What do you think?
Rate this book
The Poison Diaries #1
Liebe ist unheilbar
Um 1800: Jessamine lebt mit ihrem Vater in einer verlassenen Kapelle im Norden Englands. Sie führen ein stilles, von Jahreszeiten geprägtes Leben. Jessamines Vater ist Botaniker, seine Leidenschaft sind Heil- und Giftpflanzen. In einem verborgenen Giftgarten züchtet er mächtige tödliche Gewächse, sorgsam darauf bedacht, seine Tochter von der Gefahr fernzuhalten. Als eines Tages Weed auftaucht, ein rätselhafter Fremder mit absinthgrünen Augen, verfällt Jessmine ihm sofort. Doch kaum haben die beiden zueinander gefunden, wird das Mädchen sterbenskrank. Was ist Weeds dunkles Geheimnis? Ist er ihre Rettung oder bringt er den Tod?
Eine Geschichte, so geheimnisvoll wie die unergründliche Welt der Pflanzen. Denn ob Belladonna heilt oder tötet, darüber entscheidet am Ende die Liebe …
Eine Geschichte, so geheimnisvoll wie die unergründliche Welt der Pflanzen. Denn ob Belladonna heilt oder tötet, darüber entscheidet am Ende die Liebe …
266 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2010
67 people are currently reading
4137 people want to read
About the author
Maryrose Wood
21 books1,021 followersSending big hugs and loveawoo to all.
I'm so pleased to introduce you to my new book: Alice's Farm, A Rabbit’s Tale. In stores on September 1st; available for preorder now.
Alice is an eastern cottontail. Genus sylvagia, species floridanus. About three pounds full grown, if she makes it that far.
Life at the bottom of the food chain is no picnic! But that doesn’t worry Alice much. She's too busy doing all she can to save her beautiful farmland home—not just for herself, but for all the creatures of the valley between the hills.
Yup, all of ’em! Even that new family of farmers who just moved into the big red
house across the meadow. They don’t know much about farming, being from
the city. They mean well. But they’re easy pickins for the local apex predator (he's a real estate developer, in case you couldn't tell).
But Alice has a plan to help.
Rabbits helping farmers? That’s awfully unusual, isn’t it? Well, you're right
about that, young’un!
Let’s put it this way: Alice is no ordinary rabbit.
With loveawoo,
Maryrose
p.s. — If you could use a little extra pluck and optimism right now, please help yourself to THE SWANBURNE ACADEMY GUIDE TO SHELTERING IN PLACE.
You can download it right here:
www.swanburneacademy.com/freeguide
I'm so pleased to introduce you to my new book: Alice's Farm, A Rabbit’s Tale. In stores on September 1st; available for preorder now.
Alice is an eastern cottontail. Genus sylvagia, species floridanus. About three pounds full grown, if she makes it that far.
Life at the bottom of the food chain is no picnic! But that doesn’t worry Alice much. She's too busy doing all she can to save her beautiful farmland home—not just for herself, but for all the creatures of the valley between the hills.
Yup, all of ’em! Even that new family of farmers who just moved into the big red
house across the meadow. They don’t know much about farming, being from
the city. They mean well. But they’re easy pickins for the local apex predator (he's a real estate developer, in case you couldn't tell).
But Alice has a plan to help.
Rabbits helping farmers? That’s awfully unusual, isn’t it? Well, you're right
about that, young’un!
Let’s put it this way: Alice is no ordinary rabbit.
With loveawoo,
Maryrose
p.s. — If you could use a little extra pluck and optimism right now, please help yourself to THE SWANBURNE ACADEMY GUIDE TO SHELTERING IN PLACE.
You can download it right here:
www.swanburneacademy.com/freeguide
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 634 reviews
November 1, 2010
First off, I have to say I thouroughly enjoyed this. This book did it's job, it kept me entertained. Was it mindblowing? No
Was it Fun? Yes
Do I think you should read it? Yes (if you like Young Adult books)
Imagine you can hear voices, voices of Plants. Daisies, Lilies, Trees, Grass, Potato Plants.. sounds good right??? But, you can also hear the voices of poisonous plants, Snakeweed, Moonseed, Larkspur....
They all call out to you, they all have motives.. To save, to heal, to poison, to kill. The only person you have ever told your secret to, thinks you are mad, insane. You learn to keep it in, to try to self perserve yourself. You cannot escape it.
You meet a girl, the girl. She gets you, she understands your secret. She keeps it. She Believes you. She loves you. She is poisoned by something-something you can't figure out. Your plants offer their "help", but it is all with conditions. Your Quest leaves you fighting for you loves' life with other realms and obstacles you never thought were exsisting.
In the right dose everything is poison.
Will you make the right decisions to keep your love alive? Will she even be yours at the end?? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself regardless?
Recommend this for all of you who liked Poison Study....
Was it Fun? Yes
Do I think you should read it? Yes (if you like Young Adult books)
Imagine you can hear voices, voices of Plants. Daisies, Lilies, Trees, Grass, Potato Plants.. sounds good right??? But, you can also hear the voices of poisonous plants, Snakeweed, Moonseed, Larkspur....
They all call out to you, they all have motives.. To save, to heal, to poison, to kill. The only person you have ever told your secret to, thinks you are mad, insane. You learn to keep it in, to try to self perserve yourself. You cannot escape it.
You meet a girl, the girl. She gets you, she understands your secret. She keeps it. She Believes you. She loves you. She is poisoned by something-something you can't figure out. Your plants offer their "help", but it is all with conditions. Your Quest leaves you fighting for you loves' life with other realms and obstacles you never thought were exsisting.
In the right dose everything is poison.
Will you make the right decisions to keep your love alive? Will she even be yours at the end?? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself regardless?
Recommend this for all of you who liked Poison Study....
May 27, 2015
The Poison Diaries was different enough to hold my attention, but I not sure that it would be everyone's cuppa.
Jessimine is a young woman living a pretty isolated life with her botanist/apothecary father in (from what I could gather) the late 1700's. Her father is obsessed with finding cures made from plants that were lost generations ago. The cures were lost..not the plants. Yep, pretty strong Creepy Mad Scientist vibe rolling off of this guy.
For the most part Jessimine is a dutiful daughter who tries her best to please him. The main sore spot in their relationship is his locked poison garden. It contains all of the poisonous plants that he's collected from all over the world. His refusal to let her enter it is the only thing she openly complains about.
Well, you can't really blame the old guy for wanting to keep her safe, can you? Maybe he's not so bad after all...
Then along comes Weed. Yes, our hero's name is Weed. Of course, Jessimine eventually falls in love with him.
Jessimine loves Weed.
*giggle*
I hate to be blunt, but his sister Mary Jane has a chronic problem with roaches.
sigh
Alright, I'm going to stop.
Back to Weed.
He basically gets dumped off on their doorstep by an unscrupulous man who runs an asylum. According to this man, Weed cured his patients with a concoction that he put in their tea. He wants the kid gone, because if all the crazies get better, he's out of a job.
Naturally, Mr. Mad Scientist wants to understand how Weed knew what plants to blend for the cures, so he takes him into his home.
Weed is really strange, but Jessimine is really lonely. I guess that kind of makes them even, and (naturally!) they fall in love.
And then things get weird.
If you think you might like to read a story about love, murder, and psychotic plants then The Poison Diaries should be next on your to-read list.
Did you catch the part about the psychotic plants? 'Cause I'm not kidding.
Jessimine is a young woman living a pretty isolated life with her botanist/apothecary father in (from what I could gather) the late 1700's. Her father is obsessed with finding cures made from plants that were lost generations ago. The cures were lost..not the plants. Yep, pretty strong Creepy Mad Scientist vibe rolling off of this guy.
For the most part Jessimine is a dutiful daughter who tries her best to please him. The main sore spot in their relationship is his locked poison garden. It contains all of the poisonous plants that he's collected from all over the world. His refusal to let her enter it is the only thing she openly complains about.
Well, you can't really blame the old guy for wanting to keep her safe, can you? Maybe he's not so bad after all...
Then along comes Weed. Yes, our hero's name is Weed. Of course, Jessimine eventually falls in love with him.
Jessimine loves Weed.
*giggle*
I hate to be blunt, but his sister Mary Jane has a chronic problem with roaches.
sigh
Alright, I'm going to stop.
Back to Weed.
He basically gets dumped off on their doorstep by an unscrupulous man who runs an asylum. According to this man, Weed cured his patients with a concoction that he put in their tea. He wants the kid gone, because if all the crazies get better, he's out of a job.
Naturally, Mr. Mad Scientist wants to understand how Weed knew what plants to blend for the cures, so he takes him into his home.
Weed is really strange, but Jessimine is really lonely. I guess that kind of makes them even, and (naturally!) they fall in love.
And then things get weird.
If you think you might like to read a story about love, murder, and psychotic plants then The Poison Diaries should be next on your to-read list.
Did you catch the part about the psychotic plants? 'Cause I'm not kidding.
August 4, 2010
Sixteen-year-old Jessamine lives with her father, an apothecary, in an abandoned church she calls "the cottage". Her father's obsession is a forbidden garden where he keeps deadly and poisonous plants from around the world. Jessamine lives a boring life- taking care of her father and the plants, writing in her journal, doing household chores. Until a stranger shows up at her home with a present for her father. The present is Weed, a strange and introverted boy, whom with Jessamine builds a friendship, and later, a romance. Weed has a secret, though: plants communicate with him, and he is especially wary of the Poison Garden. But when Jessamine falls inexplicably ill, its up to Weed to unlock the secret of the dangerous garden in order to save her life.
When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be good. The premise was unique and the writing was lovely. I really liked Jessamine's journal and how her voice fit the time period. Quickly, though, I got sick of it. The writing soon became (pardon the pun) too flowery, and the beginning was incredibly boring. No conflict was introduced until nearly 50 pages in.
And once Weed was introduced, it was too late. I already had a sour taste in my mouth. Jessamine proved herself to be a weak character. All she did was cook, clean, and then become unconcious. I thought we had gotten past the whole Disney Princess concept. I guess not. And Weed and Jessamine's romance was incredibly awkward. I kept wincing and getting embarrassed for them. Weed would have been interesting if his ability wasn't so silly. He talks to plants, or more correctly, plants talk to him. I kept getting these absurd mental images of flowers with lips, and too soon I was past the point of taking this book seriously.
And the ending was pretty horrible. Once Jessamine got deadly ill, she couldn't very well write in her journal, could she? So Weed had to pick it up. From there, things got even weirder. It would shift between Weed's POV (which was eerily similar to Jessamine's), and these weird tripped out visions which Jessamine had of a Plant Prince or something. It was quite difficult to follow. And of course it ended openly because we can't have a stand-alone now, can we?
*sighs* There are just some books that don't need to be written.
When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be good. The premise was unique and the writing was lovely. I really liked Jessamine's journal and how her voice fit the time period. Quickly, though, I got sick of it. The writing soon became (pardon the pun) too flowery, and the beginning was incredibly boring. No conflict was introduced until nearly 50 pages in.
And once Weed was introduced, it was too late. I already had a sour taste in my mouth. Jessamine proved herself to be a weak character. All she did was cook, clean, and then become unconcious. I thought we had gotten past the whole Disney Princess concept. I guess not. And Weed and Jessamine's romance was incredibly awkward. I kept wincing and getting embarrassed for them. Weed would have been interesting if his ability wasn't so silly. He talks to plants, or more correctly, plants talk to him. I kept getting these absurd mental images of flowers with lips, and too soon I was past the point of taking this book seriously.
And the ending was pretty horrible. Once Jessamine got deadly ill, she couldn't very well write in her journal, could she? So Weed had to pick it up. From there, things got even weirder. It would shift between Weed's POV (which was eerily similar to Jessamine's), and these weird tripped out visions which Jessamine had of a Plant Prince or something. It was quite difficult to follow. And of course it ended openly because we can't have a stand-alone now, can we?
*sighs* There are just some books that don't need to be written.
June 6, 2011
I thought this book would be so much better...
Let me start off with Jessamine. Pros? Eh...apparently she's pretty. Cons? Don't get me started. She is one of the silliest, weak-willed female protagonists I've read in awhile. Naive to an obvious fault, she is willing to tell her entire life story (and her fathers, including the bit about where he keeps all his deadly poisons) to the first stranger that comes along. Naturally, this person is Weed. And, obviously, she falls in love with him if for no other reason than he's the only viable male option she has.
Jessamine is the very definition of damsel in distress. A good, perfectly obedient girl, she somehow gets trapped into quite a mess and does absolutely nothing to save herself. She puts all of her love and hope into a boy she barely knows (and somehow becomes engaged along the way) and suddenly her life is on the line and she's at the mercy of her father and Prince Poison.
Jessamine was beyond stupid and irrational. In the beginning, some internal voice of hers goes on about her being "weak prey" and you get the feeling its some prelude to this huge character change and burst of bravery, wisdom, and courage....yeah, it's not. She is, in fact, weak prey.
Weed...don't really care for him one way or another.
The Father, Mr. Luxton, he's a psycho. Enough said.
All in all, I was thoroughly disappointed. I was expecting this to be some kickass, girl-empowerment deal (not sure why). Needless to say, it was anything but.
Let me start off with Jessamine. Pros? Eh...apparently she's pretty. Cons? Don't get me started. She is one of the silliest, weak-willed female protagonists I've read in awhile. Naive to an obvious fault, she is willing to tell her entire life story (and her fathers, including the bit about where he keeps all his deadly poisons) to the first stranger that comes along. Naturally, this person is Weed. And, obviously, she falls in love with him if for no other reason than he's the only viable male option she has.
Jessamine is the very definition of damsel in distress. A good, perfectly obedient girl, she somehow gets trapped into quite a mess and does absolutely nothing to save herself. She puts all of her love and hope into a boy she barely knows (and somehow becomes engaged along the way) and suddenly her life is on the line and she's at the mercy of her father and Prince Poison.
Jessamine was beyond stupid and irrational. In the beginning, some internal voice of hers goes on about her being "weak prey" and you get the feeling its some prelude to this huge character change and burst of bravery, wisdom, and courage....yeah, it's not. She is, in fact, weak prey.
Weed...don't really care for him one way or another.
The Father, Mr. Luxton, he's a psycho. Enough said.
All in all, I was thoroughly disappointed. I was expecting this to be some kickass, girl-empowerment deal (not sure why). Needless to say, it was anything but.
September 16, 2011
Three stars: I recommend this book with some reservations.
The Poison Diaries is a book of dark suspense, filled with the innocence of first love and a treacherous betrayal. It is hard for me to review this book. I find myself conflicted on my final rating. While there are aspects of the story I enjoyed, the majority of the book is ominous and it leaves you with an unsettled feeling. This book is about Jessamine, a young innocent, sheltered, flower bud; who for the most part has lived in isolation with only her father, Thomas, the apothecary and the plants, flowers and herbs for company. Then enters a mysterious boy named Weed who has a strange gift. He is able to commune with all the plants. Thus, the seeds for a tender young romance are planted. In time it begins to grow. The delicate Jessamine flowers and loses her heart to the enigmatic Weed. The young love is just beginning to flourish when an unexpected frost touches the seedling of romance. Weed is forced to enter the poison garden of Jessamyn's father to find a cure. The locked garden holds the key to life but also hidden there are the insidious plants of poison; they have the ability to heal or harm. What lengths will Weed go to revive the dying flower of love? Will the garden give up it's sinister secrets and at what price?
What I Liked:
*The characters of Jessamine and Weed. I liked what they represent in the book. They are the symbols of the light and beautiful side of nature. Jessamine is a naive, young girl who blossoms at the first soft touch of love. Weed is the voice of the gentle side of nature. The plants and herbs tell him their secrets and with them he is able to heal the sick. He also mourns the wasteful plundering of nature. The murdering of innocent plants for no good reason causes him great pain. When the tendrils of Jessamyn's love wrap around his heart he finds peace and happiness. Until the touch of evil seeps in threatening destruction.
*I enjoyed learning about the many plants and their medicinal uses. Since the story takes place in the late 1700's it is a time where plants and herbs were relied on heavily for cures. The author definitely researched the plants and their many uses. I also liked that she gave the plants a voice. From the gentle plants and flowers to the treacherous belladonna and the dark Prince Oleander. The plants as characters was definitely a novel aspect of the story.
*I listened to the audio version of this book. If you are able to get your hands on a copy do so. I think hearing the gentle voice of the narrator as she says the soothing names of all the plants is mesmerizing.
*The poison garden was fascinating. It is easy for one to forget the great and terrible capabilities of nature. How a beautiful flower can bear the touch of death. Nature is able to heal and give life or she can snatch it away. She does not discriminate among her victims. We are all prone to her whims. This book reminds you of the infinite power that Nature possesses.
And The Not So Much:
*While the story has some bright spots, the overall story is dark. With the good comes evil. The poison garden is the representation of the danger and harshness of nature. There is a price for everything. We are reminded of the sacrifices that are made everyday; the death of one so another might live. Also of the heavy debt that was paid to acquire modern medicine; with the light comes the dark.
*Thomas, the apothecary, he is the icon of greed and domination. His heart and mind are poisoned with the power that he wields with his garden. He forgets the most important oath of a healer; to do no harm. His craving and avarice for knowledge leads to a shockingly evil decision that will leave you stunned.
Overall the story of The Poison Diaries is intriguing and unique. The writing is beautiful. The dark story and bitter ending may leave you confused and dismayed. This is definitely not a light, funny read. It is a reminder of the cruelty that both man and nature are capable of unleashing. It is a story that will stick with you. The second installment in this series, Nightshade is due out on October 25th 2011.
The Poison Diaries is a book of dark suspense, filled with the innocence of first love and a treacherous betrayal. It is hard for me to review this book. I find myself conflicted on my final rating. While there are aspects of the story I enjoyed, the majority of the book is ominous and it leaves you with an unsettled feeling. This book is about Jessamine, a young innocent, sheltered, flower bud; who for the most part has lived in isolation with only her father, Thomas, the apothecary and the plants, flowers and herbs for company. Then enters a mysterious boy named Weed who has a strange gift. He is able to commune with all the plants. Thus, the seeds for a tender young romance are planted. In time it begins to grow. The delicate Jessamine flowers and loses her heart to the enigmatic Weed. The young love is just beginning to flourish when an unexpected frost touches the seedling of romance. Weed is forced to enter the poison garden of Jessamyn's father to find a cure. The locked garden holds the key to life but also hidden there are the insidious plants of poison; they have the ability to heal or harm. What lengths will Weed go to revive the dying flower of love? Will the garden give up it's sinister secrets and at what price?
What I Liked:
*The characters of Jessamine and Weed. I liked what they represent in the book. They are the symbols of the light and beautiful side of nature. Jessamine is a naive, young girl who blossoms at the first soft touch of love. Weed is the voice of the gentle side of nature. The plants and herbs tell him their secrets and with them he is able to heal the sick. He also mourns the wasteful plundering of nature. The murdering of innocent plants for no good reason causes him great pain. When the tendrils of Jessamyn's love wrap around his heart he finds peace and happiness. Until the touch of evil seeps in threatening destruction.
*I enjoyed learning about the many plants and their medicinal uses. Since the story takes place in the late 1700's it is a time where plants and herbs were relied on heavily for cures. The author definitely researched the plants and their many uses. I also liked that she gave the plants a voice. From the gentle plants and flowers to the treacherous belladonna and the dark Prince Oleander. The plants as characters was definitely a novel aspect of the story.
*I listened to the audio version of this book. If you are able to get your hands on a copy do so. I think hearing the gentle voice of the narrator as she says the soothing names of all the plants is mesmerizing.
*The poison garden was fascinating. It is easy for one to forget the great and terrible capabilities of nature. How a beautiful flower can bear the touch of death. Nature is able to heal and give life or she can snatch it away. She does not discriminate among her victims. We are all prone to her whims. This book reminds you of the infinite power that Nature possesses.
And The Not So Much:
*While the story has some bright spots, the overall story is dark. With the good comes evil. The poison garden is the representation of the danger and harshness of nature. There is a price for everything. We are reminded of the sacrifices that are made everyday; the death of one so another might live. Also of the heavy debt that was paid to acquire modern medicine; with the light comes the dark.
*Thomas, the apothecary, he is the icon of greed and domination. His heart and mind are poisoned with the power that he wields with his garden. He forgets the most important oath of a healer; to do no harm. His craving and avarice for knowledge leads to a shockingly evil decision that will leave you stunned.
Overall the story of The Poison Diaries is intriguing and unique. The writing is beautiful. The dark story and bitter ending may leave you confused and dismayed. This is definitely not a light, funny read. It is a reminder of the cruelty that both man and nature are capable of unleashing. It is a story that will stick with you. The second installment in this series, Nightshade is due out on October 25th 2011.
November 9, 2015
This was kind of a disappointment. I was interested in the concept, the idea of a character who can communicate with plants. And it started out fine. I liked the idea that Weed, the one who can hear plants, would be happy to eat meat but not plants, because carrots communicate him while bacon does not. That was an interesting take. But eventually, I got bored with the characters. I got bored with a story that went nowhere for far too long. And when one character went from being kind of a jerk to a mustache twirling villain, I was sort of over it. By then, the book was so close to the end that I rode it out, but I'm definitely not going to continue with this series.
December 16, 2015
I read this pre-release ebook on HarperTeen.com. I must admit that I'm not generally a fan of reading ebooks on the computer - I like to be able to travel while reading: the bed, the couch, the floor, at the table while I eat, etc. So I don't read a lot of books at the computer, but a lot depends on if the book is worth it. If it engages me and keeps me interested, then I don't notice that I'm tethered as much.
This one definitely kept me interested, and engaged. I really enjoyed it, and in fact up until the last quarter of the book, I'd have given it 4 stars rather than the 3 it got. But I'll explain that later.
This is the story of Jessamine, her apothecary father, and a strange orphan teen who comes into their lives, Weed. After her mother's illness and subsequent death, Jessamine has lived secluded from the world with only her father for company, when he's not off trying to cure the sick and dying, that is. Even when he is home, much of his time is spent in the pursuit of knowledge regarding the plants that he's collected from all over the globe, trying to resurrect methods and recipes for tinctures and the like that have been lost to time. Needless to say, Jessamine leads a solitary life, and is lonely... until Weed comes.
Weed is something of a blank slate when we meet him. He doesn't speak, he doesn't eat, will only drink water. He's a bit of a mystery - he doesn't know how old he is, where he comes from, except that he was raised by a Friar until the Friar's death and then passed along to an asylum as a ward afterward. Due to an uncanny, and not very good for business ability to heal and sooth the sick inhabitants of the asylum, he was packed off to the apothecary to see if there was use for him there. He has a profound knack for recognizing the uses of a plant and how they will work together - a skill that Jessamine's father covets.
This book reminded me of a few other books that I've read not too long ago, or rather little pieces of it did... Usually, I'm not a fan of that, but this book was unique enough that it wasn't really an issue. And it was more of a kind of undertone than anything pointedly borrowed or reminiscent of those books. I won't mention the books here as I don't want to influence anyone's opinion of this book incorrectly - and really there aren't real comparisons between them at all. Just the same kind of feeling that I had reading them as this... which probably makes no sense at all. ;)
The writing in this book was lovely... The book is written in a kind of journovel style, with chapter headers that are like journal entries, and then it shifts to regular first-person narration, until the last quarter of the book, where everything goes a little... wonky. But take this quote, from one of the chapter headers:
And I must say that this book gives whole new meaning to "flowery" writing. Rather than just anthropomorphism (giving human characteristics to inanimate objects, or here, plants etc), there's also a reversal with botanomorphism (giving plantlike qualities to human characteristics). I very much liked this aspect of the book. I thought it was unique and it lent a authenticity to the story being told. I also liked that the plants were, without giving too much away, powerful and intelligent.
Sticking to the writing for a little bit longer, I have to mention that towards the end, the narration and the story veered off in an unexpected and kind of disappointing manner. In order to explain, I'll have to give a little background, and I'll try not to spoil anything. Jessamine, our principle narrator and journal keeper, falls ill - too ill to keep writing after a certain point - so Weed takes up her journal for her. Yet, from this point on, the story alternates between Weed's narration and Jessamine's dreamlike visions. These seemed unnecessary, and out of place to me, and could have been handled in a much better way. Not only because the information in these sections isn't needed to follow or progress the storyline, but also because who the heck is writing them? It's not Jessamine, she's far too sick, and it's not Weed because unless he's a mind-reader, he'd have no way to know she was even having them.
Aside from this, I quite liked the story, although I had hoped for a different outcome... but maybe a sequel is in the works...?
This was definitely an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to people who enjoy YA as something different from the usual girl-meets-mysterious-boy fare... just take the ending with a grain of salt.
This one definitely kept me interested, and engaged. I really enjoyed it, and in fact up until the last quarter of the book, I'd have given it 4 stars rather than the 3 it got. But I'll explain that later.
This is the story of Jessamine, her apothecary father, and a strange orphan teen who comes into their lives, Weed. After her mother's illness and subsequent death, Jessamine has lived secluded from the world with only her father for company, when he's not off trying to cure the sick and dying, that is. Even when he is home, much of his time is spent in the pursuit of knowledge regarding the plants that he's collected from all over the globe, trying to resurrect methods and recipes for tinctures and the like that have been lost to time. Needless to say, Jessamine leads a solitary life, and is lonely... until Weed comes.
Weed is something of a blank slate when we meet him. He doesn't speak, he doesn't eat, will only drink water. He's a bit of a mystery - he doesn't know how old he is, where he comes from, except that he was raised by a Friar until the Friar's death and then passed along to an asylum as a ward afterward. Due to an uncanny, and not very good for business ability to heal and sooth the sick inhabitants of the asylum, he was packed off to the apothecary to see if there was use for him there. He has a profound knack for recognizing the uses of a plant and how they will work together - a skill that Jessamine's father covets.
This book reminded me of a few other books that I've read not too long ago, or rather little pieces of it did... Usually, I'm not a fan of that, but this book was unique enough that it wasn't really an issue. And it was more of a kind of undertone than anything pointedly borrowed or reminiscent of those books. I won't mention the books here as I don't want to influence anyone's opinion of this book incorrectly - and really there aren't real comparisons between them at all. Just the same kind of feeling that I had reading them as this... which probably makes no sense at all. ;)
The writing in this book was lovely... The book is written in a kind of journovel style, with chapter headers that are like journal entries, and then it shifts to regular first-person narration, until the last quarter of the book, where everything goes a little... wonky. But take this quote, from one of the chapter headers:
The air is perfumed with spring. The sun warms the skin and melts the heart, and everything grows with abandon. Roots stretch deep in the earth to satisfy their thirst. Stalks race upward, propelled by joy. Leaves flutter and dance, buds swell and shameless blossoms unfurl and offer themselves freely to the sky.You can just tell that Jessamine is in love writing that. She doesn't even need to say it.
I can scarcely sleep at night; I am too restless with excitment. In the long green history of the world, there has never been a season such as this. If this is what love does to the world, how could anyone plant a garden without it?
And I must say that this book gives whole new meaning to "flowery" writing. Rather than just anthropomorphism (giving human characteristics to inanimate objects, or here, plants etc), there's also a reversal with botanomorphism (giving plantlike qualities to human characteristics). I very much liked this aspect of the book. I thought it was unique and it lent a authenticity to the story being told. I also liked that the plants were, without giving too much away, powerful and intelligent.
Sticking to the writing for a little bit longer, I have to mention that towards the end, the narration and the story veered off in an unexpected and kind of disappointing manner. In order to explain, I'll have to give a little background, and I'll try not to spoil anything. Jessamine, our principle narrator and journal keeper, falls ill - too ill to keep writing after a certain point - so Weed takes up her journal for her. Yet, from this point on, the story alternates between Weed's narration and Jessamine's dreamlike visions. These seemed unnecessary, and out of place to me, and could have been handled in a much better way. Not only because the information in these sections isn't needed to follow or progress the storyline, but also because who the heck is writing them? It's not Jessamine, she's far too sick, and it's not Weed because unless he's a mind-reader, he'd have no way to know she was even having them.
Aside from this, I quite liked the story, although I had hoped for a different outcome... but maybe a sequel is in the works...?
This was definitely an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to people who enjoy YA as something different from the usual girl-meets-mysterious-boy fare... just take the ending with a grain of salt.
May 18, 2011
Wow. This book was...fascinating. And filled with an awful lot of cruelty. Well-written and engaging, I read this book in a couple of hours this morning while I was supposed to be waterblasting the front veranda -- I just could not put it down.
I actually guessed fairly early who the villain was, and that they were poisoning someone in order to squeeze information from Weed, but it was still a punch in the stomach to have it confirmed. How dare they? How could they? Poison someone just for the sake of knowledge! Especially poison someone like - like - aaargh! In the beginning, I was all ready to hate Tobias Pratt for being so heartless, but it turns out that we never hear from him again, and the real monster is inside the walls and has been all along.
I love the idea of a poison garden, locked behind black wrought-iron gates. There's something very dark-fairytale about it, almost Snow White-ish (but minus the saccharine, of course), and I think there is a lot of yet-to-be-explored potential there. I also loved the way that Wood injected personalities into the poison plants -- eerie, sinister, cruel personalities that were utterly believable. I'm pretty sure that I'll never look at the belladonna in our garden the same way again.
Things I disliked: hmm, not many. It was a bit slow-starting, so perseverance is required. And of course I hated the ending, not being a fan of cliff-hangers, but on the flipside that means a sequel, hip hip!
Go read it. Now. And Amburrito, that means you! ;-)
I actually guessed fairly early who the villain was, and that they were poisoning someone in order to squeeze information from Weed, but it was still a punch in the stomach to have it confirmed. How dare they? How could they? Poison someone just for the sake of knowledge! Especially poison someone like - like - aaargh! In the beginning, I was all ready to hate Tobias Pratt for being so heartless, but it turns out that we never hear from him again, and the real monster is inside the walls and has been all along.
I love the idea of a poison garden, locked behind black wrought-iron gates. There's something very dark-fairytale about it, almost Snow White-ish (but minus the saccharine, of course), and I think there is a lot of yet-to-be-explored potential there. I also loved the way that Wood injected personalities into the poison plants -- eerie, sinister, cruel personalities that were utterly believable. I'm pretty sure that I'll never look at the belladonna in our garden the same way again.
Things I disliked: hmm, not many. It was a bit slow-starting, so perseverance is required. And of course I hated the ending, not being a fan of cliff-hangers, but on the flipside that means a sequel, hip hip!
Go read it. Now. And Amburrito, that means you! ;-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2010
BLURB -
Jessamine Luxson lives with her father, Thomas, an apothecary, in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle. Thomas’s pride and obsession is his locked garden full of dangerous plants, which Jessamine is forbidden to enter.
When a traveler brings an orphan to their cottage, he claims the boy has special gifts that Thomas might value. Jessamine is drawn to the strange but intriguing boy, called Weed. Soon their friendship deepens into love. Finally, Weed shares his secret: He can communicate with plants. For him they have distinct personalities—and some are even murderous. From the locked garden the poisonous plants call to Weed, luring him with promises of deadly power.
When Jessamine falls inexplicably ill, only Weed’s relationship with the Poisons can save her. But Thomas is determined to exploit Weed’s abilities, even if it risks Jessamine’s life—or drives Weed to the brink of madness...
An interesting read. It read like a book for younger readers, 10-13ish yet the content was that for readers 14-17ish. Interesting concept with intriguing characters. However, I felt when Poison Diaries just started getting really interesting, it finished. The way it was finished makes me think it's open to a sequel but we'll have to wait and see. Quite enjoyable, very short, and sometimes the story jumped around a bit. I read it in about 2 hours. Nothing extraordinary but a fairly well-written book for the market it appeals too.
Jessamine Luxson lives with her father, Thomas, an apothecary, in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle. Thomas’s pride and obsession is his locked garden full of dangerous plants, which Jessamine is forbidden to enter.
When a traveler brings an orphan to their cottage, he claims the boy has special gifts that Thomas might value. Jessamine is drawn to the strange but intriguing boy, called Weed. Soon their friendship deepens into love. Finally, Weed shares his secret: He can communicate with plants. For him they have distinct personalities—and some are even murderous. From the locked garden the poisonous plants call to Weed, luring him with promises of deadly power.
When Jessamine falls inexplicably ill, only Weed’s relationship with the Poisons can save her. But Thomas is determined to exploit Weed’s abilities, even if it risks Jessamine’s life—or drives Weed to the brink of madness...
An interesting read. It read like a book for younger readers, 10-13ish yet the content was that for readers 14-17ish. Interesting concept with intriguing characters. However, I felt when Poison Diaries just started getting really interesting, it finished. The way it was finished makes me think it's open to a sequel but we'll have to wait and see. Quite enjoyable, very short, and sometimes the story jumped around a bit. I read it in about 2 hours. Nothing extraordinary but a fairly well-written book for the market it appeals too.
November 19, 2011
3.5
One line review: What a strange little mindfuck of a book...
Not-one-line-review:
**This review is going to be somewhat informed by the fact that I read the first two books in the series before writing either review, so I know what happens next and how it all fits together. Because of that, there will be times that I will reference book 2, which I wouldn't generally do, and I am sorry for that, but I promise to try to avoid spoilers.
I have to start by saying that I found The Poison Diaries to be really different from other YA books out there, and for the most part, I mean this in a really good way. It's rare to have anything these days that actually feels unique or inventive. The book almost has a magical realist feel to it, which, though a lot of MG and YA books have magic in them, is not a genre often tackled for this age group. There's a surreal strangeness to the writing and plot that I really enjoyed.
But it's because of this that I think it is going to be one of those off-putting books for a lot of people. There are times, especially toward the end of the book, where it's just plain weird. And though I really like that, I know there are plenty of people who won't. When I was finished, my one-line review called it a "strange little mindfuck of a book" and I know not everyone likes to be mindfucked...
But whether you do or not, I think you should give it a chance. It's a kickass concept, for which we apparently have the Duchess of Northumberland to thank. She has spent a considerable amount of time and money constructing an epic garden at her castle (uh huh), and this garden includes an ambitious poison garden, which she thought would make a great backdrop to a story and voila! now it is. And as much as you may want to be irritated and find the whole thing pretentious, the thing is, it really does make a great backdrop to a story. Alnwick Castle, Hulne Abbey and the Luxton's poison apothecary garden makes for a really rich, compelling setting for Jessamine's life to revolve around.
And speaking of Jessamine, though I think some of the (very few) characters in the book can be static and one-dimensional, I found Jessamine very interesting and likable. She's sort of charmingly naive, but with a thirst for knowledge and recognition that I thought worked and gave her depth. And in a weird way, I thought the narrowness of the other characters in her life to actually aids in her character development, because they were kind of representative of her limited scope and her very confined world. They made interesting counterpoints to her narration and her diary.
The diary itself was a little strained as a concept. It felt forced to me, like "The Poison Diaries" sounds like a great name for a series, so we need to work this in somehow. But Jessamine's diary was overkill; it wasn't necessary - her father, Thomas, has a true poison diary that comes into play in a huge way in the series, and was more than enough to carry the name and give it purpose. Very little of the narration actually takes place in Jessamine's diary, and what does could easily be worked into the internal monolgue that makes up the bulk of the book. I felt like the diary bits could have been cut and made the book smoother as a whole, which was something that it especially needed in the end, when the narration is split.
But maybe I just over-think these things.
The one real drawback for me, though, was the end. As I said, the narration is split in the end, and is...scattered for a number of reasons. The very simple prose of the first 3/4 of the book just sort of unravels and can feel a little chaotic. This is intentional in part, I think, and I can't get too into why without spoilers. But while it may be interesting to have the narration match the chaos of the story conceptually, it didn't quite work for me in practice. The change was too abrupt, and the ending even more so, and the two combined turned me off a bit. I felt like I was tearing through this really absorbing, weird, fast-paced read and loving it, and then it just started to fall apart, and there weren't enough pages left to put it back together. It was weird, because it was the kind of ending that I respect and a part of me likes, but that just couldn't inspire the enthusiasm in me that I wanted to feel for this book when I was done.
And this is the part where I reference book 2, because the thing is, I liked it enough that I definitely wanted to keep reading, hoping that book 2 would cast book 1 in a different light and make things work. And it did. It did and then some. But the enjoyment of one book shouldn't be dependent on the next; it always feels like a cheap gimmick to me when this is the case, and it pisses me off a little on principle. And though I don't think the ending was completely a cheap gimmick (because I think it was partly a pessimistic streak in-keeping with the rest of the book, which I applaud), I still can't help but be a little miffed on principle. It's just who I am.
And my god, if this isn't the most rambly, convoluted review. Maybe it's symptomatic of the poisons found inside...
The fact is, I liked this on its own well enough, and liked it a lot more on reflection after book 2. Though it's certainly not everyone's cup of poison tea, I think those in the right mindset are going to find it really interesting and memorable, and I promise you, if you're weird enough (like me) and are eager for the 2nd book, the series will impress you. 'Cause Jessamine? She's pretty kickass.
[Psst! Don't forget, you can enter to win book 2, Nightshade, here- but it ends soon, so hurry!]
One line review: What a strange little mindfuck of a book...
Not-one-line-review:
**This review is going to be somewhat informed by the fact that I read the first two books in the series before writing either review, so I know what happens next and how it all fits together. Because of that, there will be times that I will reference book 2, which I wouldn't generally do, and I am sorry for that, but I promise to try to avoid spoilers.
I have to start by saying that I found The Poison Diaries to be really different from other YA books out there, and for the most part, I mean this in a really good way. It's rare to have anything these days that actually feels unique or inventive. The book almost has a magical realist feel to it, which, though a lot of MG and YA books have magic in them, is not a genre often tackled for this age group. There's a surreal strangeness to the writing and plot that I really enjoyed.
But it's because of this that I think it is going to be one of those off-putting books for a lot of people. There are times, especially toward the end of the book, where it's just plain weird. And though I really like that, I know there are plenty of people who won't. When I was finished, my one-line review called it a "strange little mindfuck of a book" and I know not everyone likes to be mindfucked...
But whether you do or not, I think you should give it a chance. It's a kickass concept, for which we apparently have the Duchess of Northumberland to thank. She has spent a considerable amount of time and money constructing an epic garden at her castle (uh huh), and this garden includes an ambitious poison garden, which she thought would make a great backdrop to a story and voila! now it is. And as much as you may want to be irritated and find the whole thing pretentious, the thing is, it really does make a great backdrop to a story. Alnwick Castle, Hulne Abbey and the Luxton's poison apothecary garden makes for a really rich, compelling setting for Jessamine's life to revolve around.
And speaking of Jessamine, though I think some of the (very few) characters in the book can be static and one-dimensional, I found Jessamine very interesting and likable. She's sort of charmingly naive, but with a thirst for knowledge and recognition that I thought worked and gave her depth. And in a weird way, I thought the narrowness of the other characters in her life to actually aids in her character development, because they were kind of representative of her limited scope and her very confined world. They made interesting counterpoints to her narration and her diary.
The diary itself was a little strained as a concept. It felt forced to me, like "The Poison Diaries" sounds like a great name for a series, so we need to work this in somehow. But Jessamine's diary was overkill; it wasn't necessary - her father, Thomas, has a true poison diary that comes into play in a huge way in the series, and was more than enough to carry the name and give it purpose. Very little of the narration actually takes place in Jessamine's diary, and what does could easily be worked into the internal monolgue that makes up the bulk of the book. I felt like the diary bits could have been cut and made the book smoother as a whole, which was something that it especially needed in the end, when the narration is split.
But maybe I just over-think these things.
The one real drawback for me, though, was the end. As I said, the narration is split in the end, and is...scattered for a number of reasons. The very simple prose of the first 3/4 of the book just sort of unravels and can feel a little chaotic. This is intentional in part, I think, and I can't get too into why without spoilers. But while it may be interesting to have the narration match the chaos of the story conceptually, it didn't quite work for me in practice. The change was too abrupt, and the ending even more so, and the two combined turned me off a bit. I felt like I was tearing through this really absorbing, weird, fast-paced read and loving it, and then it just started to fall apart, and there weren't enough pages left to put it back together. It was weird, because it was the kind of ending that I respect and a part of me likes, but that just couldn't inspire the enthusiasm in me that I wanted to feel for this book when I was done.
And this is the part where I reference book 2, because the thing is, I liked it enough that I definitely wanted to keep reading, hoping that book 2 would cast book 1 in a different light and make things work. And it did. It did and then some. But the enjoyment of one book shouldn't be dependent on the next; it always feels like a cheap gimmick to me when this is the case, and it pisses me off a little on principle. And though I don't think the ending was completely a cheap gimmick (because I think it was partly a pessimistic streak in-keeping with the rest of the book, which I applaud), I still can't help but be a little miffed on principle. It's just who I am.
And my god, if this isn't the most rambly, convoluted review. Maybe it's symptomatic of the poisons found inside...
The fact is, I liked this on its own well enough, and liked it a lot more on reflection after book 2. Though it's certainly not everyone's cup of poison tea, I think those in the right mindset are going to find it really interesting and memorable, and I promise you, if you're weird enough (like me) and are eager for the 2nd book, the series will impress you. 'Cause Jessamine? She's pretty kickass.
[Psst! Don't forget, you can enter to win book 2, Nightshade, here- but it ends soon, so hurry!]
May 23, 2013
I bought this book at Alnwick Castle, where the gated Poison Garden really strikes you as powerful - even more so once you have read this book. Visiting the Poison Garden at Alnwick Gardens can only increase your enjoyment and understanding of this young adult historical tale. This is a fantastic quick read which will leave you impatient for the next instalment.
I liked Jessamine's spunk and nature, Weed's weirdness, and her father's evil plots. The characters are passionate to a flaw: Jessamine in her growing love for Weed and her need to impress her father; Jessamine's father in his obsession in knowing everything about plants, particularly those in his poison garden; and Weed with his love for Jessamine and his distrust of the poison garden. Oleander is a sly, poisonous character, which fits absolutely perfectly as that's what he is - poison.
In the darkness I let myself melt, so he has no choice but to catch me and lift me, cradling my body against his. His mouth finds mine. After the first kiss I arch so his lips brush the tender skin of my throat instead.
I did get exasperated at some points, but I think that as a reader you were meant to - it added to the characters and plot.
This book is filled with passion and energy and a hint of the supernatural. The romance is subtle and builds slowly, the crucible in this intense story.
This book appeals to my love of all things local and tea. Especially tea. Jessamine makes her own teas a tissanes, and I smiled as I recognised ingredients of my own mixtures. I have a pot of lavender by the front door and some lemon balm on the kitchen windowsill - which, by the way, is excellent for your skin and smells divine, I pop it in salads all the time.
I take my metal canister of tea off the shelf. It is my own mixture of dried lavender blossoms and lemon balm, harvested from my garden and hung in the storeroom to dry. Weed helped me hang these stalks, I think. His hands touched these tender leaves, just as they touch me.
And isn't that cover just gorgeous?
Drink tea with this book - nettle would do well.
I liked Jessamine's spunk and nature, Weed's weirdness, and her father's evil plots. The characters are passionate to a flaw: Jessamine in her growing love for Weed and her need to impress her father; Jessamine's father in his obsession in knowing everything about plants, particularly those in his poison garden; and Weed with his love for Jessamine and his distrust of the poison garden. Oleander is a sly, poisonous character, which fits absolutely perfectly as that's what he is - poison.
In the darkness I let myself melt, so he has no choice but to catch me and lift me, cradling my body against his. His mouth finds mine. After the first kiss I arch so his lips brush the tender skin of my throat instead.
I did get exasperated at some points, but I think that as a reader you were meant to - it added to the characters and plot.
This book is filled with passion and energy and a hint of the supernatural. The romance is subtle and builds slowly, the crucible in this intense story.
This book appeals to my love of all things local and tea. Especially tea. Jessamine makes her own teas a tissanes, and I smiled as I recognised ingredients of my own mixtures. I have a pot of lavender by the front door and some lemon balm on the kitchen windowsill - which, by the way, is excellent for your skin and smells divine, I pop it in salads all the time.
I take my metal canister of tea off the shelf. It is my own mixture of dried lavender blossoms and lemon balm, harvested from my garden and hung in the storeroom to dry. Weed helped me hang these stalks, I think. His hands touched these tender leaves, just as they touch me.
And isn't that cover just gorgeous?
Drink tea with this book - nettle would do well.
June 3, 2010
Just when you think it’s all been done before, here comes Maryrose Wood to blow everything out of the water. THE POISON DIARIES is the start of an ambitious series that combines history, magic, romance, and evil into a fast yet resonant read.
THE POISON DIARIES unfortunately starts out rather slow and off-putting. The writing feels a bit stilted, the setup hard to believe. Jessamine was unappealingly weak, and her father difficult to define in his hardness and obsessiveness. I honestly did put the book down a number of times in the first fifty or so pages.
But I’m glad I stuck with it. With the arrival of Weed, we are slowly but surely pulled into their mysterious, slightly terrifying, but definitely enthralling world where evil comes in more forms than we can imagine. Weed is captivating from the start, and he slowly develops into a character we not only wish to observe but also sympathize with.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the back third of the book definitely makes up for its less than stellar start. You will find it impossible to put down at this point, horrified yet also fascinated at the way events are unfolding, and be impressed that Maryrose Wood has come up with this crazy-cool concept.
THE POISON DIARIES ends rather abruptly, which feels slightly gimmicky but will definitely induce readers to grab the next book when it comes out. Overall, Maryrose Wood’s new series is a departure from her previous books, not as solid and masterful as the unique premise could be, but an entertaining and gripping read nevertheless. This book is definitely worth the look!
THE POISON DIARIES unfortunately starts out rather slow and off-putting. The writing feels a bit stilted, the setup hard to believe. Jessamine was unappealingly weak, and her father difficult to define in his hardness and obsessiveness. I honestly did put the book down a number of times in the first fifty or so pages.
But I’m glad I stuck with it. With the arrival of Weed, we are slowly but surely pulled into their mysterious, slightly terrifying, but definitely enthralling world where evil comes in more forms than we can imagine. Weed is captivating from the start, and he slowly develops into a character we not only wish to observe but also sympathize with.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the back third of the book definitely makes up for its less than stellar start. You will find it impossible to put down at this point, horrified yet also fascinated at the way events are unfolding, and be impressed that Maryrose Wood has come up with this crazy-cool concept.
THE POISON DIARIES ends rather abruptly, which feels slightly gimmicky but will definitely induce readers to grab the next book when it comes out. Overall, Maryrose Wood’s new series is a departure from her previous books, not as solid and masterful as the unique premise could be, but an entertaining and gripping read nevertheless. This book is definitely worth the look!
February 11, 2012
A mediocre book with a ridiculous ending that made me want to knock off any remaining stars it had left.
It started off as a three-star book, readable but unimpressive. I got to the last 100 pages and decided it was a 2-star book. I skimmed most of the way to the ridiculous end, and had it been a paper copy would have thrown it across the room. It was that bad.
The premise is interesting. A boy that can talk to plants—but this reveal isn't made until halfway through the book. We don't actually meet Weed until 40 pages in.
There's some insta-love. But being that the girl is a master gardener and he can talk to plants, I'll just raise a skeptical eyebrow. Maybe they are kindred spirits? But I never felt really compelled by the characters and plot.
After Jessamine falls ill, I really lost interest in the winding, can't-decide-where-it-wants-to-go plot.
The dream sequences when Jessamine is poisoned are especially awful. You can't tell whose talking. And it seems that different people are talking in the same paragraph, without attribution. Minus a star. And switching narration from Jessamine to Weed is not well handled.
And what Weed has to do to get the cure for Jessamine? Ugh. This is the same boy who wouldn't eat plants at the beginning of the story, and now he's....doing much worse than that? And what the father did? Minus all stars!
If this wasn't bad enough I had a $.99 kindle version with A LOT of typos. There were missing spaces, formal names lower case on one page, upper case on the next. Enough to make me think I had an uncorrected ARC, but I bought this ebook in January 2012 and it came out in July 2010. That's pretty sloppy.
It started off as a three-star book, readable but unimpressive. I got to the last 100 pages and decided it was a 2-star book. I skimmed most of the way to the ridiculous end, and had it been a paper copy would have thrown it across the room. It was that bad.
The premise is interesting. A boy that can talk to plants—but this reveal isn't made until halfway through the book. We don't actually meet Weed until 40 pages in.
There's some insta-love. But being that the girl is a master gardener and he can talk to plants, I'll just raise a skeptical eyebrow. Maybe they are kindred spirits? But I never felt really compelled by the characters and plot.
After Jessamine falls ill, I really lost interest in the winding, can't-decide-where-it-wants-to-go plot.
The dream sequences when Jessamine is poisoned are especially awful. You can't tell whose talking. And it seems that different people are talking in the same paragraph, without attribution. Minus a star. And switching narration from Jessamine to Weed is not well handled.
And what Weed has to do to get the cure for Jessamine? Ugh. This is the same boy who wouldn't eat plants at the beginning of the story, and now he's....doing much worse than that? And what the father did? Minus all stars!
If this wasn't bad enough I had a $.99 kindle version with A LOT of typos. There were missing spaces, formal names lower case on one page, upper case on the next. Enough to make me think I had an uncorrected ARC, but I bought this ebook in January 2012 and it came out in July 2010. That's pretty sloppy.
January 17, 2012
The idea behind The Poison Diaries is interesting: magical talking plants. But Ms. Wood could not decide if she was writing Bronte or Morgenstern. At times the characters display irrational passion: but then a plot machination or big inconsequence happens along and you go, "Pwah! This is stupid!" Although the technical quality is reasonable, the beginning is slow, the antagonistic plants have no strong motive, the plot falls falt in the middle, and the characters do character 180s without having ground to. The plants you meet three-quarters of the way through the book seem to come with a big "PLOT MACHINATION" label on their stalks. Additionally, content is inappropriate and smushy-mushy. So the guy goes crazy killing stoats and priests. So there's some silver-haired guy wearing lipstick in the clouds. So what? And the end is the worst. The male lead becomes "protector of humanity" or something like that: another character 180. I'm definitely not picking up the sequel and I suggest no one reads this book.
July 19, 2010
For the longest time, it’s just been Jessamine Luxton and her father, a skilled apothecary. Her mother died long ago, and when her father is away to heal people, she is alone except for the plants in the gardens. She wishes more than anything to have a companion, but when Weed arrives, little does she know what kind of companion he’ll turn out to be. Weed is a shy and mysterious boy who knows little more about himself than others do. He has a strange knowledge of plants that fascinates both Jessamine and her father, but in different ways. Jessamine wants to know Weed, but her father wants to know Weed’s knowledge—and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means tragedy ensues.
The Poison Diaries has reminded my why Wood is one of my favorite authors. I loved her clever humor in Why I Let My Hair Grow Out, but her writing in The Poison Diaries is completely different, in a good way of course. Mainly from young Jessamine’s perspective, Wood’s writing takes on the detailed mindset of a hopeful botanist. It’s fascinating to see inside Jessamine’s mind; her curiosity and attention to nature make her seem so innocent and likable—and unfortunately, also the perfect victim. I could not forget this story of great romance and tragedy after I read it. I attribute this all to Wood’s skill. The development of her main characters is superb. They are all so vivid with their fears and desires. The inclusion of Weed’s interesting ability is just another plus. Wood doesn’t need an aura of the mysterious and supernatural to boost her stories; her writing is enough to draw the reader in. I fell in love with this story, so I will be extremely disappointed if there is not a sequel because it will make this story’s ending so unsatisfying.
Those who enjoyed Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare, and The Abhorsen Chronicles by Garth Nix will not want to miss The Poison Diaries.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
The Poison Diaries has reminded my why Wood is one of my favorite authors. I loved her clever humor in Why I Let My Hair Grow Out, but her writing in The Poison Diaries is completely different, in a good way of course. Mainly from young Jessamine’s perspective, Wood’s writing takes on the detailed mindset of a hopeful botanist. It’s fascinating to see inside Jessamine’s mind; her curiosity and attention to nature make her seem so innocent and likable—and unfortunately, also the perfect victim. I could not forget this story of great romance and tragedy after I read it. I attribute this all to Wood’s skill. The development of her main characters is superb. They are all so vivid with their fears and desires. The inclusion of Weed’s interesting ability is just another plus. Wood doesn’t need an aura of the mysterious and supernatural to boost her stories; her writing is enough to draw the reader in. I fell in love with this story, so I will be extremely disappointed if there is not a sequel because it will make this story’s ending so unsatisfying.
Those who enjoyed Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare, and The Abhorsen Chronicles by Garth Nix will not want to miss The Poison Diaries.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
August 21, 2010
I did not finish this book. The reason I did not finish it is because I am sensitive to animals being hurt and they were just being hurt all over the place - a dead cat from drinking in water where the main character dumped some poison, a horse that had been ridden too hard, throwing a rock at a raven (who was eyeing a baby sheep for dinner)... then came the part where the other main character was forced to watch a raven kill a lamb that was just being born, and to not do anything about it, and I decided that was enough for me.
Up until then, I liked the book all right. I got a little tired of Jessamine's dream sequences. But the plant thing was interesting. I probably would have given this a 3-star rating had the animal stuff not gotten to me.
Product Description
In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . . Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill. When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .
Up until then, I liked the book all right. I got a little tired of Jessamine's dream sequences. But the plant thing was interesting. I probably would have given this a 3-star rating had the animal stuff not gotten to me.
Product Description
In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . . Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill. When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .
October 14, 2011
In the beginning it was slow. At first I almost gave up in the book, then I hit chapter four, thats when things really started to get interesting. It certainly did pick up when Weed, started to do strange things. I was very intrigued from the start.
Now, this book was written well, and the plot, drama was great. In the end, it had some very unexpected surprises and I really need to know what happens next.....like NOW!
The Poison Diaries is what it is, poison. It seeps into you forcing you to finish the book no matter what. It was definitely a must read. I also like the fact how everything was well put together. The characters were great as well as the time period. I love to read books that are old fashioned talk. There is just something sexy about it.
Also, it may be a little hard to read if you don't like reading book that are in the past, and it did take a little time to get to the good part.
All in all, this was a very great, intriguing read. I often wondered a lot about plants, and I now know more now, then what I knew then. The paranormal element in this book is good. It is something different and unique.
Now, this book was written well, and the plot, drama was great. In the end, it had some very unexpected surprises and I really need to know what happens next.....like NOW!
The Poison Diaries is what it is, poison. It seeps into you forcing you to finish the book no matter what. It was definitely a must read. I also like the fact how everything was well put together. The characters were great as well as the time period. I love to read books that are old fashioned talk. There is just something sexy about it.
Also, it may be a little hard to read if you don't like reading book that are in the past, and it did take a little time to get to the good part.
All in all, this was a very great, intriguing read. I often wondered a lot about plants, and I now know more now, then what I knew then. The paranormal element in this book is good. It is something different and unique.
September 12, 2012
Thank you Tara for suggesting this for me, I loved every minute of reading it!!! I honestly can say that I have never read any book like this.
The written was old style and so different to books these days which is why it took some time to get in the feel of it. The whole plot too was great,epic and different! It was so sweet and romantic in it's own twisted way.
Unfortunatly The ending was not the best and could've been a bit better. But overall it is diffently a unique book that is deffinetly worth the read. Does anyone know if there's a second book to the series???
The written was old style and so different to books these days which is why it took some time to get in the feel of it. The whole plot too was great,epic and different! It was so sweet and romantic in it's own twisted way.
Unfortunatly The ending was not the best and could've been a bit better. But overall it is diffently a unique book that is deffinetly worth the read. Does anyone know if there's a second book to the series???
May 20, 2012
Didn't think much of it to be quite honest. It was short and boring to be blunt. It dragged on and on about pointless things with half the book seeming off-story. It was nothing special and not the type of book that'll stick in mind once read. I'll probably forget about it tomorrow if it wasn't on GR.
Probably won't even bother with the rest of the series to be truthful.
Probably won't even bother with the rest of the series to be truthful.
September 9, 2017
This one was...odd. The first 2/3 is fairly unexceptionable and a bit slow, and then things go completely weird in the final third. Not to give too much away, but wicked plants are involved. The plant lore doesn't have any gaping inaccuracies, and the tone is sparsely but spookily Gothic. If the main characters had been at all likable and their relationships nuanced, much else could have been excused.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. I've been to Alnwick Castle (but sadly left England just before its poison garden was finished), and I really like poisonous plants, but The Poison Diaries left a weird taste in my head.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. I've been to Alnwick Castle (but sadly left England just before its poison garden was finished), and I really like poisonous plants, but The Poison Diaries left a weird taste in my head.
October 15, 2022
Jessamine, o tanara de 16 ani a fost crescuta de tatal ei, intr-un cottage facut din ruinele unei manastiri. Singurul lucru pe care il stie este rostul plantelor. Invata in fiecare zi, de la tatal sau, ce binecuvantare sau blestem pot fi plantele, totul pana intr-o zi, cand in pragul casei lor este adus tanarul Weed. Intre cei doi se creeaza o conexiune puternica si Jessamine este vrajita de talentul nativ si secretul atat de bine ascuns al baiatului. Oare Weed ii va fi iubirea sau pierirea? O carte care m-a tinut curioasa pana la final si al carui sfarsit m-a emotionat.
4✨ de la mine🥰
4✨ de la mine🥰
July 3, 2015
Official Rating: 1.5
Thoughts:
Okay. Wow. I didn't expect to be finished with that so quickly.
To start off with, I'd just like to say that any book that has as the big-bad antagonist is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
As unfortunate as it is to kick off reviewing books on Goodreads with a negative opinion, The Poison Diaries just didn't do it for me. At all.
At first, it had promise. I wasn't exactly sucked into the novel for the plot, though; the only reason I got so pulled in was because of how quickly I was actually progressing through it. (For a book intended for a YA audience, it sure felt like I was reading Middle Grade.)
Sadly, this promise never flourished. Where Jessamine had the potential to grow out of her diminutive, childish ways, she stayed stock still. Weed was whiny, pouty and patronising (oh my!). Jessamine's dad was a freak poorly disguised as a workaholic disguised as a scientist.
The narrative itself grew gradually more and more absurd, with the plot points becoming more convoluted and less creditable by the page. That's right. Page.
The first half of the story had to be dragged by its ears to get anywhere, and the second half had so many expository scenes and "twists" that I had to check the cover a few times to make sure I was still holding the right book. The final arc of the story felt like I was reading a tacky RPG.
By the last page, The Poison Diaries had somehow achieved the feat of making me both exhausted and mind-numbingly bored at the same time. Although, perhaps the lack of interest came from the sheer disappointment I had with the characters.
Jessamine frustrated me to no end. I understand that this book falls under the historic genre, and I can have historic-accuracy preached to me by every history-devoted-historian in the world, but I will never have any affection for Daddy's Obedient Perfect Princess Who Can Cook, Clean and Swoon. At some point in the novel she mentions something about wanting to study poisons and her father not allowing it, which is fair enough. What I can't buy is the main character spending the first half of the novel ranting on and on about how for the first 16 years of her life she had begged her father to let her into his locked-up garden, only to forget all about it after being in there once, clutching the hand of her beloved and following after him with her thumb in her mouth.
Weed was annoying. (If you're going to throw in a POV change, do it at the start of the novel, not in the last 80 pages.) With more mood-swings than Edward Cullen, the guy left me with one distinct thought: dude, you really need to get out more.
Jessamine's dad was... well, I saw it coming, and it still didn't detract from how disturbingly abusive he was. His character was messed up, and not in a fun, "you're-so-quirky" way. Rather, in a way.
The Poison Diaries left much to be desired. So much. "Much" includes: likeable characters, weed killer (in more ways than one), a plot, and my afternoon back. The story was a good idea, but very poorly executed.
Seriously, though, ? Weird. Pair them with the word "seductive", though, and I just can't take you seriously.
Thoughts:
Okay. Wow. I didn't expect to be finished with that so quickly.
To start off with, I'd just like to say that any book that has as the big-bad antagonist is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
As unfortunate as it is to kick off reviewing books on Goodreads with a negative opinion, The Poison Diaries just didn't do it for me. At all.
At first, it had promise. I wasn't exactly sucked into the novel for the plot, though; the only reason I got so pulled in was because of how quickly I was actually progressing through it. (For a book intended for a YA audience, it sure felt like I was reading Middle Grade.)
Sadly, this promise never flourished. Where Jessamine had the potential to grow out of her diminutive, childish ways, she stayed stock still. Weed was whiny, pouty and patronising (oh my!). Jessamine's dad was a freak poorly disguised as a workaholic disguised as a scientist.
The narrative itself grew gradually more and more absurd, with the plot points becoming more convoluted and less creditable by the page. That's right. Page.
The first half of the story had to be dragged by its ears to get anywhere, and the second half had so many expository scenes and "twists" that I had to check the cover a few times to make sure I was still holding the right book. The final arc of the story felt like I was reading a tacky RPG.
By the last page, The Poison Diaries had somehow achieved the feat of making me both exhausted and mind-numbingly bored at the same time. Although, perhaps the lack of interest came from the sheer disappointment I had with the characters.
Jessamine frustrated me to no end. I understand that this book falls under the historic genre, and I can have historic-accuracy preached to me by every history-devoted-historian in the world, but I will never have any affection for Daddy's Obedient Perfect Princess Who Can Cook, Clean and Swoon. At some point in the novel she mentions something about wanting to study poisons and her father not allowing it, which is fair enough. What I can't buy is the main character spending the first half of the novel ranting on and on about how for the first 16 years of her life she had begged her father to let her into his locked-up garden, only to forget all about it after being in there once, clutching the hand of her beloved and following after him with her thumb in her mouth.
Weed was annoying. (If you're going to throw in a POV change, do it at the start of the novel, not in the last 80 pages.) With more mood-swings than Edward Cullen, the guy left me with one distinct thought: dude, you really need to get out more.
Jessamine's dad was... well, I saw it coming, and it still didn't detract from how disturbingly abusive he was. His character was messed up, and not in a fun, "you're-so-quirky" way. Rather, in a way.
The Poison Diaries left much to be desired. So much. "Much" includes: likeable characters, weed killer (in more ways than one), a plot, and my afternoon back. The story was a good idea, but very poorly executed.
Seriously, though, ? Weird. Pair them with the word "seductive", though, and I just can't take you seriously.
September 8, 2011
So there's a whole weird THING going on with this book. It's related to a graphic novel by the same name, which is by the Duchess of Northumberland. The graphic novel is the Duchess telling a fairly simple but intriguing story as a way to teach kids (I'd say middle grade) about different poisonous plants and their properties and medicinal uses. In the story, a boy named Weed is the apprentice to an evil apothecary who keeps a locked garden of nothing but poisonous plants, and Weed is instructed to care for the garden. He finds out he has the ability to hear the plants speaking to him, and they instruct him on their various uses. The plants turn him a little evil, and he kills his master. It's a quick, dark little read with great illustrations and a nice tidy resolution, even if it's not exactly a happy ending.
This book sort of takes that concept and changes it up a little Weed can hear all the plants, and the apothecary isn't evil. The apothecary has a daughter, Jessamine, who narrates the story. Mostly, the story is told through her writing in her garden journal. Apparently this is also the start of a series? The second one comes out in October. When I started seeing things about the concept of the book and how Weed's power worked, I was intrigued, so I requested it from the library and here we are.
This book is booooooring. Very little actually happens! Weed comes to the cottage, the two kids fall in love in a really fast but slow way (trust me, it's the only way I could figure out how to describe it), Jessamine gets sick, the major conflict finally shows up, and then Weed goes away and Jessamine gets better. This is partly because so much of the book is taken up with the descriptions of the plants and their properties, but I honestly felt like if it was going to be that kind of book, just GO with it and really get into it the way the graphic novel did. I didn't feel like I got nearly the same amount of plant instruction out of the novel, and the story really isn't strong enough to stand without a didactic purpose. The whole thing just feels slow, which is partly because of having it be Jessamine's journal.
There was also a lot in here about gender roles that really bothered me, but yeah, it's a historical and all, so I'm still sorting out my feelings on some of that.
I was disappointed with this book, and felt really impatient the whole time I was reading it. I think some readers could get into the leisurely pace and really enjoy being inside Jessamine's head, it's just super not a book for me.
This book sort of takes that concept and changes it up a little Weed can hear all the plants, and the apothecary isn't evil. The apothecary has a daughter, Jessamine, who narrates the story. Mostly, the story is told through her writing in her garden journal. Apparently this is also the start of a series? The second one comes out in October. When I started seeing things about the concept of the book and how Weed's power worked, I was intrigued, so I requested it from the library and here we are.
This book is booooooring. Very little actually happens! Weed comes to the cottage, the two kids fall in love in a really fast but slow way (trust me, it's the only way I could figure out how to describe it), Jessamine gets sick, the major conflict finally shows up, and then Weed goes away and Jessamine gets better. This is partly because so much of the book is taken up with the descriptions of the plants and their properties, but I honestly felt like if it was going to be that kind of book, just GO with it and really get into it the way the graphic novel did. I didn't feel like I got nearly the same amount of plant instruction out of the novel, and the story really isn't strong enough to stand without a didactic purpose. The whole thing just feels slow, which is partly because of having it be Jessamine's journal.
There was also a lot in here about gender roles that really bothered me, but yeah, it's a historical and all, so I'm still sorting out my feelings on some of that.
I was disappointed with this book, and felt really impatient the whole time I was reading it. I think some readers could get into the leisurely pace and really enjoy being inside Jessamine's head, it's just super not a book for me.
April 12, 2013
What a convoluted story this book turned out to be!
By poison diaries i was expecting the characters (human ones) to be giving us some kind of information about the plants properties. And they do...most of the times. What i was not expecting was to find .
Okay, i guess those who love that all that overflowing of angsty feelings that permeates books such as "Wuthering Heights", may end up enjoying this. (i'm not talking about the writing....just that sense of doom and all those insane characters..)
The writing is fluid, allowing a fast read.
For my part, i don't enjoy pointless dramas. And that's what this one felt, from the moment, that the plants started having a fulcral part in the story. It just felt too ridiculous. Jessamine unconcious in her bed, dying, while in her head the Price of Poisons would taunt her with imagens of Weed....
I don't like weak characters. By this i do not mean that they all have to be Kate Daniels "wanna be"....and we all know, how women were treated in ancient times. But in literature, there has to be some sort of "spark" to makes us, readers, interested in the character's plight.
I didn't got tha "spark", neither with Jessamine or Weed.
I don't like reading about insta-love.
(To be fair with the girl, that was the only boy she had access to, so..of course she would have to fall in love with him!! It isn't like she has internet access, or something...) But even so, i would have liked to have felt a connection between those two...besides their mutual strangeness...
I'm okay with strange characters, but the male character "Weed", was just too weird, even for me! (And that's saying a lot...). He was just too sensible in some parts, and then sociopatic(??) in anothers....
And regarding the evil scientist plot, well that's just like saying that the "butler did it". It's olddddddd....and boring. When to that, one adds what her father , the whole thing just became two twisted for me.
For me this was just a waste of my time. Luckily i bought this with a BIG promotion.
By poison diaries i was expecting the characters (human ones) to be giving us some kind of information about the plants properties. And they do...most of the times. What i was not expecting was to find .
Okay, i guess those who love that all that overflowing of angsty feelings that permeates books such as "Wuthering Heights", may end up enjoying this. (i'm not talking about the writing....just that sense of doom and all those insane characters..)
The writing is fluid, allowing a fast read.
For my part, i don't enjoy pointless dramas. And that's what this one felt, from the moment, that the plants started having a fulcral part in the story. It just felt too ridiculous. Jessamine unconcious in her bed, dying, while in her head the Price of Poisons would taunt her with imagens of Weed....
I don't like weak characters. By this i do not mean that they all have to be Kate Daniels "wanna be"....and we all know, how women were treated in ancient times. But in literature, there has to be some sort of "spark" to makes us, readers, interested in the character's plight.
I didn't got tha "spark", neither with Jessamine or Weed.
I don't like reading about insta-love.
(To be fair with the girl, that was the only boy she had access to, so..of course she would have to fall in love with him!! It isn't like she has internet access, or something...) But even so, i would have liked to have felt a connection between those two...besides their mutual strangeness...
I'm okay with strange characters, but the male character "Weed", was just too weird, even for me! (And that's saying a lot...). He was just too sensible in some parts, and then sociopatic(??) in anothers....
And regarding the evil scientist plot, well that's just like saying that the "butler did it". It's olddddddd....and boring. When to that, one adds what her father , the whole thing just became two twisted for me.
For me this was just a waste of my time. Luckily i bought this with a BIG promotion.
April 3, 2012
Great concept.
BUT lazy writing, insta-romance, and a failtastic ending ruined it for me.
1. Lazy writing.
-- What era is this supposed to be? I don't know, because it was never clarified. Just some time in the past, I guess. After England became Anglican and kicked out the Catholics... oh yeah that narrows it down. Sometime after Mary of Scots then? Great.
2. Insta-romance
-- God this drives me nuts. Boy arrives. Lurve insues. Kissing all over the place. This doesn't happen (very often) in modern life, much less in whatever the era is you're supposedly writing in. I don't even know why Jessamine loves Weed... I suspect it's because he's the only boy she's ever met.
3. THAT is not an ending. I just... I can't even. You didn't even bother to PRETEND to have an ending! Jess gets sick, all this stuff happens that has a huge impact on everyone else, and she wakes up, and then... the END? what? What about the repercussions of all those things that happened? And no don't even give me that bs about a sequel. You have to finish this book first. This is not a cliff-hanger ending, it's just not an ending.
BUT lazy writing, insta-romance, and a failtastic ending ruined it for me.
1. Lazy writing.
-- What era is this supposed to be? I don't know, because it was never clarified. Just some time in the past, I guess. After England became Anglican and kicked out the Catholics... oh yeah that narrows it down. Sometime after Mary of Scots then? Great.
2. Insta-romance
-- God this drives me nuts. Boy arrives. Lurve insues. Kissing all over the place. This doesn't happen (very often) in modern life, much less in whatever the era is you're supposedly writing in. I don't even know why Jessamine loves Weed... I suspect it's because he's the only boy she's ever met.
3. THAT is not an ending. I just... I can't even. You didn't even bother to PRETEND to have an ending! Jess gets sick, all this stuff happens that has a huge impact on everyone else, and she wakes up, and then... the END? what? What about the repercussions of all those things that happened? And no don't even give me that bs about a sequel. You have to finish this book first. This is not a cliff-hanger ending, it's just not an ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2017
What a weird little book of weirdness. It's a bit dark and a bit gothic and was just hitting the right note for a book to read at the change of the seasons.
It starts out ok, a story set sometime in the 1700's about Jessamine, a teenage girl living in a disused chapel with her botanist healer father. Jessamine's father has a poison garden that she is not allowed into. Of course, that's the only thing she really wants out of life, to get in this garden and be allowed to take care of the plants.
Then Weed turns up, a malnourished and shy boy the same age as Jessamine, who has some strange knowledge of plants and their uses. Her father takes him in and Jessamine cares for him and brings him back to health.
The inevitable happens and Jessamine falls in love with Weed. She finds out his secret about the plants, and yes it's odd, but not that odd, and ok I can go with this. Until Jessamine gets sick and then the weirdness is truly unleashed. I skim read the last few chapters because I just couldn't believe the tangent it had gone off on.
The switches to Weed's voice just didn't work for me and the story in general was too far into unbelievable silliness.
I loved the Gothic tone of the book but I just can't get on board with the ending.
It starts out ok, a story set sometime in the 1700's about Jessamine, a teenage girl living in a disused chapel with her botanist healer father. Jessamine's father has a poison garden that she is not allowed into. Of course, that's the only thing she really wants out of life, to get in this garden and be allowed to take care of the plants.
Then Weed turns up, a malnourished and shy boy the same age as Jessamine, who has some strange knowledge of plants and their uses. Her father takes him in and Jessamine cares for him and brings him back to health.
The inevitable happens and Jessamine falls in love with Weed. She finds out his secret about the plants, and yes it's odd, but not that odd, and ok I can go with this. Until Jessamine gets sick and then the weirdness is truly unleashed. I skim read the last few chapters because I just couldn't believe the tangent it had gone off on.
The switches to Weed's voice just didn't work for me and the story in general was too far into unbelievable silliness.
I loved the Gothic tone of the book but I just can't get on board with the ending.
June 21, 2017
Das Buch hat mich total enttäuscht. Ich kann gar nicht richtig benennen, was mich so gestört hat. Deshalb habe ich auch den halben Tag mit der Bewertung gerungen, aber schlussendlich muss ich feststellen, dass es mir einfach nicht gefallen hat. Die Protagonistin ist ein derart langweiliger Charakter, über den man kaum was erfährt. Dazu ein junger Mann, der ein Geheimnis hat, welches an sich spannend ist, mir dann zum Ende hin aber etwas zu sehr ausartete.
Das Ende war für mich in seiner Lösung sehr vorhersehbar, das ganze Drumherum war mir viel zu fremdartig. Ich denke nicht, dass ich zum zweiten Band greifen werde. Mir erschließt sich nicht, was diese Geschichte mir mitteilen wollte.
Das Ende war für mich in seiner Lösung sehr vorhersehbar, das ganze Drumherum war mir viel zu fremdartig. Ich denke nicht, dass ich zum zweiten Band greifen werde. Mir erschließt sich nicht, was diese Geschichte mir mitteilen wollte.
March 4, 2018
Няма да лъжа, корицата ме въвлече във всичко това.
Никак не останах разочарована, особено от стила на Мерироуз Ууд, както и от малко по-различен свят. Книгата свърши и добра работа в това да изобрази човешката алчност и как любовта наистина може да бъде отрова. Но същевременно липсваше дълбочина на героите, а макар светът да е различен и вълшебен, пространството му беше твърде тясно. Но "Дневниците на отровите" със сигурност върви далеч от очакванията и това е достатъчна причина да получи шанс.
Никак не останах разочарована, особено от стила на Мерироуз Ууд, както и от малко по-различен свят. Книгата свърши и добра работа в това да изобрази човешката алчност и как любовта наистина може да бъде отрова. Но същевременно липсваше дълбочина на героите, а макар светът да е различен и вълшебен, пространството му беше твърде тясно. Но "Дневниците на отровите" със сигурност върви далеч от очакванията и това е достатъчна причина да получи шанс.
January 1, 2020
Eine sehr spezielle, vielleicht auch einzigartige Geschichte. Ich habe das Buch gerne gelesen. Es war unterhaltsam und etwas neues. Es hätte aber durchaus noch ein wenig Schwung vertragen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 634 reviews