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Madapple
THE SECRETS OF the past meet the shocks of the present.
Aslaug is an unusual young woman. Her mother has brought her up in near isolation, teaching her about plants and nature and language—but not about life. Especially not how she came to have her own life, and who her father might be.
When Aslaug’s mother dies unexpectedly, everything changes. For Aslaug is a suspect in her mother’s death. And the more her story unravels, the more questions unfold. About the nature of Aslaug’s birth. About what she should do next.
About whether divine miracles have truly happened. And whether, when all other explanations are impossible, they might still happen this very day.
Addictive, thought-provoking, and shocking, Madapple is a page-turning exploration of human nature and divine intervention—and of the darkest corners of the human soul.
From the Hardcover edition.
Aslaug is an unusual young woman. Her mother has brought her up in near isolation, teaching her about plants and nature and language—but not about life. Especially not how she came to have her own life, and who her father might be.
When Aslaug’s mother dies unexpectedly, everything changes. For Aslaug is a suspect in her mother’s death. And the more her story unravels, the more questions unfold. About the nature of Aslaug’s birth. About what she should do next.
About whether divine miracles have truly happened. And whether, when all other explanations are impossible, they might still happen this very day.
Addictive, thought-provoking, and shocking, Madapple is a page-turning exploration of human nature and divine intervention—and of the darkest corners of the human soul.
From the Hardcover edition.
416 pages, Library Binding
First published May 13, 2008
49 people are currently reading
3826 people want to read
About the author
Christina Meldrum
5 books128 followersChristina Meldrum is the author of MADAPPLE, a finalist for the PEN USA Literary Award and the William C. Morris Award, an ALA Best Book, a Booklist Editor's Choice and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book. Her second novel, AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY, is forthcoming in February 2011 from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. http://www.christinameldrum.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 555 reviews
October 2, 2014
Wow. When I started Madapple yesterday, I had no idea what I was signing up for. Had I known what was ahead of me, I don’t think I would have picked it up. You see, I expected it to be paranormal (although I’m not sure why), and it wasn’t. I never expected it to be about child abuse, kidnapping, drugs and incest, but it was. I certainly never thought it would delve so deep into the connections between paganism and Christianity. Finally, I expected it to be forgettable, but I doubt I’ll forget this for the rest of my life. The last book that upset me this much, that caused me many sleepless nights, was Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee. The difference between Disgrace and Madapple, however, is that in the end, I felt like a better person for having read Disgrace, while Madapple left me feeling…contaminated. I have the craziest urge to wash my brain with soap.
Aslaug was raised in complete isolation by her Danish mother. She was homeschooled, she never saw a doctor in her life nor did she ever have contact with other people her age. She never even had a father or a proper last name. Her mother taught her ancient and obscure languages, but prevented her from finding out most things about modern society. Their house in Maine didn’t have electricity or running water. So when Aslaug woke up one morning to find her mother dead, she did the only thing she could think of: she washed her, painted the Solomon’s seal on her chest to ward off evil spirits and started digging a grave in her back yard. A nosy neighbor saw what Aslaug was doing and called the police and they quickly came to arrest her for murder.
Having been proven innocent of her mother’s death, Aslaug manages to find an aunt and her two children and moves in with them. You’d think an aunt who is also a preacher and who runs her own church would be more stable than an abusive mother, but you’d be horribly wrong. Soon questions are raised that nobody wants to answer: who is Aslaug’s father? Does she even have one? Can she be a product of immaculate conception or is the truth much more disturbing? At the same time, faced with the first teenage boy she’s seen in her life, Aslaug starts having inappropriate feelings for her cousin, and what’s worse, those feelings are mutual.
Aslaug’s story, however disgusting, is masterfully told and there is no denying Christina Meldrum’s skill. It is divided into two alternating parts: Aslaug’s murky and confusing first person POV, and court transcripts from her trial, occurring four years later. The reader gets to hear about the events from various witnesses in 2007 and then goes back to 2003 to see them through Aslaug’s eyes. But Aslaug is far from a reliable narrator and as the story progressed, I became more and more convinced that she’s lost touch with reality, as I’m sure the author intended.
I can’t bring myself to recommend a book that made me sick to my stomach. The ending especially made me want to cry, or throw up, or both. I’m not exaggerating: I hated myself for reading certain parts of this. But if you ever feel the need to push your boundaries, Madapple is the book to do it with. Just please spare me the details. I think I’ve had all I can handle.
Also, please take my rating with a grain of salt. I still have no idea how to rate this book.
For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library
Aslaug was raised in complete isolation by her Danish mother. She was homeschooled, she never saw a doctor in her life nor did she ever have contact with other people her age. She never even had a father or a proper last name. Her mother taught her ancient and obscure languages, but prevented her from finding out most things about modern society. Their house in Maine didn’t have electricity or running water. So when Aslaug woke up one morning to find her mother dead, she did the only thing she could think of: she washed her, painted the Solomon’s seal on her chest to ward off evil spirits and started digging a grave in her back yard. A nosy neighbor saw what Aslaug was doing and called the police and they quickly came to arrest her for murder.
Having been proven innocent of her mother’s death, Aslaug manages to find an aunt and her two children and moves in with them. You’d think an aunt who is also a preacher and who runs her own church would be more stable than an abusive mother, but you’d be horribly wrong. Soon questions are raised that nobody wants to answer: who is Aslaug’s father? Does she even have one? Can she be a product of immaculate conception or is the truth much more disturbing? At the same time, faced with the first teenage boy she’s seen in her life, Aslaug starts having inappropriate feelings for her cousin, and what’s worse, those feelings are mutual.
Aslaug’s story, however disgusting, is masterfully told and there is no denying Christina Meldrum’s skill. It is divided into two alternating parts: Aslaug’s murky and confusing first person POV, and court transcripts from her trial, occurring four years later. The reader gets to hear about the events from various witnesses in 2007 and then goes back to 2003 to see them through Aslaug’s eyes. But Aslaug is far from a reliable narrator and as the story progressed, I became more and more convinced that she’s lost touch with reality, as I’m sure the author intended.
I can’t bring myself to recommend a book that made me sick to my stomach. The ending especially made me want to cry, or throw up, or both. I’m not exaggerating: I hated myself for reading certain parts of this. But if you ever feel the need to push your boundaries, Madapple is the book to do it with. Just please spare me the details. I think I’ve had all I can handle.
Also, please take my rating with a grain of salt. I still have no idea how to rate this book.
For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library
May 13, 2021
i fully intended to like this more than i did. because my four here should be interpreted as three-and-a-half with four-star potential.
the things i liked:
structure. i love books like this, with a dual narrative approaching each other like tiny trains. the present-day storyline running along and getting interrupted by the four-years future courtroom transcripts and you are like "wooooah - how did we ever get to this point??"
religion/mythology. loved this. so few YA novels these days deal with the ancient mystery cults and how they relate to christianity. the parallels were fascinating, and i never found susanne's didactic segments boring at all. i loved the idea of a completely isolated person heading out into the big wide world only to find herself trapped in a situation just as narrow and limited as when she lived alone with her mother in the middle of nowhere.
botany/herbalism. more information i will never use, but i loved all the details, and it gave such a wonderful depth and richness to the story. i appreciate research, and i appreciate details.
ritual. everything about the death of her mother, and the misunderstandings that came out of aslaug's treatment of the body. (her mother's death is not a spoiler - is on the back cover - no yelling, please). god, i loved every detail of that. it is scary how convincing the misinterpretations appear, you know, to the uninformed. lawyers are scary.
the things i liked less about this book: the big law and order courtroom ending and the lacuna between the end of the court transcripts and the final chapter. specifically:
a)
b)
c) rune. what an irritatingly inconsistent character. i mean, obviously we are seeing him through aslaug's eyes, and she is fairly unreliable, as sheltered and as she was, but he runs so hot and cold, from standoffish to affectionate with no rhyme or reason.
d) i'm not sure how surprising the reveals were meant to be, but i thought they were all fairly obvious from the beginning.
e)
okay - i will probably add more to this tomorrow - i just wanted to get my thoughts on "paper" before they faded, but now i gotta AIFAF...
come to my blog!
the things i liked:
structure. i love books like this, with a dual narrative approaching each other like tiny trains. the present-day storyline running along and getting interrupted by the four-years future courtroom transcripts and you are like "wooooah - how did we ever get to this point??"
religion/mythology. loved this. so few YA novels these days deal with the ancient mystery cults and how they relate to christianity. the parallels were fascinating, and i never found susanne's didactic segments boring at all. i loved the idea of a completely isolated person heading out into the big wide world only to find herself trapped in a situation just as narrow and limited as when she lived alone with her mother in the middle of nowhere.
botany/herbalism. more information i will never use, but i loved all the details, and it gave such a wonderful depth and richness to the story. i appreciate research, and i appreciate details.
ritual. everything about the death of her mother, and the misunderstandings that came out of aslaug's treatment of the body. (her mother's death is not a spoiler - is on the back cover - no yelling, please). god, i loved every detail of that. it is scary how convincing the misinterpretations appear, you know, to the uninformed. lawyers are scary.
the things i liked less about this book: the big law and order courtroom ending and the lacuna between the end of the court transcripts and the final chapter. specifically:
a)
b)
c) rune. what an irritatingly inconsistent character. i mean, obviously we are seeing him through aslaug's eyes, and she is fairly unreliable, as sheltered and as she was, but he runs so hot and cold, from standoffish to affectionate with no rhyme or reason.
d) i'm not sure how surprising the reveals were meant to be, but i thought they were all fairly obvious from the beginning.
e)
okay - i will probably add more to this tomorrow - i just wanted to get my thoughts on "paper" before they faded, but now i gotta AIFAF...
come to my blog!
March 30, 2012
Apart from a few annoyingly unanswered questions, this book was simply fantastic. I had been misinformed about Madapple and believed it to be a book mostly about teen pregnancy, but though the book does contain this, it is actually about much more exciting stuff. It's realistic fiction and yet there's this beauty to the writing that makes it read like a fantasy - a modern day United States setting that still manages to seem completely out of this world.
I'm disappointed that more people don't love this, but I suppose I can see why the lengthy herbology lessons make it an unlikely crowd-pleaser. I actually felt it really added something to Madapple and wasn't dull at all, it seemed to increase the sense that I was reading a book about magic. The story alternates between the past and a present day trial in a courtroom where Aslaug is being accused of murder and arson. I really enjoyed this unique format and found it made the mystery all the more interesting.
However, the best things about Madapple - in my opinion - are the discussions about mythology and religion that I found fascinating. Both those subjects interest me and I liked how the characters explored ways in which science and religion can live alongside one another without being mutually exclusive. Did any of you read The Da Vinci Code or Angels and Demons and find yourselves secretly (or not so secretly) enjoying the tales about religion and how it has developed over the centuries with the aid of popular myths... and then remember that you're not supposed to like this because Dan Brown is a pretty terrible writer?
This novel is like that only without the poor writing. Things like this really had me intrigued:
"Dionysus was a god-man, he was worshipped in Greece six centuries before Christ. His mother was a mortal - and a virgin. His father was the god Zeus. He was born around the time of the winter solstice. Late December. Many of the stories about him describe him sleeping in a manger after his birth. As an adult, he was a teacher who performed miracles. He encouraged his followers to liberate themselves from society's rules and promised them new life. Dionysus also rose from the dead and was called the 'Only Bergotten Son', 'King of Kings', 'Alpha and Omega' and 'Savior'. Sound familiar?"
I adore this kind of stuff. I also like how Christina Meldrum does not force any one belief on the reader with her novel, she explores, studies, opens the mind and straddles the line between scepticism and belief. Madapple is a beautiful, interesting, moving, sad and captivating novel that deserves far more love than it's been getting, IMO anyway.
October 14, 2010
"Madapple" is definitely a fascinating and unconventional story. Part courtroom drama, part a dream-like narration of a sheltered and (maybe) delusional girl, it's certainly a book unlike anything I've read before.
Reading some of the book's reviews, I've noticed how hard it is to give an idea what this book is about. In a few words, the story comes down to this: Aslaug is on trial for the murder of her mother, aunt and cousin. As the trial progresses, more and more people are called to testify. Their testimonies are interlaced with Aslaug's own recollections of the events that started 4 years prior to the trial when Aslaug was arrested while burying her mother in the backyard of their isolated home. Eventually two POVs come together as Aslaug describes the court proceedings in her own words and the true sequence of events is revealed.
But the book is actually much more than this. Aslaug's story is an extraordinary mix of mythology, religion, botany, and science. This combination seems bizarre, but yet somehow Meldrum manages to blend it all together flawlessly.
I can understand how this kind of story might not be up to everyone's taste, but Meldrum's take on correlations among nature, religion, science, and mythology is of much interest to me.
My only complaint about this book is the ending. Up till the very end I was planning to give "Madapple" 5 stars, especially while reading the second part of the book, where the intensity of narration gradually increased to an almost unbearable level, but I felt a little let down by last chapters. The ending felt abrupt and I wanted to know much more than what was revealed. I wanted to know more about Aslaug's paternity, about Maren and her reasons to be what she was. Whatever was revealed seemed too obvious to me.
But nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in unorthodox stories. Just don't expect to find any kind of boy-loves-girl YA fluff in it.
Reading some of the book's reviews, I've noticed how hard it is to give an idea what this book is about. In a few words, the story comes down to this: Aslaug is on trial for the murder of her mother, aunt and cousin. As the trial progresses, more and more people are called to testify. Their testimonies are interlaced with Aslaug's own recollections of the events that started 4 years prior to the trial when Aslaug was arrested while burying her mother in the backyard of their isolated home. Eventually two POVs come together as Aslaug describes the court proceedings in her own words and the true sequence of events is revealed.
But the book is actually much more than this. Aslaug's story is an extraordinary mix of mythology, religion, botany, and science. This combination seems bizarre, but yet somehow Meldrum manages to blend it all together flawlessly.
I can understand how this kind of story might not be up to everyone's taste, but Meldrum's take on correlations among nature, religion, science, and mythology is of much interest to me.
My only complaint about this book is the ending. Up till the very end I was planning to give "Madapple" 5 stars, especially while reading the second part of the book, where the intensity of narration gradually increased to an almost unbearable level, but I felt a little let down by last chapters. The ending felt abrupt and I wanted to know much more than what was revealed. I wanted to know more about Aslaug's paternity, about Maren and her reasons to be what she was. Whatever was revealed seemed too obvious to me.
But nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in unorthodox stories. Just don't expect to find any kind of boy-loves-girl YA fluff in it.
November 17, 2012
Reviewed by Harmony for TeensReadToo.com
I finished reading MADAPPLE last night and, for the first time ever, I sat staring at the book in shock. For fifteen minutes. I was ready to laugh, to cry, and to scream in frustration. Never before have I read a book that left me feeling that way after finishing it. Sure, there have been books where I've laughed, cried, and been frustrated at different points as I read it (HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS comes to mind) -- but to experience them all at once at the end of a book? Never.
Once the shock wore off, I began wondering how I was ever going to write a review of this book. Because a book that can cause emotions like that definitely can NOT be summed up in one paragraph, no matter how long. I could say that MADAPPLE was about flowers and plants. I could also say that it's about a girl who's a prisoner in her own life. I could also say that it challenges the religion of Christianity. I could say all of those things and so many more, but none of them would be correct. Yes, MADAPPLE is about flowers and plants. It's also about being a prisoner in your own life and it's even about Christianity. But it's also about so much more than that. More than even my mind can comprehend.
But I must warn you - MADAPPLE is NOT for everyone
Told in alternating chapters of the present and of testimonies being held at Aslaug's trial, MADAPPLE challenges the reader. It informs the reader. I, myself, though not a strong Christian, know by now that most Christians are offended when their religion is challenged. MADAPPLE does that. But I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, for it never states that Christianity is wrong, and every single character has their own opinion on it. Heck, one of them even runs a church. But what it does do is explain how the birth and story of Jesus that the Christians follow is not the first in history. I'm not going to say more on that subject in fear of giving too much away, but I'll say this - if you're a Christian who is easily offended, I wouldn't read this. If you're a Christian who can handle a reasonable amount of things, pick up the book.
My feelings about MADAPPLE changed throughout the entire book. At first, I was intrigued, then confused, and then bored. Actually, I think I was confused up until the last page and then some. Even at this moment, I can't say whether I love or hate MADAPPLE. But I'm going to say that I love it because it's left me speechless, and the only other books to have done that are my favorites. The one thing, however, this book didn't do was make my stomach hurt. The character emotions just weren't there to make my heart break. All other aspects, besides that, which I love in books were there.
So do I recommend MADAPPLE? Definitely yes! But only if you're up for a challenging read. Only if you're mature enough to handle speculations about virgin and premarital birth. Only if you're ready to be blown away, because you will be, whether it's in a good or bad way. Only you can make that decision.
I finished reading MADAPPLE last night and, for the first time ever, I sat staring at the book in shock. For fifteen minutes. I was ready to laugh, to cry, and to scream in frustration. Never before have I read a book that left me feeling that way after finishing it. Sure, there have been books where I've laughed, cried, and been frustrated at different points as I read it (HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS comes to mind) -- but to experience them all at once at the end of a book? Never.
Once the shock wore off, I began wondering how I was ever going to write a review of this book. Because a book that can cause emotions like that definitely can NOT be summed up in one paragraph, no matter how long. I could say that MADAPPLE was about flowers and plants. I could also say that it's about a girl who's a prisoner in her own life. I could also say that it challenges the religion of Christianity. I could say all of those things and so many more, but none of them would be correct. Yes, MADAPPLE is about flowers and plants. It's also about being a prisoner in your own life and it's even about Christianity. But it's also about so much more than that. More than even my mind can comprehend.
But I must warn you - MADAPPLE is NOT for everyone
Told in alternating chapters of the present and of testimonies being held at Aslaug's trial, MADAPPLE challenges the reader. It informs the reader. I, myself, though not a strong Christian, know by now that most Christians are offended when their religion is challenged. MADAPPLE does that. But I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, for it never states that Christianity is wrong, and every single character has their own opinion on it. Heck, one of them even runs a church. But what it does do is explain how the birth and story of Jesus that the Christians follow is not the first in history. I'm not going to say more on that subject in fear of giving too much away, but I'll say this - if you're a Christian who is easily offended, I wouldn't read this. If you're a Christian who can handle a reasonable amount of things, pick up the book.
My feelings about MADAPPLE changed throughout the entire book. At first, I was intrigued, then confused, and then bored. Actually, I think I was confused up until the last page and then some. Even at this moment, I can't say whether I love or hate MADAPPLE. But I'm going to say that I love it because it's left me speechless, and the only other books to have done that are my favorites. The one thing, however, this book didn't do was make my stomach hurt. The character emotions just weren't there to make my heart break. All other aspects, besides that, which I love in books were there.
So do I recommend MADAPPLE? Definitely yes! But only if you're up for a challenging read. Only if you're mature enough to handle speculations about virgin and premarital birth. Only if you're ready to be blown away, because you will be, whether it's in a good or bad way. Only you can make that decision.
August 13, 2017
"It's time to open the curtains, let in the sun, let these mad apples grow."
I didn’t think it was possible for a book to top the craziness that was Flowers in the Attic. At that point, I thought we had reached peak craziness. But then this book came along and drop-kicked me completely in the face with the amount of sheer bat-shit insanity that goes on.
For as long as she can remember, Aslaug Datter has wondered who her father is. Her mother, Marren, always claimed that Aslaug was a virgin birth; the next reincarnation of Jesus. Raised in isolation, her world starts to fall apart when her mother dies and she is subsequently accused of murder. After being cleared and running away to family she never knew she had, her life takes an even more bizarre turn. Alternating between the past and present, Aslaug comes to realize everything is not as it seems, and the reader is left to wonder if everything they read is the truth... or fiction?
I seem to be on a roll this year. So far, most of the books I have read involve a crazy-ass family and family togetherness of the disgusting kind (I swear this wasn’t planned). Part mystery, part religious mumbo jumbo, part psychedelic nonsense, this book kept me intrigued with the crazy plot twists and wondering what actually happened, or what I thought it happened. This book is an art in the act of interpreting. I can honestly say that this book let me with more questions than answers. The beginning was done remarkably well, but where the novel started to go downhill was when Aslaug meets the long lost relatives. What I thought was going to be an answer to the many questions starting to build only yielded more questions that were not answered. For those who like ambiguity to their reads, this is fine, but I like concrete answers to questions I am asking. And for me, I didn’t get that. One thing I would point out about this book is that if you’re a particularly religious person, stay as far away from this book as possible, because it will offend the shit out of you.
Aslaug is our possibly mentally insane main character.
She is our only main narrator apart from the courtroom scenes, so we don't really get other people's viewpoints as they are happening. The beauty of this book is that her narration goes back and forth from the courtroom trial where witnesses and lawyers try to interpret and twist her strange behavior into something entirely new, to her perspective, where she explains her actions and thoughts the way she sees them. This will make sense to the reader and make her more sympathetic in their eyes, at least in the beginning. As the novel progresses, she starts to become more and more unreliable in both her narration and her thoughts. It’s as if she’s trying to convince you she’s sane when she clearly is not, something that will sharply divide most readers. Marren in her mercurial mother who alternately love/hates Aslaug for reasons we don't understand until later. She was very unpredictable and cunning, but you can see how much she shapes her daughter into her own creation, whether Aslaug realizes it or not. Marren has this almost inhuman hold on her daughter even in death, as if her passing never really frees Aslaug from the insane thoughts that have troubled her all her life.
Some of the plot points were completely ridiculous . I don’t know that it added anything new to the plotline. The only thing I could think of was that it was meant to signify that history can tragically repeat itself if not careful in studying it.
This is a strange novel. A friend wasn't kidding when she said this was one trippy read. Indeed, this novel was trippy. Maybe too trippy. This book left me frustrated and baffled, but the most surprising feeling I had was this underlying sense of ickiness I felt about it all. It was kind of a ‘oh yuck!’ feeling that I usually don’t get after reading books, but this one took the cake. I would recommend this for someone with an open mind and who is not easily offended by new religious theories. And while I do have an open mind, this book challenged it to the very core.
I didn’t think it was possible for a book to top the craziness that was Flowers in the Attic. At that point, I thought we had reached peak craziness. But then this book came along and drop-kicked me completely in the face with the amount of sheer bat-shit insanity that goes on.
For as long as she can remember, Aslaug Datter has wondered who her father is. Her mother, Marren, always claimed that Aslaug was a virgin birth; the next reincarnation of Jesus. Raised in isolation, her world starts to fall apart when her mother dies and she is subsequently accused of murder. After being cleared and running away to family she never knew she had, her life takes an even more bizarre turn. Alternating between the past and present, Aslaug comes to realize everything is not as it seems, and the reader is left to wonder if everything they read is the truth... or fiction?
I seem to be on a roll this year. So far, most of the books I have read involve a crazy-ass family and family togetherness of the disgusting kind (I swear this wasn’t planned). Part mystery, part religious mumbo jumbo, part psychedelic nonsense, this book kept me intrigued with the crazy plot twists and wondering what actually happened, or what I thought it happened. This book is an art in the act of interpreting. I can honestly say that this book let me with more questions than answers. The beginning was done remarkably well, but where the novel started to go downhill was when Aslaug meets the long lost relatives. What I thought was going to be an answer to the many questions starting to build only yielded more questions that were not answered. For those who like ambiguity to their reads, this is fine, but I like concrete answers to questions I am asking. And for me, I didn’t get that. One thing I would point out about this book is that if you’re a particularly religious person, stay as far away from this book as possible, because it will offend the shit out of you.
Aslaug is our possibly mentally insane main character.
”I’m a monster to them; I see this now. A freak. Someone outside of their world who will never understand the workings of their world; ‘You’re the monsters,’ I want to say. ‘You’re the freaks.’ But I don’t believe this.”
She is our only main narrator apart from the courtroom scenes, so we don't really get other people's viewpoints as they are happening. The beauty of this book is that her narration goes back and forth from the courtroom trial where witnesses and lawyers try to interpret and twist her strange behavior into something entirely new, to her perspective, where she explains her actions and thoughts the way she sees them. This will make sense to the reader and make her more sympathetic in their eyes, at least in the beginning. As the novel progresses, she starts to become more and more unreliable in both her narration and her thoughts. It’s as if she’s trying to convince you she’s sane when she clearly is not, something that will sharply divide most readers. Marren in her mercurial mother who alternately love/hates Aslaug for reasons we don't understand until later. She was very unpredictable and cunning, but you can see how much she shapes her daughter into her own creation, whether Aslaug realizes it or not. Marren has this almost inhuman hold on her daughter even in death, as if her passing never really frees Aslaug from the insane thoughts that have troubled her all her life.
”Mothers mind was a minefield. And the woods were Eden. And our house was a prison, but a palace, too: at times it spiraled deep into the earth, and deep into the sky, depending on Mother’s mood. I see that now. Life was a revolving mystery, sometime terrifying, sometimes maddening. But always provocative. Interesting. And although its meaning seemed beyond my grasp, it never seemed meaningless.”Sara, Saane, and Rune are Aslaug's relatives who run a church that isn't a church (that made a whole lot of sense). Rune was probably the strangest, albeit sanest, of the bunch, but also the biggest douchebag.
Some of the plot points were completely ridiculous . I don’t know that it added anything new to the plotline. The only thing I could think of was that it was meant to signify that history can tragically repeat itself if not careful in studying it.
This is a strange novel. A friend wasn't kidding when she said this was one trippy read. Indeed, this novel was trippy. Maybe too trippy. This book left me frustrated and baffled, but the most surprising feeling I had was this underlying sense of ickiness I felt about it all. It was kind of a ‘oh yuck!’ feeling that I usually don’t get after reading books, but this one took the cake. I would recommend this for someone with an open mind and who is not easily offended by new religious theories. And while I do have an open mind, this book challenged it to the very core.
May 24, 2012
This book tells the story of a girl, Aslaug, and at the same time you have a trial regarding her. So you can see both ends, how the trial is going, what the counsels and witnesses have to say, and also the real story of what happened told from Aslaug’s point of view.
Aslaug’s birth was a mystery to her mother, Maren. She claimed she was a virgin and got pregnant, so it was some kind of a miracle thing. She believed something special was going to come out of this, maybe a new Jesus or something, but then it turned out the baby was female so now she wasn’t so sure, but it still remain a mystery.
Since Aslaug was very young, her mother taught her many things about mythology, ancient languages, theology and science. It all was because she wanted to understand things, so she kept studying and teaching her.
What I thought was really interesting is that Maren always kept Aslaug in isolation from the “normal” civilization. So years after when Aslaug needs to go out to the world, she doesn’t know what to do and it all seems so strange to her and at the same time she seems so strange to the world. Also how everyone seeing her in those circumstances tends to take advantage of her and she isn’t even aware of it.
In the trial, Aslaug was suspected of murdering two women and burning down a church. This is an event that took place when she was nearly 20 years old, but the jury wants to get very rational explanations about what it is that happened and are unable to understand or see the events as they happened, which is what Aslaug tells us in the rest of the book.
All the content of the book can be summed up in this paragraph:
I really liked all the mythology references this book had and all the stuff about religion and how Christianity has some roots in paganism among other things was very interesting, it really made me want to investigate more, just to find out if what it says here is true, there is some good bibliography at the end of the book.
The trial parts were very refreshing, because you had both attorneys asking questions to the witnesses, so it didn’t feel like the author was forcing you to believe something, you were reading opinions and answers for the whole picture. There were some things that were being discussed here, that made me crave to get to that part in the story Aslaug was telling, just to see exactly how that came to happen, and solve some mysteries.
What I didn’t like much were all the references about herbs and plants. I know, it included many things about science, and some plants were important for some events that took place in the story, but I feel like, in some parts, it included so much information about them, and I’m really not that intrigued about plants and their properties.
Other than that, I think it was a really nice book, with some interesting facts and good points to discuss.
Aslaug’s birth was a mystery to her mother, Maren. She claimed she was a virgin and got pregnant, so it was some kind of a miracle thing. She believed something special was going to come out of this, maybe a new Jesus or something, but then it turned out the baby was female so now she wasn’t so sure, but it still remain a mystery.
Since Aslaug was very young, her mother taught her many things about mythology, ancient languages, theology and science. It all was because she wanted to understand things, so she kept studying and teaching her.
What I thought was really interesting is that Maren always kept Aslaug in isolation from the “normal” civilization. So years after when Aslaug needs to go out to the world, she doesn’t know what to do and it all seems so strange to her and at the same time she seems so strange to the world. Also how everyone seeing her in those circumstances tends to take advantage of her and she isn’t even aware of it.
In the trial, Aslaug was suspected of murdering two women and burning down a church. This is an event that took place when she was nearly 20 years old, but the jury wants to get very rational explanations about what it is that happened and are unable to understand or see the events as they happened, which is what Aslaug tells us in the rest of the book.
All the content of the book can be summed up in this paragraph:
“The trial taught me that understanding a sequence of events, even down to the most minute detail, does not imply an understanding as to why those events took place. It seems we humans so want to divvy the world up into clean little packages that fit neatly together. But in reality, each package seeps into the next, affects the next. And the pile forever shifts.”
I really liked all the mythology references this book had and all the stuff about religion and how Christianity has some roots in paganism among other things was very interesting, it really made me want to investigate more, just to find out if what it says here is true, there is some good bibliography at the end of the book.
The trial parts were very refreshing, because you had both attorneys asking questions to the witnesses, so it didn’t feel like the author was forcing you to believe something, you were reading opinions and answers for the whole picture. There were some things that were being discussed here, that made me crave to get to that part in the story Aslaug was telling, just to see exactly how that came to happen, and solve some mysteries.
What I didn’t like much were all the references about herbs and plants. I know, it included many things about science, and some plants were important for some events that took place in the story, but I feel like, in some parts, it included so much information about them, and I’m really not that intrigued about plants and their properties.
Other than that, I think it was a really nice book, with some interesting facts and good points to discuss.
June 11, 2011
I knew this was going to be dark, but I wasn't expecting this: Aslaug's story is dark, twisted, confusing, sad and frustrating.. but through all of it, I was stuck. I wanted, no, needed, to know how it would all turn out.
Is this YA? I think not. She's young but her story takes things to a whole other level. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone anyone expecting a typical YA "dark" romance. Unless they want to think. Unless they want to be confused. Unless they want one hell of a story. It had me sitting up. It had me going, "What the..!" And the thing is, hers isn't an easy one -never an easy one- because hers moves her from one unfortunate, confusing, angering situation to another. Plus, there's courtroom drama.
Aslaug, her innocence both fascinated and frustrated me. You know that voice in your head that tells you what's up? I wanted to tell her to listen to it. And yet she went along, or got swept along. So maybe all that happened wasn't her fault because things were set up the way they were. She grew up isolated with what probably was a crazy (abusive) mother. So she didn't know. But she always ended up regretting how things turned out. Her experience with her mother should have prepared her for Sara and Sanne, but no! She stayed... and later regreted. She's left to deal with boat load of crap that wasn't her fault. God, she frustrated me, she confused me. And I felt sorry for her.
Rune. Was he a victim too? Or was he simply a guy with no impulse control? Or was he the hero she saw in the end? Or perhaps all three? One thing is for sure, he wasn't one dimensional. He too frustrated me, and yes, digusted me a little. But who am I too judge? I am a firm believer that you can feel what you want, want what you do and act accordingly as long as you don't hurt anyone. So the question is did he hurt anyone? Aslaug? Did she know what she was getting herself into? Keeping in mind how she grew up, what she knew, and the circumstances being as they were? There is no right or wrong when it comes to feeling ~unless the same is coupled with act; that's when right or wrong come in. So victim, wrong-doer or "hero," what was he exactly? Maren, Sara and Sanne and were all damaged. And Rebekka was too. Could I blame them for how things progressed, you bet your ass!
Frightening but fascinating...
4/5
Is this YA? I think not. She's young but her story takes things to a whole other level. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone anyone expecting a typical YA "dark" romance. Unless they want to think. Unless they want to be confused. Unless they want one hell of a story. It had me sitting up. It had me going, "What the..!" And the thing is, hers isn't an easy one -never an easy one- because hers moves her from one unfortunate, confusing, angering situation to another. Plus, there's courtroom drama.
Aslaug, her innocence both fascinated and frustrated me. You know that voice in your head that tells you what's up? I wanted to tell her to listen to it. And yet she went along, or got swept along. So maybe all that happened wasn't her fault because things were set up the way they were. She grew up isolated with what probably was a crazy (abusive) mother. So she didn't know. But she always ended up regretting how things turned out. Her experience with her mother should have prepared her for Sara and Sanne, but no! She stayed... and later regreted. She's left to deal with boat load of crap that wasn't her fault. God, she frustrated me, she confused me. And I felt sorry for her.
Rune. Was he a victim too? Or was he simply a guy with no impulse control? Or was he the hero she saw in the end? Or perhaps all three? One thing is for sure, he wasn't one dimensional. He too frustrated me, and yes, digusted me a little. But who am I too judge? I am a firm believer that you can feel what you want, want what you do and act accordingly as long as you don't hurt anyone. So the question is did he hurt anyone? Aslaug? Did she know what she was getting herself into? Keeping in mind how she grew up, what she knew, and the circumstances being as they were? There is no right or wrong when it comes to feeling ~unless the same is coupled with act; that's when right or wrong come in. So victim, wrong-doer or "hero," what was he exactly? Maren, Sara and Sanne and were all damaged. And Rebekka was too. Could I blame them for how things progressed, you bet your ass!
Frightening but fascinating...
4/5
November 26, 2012
I want to see more YA novels like Madapple. YA novels that don't pander to their younger audience and treat them like sugar crazed idiots who want nothing but bad boys to imagine themselves dry humping with. Unfortunately, the general population does not agree with, as seen by the 3.36 average on this book and the general lack of buzz surrounding it. So, I took the pleasure of riding down review alley and discovered that one of the main pros/cons for and against Madapple (besides it being somewhat confusing) was that it read too much like Adult Literary fiction. It's even shelved as "Adult" by several readers. This is published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, so there should be no confusion here, unlike with Beautiful Disaster.
I'm actually quite surprised that some think this reads like AF Lit Fic. They should read more AF Lit Fic. This is far from it. Madapple follows the standard YA themes -- loss of identity, isolation, fear of moving into adulthood, etcetera, etcetera. Perhaps it's the voice, though I'm not quite convinced of that either. Many YA books have the same "smart, monotone girl" voice that can get rather old after a while. And it's certainly not the content. Rape, incest, torture and cults, are nothing new to YA. And, no, this book does not look at the above with rose tinted glasses because of a hot love interest.
Even the plot structure is pretty standard. There's a climax, a "resolution," and it hits almost every beat. It's not literary fiction. It just has better than average prose and the pacing is kind of slow.
So, I can't say I understand why this book has a lower average rating than Twilight.
Madapple is the story of Aslaug, daughter of Maren, a fifteen-year-old girl who's been raised in isolation for the entirety of her life. She's on trial for the murder of her mother, cousin, and Aunt. She's also believed to be the second coming of Christ. Throw in a splash of the occult, crazy cousins, botany a variety of religions -- and you've got one weird novel.
It is rare to come across a YA novel that doesn't handle Christianity with fire-proof, thumb-less mittens, but Madapple isn't afraid to take it the extreme.
Now, I'll admit to being rather slow on the uptake when it comes to plot twists, but even I was able to follow along with this story. There's not much mystery here and there's certainly nothing confusing about the narration. It's very, very easy to keep up with. First chapter = Prologue. Court Room = Present. Aslaug narration = Past. The present and the past alternate by every other chapter.
I could have done without the court chapters, to be honest. The constant objections from the lawyers were annoying and the only reason they were included was to give another layer of "is Aslaug a liar" when they were rather unnecessary. We already know Aslaug is an unreliable narrator. We don't need more "proof."
Now, a few things did bother me:
This is still a good book, despite its flaws. If you're prepared to be somewhat annoyed by the ending and want a taste of original YA with dark content, I would recommend this book to you. There are no graphic descriptions of anything, just fyi.
3.7 stars.
June 8, 2008
The plot of this book was unusual, but slightly unrealistic. The main character lives in seclusion with her mother. She doesn't know anything about the outside world and a good bit about science. While the home schooled seclusion was odd but not too weird, I found myself wondering how her mother, a teen herself when she was pregnant, knew all that stuff about plants and other things. I did find the interactions with the mother the most interesting part of the book.
But then the mother dies and the main character runs away from a social worker that so completely fails at her job that she should have been fired. She lost a child and then claims being too busy to look for her. The police didn't seem to try to find her, either. She easily comes across her Aunt's church. Of course, it was a small town, but she still found a random building very quickly without being able to describe it much.
I found the family so amazingly crazy. Everyone just got weirder, too, until it was over. I just can't believe the level of crazy that went on without anyone noticing at all. There was so much abusive, insane behavior going on. And, while I knew what the ages of the characters were supposed to be, I always felt like they were older. The language and conversations did not seem like those of a 15 or 19 year old.
I also thought the book was rather preachy at times. I felt like it was beat over my head when the same explanation went on for pages. I also felt like the references to the mother's research was just an excuse for a long monologue about theology. The author obviously did a lot of research, which I think is great, but I think there was just too much stuff in there.
But then the mother dies and the main character runs away from a social worker that so completely fails at her job that she should have been fired. She lost a child and then claims being too busy to look for her. The police didn't seem to try to find her, either. She easily comes across her Aunt's church. Of course, it was a small town, but she still found a random building very quickly without being able to describe it much.
I found the family so amazingly crazy. Everyone just got weirder, too, until it was over. I just can't believe the level of crazy that went on without anyone noticing at all. There was so much abusive, insane behavior going on. And, while I knew what the ages of the characters were supposed to be, I always felt like they were older. The language and conversations did not seem like those of a 15 or 19 year old.
I also thought the book was rather preachy at times. I felt like it was beat over my head when the same explanation went on for pages. I also felt like the references to the mother's research was just an excuse for a long monologue about theology. The author obviously did a lot of research, which I think is great, but I think there was just too much stuff in there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2014
There's a more perfect way to describe this book, but for politeness sake, I'll just say that this book is "messed up". It's crazy. What are some of the elements that go into this book? Well, let's start with suspicious virgin births, not just one, but two. Then there's incest, rape, poisionous plants foraged from the backyard woods, kidnapping, arson, and suitcases full of cash. The narration is creepy. Aslaug, the main character, is creepy too. Actually every single character in the book is really creepy. I read it really fast b/c it really was intriguing. But I have to wonder who in the world is this author? What the heck with this book? It was just a crazy, crazy book.
February 7, 2009
I was very disappointed with this book,and it got two stars not because the writing was bad, but because it was way too weird and jumbled in its thought process and unfolding of the tale. Plus, it got great, starred reviews and is marketed to young adults, but I really don't think too many teenagers would be able to plod through it, understand the points, and like it.
A lot of the time I couldn't figure out the author's point/purpose for spending enormous amounts of words and space on certain things. The chapters alternate mostly between events during 2003 and the trial for murder of the protagonist/narrator occurring in 2007. This now 19 year old girl has been isolated her entire life in rural Maine by her mother, who had claimed she (the girl) was the product of a virgin birth. The mother is this girl's entire world. The mother homeschools her in mystic religious societies like the Essenes and Gnostics, along with extremely detailed knowledge of plants and herbs, their names and uses. The mother dies in 2003 of cancer, and the girl is found trying to bury her in the backyard. She leaves for another Maine town where she knows she has relatives (her aunt and cousins) before social services can place her with a family. And then it gets more weird.
2003 unfolds with the aunt and cousins, who are just as dysfunctional as the girl. One of the problems with the novel is the author's attempt to inject some kind of cultural cuteness, so that the characters (whose family originates from Denmark), have Danish sounding or new agey names. However, this just makes it more confusing because the aunt ends up with no less than FOUR monikers - her real name Sara, Mor (Danish for mother), a sarcastic name her kids call her, and her identity as "the preacher", as she has founded a charismatic church. I couldn't keep anything straight - who was who, etc. because of that. I also did not like the fact that some of the characters had 'normal' names like Sara and Susanne, but some had Danish or New Agey names like Aslaug (the main character) and Rune (the boy cousin). It was stupid to do that, just confused things. One or the other, please.
I think the book was supposed to be about one's identity, which is clearly a teen/young adult hot topic, but it totally got lost in the pages and pages of herbal information, and the pages and pages of details about the similarities between societal myths and Christian myths. I didn't get the point of the latter at all, within this story, other than perhaps the fascination with it fueled the relationshp fire. And I don't think most teens would necessarily care enough to read all that stuff; perhaps one teen who is fascinated with cultural myths might like it. The herbal information figures into the story, but personally I could have done without about 90% of it - it was just overdone in my opinion.
At the end I found myself skimming just to find the connections between the 2003 events and what was coming out in the trial. The trial chapters were straight forward and my favorites. I did like the juxtaposition of what really happened versus appearances, but it got too tangled up in the herbal/mythology stuff. Aslaug of course becomes pregnant in 2003, and there's a whole storyline about how that happened, what outsiders believed, what her aunt believes, what she believes. We have the virgin birth story repeating itself, but also reality intruding, along with the reality of Aslaug's origins revealed as well. Then, Meldrum messes it up with more weirdness - the aunt thinks Aslaug's baby is the messiah returning, designs to take control of it and 'prepare' it for its future, etc. There's imprisonment, deception, abuse, power and control, but it was all handled too weirdly. The only character I really liked was Rune,who despite his learning differences (caused of course by mother Sara drinking schnapps and doing herbal drugs during his gestation), seemed the most grounded. Aslaug was a sympathetic character, but because she narrated the story, she had to say all the weirdness, and that diminished her in my opinion.
All in all, a big let down. I can't see why this got a starred review. The reviews mention a theme of whether miracles can happen, and the place of divine intervention in life. Now, I have read a lot of fiction that treats those same themes, and this one just does not pass muster on those topics. And really, it should be shelved in adult.
It was just not a satisfying read to me.
A lot of the time I couldn't figure out the author's point/purpose for spending enormous amounts of words and space on certain things. The chapters alternate mostly between events during 2003 and the trial for murder of the protagonist/narrator occurring in 2007. This now 19 year old girl has been isolated her entire life in rural Maine by her mother, who had claimed she (the girl) was the product of a virgin birth. The mother is this girl's entire world. The mother homeschools her in mystic religious societies like the Essenes and Gnostics, along with extremely detailed knowledge of plants and herbs, their names and uses. The mother dies in 2003 of cancer, and the girl is found trying to bury her in the backyard. She leaves for another Maine town where she knows she has relatives (her aunt and cousins) before social services can place her with a family. And then it gets more weird.
2003 unfolds with the aunt and cousins, who are just as dysfunctional as the girl. One of the problems with the novel is the author's attempt to inject some kind of cultural cuteness, so that the characters (whose family originates from Denmark), have Danish sounding or new agey names. However, this just makes it more confusing because the aunt ends up with no less than FOUR monikers - her real name Sara, Mor (Danish for mother), a sarcastic name her kids call her, and her identity as "the preacher", as she has founded a charismatic church. I couldn't keep anything straight - who was who, etc. because of that. I also did not like the fact that some of the characters had 'normal' names like Sara and Susanne, but some had Danish or New Agey names like Aslaug (the main character) and Rune (the boy cousin). It was stupid to do that, just confused things. One or the other, please.
I think the book was supposed to be about one's identity, which is clearly a teen/young adult hot topic, but it totally got lost in the pages and pages of herbal information, and the pages and pages of details about the similarities between societal myths and Christian myths. I didn't get the point of the latter at all, within this story, other than perhaps the fascination with it fueled the relationshp fire. And I don't think most teens would necessarily care enough to read all that stuff; perhaps one teen who is fascinated with cultural myths might like it. The herbal information figures into the story, but personally I could have done without about 90% of it - it was just overdone in my opinion.
At the end I found myself skimming just to find the connections between the 2003 events and what was coming out in the trial. The trial chapters were straight forward and my favorites. I did like the juxtaposition of what really happened versus appearances, but it got too tangled up in the herbal/mythology stuff. Aslaug of course becomes pregnant in 2003, and there's a whole storyline about how that happened, what outsiders believed, what her aunt believes, what she believes. We have the virgin birth story repeating itself, but also reality intruding, along with the reality of Aslaug's origins revealed as well. Then, Meldrum messes it up with more weirdness - the aunt thinks Aslaug's baby is the messiah returning, designs to take control of it and 'prepare' it for its future, etc. There's imprisonment, deception, abuse, power and control, but it was all handled too weirdly. The only character I really liked was Rune,who despite his learning differences (caused of course by mother Sara drinking schnapps and doing herbal drugs during his gestation), seemed the most grounded. Aslaug was a sympathetic character, but because she narrated the story, she had to say all the weirdness, and that diminished her in my opinion.
All in all, a big let down. I can't see why this got a starred review. The reviews mention a theme of whether miracles can happen, and the place of divine intervention in life. Now, I have read a lot of fiction that treats those same themes, and this one just does not pass muster on those topics. And really, it should be shelved in adult.
It was just not a satisfying read to me.
June 26, 2014
Move over Martha Stewart and make way for Madapple!
I enjoy reading books about home economics. From crafting to cleaning, I’m a sucker for domestic life! As often as I dream of being June Cleaver or Bree Van de Kamp and living in a clean and organized home, I lack enthusiasm in the process of getting there. I have a toddler, so when I clean, I’m cleaning the mess that I just cleaned up 2 hours before.
Until recently (don’t get your hopes up, our house is a work in progress)…
I made a deal with myself that I would only read Madapple while cleaning (audible download). I was a good girl and followed this and started looking for things to clean. I ironed a table cloth more than 20 minutes before it was needed. I cleaned and organized a nail and screw carrier – who does that!?! ME, apparently. Madapple cast its spell on me and I was like Cinderella enjoying her chores because dammit, I’m going to the ball!
Aslaug is a young, sheltered adolescent who knows little of the world as her mother refrains from participating in society. They rely solely on home education and plants/herbs contribute to their health and well-being. Unfortunately, mother unexpectedly dies and Aslaug tries to pick up the pieces of her life and learn who she really is and where she came from. Her journey is filled with horrifying truths, spiritual awakenings, and various forms of love.
The author does a wonderful job laying out the events in the story so that the reader is compelled to find something else to clean! Madapple motivated me more than Martha!! Perhaps I should add this book to my Domestic Bliss shelf ;-)
I enjoy reading books about home economics. From crafting to cleaning, I’m a sucker for domestic life! As often as I dream of being June Cleaver or Bree Van de Kamp and living in a clean and organized home, I lack enthusiasm in the process of getting there. I have a toddler, so when I clean, I’m cleaning the mess that I just cleaned up 2 hours before.
Until recently (don’t get your hopes up, our house is a work in progress)…
I made a deal with myself that I would only read Madapple while cleaning (audible download). I was a good girl and followed this and started looking for things to clean. I ironed a table cloth more than 20 minutes before it was needed. I cleaned and organized a nail and screw carrier – who does that!?! ME, apparently. Madapple cast its spell on me and I was like Cinderella enjoying her chores because dammit, I’m going to the ball!
Aslaug is a young, sheltered adolescent who knows little of the world as her mother refrains from participating in society. They rely solely on home education and plants/herbs contribute to their health and well-being. Unfortunately, mother unexpectedly dies and Aslaug tries to pick up the pieces of her life and learn who she really is and where she came from. Her journey is filled with horrifying truths, spiritual awakenings, and various forms of love.
The author does a wonderful job laying out the events in the story so that the reader is compelled to find something else to clean! Madapple motivated me more than Martha!! Perhaps I should add this book to my Domestic Bliss shelf ;-)
June 22, 2009
Let me start by saying that in some weird way, this book blew me away.
Madapple is the story of Aslaug Hellig, a bright girl who was raised in near isolation by her genius -- but disturbed -- mother. When Aslaug's mother dies, Aslaug goes to the only place she can remember her mother having taken her. The place, it turns out, is a former monastery-turned-church, run by an aunt she never knew she had. Aslaug moves into the church with her aunt Sara and her children, Sanne and Rune, and gets caught up in the distrubing world they have created for themselves.
Madapple mixes religion, mythology, psychology and (of all things) botany to create a very captivating and disturbing world for Aslaug to live in. Told through chapters set alternately in the present and in the past, Aslaug's story is revealed slowly and cryptically, making the book a potentially challenging read for some. Also, some themes and subject matter may be too adult and/or inappropriate for some readers, but for those who persevere and can handle the dark subject matter, Madapple is a strange little gem. It is little wonder that Meldrum, a first time author, was a finalist for the Morris Award.
Madapple is the story of Aslaug Hellig, a bright girl who was raised in near isolation by her genius -- but disturbed -- mother. When Aslaug's mother dies, Aslaug goes to the only place she can remember her mother having taken her. The place, it turns out, is a former monastery-turned-church, run by an aunt she never knew she had. Aslaug moves into the church with her aunt Sara and her children, Sanne and Rune, and gets caught up in the distrubing world they have created for themselves.
Madapple mixes religion, mythology, psychology and (of all things) botany to create a very captivating and disturbing world for Aslaug to live in. Told through chapters set alternately in the present and in the past, Aslaug's story is revealed slowly and cryptically, making the book a potentially challenging read for some. Also, some themes and subject matter may be too adult and/or inappropriate for some readers, but for those who persevere and can handle the dark subject matter, Madapple is a strange little gem. It is little wonder that Meldrum, a first time author, was a finalist for the Morris Award.
April 5, 2009
OK. I'm going to admit upfront that this book is confusing as all get out. When I read the reviews and the book jacket, I thought the book was a fantasy book. Girl raised by crazy loner mother is left an orphan and must survive a brutal world and battle good and evil. Seriously. I really thought we were talking fantasy series. IT'S NOT.
It is set in the present day, but written in such a dreamy language to give you the impression of otherworldliness. The conceit of botany (madapple being a key plant in the plot) ties everything together. Or tries to. The chapters go from orphan Aslaug's perception of the world and past events to a chapter from the courtroom where she is on trial for murder and arson. So you go from dreamy, hallucinogenic remembrances, to gritty trial transcripts.
Ultimately I found the book unpleasant, from the mother's brutality (she puts out a cigarette on Aslaug's chest to teach her some bizarre lesson on life)to her rape/dream sex/virgin birth by her first cousin.
The plot is downright hazy. Like whisps of fog, you think you see ahead of you, but no....it's something different. I can't say I enjoyed reading this. I'm not sure I learned anything other than some plant botany.
It was so heavily hyped and promoted that I feel really let down. I expected an amazing read and what I got was an icky feeling and joy when I could put it down and say, I don't ever have to read that again.
It is set in the present day, but written in such a dreamy language to give you the impression of otherworldliness. The conceit of botany (madapple being a key plant in the plot) ties everything together. Or tries to. The chapters go from orphan Aslaug's perception of the world and past events to a chapter from the courtroom where she is on trial for murder and arson. So you go from dreamy, hallucinogenic remembrances, to gritty trial transcripts.
Ultimately I found the book unpleasant, from the mother's brutality (she puts out a cigarette on Aslaug's chest to teach her some bizarre lesson on life)to her rape/dream sex/virgin birth by her first cousin.
The plot is downright hazy. Like whisps of fog, you think you see ahead of you, but no....it's something different. I can't say I enjoyed reading this. I'm not sure I learned anything other than some plant botany.
It was so heavily hyped and promoted that I feel really let down. I expected an amazing read and what I got was an icky feeling and joy when I could put it down and say, I don't ever have to read that again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2009
A disappointing read for me; it came so highly recommended. I was caught up briefly in the beginning, but soon started to think that this was maybe not so different from typical vaguely exploitative (but enjoyable) popular adult fiction--Oprah books, like White Oleander and Midwives. Then it started to get increasingly dry and repetitive; I lost any connection I'd had with the protagonist. I felt like I could see where the story was going, and I wanted to get on with it.
I wish authors would understand that most people aren't as fascinated with an author's pet obsessions as they are; too much information in the mouth of an unlikely character is seldom interesting or believable. For that matter, never did I believe that the research supposedly done by Maren would really have been that of a teenager, especially one who spoke English as a second language, no matter how gifted. I could have believed a shallower understanding, supplemented by information from other sources.
I think the author is a good writer, and I look forward to reading her future books.
(mild spoiler)Medically, I was pretty concerned about the child; I think there was a happily-ever-after implied that I found doubtful, but I don't know whether everyone would read it that way.
I wish authors would understand that most people aren't as fascinated with an author's pet obsessions as they are; too much information in the mouth of an unlikely character is seldom interesting or believable. For that matter, never did I believe that the research supposedly done by Maren would really have been that of a teenager, especially one who spoke English as a second language, no matter how gifted. I could have believed a shallower understanding, supplemented by information from other sources.
I think the author is a good writer, and I look forward to reading her future books.
(mild spoiler)Medically, I was pretty concerned about the child; I think there was a happily-ever-after implied that I found doubtful, but I don't know whether everyone would read it that way.
March 23, 2011
This book is very difficult to review. I read it a few weeks ago but I felt I needed a little time to process it before being able to say what I thought about it with any semblance of order. Still, I'm not sure how clear I can be, so cut me some slack if I start rambling.
Let's get the most important idea out of the way so at least you know if I would recommend it or not. Here we go: It's weird and I loved most of it but the ending was a bit of a letdown given the overall feeling of the story. That's the only reason it doesn't get 5 stars.
After this point, read at your own peril.
There are two perspectives to the events and the book switches back and forth between them. In one, we get Aslaug narrating the story as she's living it. In the other, there's a murder trial going on a few years later and we get to read what's being said in the courtroom. For this perspective there aren't any narrators so it's like listening to the trial through a radio or reading a transcript; you can't tell expressions or know intentions.
Aslaug's life is, to put it mildly, strange. Everyone in her life is deeply flawed and because of ignorance, denial, delusions, coincidences and good ol' lies, every piece of information we receive is suspect. Aslaug, in particular, partly due to her upbringing and partly because of events that happen in the story, is a very unreliable narrator.
That brings us to one of the best aspects of this book. Besides the story which, apart from the ending, it's great, the main idea is to show how events and intentions can be perceived in a completely different way by different people, even—or especially—the actors.
Meldrum's writing is gorgeous—at least to my taste. Watching the characters through Aslaug's warped vision, continually trying to guess and piece together what is real and what's fantasy makes you think about them, try to understand them much more than if she would show us a clearer picture. Also, the way she managed to weave botanical references throughout the whole thing enriching the narration instead of clogging it was fantastic, especially because I know next to nothing about plants, nor I care to learn and yet, I enjoyed it.
I don't think I have much else to say. At least, not much that wouldn't ruin your own reading experience. About the ending, what I can say, though, is that it was easier for me to buy the difficulty to prove certain things in court when the events being discussed had happened three or four years ago (beginning of the book), but as the events in Aslaug's life got closer and closer in time to those of the trial (near the end) I wanted to strangle the lawyers, the judge and especially the witnesses or, if that's a bit too sociopathic, at least point them in the direction of the obvious answer. That's one of the things that bothered me about it, but, more than that, I didn't like the resolution of the story. It's not that it's bad or that it wasn't among the possible endings but, like I said, I felt that it didn't keep with the tone set by the rest of the book.
If you made it this far, I commend you on your persistence and I hope my ADD doesn't have any effect on your brain.
Let's get the most important idea out of the way so at least you know if I would recommend it or not. Here we go: It's weird and I loved most of it but the ending was a bit of a letdown given the overall feeling of the story. That's the only reason it doesn't get 5 stars.
After this point, read at your own peril.
There are two perspectives to the events and the book switches back and forth between them. In one, we get Aslaug narrating the story as she's living it. In the other, there's a murder trial going on a few years later and we get to read what's being said in the courtroom. For this perspective there aren't any narrators so it's like listening to the trial through a radio or reading a transcript; you can't tell expressions or know intentions.
Aslaug's life is, to put it mildly, strange. Everyone in her life is deeply flawed and because of ignorance, denial, delusions, coincidences and good ol' lies, every piece of information we receive is suspect. Aslaug, in particular, partly due to her upbringing and partly because of events that happen in the story, is a very unreliable narrator.
That brings us to one of the best aspects of this book. Besides the story which, apart from the ending, it's great, the main idea is to show how events and intentions can be perceived in a completely different way by different people, even—or especially—the actors.
Meldrum's writing is gorgeous—at least to my taste. Watching the characters through Aslaug's warped vision, continually trying to guess and piece together what is real and what's fantasy makes you think about them, try to understand them much more than if she would show us a clearer picture. Also, the way she managed to weave botanical references throughout the whole thing enriching the narration instead of clogging it was fantastic, especially because I know next to nothing about plants, nor I care to learn and yet, I enjoyed it.
I don't think I have much else to say. At least, not much that wouldn't ruin your own reading experience. About the ending, what I can say, though, is that it was easier for me to buy the difficulty to prove certain things in court when the events being discussed had happened three or four years ago (beginning of the book), but as the events in Aslaug's life got closer and closer in time to those of the trial (near the end) I wanted to strangle the lawyers, the judge and especially the witnesses or, if that's a bit too sociopathic, at least point them in the direction of the obvious answer. That's one of the things that bothered me about it, but, more than that, I didn't like the resolution of the story. It's not that it's bad or that it wasn't among the possible endings but, like I said, I felt that it didn't keep with the tone set by the rest of the book.
If you made it this far, I commend you on your persistence and I hope my ADD doesn't have any effect on your brain.
October 14, 2010
Wow. Just... Wow. This novel caught me off guard. I didn't expect to like it or get pulled into it. Once I started reading though, it was fantastic. Absolutely spectacular writing and I just couldn't put it down. It was fascinating and horrifying at the same time but in its core I think what got to me the most if just how human it is. the characters are so real you can feel their hearts beating. You want to cry with them and above all even though they are going through something that maybe most people shouldn't be able to understand, you could. It was a novel that showed a side of a situation that gave you a completely new level of understanding of the story. I also think that using the trial was brilliant. It made the opening for a deeper level of depth to the situation. You question who was right and who was wrong but the most beautiful part of the story is just that. You understand the characters enough to see the gray lines in between the white and black print. That in all reality we are all human and sometimes mistakes just stack up to make unforgettable situations but that those situations, while they may tear you apart, if you can put yourself back together again, have the potential to make you so much stronger. Beautiful enough to get a 6 star if it were possible and that is something I have never felt before. This book goes above and beyond beautiful. It is truly a work of art.
Sincerely,
Emma Michaels
http://EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com
P.S.- For mothers I would suggest you consider this novel only for 15 or 16 and older. It does have mature content that many of the younger audiences would not be able to properly understand or might not be taken well. You may want to read the novel on your own before giving it to a teenager.
Sincerely,
Emma Michaels
http://EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com
P.S.- For mothers I would suggest you consider this novel only for 15 or 16 and older. It does have mature content that many of the younger audiences would not be able to properly understand or might not be taken well. You may want to read the novel on your own before giving it to a teenager.
November 25, 2009
The thing that originally attracted me to this book was the cover. Look at it! So dark and mysterious...and the description only added to the appeal. It seemed like an intriguing read.
And it was, but not exactly what I was expecting. From the way it sounded, I thought it would be further back in time, and possibly with some magic involved. Instead what I got was botany, incest, religion, philosophy, murder, and mythology. This story was very complex, with too parallel story lines really, Aslaug's life after her mother's death and Alsaug's tiral. The writing was beautiful, and while I didn't find it exactly thrilling, it was compelling. Also, very informative. I learned a lot of interesting trivia. The characters were multi-dimensional, but hardly likable. They all had their issues and it was hard to predict what they were going to do next. There were some parts that were so frustrating! I wanted to step in and yell at the characters and tell them they were stupid, or speak up for them. And those lawyers? Nobody on the stand could get a single word in before those wackjobs cut them off. I'm conflicted about my feelings for this book. Its definitely not for everyone, but I do recommend you try it.
And it was, but not exactly what I was expecting. From the way it sounded, I thought it would be further back in time, and possibly with some magic involved. Instead what I got was botany, incest, religion, philosophy, murder, and mythology. This story was very complex, with too parallel story lines really, Aslaug's life after her mother's death and Alsaug's tiral. The writing was beautiful, and while I didn't find it exactly thrilling, it was compelling. Also, very informative. I learned a lot of interesting trivia. The characters were multi-dimensional, but hardly likable. They all had their issues and it was hard to predict what they were going to do next. There were some parts that were so frustrating! I wanted to step in and yell at the characters and tell them they were stupid, or speak up for them. And those lawyers? Nobody on the stand could get a single word in before those wackjobs cut them off. I'm conflicted about my feelings for this book. Its definitely not for everyone, but I do recommend you try it.
May 22, 2008
Hmmmm....this book was recommended to me by a friend who loved this book and who's recommended great books before. This one I couldn't really get into. It was all over the place - death, abandonement, isolation, botany, poisoning, incest, rape (?), virgin births, murder. All these themes were touched upon but in a very muddied way. It all came together in the end but I found it creepy and weird and not in a good way. This is what I think of as a "special" book - it will have very limited appeal with teens.
September 30, 2012
Madapple alternates between the narration of Aslaug, the protagonist and a court trial. Aslaug is on trial for the murder of her aunt and cousin. This book blends religion, science, mythology and botany.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
March 27, 2009
A book about how completely screwed up and out of touch with reality people can be without anyone noticing or helping them. With expositions of the properties of the flora of Maine.
April 8, 2011
Madapple started out as an amazing book. From the beginning it immerses the reader in a world of religion, horticulture, science and myths. Teenage Aslaug is an eccentric, sheltered and possibly mentally unstable girl. At first it is unclear whether her magic is real or not. It is also unclear whether Aslaug’s point of view is altered due to her own imbalances, or the circumstances around her. Christina Meldrum created a dreamy, mystical world through Aslaug’s eyes. In addition, every other chapter involved an excerpt from a trial at which Aslaug is being accused of murder. Regardless of Aslaug’s mental state, we do see her intentions being misinterpreted by the outside world at the trial. These dual chapters definitely added to the depth of the story and gave it an intensity.
Unfortunately, after such a strong beginning the book simply never finished as good as it started. Somewhere around the middle, the side stories about religion and plants started to become more of an info dump and less of an enhancement to the story. The ending was also disappointing. It resolved some things far too neatly, while leaving so many questions unanswered. Overall, this was just meh for me. Had it not lost so much steam at the end, I would have loved this book so much more.
Unfortunately, after such a strong beginning the book simply never finished as good as it started. Somewhere around the middle, the side stories about religion and plants started to become more of an info dump and less of an enhancement to the story. The ending was also disappointing. It resolved some things far too neatly, while leaving so many questions unanswered. Overall, this was just meh for me. Had it not lost so much steam at the end, I would have loved this book so much more.
October 10, 2025
“Science describes the world; it doesn’t explain it: it can describe the universe’s formation, but it can’t explain why such an event would have occurred, how something can come from nothing.”
Aslaug is such a beautiful character, just so pure and unique and wise. I think that’s what makes the story itself so difficult and painful. I laughed and cried and just sat in open shock at what was happening to her.
I appreciated that even though the story itself could be quite confusing with the back and forth, slow reveals, and conflicting beliefs between characters, the story wraps up with a perfect, satisfying bow of understanding and clarity.
“The trial taught me that understanding a sequence of events, even down to the most minute detail, does not imply an understanding of why those events took place.”
Aslaug is such a beautiful character, just so pure and unique and wise. I think that’s what makes the story itself so difficult and painful. I laughed and cried and just sat in open shock at what was happening to her.
I appreciated that even though the story itself could be quite confusing with the back and forth, slow reveals, and conflicting beliefs between characters, the story wraps up with a perfect, satisfying bow of understanding and clarity.
“The trial taught me that understanding a sequence of events, even down to the most minute detail, does not imply an understanding of why those events took place.”
July 17, 2016
Obwohl ich "Bittere Wunder" jetzt schon einige Tage beendet habe, geht mir dieses Buch inklusive Charaktere nicht aus dem Kopf :)
das Buch ist wohl einer der außergewöhnlichsten Bücher, die ich bisher gelesen habe :)
Der Einstieg war durch die vielen Details der Pflanzenkunde etwas schwierig aber irgendwann kam der Punkt an dem ich nicht mehr aufhören konnte zulesen :)
Allerdings würde ich dieses Buch keinesfalls als Jugendbuch bezeichnen, da es sich teilweise einfach mit sehr extremen Themen beschäftigt wie zb verschiedenste religiöse Ansichten (oft auch sehr fanatisch) oder auch Vergewaltigung.
Definitiv ein Buch was mich gedanklich noch eine Weile begleiten wird.
das Buch ist wohl einer der außergewöhnlichsten Bücher, die ich bisher gelesen habe :)
Der Einstieg war durch die vielen Details der Pflanzenkunde etwas schwierig aber irgendwann kam der Punkt an dem ich nicht mehr aufhören konnte zulesen :)
Allerdings würde ich dieses Buch keinesfalls als Jugendbuch bezeichnen, da es sich teilweise einfach mit sehr extremen Themen beschäftigt wie zb verschiedenste religiöse Ansichten (oft auch sehr fanatisch) oder auch Vergewaltigung.
Definitiv ein Buch was mich gedanklich noch eine Weile begleiten wird.
March 2, 2018
The theory that there are no original ideas, that everything has been done before, has been bandied around a lot in relation to mediocre pop music and, more relevant here perhaps, in terms of newly published books. Although I can point out my fair share of movie remakes and rip-off book plots, I generally hold with those who disagree and think that there is still a bit of originality out there. After finishing "Madapple" by Christina Meldrum (due out in May 2008 from Knopf) I think that's even more true.
While reading this novel, I tried to place it in relation to other stories I had read. It reminded me of "How I Live Now" (especially because of Daisy's relationship with Edmond in that novel). It also had a hint of the fantasy genre's penchant for stressing the power of naming and the tone of authors like Margaret Mahy. Most striking was the way that Meldrum controlled readers' perception of the narrative. The only other novel I have seen that exercises such restraint to such good effect is "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. And yet, at the end of the day, "Madapple" wasn't like anything else I had read and these comparisons reveal very little about the actual story.
"Madapple" is Meldrum's first novel, written while she worked as a litigator. The story starts, as many do, at the beginning. Specifically, it opens twenty years before the core events of the story with a young woman named Maren--away from her Danish relatives, living alone in Maine, and pregnant. Without, Maren tells her older sister, ever having had a lover.
Such are the origins of Aslaug, Maren's daughter and the heroine of this novel. Immediately after this revelation from her mother, the narrative shifts from 1987 to 2007 in a courtroom where reader's quickly learn that Aslaug is on trial for murder and tells the court that she has no biological father.
These two segments largely set the tone for the rest of the novel that follows, a tone that I would call both eerie and confusing. The rest of the narrative alternates between chapters set in the courtroom in 2007 (always titled "Solomon's Seal" for a plant thought to cast away demons) and chapters beginning in 2003 and working toward the trial in 2007 (these chapters are titled for other plants that Aslaug encounters, usually with some relevance to the events of the chapter).
Having set up the body of the story, Meldrum nows moves to what I'd call the beginning of the plot in 2003. It is here that readers begin to learn about Aslaug's life instead of just her circumstances. Home-schooled and raised by her mother in an isolated house outside of town, Aslaug has little in common with the modern world. While other fifteen-year-olds are experimenting with makeup and going to movies, Aslaug is being taught ancient languages and learning about the various properties and lore of plants found in the woods near her home.
Completely isolated and alone except for her mother's erratic, sometimes hurtful, companionship, Aslaug is desperate for a chance to escape from her life. That opportunity comes sooner than she had expected, the result of unforeseen events which thrust Aslaug into the world she previously watched from a distance. Along the way, Aslaug finds family she never knew she had and more questions about her own life than answers.
There is more to the plot, but to get into further specifics here is impossible without ruining the quality of surprise and shock that Meldrum incorporates into so much of this narrative. Suffice it to say, nothing in this story is as it seems.
At first, the narrative here seemed choppy--incorporating three different time periods in as many chapters as well as many unexpected Danish words. The more I read, the more the story started to make sense. As the narrative moved forward, to the point where past and future events converge, everything began to mesh together making the writing more seamless. For that reason, I found that "Madapple" was easier to handle when I read more of it at once. The text here is dense, with a lot of references to religious texts as well as plant mechanics, which do require a bit of time to absorb.
Aside from Meldrum's masterful prose, her characterizations were interesting. Several of the "important" characters are unlikable but still remain valuable to both readers and Aslaug. At the same time, Meldrum spends a lot of time discussing religion in the text (as can be expected from a novel about a supposed virgin birth I suppose) but it doesn't get tiresome or overly dogmatic.
By the end of the novel, everything Aslaug had thought she knew is turned upside down. And then it's turned on its head again. Although "Madapple" is thin on actual action, it's still a page turner that left me anxious to see how it would all turn out.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
While reading this novel, I tried to place it in relation to other stories I had read. It reminded me of "How I Live Now" (especially because of Daisy's relationship with Edmond in that novel). It also had a hint of the fantasy genre's penchant for stressing the power of naming and the tone of authors like Margaret Mahy. Most striking was the way that Meldrum controlled readers' perception of the narrative. The only other novel I have seen that exercises such restraint to such good effect is "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. And yet, at the end of the day, "Madapple" wasn't like anything else I had read and these comparisons reveal very little about the actual story.
"Madapple" is Meldrum's first novel, written while she worked as a litigator. The story starts, as many do, at the beginning. Specifically, it opens twenty years before the core events of the story with a young woman named Maren--away from her Danish relatives, living alone in Maine, and pregnant. Without, Maren tells her older sister, ever having had a lover.
Such are the origins of Aslaug, Maren's daughter and the heroine of this novel. Immediately after this revelation from her mother, the narrative shifts from 1987 to 2007 in a courtroom where reader's quickly learn that Aslaug is on trial for murder and tells the court that she has no biological father.
These two segments largely set the tone for the rest of the novel that follows, a tone that I would call both eerie and confusing. The rest of the narrative alternates between chapters set in the courtroom in 2007 (always titled "Solomon's Seal" for a plant thought to cast away demons) and chapters beginning in 2003 and working toward the trial in 2007 (these chapters are titled for other plants that Aslaug encounters, usually with some relevance to the events of the chapter).
Having set up the body of the story, Meldrum nows moves to what I'd call the beginning of the plot in 2003. It is here that readers begin to learn about Aslaug's life instead of just her circumstances. Home-schooled and raised by her mother in an isolated house outside of town, Aslaug has little in common with the modern world. While other fifteen-year-olds are experimenting with makeup and going to movies, Aslaug is being taught ancient languages and learning about the various properties and lore of plants found in the woods near her home.
Completely isolated and alone except for her mother's erratic, sometimes hurtful, companionship, Aslaug is desperate for a chance to escape from her life. That opportunity comes sooner than she had expected, the result of unforeseen events which thrust Aslaug into the world she previously watched from a distance. Along the way, Aslaug finds family she never knew she had and more questions about her own life than answers.
There is more to the plot, but to get into further specifics here is impossible without ruining the quality of surprise and shock that Meldrum incorporates into so much of this narrative. Suffice it to say, nothing in this story is as it seems.
At first, the narrative here seemed choppy--incorporating three different time periods in as many chapters as well as many unexpected Danish words. The more I read, the more the story started to make sense. As the narrative moved forward, to the point where past and future events converge, everything began to mesh together making the writing more seamless. For that reason, I found that "Madapple" was easier to handle when I read more of it at once. The text here is dense, with a lot of references to religious texts as well as plant mechanics, which do require a bit of time to absorb.
Aside from Meldrum's masterful prose, her characterizations were interesting. Several of the "important" characters are unlikable but still remain valuable to both readers and Aslaug. At the same time, Meldrum spends a lot of time discussing religion in the text (as can be expected from a novel about a supposed virgin birth I suppose) but it doesn't get tiresome or overly dogmatic.
By the end of the novel, everything Aslaug had thought she knew is turned upside down. And then it's turned on its head again. Although "Madapple" is thin on actual action, it's still a page turner that left me anxious to see how it would all turn out.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
March 25, 2009
Have you ever read a book where the happy ending is that the cousin/nephew *is* the father of the child? I have!
The cover of Madapple looks very intriguing but the contents are messy overkill. After finishing this book, I'm having a very hard time seeing where the rave reviews come from.
Aslaug has spent her early life isolated with her sick mother who is so off-balance that she even tacks sheets over the windows to keep the light out. When she wakes to find her mother dead, an attempt to give her a proper burial leads to her arrest. Though cleared of any wrongdoing, Aslaug finds herself completely lost- she has never met any family and doesn't even know who her father is. She follows the only clue she has: a building in the next town over that her mother used to drive to and stare at. She takes with a car with no mirrors and a suitcase full of hidden money to try and find her family. Lucky for her, she does end up with family- her aunt and two cousins who run a small church. They take Aslaug in and through her cousin, Sanne, and her mothers notes she finds out about her mother's supposed "virgin birth" and her interest in a variety of ancient religions. Asalug also begins to get close with her other cousin, Rune, having vivid and intimate dreams about him. After several months living with them Aslaug begins to feel ill- a trip to the doctor reveals that she is pregnant though she does not remember having intercourse. Is Aslaug following in the steps of her mother?
Okay, so in a summary it seems like it could be interesting. But really, this story is so very disjointed! The chapters alternate between Aslaug's first person account of what happened and a trial.
This is not the trial for her mother's death but for the poisoning of her aunt and cousin and subsequent arson of the church.
The story is working at you from both ends in reverse directions but I feel like it gets more muddled than intriguing. Meldrum is an attorney and it shows through a little too clearly; the courtroom drama is very lawyer dramatic but not very teenager dramatic under the very last moments. I don't see Aslaug as a character that teens can easily latch onto unless they're really into ancient religious sects or botany- this is partially due to her isolation, but this is not a book that discusses an isolated girl's transition into the modern world. Instead, it is an outsider transferring herself into another group of outsiders that teens also will find it hard to relate to. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone under 16- the language is dense, the courtroom parts somewhat confusing (I say this as a former law student!), and the issues are heavy (multiple degrees of incest, drug use, poisoning, teen pregnancy, death, kidnapping, a communal family- the list goes on and on). I did not find this to be an easy read on any level- it was hard to get into. It's definitely different from other books that were published last year, but I don't necessarily think that translates into accolades. Perhaps I'm alone on this one!
The cover of Madapple looks very intriguing but the contents are messy overkill. After finishing this book, I'm having a very hard time seeing where the rave reviews come from.
Aslaug has spent her early life isolated with her sick mother who is so off-balance that she even tacks sheets over the windows to keep the light out. When she wakes to find her mother dead, an attempt to give her a proper burial leads to her arrest. Though cleared of any wrongdoing, Aslaug finds herself completely lost- she has never met any family and doesn't even know who her father is. She follows the only clue she has: a building in the next town over that her mother used to drive to and stare at. She takes with a car with no mirrors and a suitcase full of hidden money to try and find her family. Lucky for her, she does end up with family- her aunt and two cousins who run a small church. They take Aslaug in and through her cousin, Sanne, and her mothers notes she finds out about her mother's supposed "virgin birth" and her interest in a variety of ancient religions. Asalug also begins to get close with her other cousin, Rune, having vivid and intimate dreams about him. After several months living with them Aslaug begins to feel ill- a trip to the doctor reveals that she is pregnant though she does not remember having intercourse. Is Aslaug following in the steps of her mother?
Okay, so in a summary it seems like it could be interesting. But really, this story is so very disjointed! The chapters alternate between Aslaug's first person account of what happened and a trial.
This is not the trial for her mother's death but for the poisoning of her aunt and cousin and subsequent arson of the church.
The story is working at you from both ends in reverse directions but I feel like it gets more muddled than intriguing. Meldrum is an attorney and it shows through a little too clearly; the courtroom drama is very lawyer dramatic but not very teenager dramatic under the very last moments. I don't see Aslaug as a character that teens can easily latch onto unless they're really into ancient religious sects or botany- this is partially due to her isolation, but this is not a book that discusses an isolated girl's transition into the modern world. Instead, it is an outsider transferring herself into another group of outsiders that teens also will find it hard to relate to. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone under 16- the language is dense, the courtroom parts somewhat confusing (I say this as a former law student!), and the issues are heavy (multiple degrees of incest, drug use, poisoning, teen pregnancy, death, kidnapping, a communal family- the list goes on and on). I did not find this to be an easy read on any level- it was hard to get into. It's definitely different from other books that were published last year, but I don't necessarily think that translates into accolades. Perhaps I'm alone on this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2013
I'm glad I listened to Madapple. However I'm not sure if I can say I actually liked it. It's a disturbing read about a girl named Aslaug who's sequestered away from the world by an overprotective mother. Because of her isolation, Aslaug both loves and hates her mother, which skews her understanding of family and love for the whole book. When her mother unexpectedly dies, Aslaug has to face a world she does not understand and is not prepared for.
This book asks a lot of questions without ever answering them. But the way it asks them, the struggles Aslaug has, are interesting to read. Aslaug's story and her mother's story are very interwoven. The more she learns about herself the more she understands her mother and why she abandoned the world for isolation on their small farm.
One of the most disturbing elements was mutual crush between two cousins (who may or may not be half-siblings as well). Because Aslaug has been isolated and never known a boy her own age, it's understandable to an extent. But being understandable does not make it any less gross.
The biggest problem with this book is the pacing. I appreciate discussions of theology (probably more than most people do) but there's a point where rehashing those conversation drags down the book. There a whole section where this book is almost 90% theological discussion while nothing else happens. As a writer it's good to know all that information and to do all that research. However, the readers don't need all that information, only the sliver that is most relevant.
What this book did was very interesting. The story jumps between a murder trial and Aslaug's story. You never quite understand the timeline, what is happening or what has happened until the very end. Even though my feelings about this book are very mixed and muddled, I think it's worth reading to see what you think about it. The story is different enough to be compelling despite it's flaws.
Narration
Actually the narration really worked for me. I think this is the type of book I would've been tempted to abandon. But there it was every time I climbed into my car there it was, well-narrated and it was too much effort to go to library to search for a new audiobooks. The narration captured Aslaug's otherworldly feel, her isolation and separation from the world quite well. At times I did get confused because the way the book is structured and started passages over to figure out where I was. I think this would've been a better audiobook for a longer car trip where I was forced to focus on the story for more than 15 minute intervals. But like I said, for me this worked and I think it was a good way to get through a difficult book.
For book reviews and more check out my blog Galavanting Girl Books.
This book asks a lot of questions without ever answering them. But the way it asks them, the struggles Aslaug has, are interesting to read. Aslaug's story and her mother's story are very interwoven. The more she learns about herself the more she understands her mother and why she abandoned the world for isolation on their small farm.
One of the most disturbing elements was mutual crush between two cousins (who may or may not be half-siblings as well). Because Aslaug has been isolated and never known a boy her own age, it's understandable to an extent. But being understandable does not make it any less gross.
The biggest problem with this book is the pacing. I appreciate discussions of theology (probably more than most people do) but there's a point where rehashing those conversation drags down the book. There a whole section where this book is almost 90% theological discussion while nothing else happens. As a writer it's good to know all that information and to do all that research. However, the readers don't need all that information, only the sliver that is most relevant.
What this book did was very interesting. The story jumps between a murder trial and Aslaug's story. You never quite understand the timeline, what is happening or what has happened until the very end. Even though my feelings about this book are very mixed and muddled, I think it's worth reading to see what you think about it. The story is different enough to be compelling despite it's flaws.
Narration
Actually the narration really worked for me. I think this is the type of book I would've been tempted to abandon. But there it was every time I climbed into my car there it was, well-narrated and it was too much effort to go to library to search for a new audiobooks. The narration captured Aslaug's otherworldly feel, her isolation and separation from the world quite well. At times I did get confused because the way the book is structured and started passages over to figure out where I was. I think this would've been a better audiobook for a longer car trip where I was forced to focus on the story for more than 15 minute intervals. But like I said, for me this worked and I think it was a good way to get through a difficult book.
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February 7, 2009
When we meet Aslaug, she is on trial for the murders of her mother, her aunt, and her cousin. As her trial proceeds, the story of her life unfolds. Aslaug never knew her father and she was raised in isolation by her mother, who taught her ancient languages and the uses of plants and herbs. When her mother dies suddenly, Aslaug tries to bury her body in the backyard. A concerned neighbor calls the police, and Aslaug runs away. She discovers her relatives in nearby Bethan (a place she’s only been once before) and they take her in. There she learns some shocking things about her mother and the rest of her family that she’s never heard before. Aslaug’s cousin Sanne uses her to get back at her own mother, and Aslaug somehow becomes pregnant under mysterious circumstances. When her aunt finds out, she locks her up in the basement of the church, and when the child is born, Sanne and her mother treat the baby as if she is the next great prophet, or Messiah. Feeling that the environment isn’t healthy for the baby, Aslaug’s other cousin Rune steals away with the baby and Sanne and her mother commit suicide by overdosing with jimsonweed. Aslaug attempts to burn down the church and authorities take her into custody.
This was a strange, but oddly mesmerizing story. It’s hard to tell in the beginning where or when it’s taking place – modern or older times, in another world or here in this one? Gradually we discover that the strangeness comes from Aslaug’s mother, who has kept so many things from her daughter. But the place that Aslaug escapes to once her mother is gone, is equally bizarre – steeped in religious mysteries that, likewise, fail to give her satisfying answers. History appears to be repeating itself when Aslaug becomes pregnant – she can’t remember ever having had sex with anyone. But it turns out that these mysteries have their roots in the real world and that there are actual “causal” explanations for what’s happened to her. The mixture of courtroom drama and flashbacks to Aslaug’s actual experiences was just right, and her eventual vindication was very satisfying. Because it’s a bit strange and dark, it might not be everyteen’s favorite book, but some will really love it for those very reasons. In flavor/atmosphere, it reminded me a bit of The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean, which I did not enjoy reading as much as this, but which grew on me as I thought about it in the aftermath.
This was a strange, but oddly mesmerizing story. It’s hard to tell in the beginning where or when it’s taking place – modern or older times, in another world or here in this one? Gradually we discover that the strangeness comes from Aslaug’s mother, who has kept so many things from her daughter. But the place that Aslaug escapes to once her mother is gone, is equally bizarre – steeped in religious mysteries that, likewise, fail to give her satisfying answers. History appears to be repeating itself when Aslaug becomes pregnant – she can’t remember ever having had sex with anyone. But it turns out that these mysteries have their roots in the real world and that there are actual “causal” explanations for what’s happened to her. The mixture of courtroom drama and flashbacks to Aslaug’s actual experiences was just right, and her eventual vindication was very satisfying. Because it’s a bit strange and dark, it might not be everyteen’s favorite book, but some will really love it for those very reasons. In flavor/atmosphere, it reminded me a bit of The White Darkness, by Geraldine McCaughrean, which I did not enjoy reading as much as this, but which grew on me as I thought about it in the aftermath.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2009
First off, let me say that Madapple is not for everyone. You’ll either love it, or you’ll hate it. This book deals with a lot of dark themes; death, murder, drugs (in a sense), incest, religion, mythology, and to top it all off: an unreliable narrator.
The first chapter of this book, or rather prologue, was really confusing and I just couldn’t get into it so I put the book down and thought to pick it back up later. But when I did, I was absolutely blown away. The novel is structured on alternating chapters of Aslaug’s narration of the events of what happened to her, and then contrasted with the present with them in court. Once you start getting into you want to get to the court chapters to find out what happen, but then once you’ve read that you really have to go to the next chapter to see what really happened in Aslaug’s mind, which only makes you want to return to the present, and on and on and on. It’s so engrossing I couldn’t put the book down.
Christina Meldrum’s writing is absolutely gorgeous, her descriptions are amazing, and the way she manages to build suspense while hooking us for the next chapter was expertly done. Some people might be turned off by the large amounts of flower/plant information/descriptions but I loved it. Mainly because I work in a flower shop, so I’ve got an eye for the flora. Everything was written in such a surreal, floating type of matter that you’d expect something magical or fantasy-based would happen but it doesn’t. It’s not fantasy at all.
The middle sagged a little due to the heavy religion references because I thought she pressed this issue a bit too forcefully, but it was intriguing in its own way. The comparisons to mythology were fantastic. I would not have expected to find this type of book in the ya section. It’s very dark and deals with a lot of mature themes and pushes the boundary into adult fiction, but somehow manages to keep one step away from crossing over. A lot of the things that happen to the protagonist are twisted, creepy, and not to mention the main character’s mindset as well further enhanced the bizarre tone of the book.
If you want a hard hitting story that’s not balls of sunshine, than this would be the book for you, because there’s no trace of happy, upbeat, fluffy material in here.
The first chapter of this book, or rather prologue, was really confusing and I just couldn’t get into it so I put the book down and thought to pick it back up later. But when I did, I was absolutely blown away. The novel is structured on alternating chapters of Aslaug’s narration of the events of what happened to her, and then contrasted with the present with them in court. Once you start getting into you want to get to the court chapters to find out what happen, but then once you’ve read that you really have to go to the next chapter to see what really happened in Aslaug’s mind, which only makes you want to return to the present, and on and on and on. It’s so engrossing I couldn’t put the book down.
Christina Meldrum’s writing is absolutely gorgeous, her descriptions are amazing, and the way she manages to build suspense while hooking us for the next chapter was expertly done. Some people might be turned off by the large amounts of flower/plant information/descriptions but I loved it. Mainly because I work in a flower shop, so I’ve got an eye for the flora. Everything was written in such a surreal, floating type of matter that you’d expect something magical or fantasy-based would happen but it doesn’t. It’s not fantasy at all.
The middle sagged a little due to the heavy religion references because I thought she pressed this issue a bit too forcefully, but it was intriguing in its own way. The comparisons to mythology were fantastic. I would not have expected to find this type of book in the ya section. It’s very dark and deals with a lot of mature themes and pushes the boundary into adult fiction, but somehow manages to keep one step away from crossing over. A lot of the things that happen to the protagonist are twisted, creepy, and not to mention the main character’s mindset as well further enhanced the bizarre tone of the book.
If you want a hard hitting story that’s not balls of sunshine, than this would be the book for you, because there’s no trace of happy, upbeat, fluffy material in here.
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