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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Fun action book with a protagonist who is amusing and generally realistic, at least for a fantasy character. Good for fans of Tamora Pierce, although lighter in tone to some degree, and definitely not as complexly built since it's a one-off story.
Whole lotta fun. This light fantasy will appeal to readers of all stripes. Reminded me of a mix between STARDUST and THE PRINCESS BRIDE. I'm very excited to hand this off to a teen at 826michigan because I know she'll love it!
This was cute! And I'd be lying if I said Rosie the tiny pig didn't steal my heart.
I didn't love the plot set-up (lots of traveling for a Big Secret Reason that isn't revealed for a long time), and I think the main characters weren't terribly well-developed (especially Kyra and Fred), but I really enjoyed how everything came together in the last quarter of the book. I also enjoyed the bits of potion-making we got throughout the story.
So, a mixed bag for me, but overall a fun read.
CW: Fatphobic language, Romani slur
I didn't love the plot set-up (lots of traveling for a Big Secret Reason that isn't revealed for a long time), and I think the main characters weren't terribly well-developed (especially Kyra and Fred), but I really enjoyed how everything came together in the last quarter of the book. I also enjoyed the bits of potion-making we got throughout the story.
So, a mixed bag for me, but overall a fun read.
CW: Fatphobic language, Romani slur
Poison was actually published posthumously which is pretty cool. This book gives me like Princess Bride/Monty Python vibes. It has nods to modern life, like apartments and room service, but in a definitely in a middle age type setting. Kyra is a Master Potioner who is on the run for trying to assassinate the the princess... who happens to be her best friend. Unfortunately her assassination attempt failed and in order to save the kingdom she must succeed in killing the princess. In order to try again she needs to find the princess, so with the help of a very adorable pig and an incredibly handsome, slightly annoying stranger named Fred she sets out to do just that. This again was a good quick, fun, fluffy read. The pacing was a bit off and it does feel like it was missing some things, like it wasn't 100% flushed out. I would definitely recommend it if someone was looking for something specific but I wasn't really like a mind blowing journey. It was a three star read for me. It was good and it was enjoyable but it was no Bone Crier's Moon.
4.5 stars
One of my favorite things about reading is finding those books that immediately become special to you. Poison was so awesome, guys. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
- POISON AND POISONERS AND MASTER POTIONERS AND POTIONS. I'm way into this shit in a fantasy novel, y'all.
- Snarky assassins! It seems I have a weakness for them.
- A handsome and charming scoundrel! I loved Fred just SO MUCH.
- Princes, Princesses, Castles, and Plotting! All the good stuff.
- Genuine creepiness! There were some black-eyed children and witches wanting to make a stew of you in that dark forest and it was scary.
- An ADORABLE, miniature pink tracking pig named Rosie! I NEED ONE, OK?
Read this SOOOOOON!
One of my favorite things about reading is finding those books that immediately become special to you. Poison was so awesome, guys. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
- POISON AND POISONERS AND MASTER POTIONERS AND POTIONS. I'm way into this shit in a fantasy novel, y'all.
- Snarky assassins! It seems I have a weakness for them.
- A handsome and charming scoundrel! I loved Fred just SO MUCH.
- Princes, Princesses, Castles, and Plotting! All the good stuff.
- Genuine creepiness! There were some black-eyed children and witches wanting to make a stew of you in that dark forest and it was scary.
- An ADORABLE, miniature pink tracking pig named Rosie! I NEED ONE, OK?
Read this SOOOOOON!
Best Bits: I knew that Poison was something special when I was a couple pages into it. I had heard the hype, of course, but as I started the book I was a bit giddy with excitement. An adventure novel with a female heroine, and a love interest named for Fred Weasley? Everything about it was made of awesome. I thought Zinn did a particularly good job in revealing why Kyra attacked the princess, and what motivations lay behind it. I often questioned her decisions, but I wasn't smacking myself in the forehead over them (this has been happening to me quite a bit lately). The characters were real, funny, and I wanted to know more about the world that Zinn had created. To reiterate, awesomesauce.
There are a special groups of book that have a place on my shelf, my re-reads. These are the books that I've read countless times, and have needed replacement copies. Poison is getting a spot smack dab in the middle of the books I revist (somewhere between Tamora Pierce, Harry Potter, and Jennifer Crusie).
Amazingly, I really don't have any nitpicks. I absolutely loved every second of this book. Bridget Zinn did pass away before her book was released, and so my nit pick is with the universe taking such a talented author (one who writes female characters without placing them into pre-made molds) so young. There's a facebook page where people have been leaving comments about how fab the book is here: https://www.facebook.com/InMemoryBridgetZinn.
This is a bit of a rambling review, but I do want to say that this is what I think YA needs more of. It may be nostalgia, since this book reminds me of all the great YA books I read as a pre-teen, but it was adventure without the drama. There was no back-stabbing, no competition to be the superior female (in looks, boys, etc), instead it was about friendship, loyalty, and the choices people make out of fear.
There are a special groups of book that have a place on my shelf, my re-reads. These are the books that I've read countless times, and have needed replacement copies. Poison is getting a spot smack dab in the middle of the books I revist (somewhere between Tamora Pierce, Harry Potter, and Jennifer Crusie).
Amazingly, I really don't have any nitpicks. I absolutely loved every second of this book. Bridget Zinn did pass away before her book was released, and so my nit pick is with the universe taking such a talented author (one who writes female characters without placing them into pre-made molds) so young. There's a facebook page where people have been leaving comments about how fab the book is here: https://www.facebook.com/InMemoryBridgetZinn.
This is a bit of a rambling review, but I do want to say that this is what I think YA needs more of. It may be nostalgia, since this book reminds me of all the great YA books I read as a pre-teen, but it was adventure without the drama. There was no back-stabbing, no competition to be the superior female (in looks, boys, etc), instead it was about friendship, loyalty, and the choices people make out of fear.
This is a charming YA fiction tale of magic and intrigue, complete with handsome strangers and adorable pigs. Lots of fun stuff going on here, with an underlying message about friendship and truth.
Kyra is a potions master who was forced befriended the princess when they were children. They became fast friends, and that's how when Ariana started acting out of character, Kyra knew that something had happened to her friend. Kyra also is a Seer, with the as yet unharnessed gift of foresight. And she sees Ariana (the new, fake version) destroying the kingdom. So she figures Ari's been possessed and tries to eliminate her. She's unsuccessful and on the run and the book tells the tale of her adventures from one mishap to the next, discovering more truths about herself and the world along the way.
Kyra is a potions master who was forced befriended the princess when they were children. They became fast friends, and that's how when Ariana started acting out of character, Kyra knew that something had happened to her friend. Kyra also is a Seer, with the as yet unharnessed gift of foresight. And she sees Ariana (the new, fake version) destroying the kingdom. So she figures Ari's been possessed and tries to eliminate her. She's unsuccessful and on the run and the book tells the tale of her adventures from one mishap to the next, discovering more truths about herself and the world along the way.
Love, love, LOVE this book! What a totally fun read this is! I enjoyed it from the first to the last page! :-D
2.5 stars. Lots of potential, hardly any of it realised. There wasn't nearly enough world building, the characters felt flat and the plot twists were cheap. You could see them from a mile away. I felt a bit annoyed when the last one came along. It didn't feel natural to have been left out of the narration for so long. I give it a "meh" of approval, I guess.
This book was a bit disappointing. Sure, it was a quick fun read, which was what I was expecting, but it was written at an excruciatingly low reading level. The story itself was a bit dull, and there was a lot of telling-not-showing, which made it kind of boring. The writing style reminded me of the things I used to write in middle school.
But that aside, it was cute and fun. I thought that the Kingdom of Mohr was a colorful and interesting place, with the potioners and the Gypsies and tracking pigs.
But that aside, it was cute and fun. I thought that the Kingdom of Mohr was a colorful and interesting place, with the potioners and the Gypsies and tracking pigs.