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juliwi's review against another edition
3.0
I must admit that it was the novel’s cover which first drew me to A Fierce and Subtle Poison. Something about the way in which the colours popped and how spiked and edged it all was really interested me. You’ll be glad to know, then, that the cover very much represents the novel, in many ways. Thanks to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A Fierce and Subtle Poison walks the fine line between a number of different genres. On the one hand it feels like a coming of age-novel, with plenty of YA themes running through it. But there is also the Magical Realist edge to it with a plot that veers quite strongly into Thriller or Mystery territory. This mix of genres can either be the strength or the downfall of a novel, but, thankfully, in the case of A Fierce and Subtle Poison it works out for the best. By fluidly moving between genres Mabry keeps her readers on their toes because they can never be entirely sure which way the plot will work out. However, what truly makes the novel is Mabry’s refusal to just use Costa Rica as an exotic setting. Too often authors use non-Western settings to provide some excitement or to make their books feel more inclusive, while absolutely failing to actually include their setting in their book. Mabry’s A Fierce and Subtle Poison is suffused with Spanish phrases, with descriptions of Costa Rican life and with folk tales. And it is in her weaving together of her own stories and those folk tales that the magic of A Fierce and Subtle Poison happens. One couldn’t imagine this novel being set anywhere else, which matters.
A Fierce and Subtle Poison is a beautiful mix of things which are all kept relatively in balance by Mabry. In the end I’d class it as YA fiction, largely due to the protagonist and the depth of it, but you’ll definitely walk away from this one with an appreciation for Mabry. I’d recommend this to fans of YA fiction and Magical Realism.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.de/2016/05/review-fierce-and-subtle-poison-by.html
A Fierce and Subtle Poison walks the fine line between a number of different genres. On the one hand it feels like a coming of age-novel, with plenty of YA themes running through it. But there is also the Magical Realist edge to it with a plot that veers quite strongly into Thriller or Mystery territory. This mix of genres can either be the strength or the downfall of a novel, but, thankfully, in the case of A Fierce and Subtle Poison it works out for the best. By fluidly moving between genres Mabry keeps her readers on their toes because they can never be entirely sure which way the plot will work out. However, what truly makes the novel is Mabry’s refusal to just use Costa Rica as an exotic setting. Too often authors use non-Western settings to provide some excitement or to make their books feel more inclusive, while absolutely failing to actually include their setting in their book. Mabry’s A Fierce and Subtle Poison is suffused with Spanish phrases, with descriptions of Costa Rican life and with folk tales. And it is in her weaving together of her own stories and those folk tales that the magic of A Fierce and Subtle Poison happens. One couldn’t imagine this novel being set anywhere else, which matters.
A Fierce and Subtle Poison is a beautiful mix of things which are all kept relatively in balance by Mabry. In the end I’d class it as YA fiction, largely due to the protagonist and the depth of it, but you’ll definitely walk away from this one with an appreciation for Mabry. I’d recommend this to fans of YA fiction and Magical Realism.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.de/2016/05/review-fierce-and-subtle-poison-by.html
kinseyelise's review against another edition
2.0
I found this story pretty boring and unmemorable. I read it in basically two big chunks a few days apart, and I’d basically forgotten everything from the first half before I picked it back up to finish reading it. I didn’t enjoy the main character here—he was arrogant and self-centered and just not fun for me to read about. The magic or curse or whatever in this story didn’t have enough of a point and it basically had no resolution either. So overall a disappointing read.
rsarnelli's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. This has an intriguing premise and is beautifully written and depicted, but I felt...nothing. No connection to the characters, no concern about what was going to happen. I was interested enough to keep reading, but if this had been a longer book I don't know if I would've. It's a bit dsappointing, because I like magical realism and had high hopes for this. I'll definitely check out whatever Mabry writes next, though.
shoelessmama's review against another edition
2.0
Book club pick. I ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would. I didn't find it slow as many others did. While Lucas wasn't an amazing narrator personality-wise, he wasn't the worst one I've ever come across. Could he have been more likable, sure, but I found him sympathetic enough to keep me reading. However, I do agree with another reviewer who said this would have been a much better book if told from Isabel's POV. I really enjoyed the setting having never read a novel set in Puerto Rico before. Since my husband and I went there on our honeymoon it was fun being reminded of some of the locations and sights we saw in San Juan.
delaneybull's review against another edition
3.0
This was a weird one, I felt like I could never fully connect with it. I wish this wasn't from the perspective of Lucas, as we all know he wasn't the interesting one in this story. I liked some of the cultural elements to the story, but it just never hit quite as hard as I wanted.
cassieleigh97's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
This is magical realism! It's quite reminiscent of Nova Ren Suma's IMAGINARY GIRLS, and I mean that in a very good way. It's about heroism, about girls staking a claim in their own stories, about cultural values and how white men think they can control and own everything (patriarchyyy). But it's a feminism novel featuring a male lead character, so those things are far more subtle than overt.
The language and writing are excellent and Mabry's an author I can't wait to read more from.
The language and writing are excellent and Mabry's an author I can't wait to read more from.
ktrusty416's review against another edition
1.0
In choosing Lucas as her protagonist, Mabry misses the mark here: the stories we really want to know are not available to Lucas, a gringo outsider, but to the girls and women of Puerto Rico. And they (the stories, the girls, the land itself) only exist as something Lucas desires. For a young man who finds his developer father's imperialism distasteful, Lucas seems destined to follow in his footsteps (despite all Mabry's wooden attempts to make us believe Lucas is aware of his privilege and casting it off). There was nothing fierce or subtle about this book.
lizzynh's review against another edition
2.0
Admittedly, I was not excited to read this book, but it had a beautiful cover so I figured it might still be worth a shot. I still can't decide if it was.
The plot itself was decent and interesting, but the real action didn't pick up until about 100 pages into the story.
What had me flipping pages so quickly was that I hate stopping in the middle of a book and wanted to move on to another, not because I was invested in the characters. Isabel wasn't deeply explored as a character. She was just there. Lucas started out as a jerk and ended as a... "permissible jerk," if I may.
My quiet hope was that the writing would save the plot and characters, but alas, it didn't. It was good, but not enough. Mabry used nice metaphors and a good vocabulary, but it all seemed out of place and like she was trying too hard coming from the point of view of Lucas.
All around, 3 stars because I didn't hate it. It was just meh.
The plot itself was decent and interesting, but the real action didn't pick up until about 100 pages into the story.
What had me flipping pages so quickly was that I hate stopping in the middle of a book and wanted to move on to another, not because I was invested in the characters. Isabel wasn't deeply explored as a character. She was just there. Lucas started out as a jerk and ended as a... "permissible jerk," if I may.
My quiet hope was that the writing would save the plot and characters, but alas, it didn't. It was good, but not enough. Mabry used nice metaphors and a good vocabulary, but it all seemed out of place and like she was trying too hard coming from the point of view of Lucas.
All around, 3 stars because I didn't hate it. It was just meh.