Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

I think it's sadly time to admit this is a DNF - I picked it up around the time of the release but never found myself going back to it. While I'm always intrigued by a murder at a boarding school, this one just sadly wasn't for me.

This was a great YA read with a dark academia/ murder myster vibe. It was amazingly written and I am very excited to see
What happens in book 2

I can appreciate a darker approach to fairly tales. And I liked the individual motivations and complexities to the girls. I didn't like the overall plot as much. It's not nearly as clever as it thinks and the charm wore off quite quickly, with the deaths coming more rapidly and with far more ridiculous circumstance and explanation.

The Grimrose Girls was an atmospheric, private school, murder mystery story. It had a very diverse cast of characters. I loved the the dark twist on fairy tales that this explored. I’m not sure if I’ll continue on with the sequel, but I enjoyed my time with this book.

A gang of fearless teens who is trying find the source of a mystery and a curse so they can write their own path.

This book needs a sequel!

Thank you #NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me the opportunity to read this!

This was a multi fairytale retelling with ace rep. Three girls come back to school and vow to solve their friends suicide, which they think was murder. They find a mysterious book of old fairytales that don’t end in HEA but in curses. This had Pretty Little Liars vibes, the characters were fairly entertaining and the plot had decent flow. I just didn’t relate much to the story, so I’m giving it three stars. I know a lot of people who would enjoy this though, so I’ll definitely be recommending it.

Just not the right one for me.

I loved the cover and the premise sounded intriguing, but once I started actually reading I quickly realized that I did not like any of the characters or the love interest. The one positive I can say about this book is that its very diverse which is so great to see in books, but the characters felt very one dimensional and not developed at all.

DNF @ 40%

I tried and tried to get into this book but I could not. I just didn’t connect with any of the characters and I found that it just wasn’t holding my attention. I decided to DNF around 27%

The Grimrose Girls is a dark fairytale retelling set in a dark academia world at a boarding school. When Ella, Yuki, and Rory's best friend Ariane mysteriously dies and it's ruled a suicide, they set out to find out what really happened. They don't expect to uncover ancient fairytale curses tied to their very own fates. Can the girls break the curses? This is so much fun for readers who enjoy fairytale retellings. The twist on classic fairytales is so much fun. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Grimrose Girls today.

I typically enjoy fairytale retellings and this was no exception. I enjoyed seeing the several variations of tales and the dark side of them as well. The mystery was not a big shock to me, but that didn't deter me from liking the story. The aesthetic and the setting were fantastic and I love hearing about The Grimrose Académie itself. I look forward to reading the sequel.

I really enjoyed this book. I was looking forward to it for a while and it definitely did not disappoint.

This book was good, just not great. There were a few spelling errors, which isn't a big deal just a little annoying. This is a retelling so I understand it isn't going to stick to the original word by word, but I had no idea who some of the characters were supposed to be. It was fairly obvious that Ella was Cinderella, but other than that I had no idea who Yuki, Rory, or Nani were supposed to be until the author spelled it out. Could be a me thing, but it would've been nice if it were a little more obvious. The mystery was exciting and kept me on my toes, but there were a lot of plot holes.

Yuki's character in particular felt a little underdeveloped. She is the one that is having the most internal struggle in the book. We're told that she is tired of being perfect, but I feel like it isn't shown. She lashes out at the other girls, often unfairly. She says that the tries to be kind all the time like Ella, but she is mostly described as reserved and quiet. I loved the ace representation! Although at times it did feel like the author was building up a romance with Yuki and Penelope. Hope we get to see more character development for Yuki in the sequel, cause her character has a lot of potential!

Overall a good read. I think the description of Once Upon A Time meets Pretty Little Liars is really accurate! So if you like both or either of those shows, I think you'll enjoy this read. Excited for the sequel!

the vibes in this book are INSANE. i cannot get enough of the setting. it was so good. i also just loved the story. i let go and was just along for the ride. great.

This was a fun read! I liked all the storybook elements and the effortless queer cast. I'm interested in reading the sequel!

I purchased this book for my high school library. My students have enjoyed it. and it has circulated well.

This is YA as it should be! Laura Pohl gives us a queer mystery featuring a groups of girls whom all represent fairytale princesses or characters. There is so much fun in this; even as the primary theme is about grieving a friend lost too soon.
Easily suitable for 12-year-olds (there is no sex, just some kissing and lusting for one another). The Grimrose Girls takes the well known fairytales (even referring to the Disney versions many times) and changes them up just slightly to fit into modern day scenarios. At the heart of this novel, a book of fairytales where there are no happy endings (and you know I can’t resist a book written about another book).

For our leading gals there is a lot of turmoil; whether it’s being sent away for school, the death of a friend, being new to school, feeling completely ignored by family, or not having control over their own destiny; each scenario is well out together and, while allowing correlations with well known fairytales, keeps you on your toes as details may change. One of my favourite moments is when one of our girls comments that she “didn’t even loose a shoe” as a scene at a party/ball unfolds. Obviously this Cinderella knows her own story well!

At about 25% of the way through the book, when it’s super obvious the reader is being given hints about which of our girls are which fairytale character I started a list. Working out which girl (and occasional boy) was which in different fairytales mentioned, or that I knew on my own. It was super fun! I got most of them correct; but not all. Perhaps the real magic in Grimrose Girls is that it has elements of so many stories tied into one mystery that then links in and explores teen angst and issues from a different perspective.

I don’t want to say too much more as spoilers would be awful to have going into this story. The true magic is in the mystery as it unravels and shows us who each of our lead girls are; or who they aren’t. I really appreciated this one and cannot wait to recommend it to everyone that loves fairytales and YA books. If you have any affinity for the Disney or Grimm/Andersen fairytales and some angsty, queer, teen girls then check this one out.
And be sure to revel in the fact that Laura Pohl wrote this book in English, her non-native language. Now that is a real feat!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

If you ever wanted your fairy tale adaptions with a little more queerness, a little more bipoc representation, and a lot more dark academia, then you're in luck. Pohl's Grimrose Girls takes all the darkness and the secrets, and a tragic murder, and weaves in a love of Disney and the Brothers Grimm.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

The first book in a fairytale reimagining series, The Grimrose Girls is a dark, haunted tale full of intrigue and love. It’s sapphic af, and has so much awesome rep (bi rep, ace rep, chronic illness rep, fat rep, I’m probably missing some). I love the world that Laura has created and the way she is twisting fairytales, making them both new and familiar.

A great start, and I can't wait to read more~