Science Fiction & Fantasy
![Laura Pohl - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B085RQB7R8.jpg)
The Grimrose Girls: Dark Academia Fairytale (The Grimrose Girls, 1)
Four troubled friends,
One murdered girl...
and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.
Once Upon a Time meets Pretty Little Liars in this queer, dark academia story about four reimagined fairy tale heroines who must uncover their ancient curses before it's too late.
After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled Ariane's death as a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.
When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events that no one could have predicted. As the girls retrace their friend's final days, they discover a dark secret about Grimrose―Ariane wasn't the first dead girl.
They soon learn that all the past murders are connected to ancient fairytale curses...and that their own fates are tied to the stories, dooming the girls to brutal and gruesome endings unless they can break the cycle for good.
Perfect for fans of:
Cinderella is Dead and GRIMM
Dark Academia
Fairytale Retellings
LGBTQ Rep
Media Buzz for The Grimrose Girls:
Buzzfeed called it "a book definitely worth picking up"
One of Book Riot's Top New YA Paperbacks for Fall
A Buzzfeed Top LGBTQ+ YA Book to Devour
A Culturess Thrilling New YA Release
Featured on Tor as a new Young Adult SFF
A Barnes & Noble OUR MONTHLY PICK for November 2021!!
One murdered girl...
and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.
Once Upon a Time meets Pretty Little Liars in this queer, dark academia story about four reimagined fairy tale heroines who must uncover their ancient curses before it's too late.
After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled Ariane's death as a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.
When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events that no one could have predicted. As the girls retrace their friend's final days, they discover a dark secret about Grimrose―Ariane wasn't the first dead girl.
They soon learn that all the past murders are connected to ancient fairytale curses...and that their own fates are tied to the stories, dooming the girls to brutal and gruesome endings unless they can break the cycle for good.
Perfect for fans of:
Cinderella is Dead and GRIMM
Dark Academia
Fairytale Retellings
LGBTQ Rep
Media Buzz for The Grimrose Girls:
Buzzfeed called it "a book definitely worth picking up"
One of Book Riot's Top New YA Paperbacks for Fall
A Buzzfeed Top LGBTQ+ YA Book to Devour
A Culturess Thrilling New YA Release
Featured on Tor as a new Young Adult SFF
A Barnes & Noble OUR MONTHLY PICK for November 2021!!
Editorial Reviews
"Murder mystery laced with fairy tales...a chilling climax will keep readers engaged and anticipating the next volume." ― The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Mysterious and magical, Grimrose Girls turns classic tales upside down and then some. Fans of Once Upon a Time and anyone who likes their happily ever afters with a side a murder will love this fantasy thriller!" ― Rosiee Thor, author of Tarnished are the stars
"Grimrose Girls takes the classic thriller story and fantastically twists it. For fans of classic murder mysteries, strong friendships, and shows like Lost Girl and Grimm, this is the series for you." ― Linsey Miller, author of Mask of Shadows and What We Devour
"Pohl weaves a suspenseful, thrilling tale full of all the dark magic, swoonworthy romance, and courageous heroines we know and love from our favorite fairy tales. Sink your teeth into this story and let it carry you through the woods" ― Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
"A twisty sapphic reimagining of all of your favorite fairytales, The Grimrose Girls is darkly haunting and achingly romantic. In an exploration of grief and love, Pohl weaves a magical mystery of a murder most foul. These aren't the fairytales you remember, and certainly not ones you'll forget." ― Ashley Poston, national bestselling author of Geekerella
"A contemporary take on classic fairytales with a haunting setting, and a ruthless mystery at its core―perfect for lovers of dark academia vibes, fairytales with a twist, or mini-Sherlocks in the making!" ― The Nerd Daily
"Enthralling... Fans of empowering feminist fairy-tale retellings will love this." ― Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
"Inclusive and fiercely feminist." ― Publishers Weekly
"A solid choice for libraries where dark fairy tale retellings circulate well." ― School Library Journal
"Mysterious and magical, Grimrose Girls turns classic tales upside down and then some. Fans of Once Upon a Time and anyone who likes their happily ever afters with a side a murder will love this fantasy thriller!" ― Rosiee Thor, author of Tarnished are the stars
"Grimrose Girls takes the classic thriller story and fantastically twists it. For fans of classic murder mysteries, strong friendships, and shows like Lost Girl and Grimm, this is the series for you." ― Linsey Miller, author of Mask of Shadows and What We Devour
"Pohl weaves a suspenseful, thrilling tale full of all the dark magic, swoonworthy romance, and courageous heroines we know and love from our favorite fairy tales. Sink your teeth into this story and let it carry you through the woods" ― Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
"A twisty sapphic reimagining of all of your favorite fairytales, The Grimrose Girls is darkly haunting and achingly romantic. In an exploration of grief and love, Pohl weaves a magical mystery of a murder most foul. These aren't the fairytales you remember, and certainly not ones you'll forget." ― Ashley Poston, national bestselling author of Geekerella
"A contemporary take on classic fairytales with a haunting setting, and a ruthless mystery at its core―perfect for lovers of dark academia vibes, fairytales with a twist, or mini-Sherlocks in the making!" ― The Nerd Daily
"Enthralling... Fans of empowering feminist fairy-tale retellings will love this." ― Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
"Inclusive and fiercely feminist." ― Publishers Weekly
"A solid choice for libraries where dark fairy tale retellings circulate well." ― School Library Journal
Readers Top Reviews
I’ve been excited to read this book ever since I found out about it a few months ago, and it didn’t disappoint. Pohl’s story is the perfect blend of fairytale magic and thrilling dark academia, a combination I didn’t know I needed in my life. I formed all sorts of theories as I read and trusted hardly anyone, yet I was still surprised as pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The intrigue never stopped, and I didn’t want to stop reading. I loved all four of the protagonists from the beginning. Ella, Yuki, Rory and Nani were amazing, complex and well-written characters, and there were some equally well-written side characters. It was surprisingly fun to try to connect people and events to different fairytales as I read. I also loved Ella, Yuki and Rory’s friendship, and seeing Nani slowly become a part of their group. The dynamic among the girls was brilliant, as were the two slow-burn, friends to lovers romantic subplots. I say subplot because, while both involved a member of the main squad, the romance was definitely not a focus of the story. Emphasis was instead placed on the girls themselves and the mystery of Grimrose, which I think was the right choice. Be that as it may, what bits of romance we did get were adorable, and I’m hoping there’ll be more in the sequel. There’s one relationship I think could turn romantic, and I’m hoping that it does. Fingers crossed! (What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic at heart.) Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by just how great this book was. It pulled me in immediately and I was hooked from cover to cover; now that I’m done, I’m wondering just long the wait will be for the sequel. (Probably a year or so, since this just came out.) I’ll definitely have to check out Pohl’s other books in the meantime. And if it wasn’t already clear, I love and highly recommend The Grimrose Girls!! Representation -biromantic demisexual protagonist with anxiety and OCD -Japanese aromantic asexual protagonist -lesbian protagonist with fibromyalgia -Black-Hawaiian fat lesbian protagonist -queer trans girl side character -Black side character Content Warning: death/murder, blood/gore, body horror, anxiety, OCD, physical and emotional abuse, mentions of suicide and parent death
K R R PelletierLayto
As some others have mentioned, you don’t see the girls come into their own and it feels like, at the best, a set up for another book. There’s a lot of useless time spent on the girls’ daily activities while there is little discussion of Ari’s mysterious death. Not worth the read in my opinion.
