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tatyanavogt's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this book. The main character was annoying, and I couldn't really get into the overall plot. Big things were happening that I should have cared about but didn't.. Like there just wasn't enough weight to them. I dunno. It just wasn't for me, I'm sure other people might like it though.
laurenkara's review against another edition
5.0
Read this review @ my blog Wonderless Reviews
I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
My poor attempt at a Netgalley ban ended the moment that I saw A Fierce and Subtle Poison on there. I had somehow skipped over it before, but as soon as I saw it a couple of nights ago I hit request straight away. THAT COVER, YOU GUYS. LOOK AT ITS BEAUTY. I have to admit that is the first thing that caught my attention with this book when I'd heard about it on BookTube. The description definitely kept it though. It sounded like a crazy mixture of Poison Ivy, [b:The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer|11408650|The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)|Michelle Hodkin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336655755s/11408650.jpg|13460686] and The Raven Cycle and I knew I HAD to read it. I was so happy when my request got approved. I may have squealed. I wasn't planning on reading it straight away because there's other books I should be finishing, but like always when I get a new book I read the first few chapters and then the next thing I knew I had finished the book? I almost forgot to eat and sleep whilst reading this. I would have finished it one sitting if I didn't need either of those two things. It turns out this book was a mixture of what I mentioned above and so so so much more. It went beyond and above all my expectations.
I finished this book a couple of hours ago and I've been sitting here trying to figure out how to write a review. I don't feel like anything I could say could do this justice. It's one of those books that you need to experience for yourself. I'm going to try and put my thoughts into some sentences that make sense though, okay, so bear with me.
Lucas has lived on the island of San Juan with his dad for pretty much his entire life, his mother left when he was only young so it's just been the two of them. Lucas' dad is a contractor and no one on the island really likes Lucas or his dad because they think they're ruining everything. Lucas' dad has torn down and built up a lot of things. For years the old women on the island have told Lucas a story about a house at the end of the street. It's said that a scientist neglected his wife to the point where she was forced to madness, fled and placed a curse on him. There are stories of the woman having a child with green skin and grass for hair who is a witch that can grant wishes. When Lucas is older he doesn't really think much about the supposed cursed girl because there are real girls. Some of these real girls are going missing though and no one knows what's happened to them. When Lucas' new girlfriend, Marisol, goes missing he's determined to find her. He then discovers that the cursed girl, Isabel, is real, but she doesn't have green skin or grass for hair and his life is going to become entwined with hers.
I really enjoyed Lucas' as a main character. He was a bit of an asshole at times, but unlike a lot of male characters in YA he was fully aware that he wasn't the nicest guy. He had flaws, but he didn't try to deny them and throughout the book he really tried to become a better person. Lucas' dad said a lot of shitty things and when you consider he raised Lucas his behaviour makes a lot more sense. He really is trying to break away from that though. I also enjoyed that Isabel called him out on his behaviour.
I loved the diversity in this book. [a:Samantha Mabry|7078867|Samantha Mabry|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1438544331p2/7078867.jpg] fully acknowledges Lucas and his dad's privileges in being white and it's not like the Puerto Rican setting is just a "background". It is fully and richly involved in the story. I loved reading about all the legends and mythology. It was so interesting and it made me want to read up more about it. Samantha even kept bits and pieces of Spanish in the book and it really inspired me to get back to trying to learn it. The way she described everything was so incredibly magical. It felt like I was actually there in San Juan. The setting honestly felt like a character as much as Isabel and Lucas did and I'll probably say this word too much in this review, but it was just SO BEAUTIFUL. It felt so alive.
I don't have a lot of experience with magical realism and in fact that whole genre still confuses me a little, but this had a lot of the same vibes as The Raven Cycle series and We Were Liars. It was written in a such a way that made me keep hanging onto every word. A story about a girl who needs poisonous plants to survive and can kill people with her breath and touch sounds super fantastical, but Samantha made it sound so incredibly real. This honestly felt like a really amazing thriller contemporary at times and I forgot that I was readying a "Fantasy".
Isabel was such an incredible character too. She was so complex and layered. You feel so incredibly conflicted when reading this because Isabel does some questionable things to stay alive and you simultaneously feel sorry for her because she didn't ask for her curse, but you can also understand Lucas' anger towards her. Just like Lucas though she acknowledges her wrongdoings and decides to do everything she can to make things right. It would have been SO easy to make Isabel into the green skinned monster the legends made her out to be, but instead Samantha chose to make her so incredibly human and it was brilliant.
The only tiny negative I had with this book was that Lucas' relationship with both Marisol and Isabel seemed a bit instalove-y at times and whilst that's one of my least favourite tropes, this book was so wonderful that I didn't even care all that much. The relationships did seem genuine despite how quickly they formed. I was really intrigued by the dynamic that Lucas and Isabel shared. They played really well off of each other. I would have liked to learn a little more about Lucas' mother too because they way she left hit close to home, but I understand that wasn't really the focus of this story. I love that this is a standalone. It feels like they rarely exist in YA anymore. It does have an incredibly open ending too, but I actually really loved it. It suited the mystical tone of the book. Lucas' story is going to become a legend just like the ones the old women told him. It's going to make this book stay with me forever.
This review may seem shorter than normal because 1) It's difficult to say too much more without giving away the entire plot of the book and I do not want to do that because I want everyone to go on this incredible journey like I did and 2) I honestly don't know how to do it justice. This book is so beautiful, intriguing and captivating. It'll make you question everything and you'll feel so many conflicting emotions. It's a quick read, but it feels like you've been living in this world forever. I guarantee once you pick it up you will not be able to put it down. It's hard to believe that a book as rich and beautiful as this is a debut novel, but this is in fact Samantha's first book! I can not wait to get my hands on whatever she writes next. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up, honestly. Just do it.
I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
My poor attempt at a Netgalley ban ended the moment that I saw A Fierce and Subtle Poison on there. I had somehow skipped over it before, but as soon as I saw it a couple of nights ago I hit request straight away. THAT COVER, YOU GUYS. LOOK AT ITS BEAUTY. I have to admit that is the first thing that caught my attention with this book when I'd heard about it on BookTube. The description definitely kept it though. It sounded like a crazy mixture of Poison Ivy, [b:The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer|11408650|The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)|Michelle Hodkin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336655755s/11408650.jpg|13460686] and The Raven Cycle and I knew I HAD to read it. I was so happy when my request got approved. I may have squealed. I wasn't planning on reading it straight away because there's other books I should be finishing, but like always when I get a new book I read the first few chapters and then the next thing I knew I had finished the book? I almost forgot to eat and sleep whilst reading this. I would have finished it one sitting if I didn't need either of those two things. It turns out this book was a mixture of what I mentioned above and so so so much more. It went beyond and above all my expectations.
I finished this book a couple of hours ago and I've been sitting here trying to figure out how to write a review. I don't feel like anything I could say could do this justice. It's one of those books that you need to experience for yourself. I'm going to try and put my thoughts into some sentences that make sense though, okay, so bear with me.
Lucas has lived on the island of San Juan with his dad for pretty much his entire life, his mother left when he was only young so it's just been the two of them. Lucas' dad is a contractor and no one on the island really likes Lucas or his dad because they think they're ruining everything. Lucas' dad has torn down and built up a lot of things. For years the old women on the island have told Lucas a story about a house at the end of the street. It's said that a scientist neglected his wife to the point where she was forced to madness, fled and placed a curse on him. There are stories of the woman having a child with green skin and grass for hair who is a witch that can grant wishes. When Lucas is older he doesn't really think much about the supposed cursed girl because there are real girls. Some of these real girls are going missing though and no one knows what's happened to them. When Lucas' new girlfriend, Marisol, goes missing he's determined to find her. He then discovers that the cursed girl, Isabel, is real, but she doesn't have green skin or grass for hair and his life is going to become entwined with hers.
I really enjoyed Lucas' as a main character. He was a bit of an asshole at times, but unlike a lot of male characters in YA he was fully aware that he wasn't the nicest guy. He had flaws, but he didn't try to deny them and throughout the book he really tried to become a better person. Lucas' dad said a lot of shitty things and when you consider he raised Lucas his behaviour makes a lot more sense. He really is trying to break away from that though. I also enjoyed that Isabel called him out on his behaviour.
I loved the diversity in this book. [a:Samantha Mabry|7078867|Samantha Mabry|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1438544331p2/7078867.jpg] fully acknowledges Lucas and his dad's privileges in being white and it's not like the Puerto Rican setting is just a "background". It is fully and richly involved in the story. I loved reading about all the legends and mythology. It was so interesting and it made me want to read up more about it. Samantha even kept bits and pieces of Spanish in the book and it really inspired me to get back to trying to learn it. The way she described everything was so incredibly magical. It felt like I was actually there in San Juan. The setting honestly felt like a character as much as Isabel and Lucas did and I'll probably say this word too much in this review, but it was just SO BEAUTIFUL. It felt so alive.
I don't have a lot of experience with magical realism and in fact that whole genre still confuses me a little, but this had a lot of the same vibes as The Raven Cycle series and We Were Liars. It was written in a such a way that made me keep hanging onto every word. A story about a girl who needs poisonous plants to survive and can kill people with her breath and touch sounds super fantastical, but Samantha made it sound so incredibly real. This honestly felt like a really amazing thriller contemporary at times and I forgot that I was readying a "Fantasy".
Isabel was such an incredible character too. She was so complex and layered. You feel so incredibly conflicted when reading this because Isabel does some questionable things to stay alive and you simultaneously feel sorry for her because she didn't ask for her curse, but you can also understand Lucas' anger towards her. Just like Lucas though she acknowledges her wrongdoings and decides to do everything she can to make things right. It would have been SO easy to make Isabel into the green skinned monster the legends made her out to be, but instead Samantha chose to make her so incredibly human and it was brilliant.
The only tiny negative I had with this book was that Lucas' relationship with both Marisol and Isabel seemed a bit instalove-y at times and whilst that's one of my least favourite tropes, this book was so wonderful that I didn't even care all that much. The relationships did seem genuine despite how quickly they formed. I was really intrigued by the dynamic that Lucas and Isabel shared. They played really well off of each other. I would have liked to learn a little more about Lucas' mother too because they way she left hit close to home, but I understand that wasn't really the focus of this story. I love that this is a standalone. It feels like they rarely exist in YA anymore. It does have an incredibly open ending too, but I actually really loved it. It suited the mystical tone of the book. Lucas' story is going to become a legend just like the ones the old women told him. It's going to make this book stay with me forever.
This review may seem shorter than normal because 1) It's difficult to say too much more without giving away the entire plot of the book and I do not want to do that because I want everyone to go on this incredible journey like I did and 2) I honestly don't know how to do it justice. This book is so beautiful, intriguing and captivating. It'll make you question everything and you'll feel so many conflicting emotions. It's a quick read, but it feels like you've been living in this world forever. I guarantee once you pick it up you will not be able to put it down. It's hard to believe that a book as rich and beautiful as this is a debut novel, but this is in fact Samantha's first book! I can not wait to get my hands on whatever she writes next. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up, honestly. Just do it.
abbiney's review against another edition
3.0
I got this book from my library excited to dive in. The cover is beautiful and the premise is quite interesting. While reading the book however, I was underwhelmed. The main character, Lucas, is boring and has no personality. He’s a cliché.
The lack of diversity in the book was scary. The novel is set in an area of Puerto Rico chalk filled with culture and diversity and the author still found a way to make the two main characters whiter than paper. All of the islanders were portrayed in a bad light except for Lucas’ friends.
There were plot holes: what happened to the nun in the convent really?
All of this being said I’m a huge fan of magical realism and I was enchanted by Mabry’s writing style from the first page.
The lack of diversity in the book was scary. The novel is set in an area of Puerto Rico chalk filled with culture and diversity and the author still found a way to make the two main characters whiter than paper. All of the islanders were portrayed in a bad light except for Lucas’ friends.
There were plot holes: what happened to the nun in the convent really?
All of this being said I’m a huge fan of magical realism and I was enchanted by Mabry’s writing style from the first page.
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
A Fierce and Subtle Poison seemed like it was going to be a really good book. One that didn't stay on my TBR for long, but also one that I had to think about before I could finally write my review.
Now I've never been to Puerto Rico, so this book was sort of fun to dive into. I absolutely adored the descriptions of the place, and it made me want to book a flight asap. Yet, it was the characters and some parts of the actual story that didn't do the book justice. At least in my eyes.
Lucas and Isabel were okay to a point. I just wasn't fully committed or invested in them. It was just hard to connect with them for the entire book. Sure, some of what happened to them were interesting but those were brief moments. It also doesn't help that nothing else was truly capturing my attention. At times, I felt like I was zoning in and out and had no idea what was actually going on anymore.
Then I reached the overall ending. Again, it was just an okay book in my eyes. I could see where it had potential to be a lot better though.
Now I've never been to Puerto Rico, so this book was sort of fun to dive into. I absolutely adored the descriptions of the place, and it made me want to book a flight asap. Yet, it was the characters and some parts of the actual story that didn't do the book justice. At least in my eyes.
Lucas and Isabel were okay to a point. I just wasn't fully committed or invested in them. It was just hard to connect with them for the entire book. Sure, some of what happened to them were interesting but those were brief moments. It also doesn't help that nothing else was truly capturing my attention. At times, I felt like I was zoning in and out and had no idea what was actually going on anymore.
Then I reached the overall ending. Again, it was just an okay book in my eyes. I could see where it had potential to be a lot better though.
ennitsud's review against another edition
2.0
this had so much potential. the descriptions of puerto rico were great and the little tales from the señoras were interesting. grammatically speaking, the writing was pretty good, although there were a few typos and extra words. the beginning was slow and then in the middle just shifted into hyperspeed. isabel was interesting, but the way lucas had described her, the almost love that lucas seemed to have for her was very superficial. and lucas was a dry character, too. and i really only finished it because i’d spent too long on it not to and it was short.
pantsreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5.
Interesting mix of magical realism and murder mystery, but didn't quite grip me like I'd hoped it would.
Read my full review on FYA.
Interesting mix of magical realism and murder mystery, but didn't quite grip me like I'd hoped it would.
Read my full review on FYA.
samanthastemarie's review against another edition
1.0
For more reviews visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/bookbudgetproject
I’m officially DNFing this book.
I’ve gotten to page 200, which is two thirds of the way through and I still have no idea what the point is. The main character, Lucas, is completely flat. I don’t know anything about him... what he likes, what he dislikes, his personality, etc. The author didn’t include any information about anyyyyybody. It’s caused there to be no connection felt between myself and the characters.
On top of that... the random “twist” was I predictable I had to try and stop myself from laughing. I mean come on... the girl with the touch of death is linked to the murder. Shocking.
I’m just so disappointed by how flat this book ended up being. The plot was not set up. The characters had no personalities. People randomly jumped around to different settings at random. Things just didn’t flow properly. All around not a good read.
I’m not going to finish this and I would t recommend it.
I’m officially DNFing this book.
I’ve gotten to page 200, which is two thirds of the way through and I still have no idea what the point is. The main character, Lucas, is completely flat. I don’t know anything about him... what he likes, what he dislikes, his personality, etc. The author didn’t include any information about anyyyyybody. It’s caused there to be no connection felt between myself and the characters.
On top of that... the random “twist” was I predictable I had to try and stop myself from laughing. I mean come on... the girl with the touch of death is linked to the murder. Shocking.
I’m just so disappointed by how flat this book ended up being. The plot was not set up. The characters had no personalities. People randomly jumped around to different settings at random. Things just didn’t flow properly. All around not a good read.
I’m not going to finish this and I would t recommend it.
lobeliaparides's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, this book would have had a much higher rating if not for the ending. Just, what?! You build up my emotions like that, make a beautiful (be it kinda dark) story, then end it on that sort of note?!?!
This book tries constantly to mess with your emotions, and had me hooked since the first sentence. It did not have the sort of ending I was expecting (just in case you cannot tell by what I said before), it was on of the better books that I have read in quite some time.
This book tries constantly to mess with your emotions, and had me hooked since the first sentence. It did not have the sort of ending I was expecting (just in case you cannot tell by what I said before), it was on of the better books that I have read in quite some time.
twstdtink's review against another edition
3.0
The reviews of this book had me expecting something worse. Perhaps I have the reviews to thank for setting my expectations so low. But, I enjoyed this book. I loved the Puerto Rican mythology and culture laced throughout. I thought the idea of a poisonous girl unique and interesting. I'm not sure why Mabry used Lucas as the vehicle for her story. He's boring and self-centered, and I didn't care about him one bit at the end. This would have been much better told through Isabel's eyes, or split between the two. The book was riddled with spelling/grammatical errors - inexcusable in a novel so small. The editor should be fired. The cover art was gorgeous, and probably the main reason I picked up this book in the first place. The cover even had a slight waxy texture, making me think of the poisonous plants that infuse this exotic story.