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A review by penandswordinn
The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl
3.0
The Grimrose Girls promised a dark academia story about fairytale characters. There was murder, mystery, and regular high school drama. When our main characters best friend dies right before school starts, they start off on a quest to find out what truly happened to their friend.
I am usually a big fan of fairytale retelling books. But for this one, it just wasn't it. There were a lot of problems I had with the writing itself over the story. Firstly, I found quite a few grammar mistakes that seemed pretty obvious to me. Secondly, there were just too many points of view. If the chapters were longer, I don't think I would've minded as much. But there were no characters I really felt a connection to throughout.
Something I found interesting right off that bat was that the girls suspected foul play right away. There was no doubt in their minds that our MC did not die of her own choice. Which I find interesting because we get two perspectives of this character. She was either a shining light or a mean girl in the works. But, as with much of the story, we are only really told this and not shown. Not once am I shown how this girl could be two faced or how her friends were blind to her true personality.
Another thing that caught my attention was the "representation" of this book. It wasn't until I read the reviews that I realized just how harmful some of these stereotypes come off. When I first started reading, it almost felt like the author was checking a box on the rep she had. Now, looking back, I see just how harmful some of these can be. Especially making your only trans character "the beast". If said character maybe acted like a terrible person it would make more sense but it rubbed me the wrong way.
Let's talk about the ending...it just kind of ended. Our villains motives made no sense really and there was really no hints that said character wasn't who they initially said they were. Also the motive was...weird. "I have to make sure no one else gets their happy ending so I get mine." Okay but said character already got their happy ending? Why would making sure everyone else died keep it? They tried to make the villain a "Goose Girl" retelling but I would argue it reads more of a twisted "Prince and Pauper" one.
Overall I was very disappointed with this read and was left kind of meh throughout it.
I am usually a big fan of fairytale retelling books. But for this one, it just wasn't it. There were a lot of problems I had with the writing itself over the story. Firstly, I found quite a few grammar mistakes that seemed pretty obvious to me. Secondly, there were just too many points of view. If the chapters were longer, I don't think I would've minded as much. But there were no characters I really felt a connection to throughout.
Something I found interesting right off that bat was that the girls suspected foul play right away. There was no doubt in their minds that our MC did not die of her own choice. Which I find interesting because we get two perspectives of this character. She was either a shining light or a mean girl in the works. But, as with much of the story, we are only really told this and not shown. Not once am I shown how this girl could be two faced or how her friends were blind to her true personality.
Another thing that caught my attention was the "representation" of this book. It wasn't until I read the reviews that I realized just how harmful some of these stereotypes come off. When I first started reading, it almost felt like the author was checking a box on the rep she had. Now, looking back, I see just how harmful some of these can be. Especially making your only trans character "the beast". If said character maybe acted like a terrible person it would make more sense but it rubbed me the wrong way.
Let's talk about the ending...it just kind of ended. Our villains motives made no sense really and there was really no hints that said character wasn't who they initially said they were. Also the motive was...weird. "I have to make sure no one else gets their happy ending so I get mine." Okay but said character already got their happy ending? Why would making sure everyone else died keep it? They tried to make the villain a "Goose Girl" retelling but I would argue it reads more of a twisted "Prince and Pauper" one.
Overall I was very disappointed with this read and was left kind of meh throughout it.