Book review: The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood, based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland (Published by Balzer + Bray, a division of HarperTeen, July 20, 2010)

Sixteen-year-old Jessamine Luxton lives with her father, an apothecary, in the cottage at Hulne Abbey, not far from Alnwick Castle, in late 18th century England. Her mother died when she was young and since then she has grown up in the isolated cottage. Jessamine is interested in her father’s work growing plants but he will not allow her to assist him for fear the poisonous plants will harm her. Instead her days are filled with the work of housekeeping and growing the herb and vegetable gardens.

Jessamine’s life changes when a mysterious orphan boy named Weed is brought to the cottage by a stranger who thinks Jessamine’s father will be interested in Weed’s abilities, as he seems to have some strange knowledge of herbs or healing. Weed is close in age to Jessamine, and she is determined to get to know this strange boy. A romance begins to develop between the two; however, Jessamine soon becomes dangerously ill with a mysterious ailment and Weed must use his special knowledge of plants to try and find a way to save her.

The Poison Diaries is the first in a trilogy and as such it ends rather abruptly and somewhat unsatisfactorily as a result. This isn’t really a book that can stand on its own, I think you will need to read the whole series and I’m disappointed the next book won’t be out for a year since I really want to know what happens. I really enjoyed the first half of the novel, and reading about Jessamine and Weed’s growing relationship. Later on however the book does get very dark and some of the decisions made by characters are morally questionable. I did love the creepy gothic historical setting, it was very atmospheric, and the plot was definitely something very different, and for that reason I would recommend this book to readers who love unusual young adult fantasy novels. This is definitely a book that stands out, and in a good way in my opinion, from all the endless young adult paranormals about werewolves and vampires. However, if you really hate cliffhangers, you may want to wait until the entire series is available before reading.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

In My Mailbox - 8/7/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

Bought:

The Mourning Wars by Karen Steinmetz

Based on true events, THE MOURNING WARS is a gripping, powerful, and utterly memorable historical novel. In 1704, Mohawk Indians attacked the frontier village of Deerfield, Massachusetts, killing 50 and kidnapping 112 more, including John Williams, a Puritan minister and prize hostage, and his children.
This is Eunice’s remarkable story, fictionalized but based on meticulous research, about a seven-year-old girl's separation from her family, harrowing march to Canada, gradual acceptance of her new Native American life, and ultimate decision at 16 to marry an Indian and reject her stern father's pleadings to return to the fold.


My Story: Pyramid of Secrets by Jim Eldridge

It's 2554 BC and Pharaoh Khafra is building a great pyramid at Giza to rival those built by his predecessors. He is also making plans for what will become one of the most famous and iconic monuments in history - the Sphinx. But Khafra has enemies and division in his workforce. Among the labourers in his employ is one 13-year old boy, Menes. Menes has his own reasons for hating the pyramid and wanting to rebel. But his rebellion could have drastic consquences for those closest to him...


Whisper My Name by Jane Eagland

Since she was twelve, Meriel Garland has lived with her grandfather in London, exiled from her beloved India following the death of her mother. Now sixteen, Meriel chafes against the strict regime of tests and study that her grandfather imposes on her. Escaping, she discovers a world outside her narrow existence - one that promises admiration for her acting skills, social success and the excitement of seances. But what should have been a game turns serious as the young medium Sophie Casson passes on a message from Meriel's dead mother - and Meriel begins to suspect she might not be alone in the world after all. In searching for the truth about her past, Meriel uncovers a sinister scheme - and soon it's hard to know who she can really trust.


Dread Pirate Fleur and the Hangman's Noose by Sara Starbuck

Fleur has been reunited with the crew of the pirate ship the Black Dragon, and is especially happy to be home with her best friend Tom and her gruff uncle William the Heartless. They set sale for the Americas, a continent in the suspicious grip of the infamous witch trials at Salem. When Fleur discovers her mother - who she has long believed dead - is on trial for witchcraft, she mounts a daring rescue mission, which results in William being captured and transported to London to the Tyburn gallows. Fleur knows she must do everything in her power to save him, and captains the Black Dragon on its most treacherous journey yet. But dealing with rough waters and an ambush from the Royal Navy is nothing compared to the danger posed by her own mother Rose, the ultimate in unscrupulous pirate queens...


The Prodigal Patriot by Darlene Franklin

Sally Reid's family decides on a dangerous course when the Tories of Maple Notch, Vermont, chase Patriot families from their land. When Josiah Tuttle discovers their secret and offers to help, Sally doesn't know if she can trust him. After all, Josiah's father is one of the Tories who forced her family into hiding. The Tuttles have already lost one son to the hated Patriot cause. How can Josiah both honor his grieving father and protect the woman he loves? When called upon to take a stand, which side will he choose?

In My Mailbox - 7/31/10

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

Bought:

The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

Abigail is a maidservant in Greave Hall, an elegant London household governed by the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs Cotton. Whilst the widowed master slips slowly into madness, Mrs Cotton gradually usurps the position of gentlewoman of the house. She wears his dead wife’s jewellery and clothes, entertains guests as though the house is her own and reserves her most despotic treatment for Abi.
In the dead of night, Abi makes a desperate bid for freedom, but is soon captured and returned to Greave Hall. As Mrs Cotton’s malice intensifies, a ghostly presence distracts Abi with clues to a deadly secret. And Abi now realises that she can trust no one in the house.


From Amazon Vine:

The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey

In Rosamund's realm, happiness hinges on a few simple beliefs: For every princess there's a prince. The king has ultimate power. Stepmothers should never be trusted. And bad things come to those who break with Tradition….
But when Rosa is pursued by a murderous huntsman and then captured by dwarves, her beliefs go up in smoke. Determined to escape and save her kingdom from imminent invasion, she agrees to become the guinea pig in one of her stepmother's risky incantations—thus falling into a deep, deep sleep.
When awakened by a touchy-feely stranger, Rosa must choose between Tradition and her future…between a host of eligible princes and a handsome, fair-haired outsider. And learn the difference between being a princess and ruling as a queen.
The moral of the story? Sometimes a princess has to create her own happy endings….

Book review: Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein (Published by Bloomsbury, October 12, 2010)

When her father dies while fighting in the Netherlands in 1583, fourteen-year-old Catherine Archer is left orphaned and penniless. Her fortunes change, however, when in recognition of the fact that Cate’s father died in her service, Queen Elizabeth invites her to come live at court and serve as one of her maids of honor. Cate finds life at court to be rather complicated as no one there is truly free, but rather subject to the will of the Queen. That becomes all too clear when Cate’s secret romance with Sir Walter Ralegh, a handsome young courtier who is a favorite of the Queen’s, is discovered. The furious and jealous Queen sentences Cate to banishment in the new world of Virginia, while Ralegh, who hoped to govern the colony, is forced to remain behind and serve the Queen in England.

As she sets out on the sea voyage with the other Roanoke colonists, Cate is filled with many conflicting feelings. After hearing Ralegh’s tales of the wild and unsettled land of Virginia, and meeting the young Indian Manteo, brought back to England by a previous expedition, Cate had longed to travel to the new world and see it for herself. But she never expected so much hardship. The colonists are abandoned on Roanoke Island, and their governor must return to England to try and bring back supplies. The first years in the colony are filled with starvation, disease, and death. Seemingly abandoned by England, the colonists are on their own and must find a way to survive. Feeling abandoned by Walter Ralegh and now believing that he never truly loved her, Cate must set aside her memories of him, and her old life in England, so that she may survive and build a new life in this new world, perhaps even finding a new love along the way.

I have always been fascinated by the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, so having enjoyed Lisa Klein’s previous books, I was very excited when I first learned about this book. I am happy to say it did not disappoint at all and is in fact one of my favorite books so far this year. Through Cate’s story, which is filled with adventure and romance, the worlds of Elizabethan England and Roanoke Island in 1587 are brought to life, and the story ends with a plausible theory of what might have become of the lost colonists. I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys historical fiction or who read and enjoyed the author’s previous novels.

Waiting on Wednesday: Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang (Published by Delacorte Books, January 11, 2011)

Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield. The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the "manly arts" of the Mongols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling. Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting 'dragons' and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier.


This sounds like a really unusual and interesting historical novel, I don't believe I have ever read anything set in Asia during this time period.

Book review: Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory

Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory (New edition published by Scholastic, September 1, 2010; originally published in 1996)

Abigail Jane Stewart, called Abby by her family and friends, is eleven years old and living in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania when the American army arrives there in December 1777. Abby is mostly worried about her mother and her new baby brother, because five of her brothers died in infancy and she is afraid for this new baby. She thinks war is an adventure and doesn’t understand how serious it is.

However, when Abby, her mother, and her two sisters get a job doing laundry for General Washington, Abby and her sisters learn firsthand about the horrors of war. Determined to do their part to help, they sew for the soldiers, and visit the sick and injured soldiers in the encampment. In the process, Abby matures and understands the sacrifices of the soldiers, and that freedom is worth fighting for.

I first read The Winter of Red Snow in 1996, when it was originally published as one of the first books in the Dear America series. Each book in the series is the fictional diary of a preteen or young teenage girl living during an important time in American history. Out of the many books in the series, this one remains one of my favorites. The Dear America series truly brings history to life and helped me develop a love for historical fiction, and I am glad to see the series is being brought back into print for a new generation of readers. Highly recommended.

Book review: Dear America: A Journey to the New World by Kathryn Lasky

Dear America: A Journey to the New World by Kathryn Lasky (New edition published by Scholastic, September 1, 2010; originally published in 1996)

Remember Patience Whipple, called Mem by her family, is twelve years old in 1620, when her family, in search of religious freedom, sails to the new world on the Mayflower. Mem is a bit frightened at the prospect of living in this wild new land, having heard tales of strange and frightening native people who attack the settlers. The sea voyage is long and tedious, full of seasickness, daily boredom, and teasing from the mean Billington boys.

When the Pilgrims arrive in the new world, Mem finds it is not the wild Indians they have to fear; rather, the danger they face is from hunger and disease. The first winter is long and cold, and many of the settlers become sick and die. Mem must deal with her fears for her family and friends, and eventually the loss of her mother, which leaves her struggling to find the strength and courage to go on.

I first read A Journey to the New World in 1996, when it was originally published as one of the first books in the Dear America series. Each book in the series is the fictional diary of a preteen or young teenage girl living during an important time in American history. Mem’s fictional diary is both entertaining and educational, bringing to life the journey on the Mayflower and the settling of Plymouth Colony, as well as the hopes, dreams, and fears of a young girl settling in a strange new land. The Dear America series truly brings history to life and helped me develop a love for historical fiction, and I am glad to see the series is being brought back into print for a new generation of readers. Highly recommended.