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faduma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
lunep's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Transphobia, Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Deadnaming, and Mental illness
fe_aye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Suicide, Death, and Murder
mals_library's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Death, Grief, Murder, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Body horror
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
anniereads221's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Child abuse, and Chronic illness
sammymilfort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I could make a whole video about my problems with this book
1. I really dislike Yuki’s character and even her arc and place in the story felt out of place. She had really mean moments and I get she’s a teenager but like the way of how she was so possessive about her friends I could not stand. I petition to make Yuki the villain in the next book please, at least that might make things interesting. If I was Ella I would not forgive her so easily and it made me so upset when she did!! But it’s true to her character so…
I liked Nani and Ella
Does anyone know if Ella is demisexual because I love! I know Rory is demiromantic
Might read the sequel, might not
ALSO THE FACT THAT THE STRAIGHT RELATIONSHIP GOT THE MOST DEVELOPMENT OUT OF ALL THE QUEER PARINGS MADE ME SO MAD AND IT WAS SURFACE LEVEL DEVELOPED AT BEST.
TW: Queerbaiting, Emotional Manipulation and Abuse, Neglect, Murder
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia
Minor: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking
I don’t have words for this book and honestly it’s not even the writing style that I dislike the most. There were parts I enjoyed, but ultimately this book has two things a load of queerbaiting and a plot that could have been great if it was constructed more and given depth. I loved the fairytale aspect and the physical disability rep was ok! There was one part that had super ableist undertones in my opinion when Rory was in the coffee shop and I did not like that. This book had so many things going for it I was sure I was going to rate it a 3 or 3.5 but then I got to the last 20% and all I felt was anger. I could make a whole video about my problems with this book 1. I really dislike Yuki’s character and even her arc and place in the story felt out of place. She had really mean moments and I get she’s a teenager but like the way of how she was so possessive about her friends I could not stand. I petition to make Yuki the villain in the next book please, at least that might make things interesting. If I was Ella I would not forgive her so easily and it made me so upset when she did!! But it’s true to her character so… I liked Nani and Ella Does anyone know if Ella is demisexual because I love! I know Rory is demiromantic Might read the sequel, might not ALSO THE FACT THAT THE STRAIGHT RELATIONSHIP GOT THE MOST DEVELOPMENT OUT OF ALL THE QUEER PARINGS MADE ME SO MAD AND IT WAS SURFACE LEVEL DEVELOPED AT BEST. TW: Queerbaiting, Emotional Manipulation and Abuse, Neglect, Murdercammiem8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Rape, Racism, and Homophobia
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
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
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Gore
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
Mental illness: one of the protagonists has anxiety and OCD. Suicide: mentioned occasionally, as it’s believed to be how the protagonists’ friend died. Parent death: both of Ella’s parents died prior to the story, as did Yuki’s parents.beforeviolets's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A thrilling retelling of classic fairytales filled with twists, magic, and just the right amount of darkness. Think Disney Princesses turned dark academia.
The first two-thirds of this book really struggled with the pacing. It dragged SO MUCH and I don't know if it was an attempt to counteract the feeling of over-exposition or in order to build tension, but either way it made it hard to read and made me almost DNF this read a few times.
HOWEVER, the last third of this book was SO MUCH FUN! It was riveting, properly gorey and spooky and magical in the way I was expecting this entire book to be. It just sucked that I had to get through so much of the text before I was able to experience it.
This book was promised with a lot of diversity, however, there was quite a bit of problematic representation which I will explain below.
(Minor spoilers ahead)
The Asian character struggles with parental pressure to be the very best and have perfect grades and be the perfect daughter.
There is a character who is very clearly the "mean masc lesbian" type.
The half-Native, half-Black character's entire plot line is that she has an absent Black father who abandoned her. She is also stereotyped as a "mean lesbian."
One character has OCD and it is introduced by one of the other characters questioning if she had taken her meds. Her opinions and experiences were also constantly doubted or questioned due to her OCD.
The character that is meant to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast has a trans girl as a love interest (insinuating that the trans woman is a beast).
On that note, the trans girl's fairytale retelling is that she is The Ugly Duckling, explicitly stating that as a trans girl, she has become a swan.
Especially seeing a book written by a queer author, it was sad to see the lack of care put into the quality of the diversity.
My lovely friend Jess also discusses the representation, so I would suggest viewing their review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4268785942?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
TW:
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Self harm, and Suicide