What a twist of the fairytales that we all grew up on!! I loved this story, and I especially loved the mystery and the intrigue that was also weaved within. Highly recommend!!

I thought the premise of grimrose girls was fairly interesting (described as a mix of two of my high school self’s favorite tv shows Once Upon A Time and Pretty Little Liars). I was intrigued by the plot but the writing style and series of events that occurred didn’t immerse me in the story. I normally love multiple POV stories, but in this case it felt like we didn’t get to spend enough time with each of the characters to be truly invested in their struggles.

his was not what I expected. Overall, I enjoyed it. The pacing is a little off and it takes a bit for the action to get moving (like 40-50%) BUT the storyline is intriguing enough that I needed to power through. It was fun to try and figure out each of the princesses and the murder of Ari. I am looking forward to continuing the series because I need to know what happens.

What I loved the most was the rep: trans, bi, ace, aro, lesbian, people of color - just some great rep of various identities that was there. There was enough to the characters where they felt meaty and not just random one dimensional diversity backgrounds. It felt like a magical, fun, intriguing, diverse and relevant 2021 YA novel and it makes me excited about future books from Pohl.

Grimrose Académie is an exclusive boarding school. There, Ella, Yuki, and Rory's best friend, Ariane dies before school even begins, and the police declare it a suicide. But the remaining trio are convinced that Ariane would never take her own life and set out to determine what happened to her. Then a new girl, Nani, arrives at the school as their roommate. Taking Ariane's place in her old bedroom, she discovers some of Ariane's left behind belongings. This sets off a series of events that will soon overwhelm the girls--and threaten their lives.

"The first day of school started with a funeral."

I have mixed feelings on this book. Some pieces of it frustrated me deeply, and I found them skim worthy and repetitive. It felt like a pale version of a typical "bad things happen a boarding school" read. It got off to a slow start, and I wasn't sure I felt like continuing.

But eventually it begins to work in a fairy tale angle. That piece is really fascinating and far more original. Tying deaths at Grimrose to ancient fairy tales and adding magic, the book picks up speed. There are still pieces that felt as if they could have been shortened, and sometimes the story is too melodramatic--even for teenage girls--but the fairy tale piece is really fun and interesting and carries the book. Honestly, in the beginning, I had a difficult time keeping Ella, Yuki, Rory and some of their other boarding school counterparts separate, though they do become more individualistic as the book goes on. Also, the representation is wonderfully diverse here, so kudos to Pohl for that.

Overall, this book is a slow mover at the beginning, with a decent bit of repetition, leaning too much on character description. But as it moves into its real plot twist and focus, it picks up speed and becomes quite intriguing. The fairy tale piece is original and exciting. I will give the next book a chance.

I'm going to start by saying that I am a huge fan of Pretty Little Liars and Once Upon a Time and this book says that it's a mix of the two. And honestly, I saw that. There was drama, mystery, some murders, and a curse with storybook characters. I'm ALSO a huge fan of those OG fairy tales that aren't surrounded by princes and princesses and happy endings. And that's what this story is all about. So the premise is great and imaginative and had me hooked. However, I was slightly disappointed, but I feel like this is book 1 in what will be a series and I am very excited about that (if it isn't I am going to be incredibly disappointed and would change this review drastically).

The characters made me like and hate the book (in a good way). Some of the characters here were the worst. I won't give any spoilers but a main character that I was expecting to love, I loathed. She was mean for the sake of mean with no backstory that warranted it. I'm all for the villains of stories, but it's their stories that made them interesting. But maybe, if there are more books we'll get to learn more about this particular character. There were also some characters that were so sweet and earnest. And all said and done I think this perfectly highlighted the different personalities and moods teenagers have/go through.

Also, I loved the visibility. I love a book that is diverse and highlights different backgrounds, religions, sexualities, and cultures. All of the main characters are a plethora of sexualities and it's a boarding school in Switzerland that accommodates kids from all over the world. There was a lack of different races, however, that was noted in the book and I think will be touched on more (again, hoping for some more in a series).

This would have been a 4 star read other than the fact that I never felt excited. I never had the drive to learn what happens next. I don't know if that's due to my mood while reading or the writing, but I would definitely reread later to see and DEFINITELY read any other books related to this one to see how the story continues to unfold.

I recommend those to love fairytales (especially the twisted ones), boarding school dramas, and a bit of magic.

Grimrose Girls is a thrilling novel about friendship and solving murders. Described as Descendents meets Pretty Little Liars, you can definitely see the influences of the two, but this story is still fresh in its retelling of classic fairy tales. The book is able to mix the dread from the original Grimm Tales, while also containing some heartfulness as seen in Disney's take on them, making it the best balance of fun and fear.

This novel pleasantly surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. I had not known how prominent the fairy tales would be in this story, and how well it would be mixed into a contemporary novel, but it was weaved in really well. It starts with a slow build, spinning in fairy tale elements; this blends a bit of real-life with the magical.

As some of you may know, I love a good retelling/reimagining, and this one was such a fun take. I really adore seeing modern takes on fairy tales, what they take from the original and what they don't. Here [Author] is able to spin it in a way that you can still easily tell which princess is which, but also modernise it so it's not absurd. I mean, I didn't think I would see a take on Sleeping Beauty that would actually make sense in this modern age, but I loved how well it worked.

It's murder and mystery and sapphic with some dark academia elements - so what's not to love?

Majority of this story was focused on the characters than the mysterious death of Ariane and other individuals. I can imagine that some readers may not like the character-driven story choice, but I really enjoyed it. I think so many fairy tales don't focus enough on the female character themselves, more so the romance, so we don't know much about their ambitions and thoughts. GG is able to give depth to the four protagonists, especially through their different perspectives', making it easy to see the true colours of the protagonists and what drove them.

The book also focuses on the friendship between the four girls, which was truly wonderful to see, especially as often in YA you find that female friendships are overshadowed by romantic relationships. Sure, the girls did argue more than once, but considering the fact that they had just experienced a devastating loss and the fact that they're teenage girls, it made sense.

There is no shortage of suspense and drama between the girls, alongside such tender and sweet moments of them looking out for each other. It was sweet seeing the friendships from the different perspectives and how they all cared about each other.

This was the brilliant start to a duology, that has me super excited to read the sequel. It set up such a fascinating story and lovely interesting characters, and I'm eager to see where the story goes as well as how the friendships between the characters continue to grow.

Spooky-themed reading for those that don't like horror per se, but want to be in the mood for fall-themed TBRs. Solving a mystery of a mysterious death at a boarding school, three friends and the new student are thrown into unraveling the mysteries of their school, because their friend's death is not the first death to occur on school grounds, it's just the only one people can remember...

This book was getting a ton of buzz, so of course I wanted to read it. It's definitely more of what I would call a fun read than anything else. There is some LGBTQIA representation, which seems to be the main plug for the book, but overall, I found the multi-perspective storytelling to be distracting and the depth of the characters suffered for it. Largely, there was a lot of plot going on in this book: fleshing out the main characters felt at times like checking off diversity boxes, working in a fairytale element, solving a murder, etc., I found the pacing to be a little erratic and the characters lacking depth and motivation.

Overall, I think many will enjoy this book and will be intrigued by the cliffhanger ending to want to continue reading when the next book comes out. Unfortunately, this book was not what I was expecting and wasn't really for me.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I’m not going to lie, I went in blind. I requested this one because of the cover, but I’m 100% glad I did! These characters were so dynamic, each completely different but coming together to create this beautiful found family.

And y’all, the TWIST. I recommend going in blind like I did because getting smacked across the face with what this book was actually about was *amazing*.

Just trust me when I tell you, you have never read a book like this one. It’s a fresh and inventive take on a trope we’re all very familiar with. It’s dark and edgy and a fabulous read.

I can’t wait for more from Laura Pohl!

This book is a fast read. The story starts with a victim (always fun) and her friends who are out to prove she didn’t kill herself. It’s an intriguing concept which kept me turning the pages. Every character has an interesting backstory that comes into play later and there are some cool twists. However, I found myself wishing there were more descriptions of the school, almost as if it were treated as a character itself. There were a lot of girls with minimal descriptions. I lost track of who everyone was and kept having to flip back to the beginning to remind myself at the start of a new chapter. Overall, it was a good, easy read. I loved that it was very diverse in representation as well.

Definitely an inclusive book. Did it make it a better book? Questionable.

The story is a bit mystery mixed with fairytale retellings. It's like a school that is cursed with each girl being part of a fairytale of their own, but without a happy ending. They all die in the end. And the latest group of girls want to figure out what or who is killing everyone.

There are a lot of awkward moments,.and weird transitions, with the whole plot being vague, and the characters bland. I appreciated the fact that the cast was diverse.and inclusive though their interactions seemed forced and almost pointless.

It is a story about finding yourself and standing up for yourself, and your wants and dreams. At the same time finding your friends, and fighting for them.

There was just something lost for me in this book. I needed something a bit more engaging.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy.

Characters: 4 out of 5 stars!
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars!
Vibes: 4.5 out of 5 stars!
Plot: 4 out of 5 stars!
Enjoyment: 4.5 out of 5 stars!
OVERALL: 4.5 out of 5 stars!

After hearing about this book, the first thing I felt was a deep craving for it. I mean, it has SO many elements I love. My second thought, though, was: this has literally SO many elements I love and FOUR fairytale retellings…how is the author ever gonna pull that off?

Well, in all honesty I still don’t know how, but Laura Pohl still did that! The Grimrose Girls completely lived up to what it promised (a dark and slightly magical murder mystery about four girls tied to cruel fairytale endings and how they try to change their fate) while slashing the doubts I had.

Laura Pohl’s writing is absolutely stunning and perfect for this book. I really loved the descriptions in general! There’s this constant dark undertone to the prose while there are, of course, also lighter and humorous moments.

I’d say the first third of the book is mostly build-up though. There’s lots of intrigue, but the story really takes off once you get past the 31% mark of this book!

These characters though…I don’t even kow where to start. They’re incredibly flawed and their emotions are so unbelievably real. Everything about them just makes sense to be honest! Their emotional journeys were truly amazing to follow and will definitely be relatable to lots of people!

We have four main characters and I never once confused their storylines with each other, which is…pretty wow! They’re all so different, but still fit perfectly together.

Also…the diversity here is UNMATCHED! This is really how it’s supposed to be and my heart is so happy with how most things are actually explicitly mentioned! Say thank you Laura Pohl!

There’s definitely romance in this book (read: three romances, some just brewing) and though I loved them and can’t wait to see how they’ll develop in the future, this book has friendship at its heart. It’s beautiful, it’s honest, and I adore it.

But okay…there’s plot too y’all, and it’s so good! I loved how all these storylines were woven together masterfully and how explosive the ending was. It left me screaming because I was just so completely absorbed into the story!

Luckily for me, there’s a lot more to this story left to be told! The sequel has so much potential and I have no doubts that Laura Pohl will blow me away all over again! Hit me with it!

The Grimrose Girls is one of those books I never knew I wanted in my life. This book did not let me go! Dark and intriguing concept, lots of things and storylines to unravel, strong emotional journeys and, of course, the beautiful friendship…there’s just so much to this one. But, it’s also not over yet so…

I cannot wait to see where this story will take us next!

One-sentence pitch: When four friends try to uncover the mystery behind the death of their friend, it almost seems like the fates of all the students at their boarding school are connected to cruel fairytale endings, but nothing could ever be that wrong at the perfect Grimrose Académie...right?

Definitely read it if: you're interested in a unique and dark twist on fairytales, you like complicated characters that are discovering themselves (think coming-of-age but with murder and a little bit of magic), you want more books with friendship at their heart.

The representation was great in this book; black, Asian, lesbian, bi, trans,pan,etc. The POV of the girls was intriguing. What didn’t rope me in was the pacing and I didn’t really have the urge to uncover the mystery. I was just drifting along with the story. I really liked the idea of Grimrose Girls but this story ending up coming up short for me:

What. A. Book! Queer dark academia themes with a fairytale curse all wrapped up inside like a freaking tiramisu cake. So many layers and twists and absolute gems like the above quote. While staying YA, it was super dark with some insanely deep insights about growing up different, about feeling that despair of not belonging, and of course growing up queer and scared of that knowledge, not knowing if who or what you are will ever be accepted. There's nods to mental health and familial relationships, broken homes and happy ones. I'm definitely a huge fan and can't wait to see what Laura will bring us next!!! (Hopefully a sequel cause the ending y'all, I'm not okay!!!!)

The Grimrose Girls is an effortlessly diverse and inclusive boarding school murder mystery. It’s a dark, gritty, fantastical fairytale retelling inspired by the Grimm’s version of the epic tales. Promoted as a “Once Upon a Time” meets “Pretty Little Liars”, there are nods to The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White.

Ella, Yuki, Rory and Nani are students at an elite Swiss academy. When one of their classmates is found dead in a lake near the school, the girls are suspicious that police have ruled the death a suicide.

The book not only explores themes of friendship and family dynamics, but also weaves a pretty epic tale of mystery with a good dose of magic thrown in. It's one I'd highly recommend if you love YA and/or thrillers! Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for a digital review copy!

I found myself making myself pick up this book to read more of it. I got halfway through it and decided to stop reading it. I found a lack of character development and it felt like nothing was happening in the novel. I was skimming and I didn’t enjoy how the characters interacted with one another. Maybe I’m not in the right headspace to enjoy this book right now 🤷🏻‍♀️

This book has some really great elements. It was definitely a very dark book, perfect for a Halloween read, with some very gruesome mysteries. The fairy tales woven in and the magic were all very well done and made a great addition to the story. I loved the representation of all the different races and sexualities and I thought that was well done as well. My problem was the pacing and the fact that I didn't really care enough about the mystery. It just didn't hold my attention, but that could have just been a me issue. I do think other people will really enjoy this book.

The Grimrose Girls expertly weaves together some of the world’s most beloved fairy tales into a gripping story of destiny and the power of taking control of your own narrative. Both familiar and utterly unique, this book has all the trappings of a gripping mystery, while also exploring friendship and identity.

The original darker versions of the fairy tales we all know and love have always fascinated me and so getting to explore them through The Grimrose Girls was a joy. I am in awe of Pohl’s ability to weave them into the story and modern setting. They form the backbone of the novel and are so thoroughly, naturally entrenched in the makeup of the characters that it never felt like the story had to contort itself to fit so many references. Guessing which characters fit each fairy tale was really fun and they were often so cleverly and subtly woven together that it kept me guessing right until the reveal, at which point everything made perfect sense and fit together beautifully.

The Grimrose Girls has four narrators and I enjoyed reading from all of them equally. THey were all individual, fleshed out characters with unique voices. I loved reading about their friendship and seeing Nani (the new girl) slowly become part of the group. All four of our heroines are gloriously queer (lesbian, bi and aspec rep) which I of course adored. I also really appreciated how Ari’s death impacted each of the girls in different ways and how this influenced their decisions throughout the book. The only thing I would critique is that for their best friend dying only days before the book begins, it didn’t really feel like we got to see the girls grieve that much.

The mystery of this book was really engaging and I really didn’t know where it was going at any time. It was very cleverly crafted and I felt that it was paced well. I went into this book thinking it was a standalone and while it did have a satisfying ending, I can’t wait to continue delving into this mystery and to spend more time with these characters. I am so excited to see how they will continue to grow and how their relationships will develop.

If a mystery set in an elite boarding school featuring four reimagined fairy tale heroines seizing their own fate appeals to you then you need to pick The Girmrose Girls up.

There were a lot of elements of this book that were compelling, and that had the potential to make it a really good story, but there were also some elements that were lacking in my opinion.

First of all, I love the modern-day fairytale connection. Each of the characters are clearly inspired by some of my favorite stories, but it is in subtle ways that allow them to stand apart as a new take on tales that are old as time. Moreover, each character is unique in their own right. Several of the characters deal with disabilities that allows for some great representation in that sense, and even further each of their perspectives explore their sexuality in a great way.

However fascinating I found these elements, there were also characteristics that frustrated me when reading all four perspectives, particularly Yuki, Rory, and Nani's. There were many times in which those three seemed to be lacking empathy, whether it was in the plight of the other characters, or just in their opinions of the side characters and the relationships they form with their other friends. While I understand their frustrations to a certain level, there were some times when the characters felt like they were too mean or bitter to the world around them, making it less enjoyable to read. There were also elements of the characters that I wish were explored more. It felt at times like the characters were boiled down to one or two dominant character traits, while other aspects of their lives were hinted at without being explored as I wish they were. For instance, Ella is biromantic and demisexual, and has OCD and anxiety, and these traits forced other aspects of her life and personality to the sideline. There are times in the story when she hints at her abusive and toxic home life, but it is never fully explored, rather hinted at. I understand how the topic can be triggering for people, but I wish it had not been danced around.

The thing I struggled the most with in reading this book was the pacing. It took a long time to get to the point where the girls start to think that there was more to Ariane's death, and the issue is that if you read the description, you know that there's more to her death. Hell, the description hints at a whole curse, so this book would have been a lot more enjoyable if we had gotten to the mystery in the first quarter of the book, rather than waiting for halfway for it to pick up the pace. The mystery itself is compelling enough, though I had narrowed down the suspects to between two of the characters, and was correct in one of those suspicions. However, I wish there was a little bit more closure by the end of the book. The curse naturally is not broken, since this is the first in a series, but I wish we had been left with a little bit more... something that would have raised the stakes and heightened excitement for the next installment.

I will say that I think a lot of what frustrated me about the book could have been solved if it had just been a little longer. It was a relatively quick read, with each chapter being short and sweet, but if it had just been lengthened a little bit, we could have spent a little bit of time getting to know each character a little better, and would have been more invested in the relationships they develop outside of the main story. I really wish we could have spent more time with Rory and Pippa, as their relationship fell to the background with Nani and Svenja, Ella and Frederick, and the mystery taking precedence. Furthermore, I also really wish that there were flashbacks worked in to allow us to get to know Ariane and the bond she shared with each of the girls. Naturally Yuki, Rory, and Ella all described what their relationship was like through their internal monologues, but I would have loved to actually see those dynamics play out on the page.

Overall, I will probably pick up any future books in this series, just to see how the mystery plays out, and I can only hope that they will explore some of the layers of the characters that make them as compelling as they are.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Fire for the e-arc of the book

So. Just to make things clear. We have tales retelling. Disabled Lesbian with a sword. Characters of Colors. Dark academia. A lot of sapphic characters. An aro and ace character. Mysteries. Murders. Great characters.

So I think this book is awesome. I mean it has everything. It’s a mix between plot and characters driven story. There are multiple points of view. You have to understand who is who. And this is the perfect start for a book serie.

Yeah, I really loved it. I’m always a sucker for retellings. And better when it’s gay. So thank you for this book. And now I can’t live in peace without having the second one

This book has been a ride! Once again, I didn't thoroughly read the synopsis and didn't realise there was fantasy until about 20% in, but that is just part of the reading experience at this point! I am a fan of the who-dun-it mysteries, and if it is set on a boarding school, I am so in.

The premise of the story was super interesting! It did have some PLL vibes, but less hardcore (except for the ending because WOW). As for the characters, I have a lot of mixed feelings. There were some characters that I really liked, like Ella or Pippa, and other that I liked most of the time, like Rory and Nani. However, there were other characters that I didn’t really like, such as Yuki, Penelope and even Ari (I know she is dead but they said some things about her that I didn’t like, like her being mean).

There are so many open questions! Like Nani’s father or the mystery surrounding Rory’s family, so I sure will be keeping an eye on the second part of this series!
Also *spoiler* how easy does murder come for all of these girls? *end of spoiler*.

All in all, I enjoyed this book, and I would give it a 3.5 if I could.