I was initially excited to get into this book, especially since it is a dark academia that takes place at a boarding school in a castle. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The Grimrose Girls has a lot of potential, but it felt as though there was too much going on at once. The book offers the perspectives from four different girls, after their friend allegedly commits suicide. This is where I feel the book really falls flat, as the characters don’t come across as relatable or authentic. I think the book as a whole would have benefitted with a single perspective, or even just spending longer chapters or time with a single character. There were also times when the writing was strong, and then others when it felt chunky and unpolished.

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl begins a new series. The story follows friends Ella, Yuki, and Rory after their friend Ariane’s death. The police rule her death a suicide, but the girls do not agree. They are determined to find out what really happened to their friend. Newcomer Nani soon joins the girls. The deeper the girls investigate, they discover that not only was Ariane not the first dead girl, but every past death has been connected to fairy tale curses. They soon realize that their own lives are connected to these curses and they are doomed if they don’t find a way to stop it.

This thrilling story is full of mystery, fairy tales, and friendship. It is a great spooky read.

The Grimrose Girls is the kind of story that sinks its teeth into you and wraps you with its thorned vines around you, and just does not let you go. That’s how it felt reading this book – when I started reading it, I was merely intrigued, but the deeper and deeper I fell into this fairytales-inspired murder mystery, the deeper I fell in with the girls of Grimrose Académie and their own secrets, I was hopelessly attached to the book. For all its dark and macabre moments in this book, The Grimrose Girls is an unexpected delight that I loved.

I loved that The Grimrose Girls took place in a boarding school. I’ve never really understood the love for boarding school stories (only that it was appealing to others), but The Grimrose Girls showed me what was so appealing: a setting so removed from everyday normal life, a place steeped in history and intrigue that elevate the mystery and drama and suspense to a whole new level. And inside Grimrose Académie isn’t just secret passageways and castle towers, but also secrets, death, and something dark and dangerous.

Coupled with extraordinary character arcs with distinct voices, the mystery of this story pulled me right in and I could not stop reading. The story begins with the funeral for our main characters’ best friend. While her death is ruled as a suicide, her best friends, Yuki (aroace and Japanese), Ella (has OCD and anxiety), and Rory (has chronic pain and is demiromantic) have different ideas – because how could your best friend have committed suicide, out of the blue? Wouldn’t you have known? Or did you miss something? For what begins as a mission intent on understanding why their best friend died, slowly transforms into an eerie and terrifying mystery thriller with so many twists and turns. Was it murder, or was it magic? I was in awe of how the story slowly transforms, getting darker and more eerie and more sinister and more terrifying – and it really creeps up on you.

One of the highlights of The Grimrose Girls was how it integrates fairytales and princesses in such a unique way. And when I say fairytales, I don’t mean the Disney ‘happily-ever-after’ kind, but more the Brothers Grimm ‘people die and awful things happen!’ kind. To be clear, The Grimrose Girls isn’t a fantasy story; it has a contemporary setting with magical and fantastical elements. Without giving away too much – because I had so much fun guessing and discovering things for myself – I loved how the girls and their destinies were intertwined with gruesome fairytales. It was such a refreshing and fascinating take, and I am truly excited to see how this is developed more in the sequel. (This is not a standalone!)

Though this is indeed a mystery with all the thrills and chills that come with it, The Grimrose Girls also carefully balances a nuanced exploration into friendships and grief, particularly the spaces left by our dead loved ones. I loved how the friendships in this story aren’t entirely wholesome and perfect, but rather, that sometimes friendships are messy, out of sync, misunderstood, and sometimes a little jealous. Moreover, with the introduction of Nani (who is Hawai’an and queer), we also see how her friendship blooms with the other girls, and how Nani finds belonging with them. The most beautiful thing about The Grimrose Girls is that, even though friends might fight or disagree or see the absolute worst parts in each other, they still love each other and will protect each other fiercely. And I think that’s what made The Grimrose Girls such a wonderful read – it’s scary, pulled taut with so much tension, and incredibly dark and at times macabre, but it’s still all of the above with heart and is about how we fight for our friends, even if it’s to our very last breath.

At times eerie, at times terrifying, yet wholly fantastic, The Grimrose Girls is a refreshing and fascinating reimagining of fairytales. Its nuanced exploration of friendship and grief, as well as its carefully and thoughtfully developed characters and voices make this an engaging read that readers will fly right through.

I found this book to contain underdeveloped characters and plot. In an attempt to appeal to all of the current “trends,” the author neglected to maintain the plot, as well as created characters that were flat and unremarkable. The storyline was disjointed and the primary protagonists were far too similar and none were engaging or relatable. I can not recommend this title to be included in collections. There are other contemporary titles which are far better at connecting to fairy tales and/or representing teens search for connection and identity.

This review is based on an ARC copy.

Intriguing, suspenseful, and mysterious, are words I would use to describe this story. I was hooked with the premise of revised fairy tales set in a modern-day boarding school and it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed how the author spun the tried and true tales and made modern-day connections for each of the characters but I was disappointed with the weaving in of LGBTQA+ identities. I found it hard to root for the characters when the only romantic connections were of the straight couple therefore their identities seemed very contrived. Otherwise, it was a great story and a unique premise.

✨ARC Review✨

What I Loved:
-Yuki, Rory and Ella (they each bring their own issues/obstacles to the table, and are different in their own way) and they make it their mission to figure out how their friend actually died.
-LGBTQ+ representation
-Fairytale retellings (tidbit aspects from several)

I really wished this could have been five stars for me. I went in really liking it, and ultimately ended with wondering if it was worth the read. We know immediately that there is a death of one of the friends, and the question turns into was it actually a suicide, but then it starts jumping all over the place with the mystery aspect. I also didn’t feel like I could connect with any of the characters, which often times is a make it or break it for me. I was left with questions that hopefully the next book would answer, but I am not entirely sure I would continue on with the series.

If you love YA, retellings and mystery, then I would say certainly give this one a try!

⚠️CW/TW: per the author, there are mentions of suicide, parental physical and emotional abuse, self-harm, and parental death. There are also depictions of anxiety, OCD, and light gore⚠️

✨Swipe to see book description from Goodreads✨

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC! The Grimrose Girls is out now!

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC of The Grimrose Girls!

For once I feel like the listed comparison is a perfect fit. This is most definitely Once Upon A Time meets Pretty Little Liars.

This felt like many of the dark academia books I’ve read before. There’s a murder mystery at an elite private school and the friends left behind are trying to solve it. HOWEVER, The Grimrose Girls brought something new and refreshing to the table that I really enjoyed (beyond everyone being queer). The fairytale element was a unique twist on the dark academia setting, with the author taking full advantage of the original dark endings to these stories. It was fun to figure out which character belonged to which fairytale. I can’t wait to see what ending these characters make for themselves in the next book. Will they get their Happily Ever Afters?

I first want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this amazing book. Fairytales, boarding school, LGBTQ+ community, I was all in. Plus look at the beautiful cover... how could I not fall in love with this book instantly?

The Grimrose Academie is what dreams are made of to most people, but it is soon turning into a nightmare for the students. Four friends come back to Grimrose, but only 3 are left by the first week. A tragedy on the first day of school that was ruled a suicide and seemed everyone was going to forget about Ariane. Luckily, her best friends Rory, Ella and, reluctantly Yuki, start investigating Ariane's death because they know there is no way their best friend would commit suicide. The investigation begins and soon a new girl arrives at Grimrose, Nani, who is placed in Ariane's old room. Nani has her own reasons for investigating Grimrose, but soon becomes looped into the girls investigation after finding some of Ariane's old things in the wardrobe. The four girls are now on the hunt for a killer that has not only taken Arianes life, but multiple students at the Academie.

I tried REALLY hard to not give away too much in the description because honestly it is so hard not to. The castle and its grounds, the little town that sits outside its gates, the hidden passage ways and dark secrets drew me into this book. I really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ portion of this book and I hope that the author explores more of Rory and Nani's love story in the best few books, which also can we take a second to appreciate that we are getting more of this beautiful world?! Yes, this book ends on a pretty big cliff hanger, but also wraps up some of the mystery for you so you aren't ready to run to the authors DM's demanding more information. The next part of my review is where I list the things that I dont love about the book, but honestly I have nothing to say on that. I loved this book and it was everything I hoped it would be.

The books description is "Pretty Little Liars" meets "Once Upon A Time" and honestly that hits it right on the head. This book is full of mystery, murder, friends turning on friends but also some amazing magic. I personally feel like some fairy tale retellings are just so childish and I get rather annoyed with them pretty quickly. However, Laura spun the fairytale so well on each of these girls, that you didnt even know she was doing it. That my friends, is impressive. Of course there are the basics, a horrible step mother and 2 mean step sisters, a girl sent to a far away castle by her father, just to locked away with only a book to help her. But honestly, it was done so perfectly that I didn't notice most of what the author had done until the characters figured out for themselves.

This book is a perfect mystery/thriller/dark fairy tales. "The Hinterlands" got me back into the dark side of fairy tales, the ones where there are no happy endings and I am SO HAPPY I found another book that followed in that direction, I can not wait for the second book and to see what the girls do next semester at Grimrose Academie.

I enjoyed the setting & concept of this book; however, I didn’t feel connected to the characters & I’m still not sure I fully understand the motivations within the friendship dynamics. I’ll definitely try others by the author!

Thank you so much Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire

MY NAME WAS IN A BOOK! MY RARE IRISH NAME THAT NEVER GETS PUT ON COCA-COLA BOTTLES OR ANYTHING WAS IN A BOOK!

Now that I have shared my excitement on that matter, let's talk about 'The Grimrose Girls'.
A private boarding school where three friends are reeling from the death of their friend and a new student that arrives at this mourning school. As they try and move on, they realize that something sinister is at play, and their deceased friend may have been killed for a secret, and they may be the next victims.

This premise lured me in, and while it had a great mysteries element to it, balancing mystery, thriller and potentially a school curse, it was super repetitive ... no, that's not the right word. It felt like a time loop, but we saw it through the other characters eyes, so it was and wasn't. The story was prolonged to capture the reader, and besides being told my name was in the book, I was a victim lol, and wanting to know what was happening, it was a little boring at times.

I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ Rep although I don't know if all of it was good representation, same for the diversity representation. At times, it felt off, and I'm not sure if I read too much into something, but Yuki felt uncomfortably stereotyped.

This read is perfect for spooky season, and perfect for those that like dark academia books. An elite boarding school in Switzerland, characters that eerily resemble princesses from fairy tales, and a witchy book connecting them all.? Yes, please! I loved reading and trying to figure out which princesses the characters were supposed to represent, and I definitely loved that this was multi-POV so you got the full picture of what everyone was thinking. I also loved the queer representation in this book with characters identifying as lesbian, trans and asexual. The only thing I didn't like was how it ended, I know it's setting up for book 2, but I kind of hoped everything would resolve in just one book. I'll still definitely read the sequel.

Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Fire for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I went into this book completely blind and was so surprised by this unique concept and how much I enjoyed this slow burn thrill!

So this book was definitely a slowwwwwww burn and at first I was hesitant to continue the read. I was very overwhelmed by all the characters and their conflicting stories and I just didn’t know what to think. It was just a LOT all at once so it took me a minute to get into the story. The characters’ voices were all so different and I enjoyed some more than others, but the overall concept of the story was so well executed and the ending made me so curious that I just have to continue.

So I completely missed the name of the book is a play on the Brothers Grimm and their haunting fairytales. We are all familiar with happily ever after stories that Disney have turned into these horrific and moral stories that Brothers Grimm and other authors wrote. However, this book looks at the original story and makes a thriller out of them that we ALL have been waiting for! Those authors of old were cruel and imaginative dudes that wrote tales to scare women into becoming good little girls and this story follows in a similar direction..... But these girls don’t follow into that role, they fight against it and prove those jerks wrong.

Although the concept of the book was PURE genius and the plot was full of suspense, chills and thrills.... I just wanted more out of it all. I felt like the gore and horror of the story was almost glazed over by the drama of the characters and their own struggles. It felt like the author was trying so hard to have all characters of representation and to really illuminate and highlight their amazing stories that the actual plot of the book kind of got lost in the shuffle.

It was a lottttt to pack in one book and we only really got to see a glimpse of characters so I’m really hoping that the next installment will get a better view of them, the school, the book world, and the elements of murder.

I can’t waittttt for more because after a taste, it is NECESSARY!

I'm a huge fan of Laura's work and this one was specially good!

For the entire book we get anxious to know what will happen next, who caused all the trouble and wether or not the girls will end up alive. Laura has the ability to write stories that get your attention and expect for the next book. I would recommend this one with my eyes closed!

Four troubled friends,
One murdered girl...
and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.

I have a lot of mixed thoughts on this one. It was slow to start and I think the character development could've been a little stronger. I always enjoy getting different narrator perspectives but this one felt a little all over the place, as we're immediately getting information thrown at us and I felt like I didn't' get an opportunity to connect with the characters themselves. I also had a lot of open-ended questions that weren't pertinent to the main conflict but I feel like it's odd for them to not be addressed, even if it is going to be in later books in the series.

However, once we reach the part where the book is discovered, this story picked up the pace and kept it up until the very end. I couldn't put it down and was addicted to seeing the next fairytale demise that would be uncovered. I think the idea behind this book is brilliant and so much fun and I do think there's a lot of potential for more books in the series.

I will definitely be picking up the next book once it's announced because I love a good cliffhanger. I'm interested to see how future books tie up the loose ends and we'll see if this fast-paced excitement can be continued into the next one. I also hope I can connect with the characters a little more in future installments! Overall, I did enjoy reading this one despite my personal issues with it.

I want to start by saying I loved the mystery of the deaths. I wish the book focused more on that instead of each girl and their personal issues. If one of the other was the main focus it wouldn't have felt so half/half. Personally, I was for the mystery part. It was slow in spots and I felt myself losing interest in certain areas. Would I try the next one? Yes, just to see where the mystery leads. Do I hope it is shorter or less focused on the personal issues? YES.

What works so well in Pohl’s favor is the way she chooses to explore the idea of fairy tales. Many people forget that the beloved Disney classics stem from dark source material. Pohl doesn’t. She takes those original tales and runs with them, spinning them into a unique and suspenseful mystery. While readers are clued into how other Grimrose students meet their brutal ends, Pohl layers the story with a swirl of mysteries. Characters outside of the main four who directly mirror their fairy tale counterparts all seem suspect. But Pohl doesn’t make it so easy. She enraptures readers and keeps them on their toes, even as they reach the book’s conclusion.

Meet the Grimrose girls – Yuki, Rory, Ella, and Nani. First, I can’t talk about these characters without mentioning the delightful array of queer rep they bring. Pohl adeptly includes multiple groups within the queer community. Not only are her main characters queer, but also other major secondary characters as well. 'The Grimrose Girls' is decidedly and shamelessly queer. It’s perfect for LGTBQ+ readers seeking out stories with characters they can relate to – and on more than one level.

Furthermore, Pohl dives right into the psyches of her characters. Readers get to really know these characters. Of course, Pohl does leave some information under lock and key, surely saving more information for the next book. Nevertheless, readers won’t leave the story without feeling some connection to the characters. The girls’ relationship with each other is clear early on. They’re relationships with Ariane are also unveiled. On a more personal level, each girl touches on different topics. Some feel the pressure of believing they must be perfect. Others face rough family dynamics. Yuki, Rory, and Ella all feel a certain amount of guilt about Ari. The characters make this story. Because of their dynamic with each other and their individual personalities, readers will refuse to leave them.

'The Grimrose Girls' provides a solid introduction to Pohl’s new series. Not only does it have the wherewithal to be a standalone, it also leaves a trail of crumbs large enough to guide readers into the sequel. This story is no doubt a dark one. Pohl examines the heavy weight of grief and other personal burdens. The murders within are brutal and gruesome, and Pohl is unapologetic in her descriptions. This book undoubtedly thrives with the tone imbued in original fairy tales.

Despite that darkness, Pohl also ensures there’s still some light at the end of the tunnel. Her protagonists are endearing. They’re courageous and tough as nails. However, they still have moments of vulnerability that makes them all the more human. Their friendship offsets their hardships, bringing humor and joy to readers. I don’t read many twisted fairy tales; they’re just not something I typically seek out. But if they’re anything like 'The Grimrose Girls,' sign me up.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Grimrose Girls is the perfect dark academia meets fairy tale retelling. We follow four friends as they try to solve the mysterious death of their best friend that has a strange connection to past deaths at the school.

Each of the chapters alternate between the four girls and I loved seeing the story from each of their pint of views as they all had their own secrets that got exposed in their internal monologues. I will say that I felt the amount of switching between POVs left the characters a bit under developed. While we get a great idea of who each character is, I feel that we don’t get enough time to connect or care about each of them because there isn’t enough time to delve deeper into each character.

I feel that if I wasn’t so in love with dark academia and retellings I wouldn’t have enjoyed this book as much. I think the mystery was a bit under developed and has a pretty slow pacing without many shock factors that I wanted there to be. Another big issue I had was the magic. I feel that it came out of no where without any build up of it and it made it feel unnatural and unnecessary in the story, especially with how late it was introduced in the story.

I loved all the representation in this book. There was lots of LGBTQ+ representation as well as disability and race rep that I appreciated a lot. My only complaint with the representation was that I wish we saw more of the relationships. While they weren’t the focus of the story, it felt that they were basically unnecessary because each didn’t have enough time to develop and they really only showed up at the end of the book anyway.

I absolutely LOVED the amount of representation ON PAGE in this book, lesbians, an aroace, a biromantic demisexual. AMAZING. I loved all the main characters, I loved the setting, the story, the writing. It was all so fun and interesting and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat needing to know what happened next!
Highly recommend for anyone wanting a queer contemporary fairytale retelling in the vein of Pretty Little Liars meets Once Upon a Time.

This was a fairy good time. I interrupted my Halloween reading list to get back to a few ARC’s, this book being one of them. It was no hardship as this was another one of my more anticipated reads of 2021. I love reading retellings. I especially love sapphic retellings of fairytales, fables, myths and what have you. I love seeing the twists on such classics and especially how someone can put a more modern spin on them. I had a feeling this book would be right up my alley, and I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed it. And while I actually looked at this book as a break from my Halloween reads, this book has this underlining ominous feeling and darkness to it that it actually fits pretty well into this time of year.

This book is YA, magical realism, mystery, and a retelling all wrapped into one. I’m not really going to go into how that all works because part of what makes the book fun is figuring everything out. This is a story about three best girl friends who used to be four. Everyone assumes that the death of their friend was suicide, except them since they know she would never leave without saying goodbye. But if it wasn’t suicide or an accident, it means something much more sinister happened. With the help of a new girl, the group will do whatever it takes to find the answers before it’s too late.

This is my first book by Pohl, -although I have her book The Last 8 and now cannot wait to read it- and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was hooked into this story. It was so easy to keep turning the pages and I ended up reading it in one sitting. The book was super queer and I loved that fact. The characters are lesbian, bi, pan, asexual, and trans and everyone had their own unique voice. While I felt like I connected more to some characters over others –it’s a big cast so that was bound to happen- but I still appreciated that all the characters had their flaws and no one was too perfect. I would not really say that this book had romance in it, but there are two wlw and one m/f couple that all have some feels brewing.

The mystery of the story was pretty entertaining. There are actually two big mysteries. What happened to their friend and what is happening in general. While the mysteries are not the hardest to figure out, it is still really fun as a reader finding out if there is a real killer on the loose or is something magical and unknown going on? It was quite the ride and I enjoyed how it all came together. I also was really happy that while the main storyline was finished, the story as a whole is only just beginning. The way it was done is nice because it is not really a cliffhanger so you can read this first book now without waiting, but there is so much potential of where this story could go that you will be excited to read a book two

TLDR: A fun YA, mystery, retelling. If you are a fairytale fan, than this story really is a must. It has a wonderfully queer cast of characters. While some characters were better developed than others, they all had their personal flaws which made them more relatable and enjoyable to read about. While the mysteries might be on the easier side to figure out, it is more of the journey of the mystery that made the story so much fun. This is a bit darker than I expected so it could actually fit into your Halloween read list. The main story is complete, but I'm really excited to see where book two takes us since there is so much good potential here. I will absolutely be reading it.

The setting of this book takes place at an elite private school where one of the students is found dead. Told in multiple points if view, it’s assumed that it was suicide… or was it? Several of her “friends” try to determine what’s actually happened but not is as it seems.