I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was an atmospheric book with a great premise. We have a girl with uncontrollable powers sent to a school/home on a remote island in Scotland that can cater to the education she needs to manager her power. Imogen’s power itself was really fascinating. She can grow Oleander, a poisonous plant from her fingertips, but only that specific plant. When this was introduced I thought this was really cool. I wanted to see a lot more of this. I also wanted to know, why Oleander? I thought this likely had a fascinating backstory or explanation so I would have loved to have seen this explored further. All the girls we meet at the school have interesting powers. We did get to see a decent bit of this at the start, but it tailed off and this was a shame as I’d have loved more focus on the magic. The author had some really interesting ideas on this space, we just needed more detail. I liked the school location and how this helped with Imogen’s sense of self. Despite the danger she faces here, she starts to feel more confident and comfortable in her own skin, not feeling like she has to hide because of her kinship with her fellow students that blossoms throughout the book.

The setting was great, an isolated Scottish island. Elements of this were used really well, particularly around water. This really added to the atmosphere of the book.

The storyline that positions the mystery and the growing menace was intriguing. I liked how this built up on the girl’s different powers, giving us more depth around what they can do whilst adding suspense. I felt I wanted more of this. The romance felt quite unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the book. It could have just been friendship and given us more space for the mystery.

Some great elements to this book, I would have just liked them explored in more detail and for it to have been a bit longer. Certainly memorable and worth a read for the mystery and atmosphere

I loved that the book was mainly thriller with some slight fantasy elements. It was a very easy read and I enjoyed that the romance was kept to a minimum. There were so many twists and turns throughout, I wasn’t sure who the bad person was going to be! Very different to other books I’ve read! I would love another book that focused more on the girls abilities and the school!

It reminds me a lot of "Green Rising" by Lauren James, but it is a very different kind of story. The plants that grow out of the fingertips of the heroine are poisonous. It is an easy read in the sense that the author keeps the voice of the heroine authentic and steers clear of more advanced words. It has enough mystery in the story to keep me going. Sometimes I wish that the feelings of the characters were given a bit more coverage. All in all, it is an engaging and enjoyable read.

Okay, you need to read Dangerous Girls, seriously, I devoured it in like two sittings. If you’re into gothic fantasy with a hint of dark mystery and just the right amount of romance, this one’s for you. It gave me total Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children vibes, but with its own unique, haunting twist.

So, the main character, Imogen Brine, is not your average teenage girl. She can literally grow poisonous flowers from her fingertips (yes, really). Because of this strange and slightly terrifying gift, she’s invited to this secret island where girls like her are able to learn how to control their powers. Sounds cool, right? But of course, things don’t go smoothly. Weird stuff starts happening as she arrives, and suddenly everyone’s looking at her like she’s the problem.

What I loved is that it wasn’t just spooky for the sake of being spooky. There’s mystery, tension, and this creepy sense of “something’s not right” that keeps you flipping pages. Plus, the powers the other girls have? Wild. Think summoning swarms of insects, starting fires with a glance, even turning into a mermaid. It's like X-Men meets dark fairy tale.

There’s also a sweet romance woven in, not overpowering, not cheesy, just the right amount to make you smile a bit while still letting the mystery take the spotlight. And the found family element? Ugh, so good. These girls are messy and powerful and trying to figure themselves out, and you can’t help but root for them all.

All in all, it’s a fast, eerie, magical ride that hits all the right YA notes. If you love gothic fantasy with heart and atmosphere, you need to add this to your TBR ASAP.