Passion and Poison: Tales of Shape-Shifters, Ghosts, and Spirited Women

by Janice M. Del Negro, Vince Natale (Illustrator)

"Giovanna undid her cloak, and it slipped to the ground. The sun was coming up over the edge of the sea, and the light caught the rubies around Giovanna’s throat and set them on fire. Rafael could not take his eyes from those flaming stones. Giovanna reached behind her head to undo the clasp that held the rubies."

Janice M. Del Negro’s unique storyteller’s voice enlivens this collection of eight original tales about strong, resolute females. Whether she’s spinning a story about a brave housekeeper who does not suffer fools gladly or a woman who uses her wits to avenge her sister’s death, she embroiders her tales with elegant language and vivid imagery. There are characters and settings that will chill the bones, from the skulls in a moonlit mausoleum to the apparition of a wealthy woman "in a cyclone of light and fog" to three cauldrons filled with hair, bones, and blood. Mysterious shape-shifters and ghostly figures appear, but the women here handle them with grace and conviction. Acting to achieve justice and fairness, these characters become heroines in the landscape of the imagination. An author’s note is included.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Young Adult, Ghosts

64 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a storytelling class taught by Janice Del Negro at Dominican University and loved it, so when I saw a review for this book I, of course, wanted to read it! There are eight stories in the collection, all centered around strong female characters. Each story is based on or inspired by a folktale or folk motif, and written in a way to make them easy to tell aloud. Janice told one of the tales, "Rubies," in class, and it is my favorite in this collection.

[Stacey B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I thought this book was going to be really terrifying, but it was not super scary. The book states that it is for ages 10 and up, so it's more of a middle grade than a young adult book. This was a very quick book to read through, and I was thoroughly entertained. The stories are quick and slightly spooky. I really enjoyed the illustrations that are scattered throughout the book, they helped to set the mood. My favorite story in the collection is Sea Child and I also really enjoyed The Severed Hand.

COVER: The cover of this is pretty creepy. The pop of red on the woman's necklace and the red squiggly title just stand out and make you immediately think of blood.

**I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a mixture of traditional and original tales, crafted by a performing storyteller who is also a talented writer. Of the seven tales, one is based on an English folk tale, collected more than a century ago by Jacobs, and another on a traditional ballad. The others are based more on motifs than single sources, but all share a theme involving women who are more than simple victims...living or dead, they are feisty and strong.

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short collection collection of short spooky tales contains both new and retold stories. I was glad to find a note at the end admitting the borrowings, but it still seemed a bit strange to me to mix folk tales with originals, especially as most of altered elements are the weaker ones. Her retelling of the English story "Mr. Fox," is pretty much a shorter, less detailed version of the original. She doesn't add anything stylistically and removes some plot elements -- what's the point?

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had Janice for several classes at Dominican University, including storytelling. As a collection of stories to be read aloud or told, they are fabulous. And they are meant to be heard, not just read. The second story, Rosie Hopewell, was my favorite. So much so, that I got permission from Janice to tell it, and I am adding it to repertoire of stories that I tell. This is a wonderful resource for storytellers and anyone who enjoys reading books aloud.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge*
Advanced Prompt #2: The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list - 64 pages

I was disappointed by this book. I had looked everywhere for a copy after reading Spooky Campfire Stories: Outdoor Myths and Tales for All Ages last year, which was a truly excellent collection of spooky stories (many of which are rare and hard to find). "The Severed Hand" was one of my favorite stories in that book, so I knew I wanted more from the author, Janice M. Del Negro.

Unfortunately, "The Severed Hand" was by and far the best story in Del Negro's collection, and the remaining stories were either predictable or just didn't seem to have a point. I did not find them scary in the least, although the illustrations did spook me a little as I was turning the pages late at night!

2.5 stars for the illustrations and the couple of stories I enjoyed, rounded up because it's a small indie publisher.

[Library To-Go]

Booktalk on 03/28/24 - TG

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Source: Received a copy from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

Lately I've been really into short stories so I was excited to see this available for review. I like how there is a woman on the cover as well as mentioned in the subtitle. This is a collection of seven stories with various horror themes, intended by the author to be read aloud as I discovered when I read the author's note at the end. I only had myself so I read silently but I wonder how a crowd would respond to them especially if they were told around a campfire or on a dark and stormy night.

I'm not going to go in-depth to any of the stories as I had basically the same impression for all. This is certainly competent writing with some killer closing lines (inevitably the line I wanted to highlight for almost all of the stories was the last one.) But it wasn't very scary, if that was in fact the intention, which I assumed it was due to the creepy cover and mention of ghosts. That's why I wonder if the setting in which this was read would play a factor in how you processed it.

Of further interest was the author's note, which explains how she came to compose these stories and her purpose in reclaiming some ground for the anonymous women who populate folklore. Each of the women here do have a name and their agency is clearly revealed to the reader, if not to the other characters of the story. Inspiration for each story is also cited so the curious can research more.

Overall: A well-done short story collection-though were standouts, all were good on about the same level. Maybe a fun library read for a camping trip?

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was in the mood for some scary and haunting tales. Well I have to say while the stories were not that scary. My definition of scary is something that gives you chills, makes you look over your shoulder a few times, and even having you tuck your blanket up to your chin when you go to bed. A book or story does not have to have all three criteria’s to make me happy but if it does than it is a keeper.

So this is one of the reasons I could not give this book five stars. Another reason was because while the stories were short, quick, and not anything I have read, I found myself having a little bit of a hard time getting into all of the stories. However for the most part I did enjoy the stories. I was not expecting illustrations so that was a nice surprise. In fact the few pictures that were in this book were well done and were the creepy parts of this collection. If you are looking for something different to read than you might check out this collection of stories.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is full of excellent, scary stories for storytellers. I particularly liked the strong female protagonist in each of the tales. The only story I recognized was "the Severed Hand" based on "Mr. Fox", which I read recently in English Fairy Tales. These stories feel richer than some of the original tales they were based on or drawn from, because they are set in a slightly more modern time and the names match the periods. They also have brilliant visuals and awesome illustrations that look like they were done in charcoal or pencil. I liked all of the tales, but my favorites were Rubies and Sea Child.

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the tone of the author but found the seven familiar (or with familiar motifs) tales in this slim volume not scary or eerie enough. There exists always a promising build-up but the readers are left short of truly gruesome, horrific, or surprising endings. The cover design is quite effective, with raised blood-red title print, but the interior illustrations are uneven and less than accomplished in many cases. The very good cover art is done by Vincent Natale, but the illustration copyright is attributed to Marshall Cavendish, the publisher -- and the quality of the illustrations definitely feel like work-for-hire jobs.

[bjneary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, small collection of seven short stories about women and girls of conviction and substance, but let’s not forget the ghosts either! Tales are “The bargain,” “Rosie Hopewell,” “Skulls and Bones, Ghosts, and Gold,” “The Severed Hand,” “Rubies,” “Sea Child,” and “Hide and Seek.” Good for read-alouds, these gothic tales, some original and some retold, are eerie and pull the reader right in because you must find out what happened. I especially liked the female characters who are strong and resourceful women and girls who take whatever life holds for them and use courage to shape their own destinies.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like 2 stars is generous for a book of this calibre, but it deserves an "it was okay" for being exactly what I expected.
The writing was no better and no worse than other YA ghost story books (like Stories to Tell in the Dark") although the author's occasional "Creative Writing 101" stylistic additions were obnoxious.
I actually enjoyed it more when I read the afterward and learned the author was intentionally focusing on creating vivid female characters out of supernatural folklore stories.
Anyway, it is what it is. Even if you love ghost stories, I wouldn't go out of my way to read this one.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect to curl up with on a dark and stormy night, Passion and Poison also works well as a read-aloud and storytelling source thanks in part to the well-turned phrases. Del Negro includes notes on each story at the end of the book. I recently read "Hide and Seek" aloud at a scary stories event for 4th-8th graders and found it to be effectively creepy. The black, white, and red illustrations add to the spooky tone of the book.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are meant to be read aloud. That makes sense. They are definitely best when carried on the voice. As I read them, I could hear the storyteller's voice clearly -- like conversation, sometimes with a friend, sometimes with a stranger. If you're looking for horror, grisly deaths, macabre details --- this collection of a handful of folklore-based tales isn't it. The stories are shivery, spooky, mournful, satisfying.

[Catherine Yezak · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an interesting little read. A lot of short ghost stories that are based on folklore or myths from the past with a twist. It is great for those who aren't big readers but would like to give themselves a shiver every now and then.

[Aleta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book of spooky stories - most are adaptations of traditional stories or ballads. I found this the young adult section of the library, and I think we have it in the children's section as well, but it is really an all-ages type of book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slim but well-written volume of ghost stories. Each is only a few pages and is narrated in authentic voices, making this super-accessible for reluctant readers. Enjoyable, strong female leads in each story.

[Lynne Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in the young adult section at the public library. Since it was on the Halloween table, I decided to take a chance and read it. Some of the stories were pretty scary! It's a quick and fun read.

[Sx3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of short stories that are enjoyable in their simplicity.

My favorite was the first one, "The Bargain", because it really had that Americana ghost/folk story vibe down pat, but each story had something to offer.

Really liked Vince Natale's artwork as well.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute book w/various ghost stoies. If you're into ghosts, this is a read. It is a YA book.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short collection of supernatural tales is perfect for reading aloud. I particularly liked "Sea Child," which was very eerie. I just wish the book had been longer!

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent ghost stories but nothing really new or spectacular.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven creepy, super-natural stories that defy logic and reason, retold from traditional folklore. They are scary without being blatant and unnerving without being haunting. Storytelling at its best.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of just-spooky-enough stories for storytelling or to read aloud - Janice's voice comes through loud and clear.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading these short stories I had no idea that they were based loosely on many folklores from around the world. This gave me a new perspective to these quirky stories.

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost stories with strong women as the central characters of each. Each story is short, only a few pages long, and good for readers who don’t like long books. Late of 4th grade and up.

[B. Barron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute; and a very easy read. Some of the stories didn’t seem to fit the motif and thus left me a bit confused – but that isn’t always a bad thing.

[Boo Langdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was ok it was kinda boring

[Reba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection and a quick read.