authentic detail, however. The diversity of the individuals who fronted the story was one of this novel's main driving forces. I loved how many different identities were represented and also how their strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as fully-detailed backstories, were presented to the reader. They stole both my heart and the show!

Another of this novel's forte's was in the fairy tale elements that it also included. It was one of the most creative and unique incorporations of well-known stories that I have ever read about and I loved puzzling out the different hints and clues that were dropped, that related this to them.

The mystery that fronted the book, however, became less intriguing as it progressed. I guessed the final reveal and these other elements, that I so loved about the book, overshadowed what was at the centre of it. I still had a fun time with this though, and am looking forward to continuing on with the series and finding out more about the magic that was sprinkled throughout this first instalment.

What can I say, when I find out the story is set in an elite boarding school, I'm instantly pulled in. This is nothing short of what was promised in the description. The whole association with fairytales curses was such an interesting plot device in this story considering that it is already a familiar subject. I liked how it was incorporated in the girls'--Ella, Nani, Yuki, Rory, and even Ariane--lives, it made such a good build-up in their character and the plot. Finding out which fairytale belongs to each of the girls was confusing in my part but as it is revealed in the progression of the story, I can't help but recollect all the easter eggs in the first part.

Overall, an entertaining and thrilling read best for fans of murder mystery, One of Us is Lying, and of course, fairytale retellings.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for giving me an early copy of this book.

The Grimrose Girls took me awhile to finish and I only really enjoyed the last 5%. I felt like it was pushing the sexuality aspect too much. I'm all for diverse sexual representation, but not when it feels forced for the sake of being different. Overall, I would give this book a 2.5 out of 5. I think it would benefit from some polishing.

THE GRIMROSE GIRLS is Gilmore Girls (trust me, there's a Rory and its set in a "small" and "provincial" town) meets THE HAZELWOOD.
Snarky, sophisticated high school boarding students weave a tale, both familiar and fascinating in Laura Pohl's romantic YA gothic thriller.
After the clever cliffhanger, I can't wait for the sequel (I need a copy now)- in fact I'd love to see the students in a college setting, to further mirror one of my beloved books THE RAVENS.

Thank you so much SourceBooks Fire and NetGalley for this awesome e-ARC!
I can't wait to buy a physical copy in November 2021.

P.S. and omg Mephistopheles! <3

Fairytales are told and retold so often in all cultures that they can sometimes become repetitive and start to lose their lessons. They begin to lose their own history. They lose their magic. Their otherness. But fairytales will always be a universal language. In The Grimose Girls they get a somewhat fresh perspective. All these extremely privileged kids are herded together at an elite boarding school in Switzerland. The privilege was definitely over the top and eye rolling a lot of the time. The students are returning at the brink of a new school year to the tragedy of the loss of one of their friends. Along with new mysterious students helping shine light on the murder mystery, new and old secrets arise throwing everything they've every believed about fairytales and magic, upside down.

Truly Devious meets the tv show, Once Upon a Time. That's it. That's the book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started The Grimrose Girls. I loved Laura's The First 7 duology. Grimrose is completely different. It's slower to get into. The random internet slang felt out of place. The villain was always clearly the villain. And it almost has too many narratives that make distinguishing them tough sometimes. But I love how different fairytale lore is blended together. I love how unapologetically queer, this book is. A character even says 'none of us are heterosexual' at one point. I enjoyed it enough to pick up the sequel. And now I'm kind of sad I never finished my high school thesis paper on the origin of fairytales.


***Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a review copy.***