Hmmm, I really tried to make sure I found this exciting, but it just want giving. It had a great ending though, so definitely looking forward to read the next book. Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks. Home > Other things I have to criticise: Dr. Grant. She knew about the Colchis women, was friends with them, and apparently she comes from a family of alchemists. Her father, Isaac, is a head alchemist and leader in a secret magic society, or something to that effect. This element to the story goes absolutely nowhere. There's no development, and is only important in the one chapter it is introduced, where Bri serves Isaac in her newly opened apothecary, which belonged to the Colchis women before her. Guess we'll have to wait for the sequel for anything to come of it. Briseis has a strange skill. A gift, maybe. Some might call it a curse. Growing up adopted in Brooklyn, Briseis and her two moms discover that she can grow any plant. She can rebirth a plant from its withered ashes. The plants also want to... be close to Briseis. In fact, whenever a plant is near her it literally moves to be closer.

In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.I did not know what I was getting into when I started this one. All I knew was that the main character could grow plants, aka a dream power I would love to have. Little did I know that there would be LGBTQ+ representation through out the book, the most healthy relationship between a daughter and her mothers I have ever seen, a girl trying to learn more about her biological parents with the support of her moms, and also a twist involving greek mythology. This Poison Heart is contemporary YA fantasy at its finest and confirms Kalynn Bayron’s talent for coming up with killer concepts and spinning new gold from timeless old tales (I also adored Cinderella is Dead). What’s more, the epic ending leaves scope for a sequel - I truly hope that’s the case. I scooped a little hole in the ground and set the pistil inside. Covering it with loose earth, I placed my hands over it, sinking my fingers into the dirt, and closed my eyes. Mr.Hughes laughed, his eyes still damp with tears. “I got you covered. Imake it from scratch—my grandmama’s recipe. Nothing like it in the whole world.” Darkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron’s new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.

P. Paul Fenech, lead singer of the psychobilly band the Meteors, covered the song on his solo album The "F" Word in 2006. You’re related to Circe.” She was suddenly at the base of the ladder holding it steady with one hand. “I can see that by looking at you. Do you mind if I ask how?” This book has been an amazing sequel, yet it felt a little underwhelming. The ation in the last book left me oping for more, yet it had been a bit of... D umb-dumb-dumb. Most of the characters were stupid. And like, horror-movie stupid. Briseis and the potential to be a strong protagonist, but it was ruined. Her decisions were really stupid. She almost got her friend killed. She showed off her powers in public, put her moms' life in danger. And never EVER admitted she made a mistake!!In fact, that comparison has inspired me: from this point forth, I'll be referring to Mrs. Redmond as Veruca Sore. It's an apt descriptor of her, post-twist villain reveal. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

Then there's the romance. Is there a romance? I could hardly tell; it is as underdeveloped as almost everything else. It is instalove, but that's the least of its problems. Marie acts creepy towards Briseis (watching her from outside her new house is only the start). Bri is aware that the strange girl might be dangerous and not what she seems, but she ignores her instincts because Marie is so pretty. Later on it is revealed (plot twist! Pile 'em on!) that Marie is three hundred and seventy six years old, and was lovers with an ancestor of Bri's, who gave her an Absyrtus Heart to save her life and grant her immortality. Oh and she has super strength and can squash men's heads with her bare hands. Somehow none of this deters Bri. She realistically freaks out at first, but after some light kisses, it is clear that Marie is still a viable love interest. A centuries-old woman in a teenage girl's body is flirting with and lusting over a girl who is barely seventeen years old. Said immortal woman was also in love with the girl's ancestor. If Marie had been male, more people would be describing her as toxic, equalling Edward Cullen. Why is she even relevant to the story? She doesn't appear or figure into the big climax in any way. Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Briseis and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind, seeking a quieter existence. But their new home is more sinister than they could have imagined—it comes with a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world, one that can only be safely entered by those who share their bloodline. THIS POISON HEART is about a girl named Briseis. She works in a flower shop with her two moms and she has a natural affinity for plants. An affinity that makes them approach her like friends and grow at super-speed. Also, she's immune to poison. I was thinking to myself, "Oh my God, she is literally like Poison Ivy" and was delighted when one of the characters in the book comes to a similar conclusion. Apparently this is also a Secret Garden retelling, but I'm just going to run with the Poison Ivy comparison. She even sort of meets her own Harley Quinn to be her BFF/love interest. Darkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.Briseis Greene, an adopted Brooklyn teenager with a unique and uncanny ability to control plants, can make seeds grow and flowers blossom just with a touch. But being this green-fingered is both a blessing and a curse; useful for generating income to keep her adopted parents' flower shop afloat when they struggle to make ends meet, but completely alienating to any potential friends. Nothing went right this past school year. Being really good at environmental science and botany workshops didn’t get me out of PE. Itried to convince Mom and Mo that running laps and playing badminton was a form of torture, but I still had to dress out and be within smelling distance of dudes who thought wearing deodorant was optional. But PE was the least of my issues with school. The fear that I carried around with me that someone would discover what I could do—or worse, that I’d lose control and get someone hurt—was heavy. Why did this have to happen? Why did it happen like this? Why did you betray me, book? I believed in you, I liked you a lot! Now I can never trust any YA literature ever again, old and new!

Another problem I had with this story was the use of the immortal love interest trope. It is revealed later in the story that the love interest is actually three-hundred thirty-six, but in the body of a seventeen year old. The main character is barely seventeen, yet is supposed to be dating someone hundreds of years her senior? This might not bother some people, but it's a definite no from me.Really?” Mom lowered her voice and leaned in close, even though we were the only two people in the shop. “That’s some kind of record, right?” A magical Queer story of a Poison Garden, close family bonds, small town secrets and Greek myth, this was such a fun ride. I loved that Briseis magic was specific to plants, and I enjoyed following her as she finally found a place away from the chaos of the city where she could truly test her magic. Now that we've got my negative opinions out of the way, let's talk a little bit about what I did enjoy: Nope. That kid is a whole demon. He told his grandma to shut up the other day and nobody said anything. He’s mad disrespectful. My grandma would’ve snatched my soul right out my body.”