Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strong diversity in turbulent magic school murder mystery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE GRIMOIRE OF GRAVE FATES finds the Galileo Academy in the process of diversifying its student body to include a lot more skin tones, gender identities, abilities, and magical traditions. Some parts of the plan are going great, others not so much -- and when one of the more sneering, snobby, racist, and sexist professors suddenly turns up murdered, it turns out there was no real lack of people who had good reason to want him dead. Few are sorry he's gone, but as one student after another falls under suspicion, their friends use skills and magic to clear them and find who's really responsible.
Is It Any Good?
In this intriguing mystery, 18 different characters -- teens of many genders, ethnicities, and magical traditions -- race to solve a professor's murder before the blame falls on them. The Grimoire of Grave Fates gathers the perspectives and struggles of each student as events unfold at Galileo Academy, as told by contributing authors including Darcie Little Badger, Kat Cho, Mason Deaver, and Hafsa Faizal. As a mystery, it doesn't always work, but as a deep dive into diverse experiences, anxieties, and triumphs, and a portal to the work of authors you might not know yet, the grand vision of editors Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen offers many rewards.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about boarding school murder mysteries and why the theme has been so popular for so many generations. Do you have any favorites? How does The Grimoire of Grave Fates compare -- and maybe expand the possibilities?
Have you had the experience of other people looking down on you because of the way you looked, the way you talked, or the people in your life? What happened, and how did you deal with it?
If you had a magical ability and could go to a magical academy to develop it, what would it be, and what would you do with it?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Delacorte Press
- Publication date : June 6, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 464
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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