This Poison Heart
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- Create Date：2021-06-24 07:51:25
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kalynn Bayron
- ISBN：1526632799
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Summary
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， Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer。 Hopefully there， surrounded by plants and flowers， Bri will finally learn to control her gift。 But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions， an old-school apothecary， and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage。
When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep， asking for tinctures and elixirs， Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them。 One of the visitors is Marie， a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends， only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community。 There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined， and she is determined to uncover it 。 。 。 until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir。 Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth， Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family。
From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her。
When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York， Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer。 Hopefully there， surrounded by plants and flowers， Bri will finally learn to control her gift。 But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions， an old-school apothecary， and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage。
When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep， asking for tinctures and elixirs， Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them。 One of the visitors is Marie， a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends， only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community。 There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined， and she is determined to uncover it 。 。 。 until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir。 Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth， Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family。
From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her。
Reviews
Amanda
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*i received an uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher under no obligation to review* that being said。。。HOLY SHIT。 go get this book。 i now feel like i have unjustly slept on Bayron's other novel， cinderella is dead， but i will rectify that ASAP。 Reading this book made me realize that i have a soft spot for hidden family legacies and BOY does this one pack a punch。 the plot is deliciously set up that， as the reader， i couldn't see three steps ahead。 as the clues started to be laid out b *i received an uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher under no obligation to review* that being said。。。HOLY SHIT。 go get this book。 i now feel like i have unjustly slept on Bayron's other novel， cinderella is dead， but i will rectify that ASAP。 Reading this book made me realize that i have a soft spot for hidden family legacies and BOY does this one pack a punch。 the plot is deliciously set up that， as the reader， i couldn't see three steps ahead。 as the clues started to be laid out before me， i did pick them up and examine them and come to SOME correct conclusions， but certainly not all。 and that's what i love in a book like this。i found myself likening this book， especially with the magic and mysticism， to an old old favorite of mine， The China Garden， and thats a GOOD comparison because i still think about that book to this day。 the powers that Brieses has are so cool and used in a way that is unique。 i can see how comparisons to poison ivy could be drawn， but the two power sets and characters more than hold up on their own。 Baryon's weaving of the story is masterful。 i was drawn in immediately and nothing， not a word， seemed like it was unnecessary。 everything Baryon wrote was in service to her story and i greatly appreciate that。 the cast of characters runs the gamut and yet they all serve their purpose， for better or for worse。 i'm honestly trying to find a negative or something to critique but i can't。 its just that good。i devoured this book， especially the last third。 its been a while since a book has sat in my vicinity， calling to me while i work from mere steps away and i've had to ignore it because i WOULD give it my whole attention， work day be damned。 i NEED the sequel to this book and i need it now。 Speaking of， knowing there would be a sequel was good。 it told me everythign wouldn't be wrapped up in a neat bow in the end。 but you get so many answers （that of course lead to more questions） by the end of this book， that you're actually satisfied and can wait for the next installment。 that isn't always the case。 i'm also glad for the sequel （if it stops there， who knows） because there are still so many questions to be answered that the book would have either become too long and bloated， or would have rushed to an only okay ending。 this way we get the best of both worlds: a great cliffhanger and the promise of more of this world。Seriously， go get this book。 now。 。。。more
Jodi ♡
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4。5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ （rounded up to 5） After reading Cinderella is Dead， This Poison Heart became one of my highly anticipated releases of the year and it proved to be absolutely worth it。 I love Greek Mythology and the way that it was incorporated into this story was fantastic。 It’s a myth that I believe hasn’t been overly done and one I didn’t know much about。 As soon as I put the book down I knew I wanted to look more into the myth。 The story itself was wonderful。 I was invested from the very first 4。5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ （rounded up to 5） After reading Cinderella is Dead， This Poison Heart became one of my highly anticipated releases of the year and it proved to be absolutely worth it。 I love Greek Mythology and the way that it was incorporated into this story was fantastic。 It’s a myth that I believe hasn’t been overly done and one I didn’t know much about。 As soon as I put the book down I knew I wanted to look more into the myth。 The story itself was wonderful。 I was invested from the very first page。 Watching as Bri grow as both a character and with her powers was a fun adventure。 I’m normally good at picking up clues for plot twists but this one genuinely surprised me。 All of the characters were enjoyable。 And then there were moments that I couldn’t help but giggle over。 Bri not knowing what mapquest was made me cry a bit and feel really old but I loved it。 I loved the mentions of current fads including tik tok and the Hamilton soundtrack。 Sometimes books confuse me on when they are set but these mentions reminded me that this could be happening right this second。 I cannot wait for the next book to come out to read more about Bris adventure。 Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an ARC of This Poison Heart。 。。。more
_Chaotic_Bookworm_
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I’m like kinda on vacation right now so im not writing a full review but I’ll do one when I get home。
Kim
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I'm in love with this book。Where do I start， all the I like in books are in this book。There is magic， witches， melanin magic， mystery， pop culture references。。。I just love it so much。 Briseis and her Mothers are some of my new favorite characters。 They feel like family。。。that family I would spend the summer with。The mix of Greek mythology and Black Girl Magic is fabulous。 This my summer pick。 I absolutely love this book。 Easily in my top 10 for 2021。 I'm in love with this book。Where do I start， all the I like in books are in this book。There is magic， witches， melanin magic， mystery， pop culture references。。。I just love it so much。 Briseis and her Mothers are some of my new favorite characters。 They feel like family。。。that family I would spend the summer with。The mix of Greek mythology and Black Girl Magic is fabulous。 This my summer pick。 I absolutely love this book。 Easily in my top 10 for 2021。 。。。more
Asikaia
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This Poison Heart was such a fun blend of secrets， ancient family lineages， and Greek Myths。 I sped through this book， and had such a fun time reading it and learning about all the secrets the Colchis family had， and being able to connect all the dots with Briseis， the main character。 It was fun to revisit some of Greek mythology， and to learn more about Medea， and a few versions of her story。 This Poison Heart did feel pretty short， and most of it was setting up for the following books， but I a This Poison Heart was such a fun blend of secrets， ancient family lineages， and Greek Myths。 I sped through this book， and had such a fun time reading it and learning about all the secrets the Colchis family had， and being able to connect all the dots with Briseis， the main character。 It was fun to revisit some of Greek mythology， and to learn more about Medea， and a few versions of her story。 This Poison Heart did feel pretty short， and most of it was setting up for the following books， but I am so excited to find what happens next！ 。。。more
Krystal Kantrell
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This book was absolutely AMAZING！！！ One of the best YA novels I’ve read in a long time。 I’m so happy #Netgalley gave me the honor of being able to read it early， now the only thing I can do is read it over and wait impatiently for the sequel。 I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s a fan of Greek mythology， and just Black Girl Magic in general。 If it’s not clear from this review， let me just say that I loved this book and would buy it for all of my friends。 #ThisPoisonHeart #NetGalley
sophie ✌
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Review will be published on release date！
Tess
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HOLY FORK THE CLIFFHANGER WHYWHYWHY I NEED MORE IM SCREAMING
Pine Reads Review
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“My friends were pulling away from me， my parents were worried about me， school was a mess， and this power squatting inside me was trying to break free。 How much more of this could I take before I reached a tipping point？ Before I did something I couldn’t take back？”For seventeen-year-old Briseis， Brooklyn is a safe haven。 It’s full of concrete and pavement， perfect for someone who wants to hide their unusual gift with plants。 Because no one can know that with a single touch， Bri can grow plants “My friends were pulling away from me， my parents were worried about me， school was a mess， and this power squatting inside me was trying to break free。 How much more of this could I take before I reached a tipping point？ Before I did something I couldn’t take back？”For seventeen-year-old Briseis， Brooklyn is a safe haven。 It’s full of concrete and pavement， perfect for someone who wants to hide their unusual gift with plants。 Because no one can know that with a single touch， Bri can grow plants in minutes—or that poisonous plants don’t seem to affect her。 But when Bri’s aunt dies and leaves her a crumbling mansion and forty acres of land in rural New York， Bri and her parents decide to take a chance and move there for the summer。 With no one around for miles， Bri finally has the chance to experiment with her gift， and when she discovers a secret garden on the property， it feels like fate。 Except Bri isn’t the only one interested in plants。 Mysterious strangers begin showing up and asking for remedies from the old apothecary in the house。 Peculiar letters reveal hidden rooms。 And Bri finds part of the garden only she can enter， a part filled with poisonous plants。 All Bri wants is to finally find somewhere she can fit in。 But when secrets from long ago are disclosed and her family is targeted by a nefarious group searching for an immortality elixir and a deadly plant， Bri must learn to control her gift if she wants to protect her family’s past， present， and future。After absolutely loving Cinderella Is Dead， I had high hopes for Kalynn Bayron’s next novel， and I was not disappointed。 This Poison Heart will wrap its vines around you and refuse to let you go until you’ve read the final page。 Briseis is a fantastic protagonist， and I loved watching her bloom throughout the book。 Her moms are also now two of my favorite literary parents ever！ Their relationship with Bri is so healthy and fun， and I wish I could join them for a movie sometime！ Bayron does an excellent job combining elements from The Secret Garden with Greek mythology in unexpected ways。 I also can’t wait to see how the seeds of romance planted in this book will grow in the sequel。 With literal Black Girl Magic， wonderful representation， and an enthralling mystery， This Poison Heart will knock your stalks off！Content Warnings: Murder， death of a parent， blood and gore， decapitation， dismemberment， strong language（Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication。）Follow us on Instagram， Twitter， and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www。pinereadsreview。com for reviews， author interviews， blogs， podcast episodes， and more！ 。。。more
Allison
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This book's a little bit witchy， a little bit eerie， and all kinds of mysterious。 Briseis has always had something more than a green thumb。 It's led to her love of botany， but it also causes her to keep friends at arm's length to protect her secret。 Her life is turned upside down when she finds out she has inherited an estate from her birth family。 She and her moms go to stay the summer at the old house， complete with secrets in the turret， poisons in the garden， a fully stocked apothecary， and This book's a little bit witchy， a little bit eerie， and all kinds of mysterious。 Briseis has always had something more than a green thumb。 It's led to her love of botany， but it also causes her to keep friends at arm's length to protect her secret。 Her life is turned upside down when she finds out she has inherited an estate from her birth family。 She and her moms go to stay the summer at the old house， complete with secrets in the turret， poisons in the garden， a fully stocked apothecary， and more than one hidden door。 Briseis will uncover the story of her gift and dig into a whole new world waiting just out of sight。What I loved about this one: the family dynamic， first and foremost。 Bri's moms are supportive and protective with a side of goofy muchness。 Second， the house's mysteries were enticing。 The discovery of each new door or key had my mind whirring with the possibilities。 The infusion of myth， magic， and botany was clever and fleshed out。 Also， the story takes place in a community where they are in the process of defunding the police。 I loved the window into what that might look like and all the people it could benefit。What didn't work for me: there's an instalove-ish plot， which is a personal pet peeve。 Also， Briseis' investigation of family/town mysteries was fun， but the conclusion of it all felt a bit rushed and lacked punch in comparison。 After the buildup of clues， the flurry of final reveals left me unsure how to feel about the situation or how to invest in the glaring cliffhanger。I recommend this to ya fantasy fans looking for something mysterious and mythological in a modern setting。 It also features two sapphic relationships， which is always a plus。 Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book！ It's out next week on 6/29。 。。。more
Blue
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Want to see more。。。 Bookstagram Website Thank you Bloomsbury YA for this book in exchange for an honest reviewIf you haven’t read any of Bayron’s work yet， then I’m not too sure what you are doing with your life。 Since finishing Cinderella is Dead and hearing the rumours of another book， I knew I could not say no！ It’s clear enough to say that I am a huge fan of Kalynn Bayron！ The premise of this book is around Briseis and her unique and creative power of live for plants， basically she can grow Want to see more。。。 Bookstagram Website Thank you Bloomsbury YA for this book in exchange for an honest reviewIf you haven’t read any of Bayron’s work yet， then I’m not too sure what you are doing with your life。 Since finishing Cinderella is Dead and hearing the rumours of another book， I knew I could not say no！ It’s clear enough to say that I am a huge fan of Kalynn Bayron！ The premise of this book is around Briseis and her unique and creative power of live for plants， basically she can grow a seedling into a beautiful plant within a matter of moments， its Captain Planet’s wet dream。 Honestly thought it’s a brilliant gift and if it didn’t at some point make you think about the forestation happening around the world and how incredibly important this power would be。 If we put the epicness of this power aside， you have wonderful， intense and raw characters that are delightfully entertaining。 Thought I don’t want to go into too much depth over these characters， cause it might lead to some spoilers…？ Maybe？ You’ll never know unless you read it！ Overall This Poison Heart is creative， strong and entertaining。 You get Little Shop of Horror vibes， including the violence and blood and all the fantastic fun stuff！ This is one of those books that you will always want on yourselves and will constantly read again！ 。。。more
Jthbooks
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Definitely 4。5 stars！ This book is fantastic
Steph
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Thank you to netgalley and publishers for allowing me access to this E-Arc。 I would like to say that this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year。 Unfortunately for me I have DNFd at 25% into it。 The writing style is fantastic I did love the writing。 But unfortunately I found the plot not to my tastes。 Not to say others won’t enjoy it。 But me and plants do not mix。 And I knew this was about plants going into I just didn’t expect everything to revolve around it。 Like every paragraph plan Thank you to netgalley and publishers for allowing me access to this E-Arc。 I would like to say that this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year。 Unfortunately for me I have DNFd at 25% into it。 The writing style is fantastic I did love the writing。 But unfortunately I found the plot not to my tastes。 Not to say others won’t enjoy it。 But me and plants do not mix。 And I knew this was about plants going into I just didn’t expect everything to revolve around it。 Like every paragraph plants are talked about。 Also I found the MC a bit bland too。 Her mums were much more interesting。 In my opinion。 。。。more
Jude in the Stars
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Not all gifts are welcome。 Briseis is bright and determined and if keeping herself in check didn’t require so much of her energy， she’d be an excellent student。 But as it is， trying to stop plants – flowers， trees， grass – from reacting to her presence takes a lot of focus。 Furthermore， when you’re hiding who you are， it’s hard to keep your friends or make new ones。 So when Briseis learns that her birth sister’s mother willed her a property in the countryside， Briseis and her mothers decide to l Not all gifts are welcome。 Briseis is bright and determined and if keeping herself in check didn’t require so much of her energy， she’d be an excellent student。 But as it is， trying to stop plants – flowers， trees， grass – from reacting to her presence takes a lot of focus。 Furthermore， when you’re hiding who you are， it’s hard to keep your friends or make new ones。 So when Briseis learns that her birth sister’s mother willed her a property in the countryside， Briseis and her mothers decide to leave Brooklyn and their flower shop for a while and spend the summer in the house the teenager inherited。 Despite her fear of being overwhelmed when surrounded by plants， Briseis finds herself able to relax in a brand new way。 She also realises there’s more to what she inherited than an old house and a garden。 Her birth family’s history goes back a very long time and her ability to make plants grow is only the tip of the iceberg。 The safe part of the iceberg。The main character， Briseis， is relatable despite her incredible gift， her two moms – Mom and Mo – are wonderful， all three are complex and flawed but full of love and trust。 I loved the moms， the relationship between them and their relationship with their daughter。When the three of them first arrive in the small town near which the estate is located， Briseis and her parents worry that everyone seems so white， and Briseis brings up the movie Get Out and jokes that she doesn’t want a white woman living in her body。 With a few words here and there， Bayron inserts social commentary in a way that feels so natural it almost seems inadvertent。 Very efficient， however。Because they’re new to the area， Briseis and her parents meet the secondary characters at the same time as the reader。 We have the same information about the people they come across。 We trust who they trust， dislike who they’re wary of。 Not all are who they seem to be and those who apparently are might reveal themselves not to be in the next book。 Whatever happens， I hope we get to see more of Marie， the gorgeous young woman who pikes Briseis’s interest， and her unusual bodyguard Nyx， as well as Mama Lucille， Dr Grant and her father the alchemist， and others。I enjoyed Kalynn Bayron’s debut novel Cinderella is Dead a lot last summer， and was looking forward to her second book。 I’m happy to say that I liked it even more and that the issues I had with the writing of the first book aren’t a problem with this one。 This Poison Heart feels like The Little Shop of Horrors meets Percy Jackson， with Greek mythology mixed with killer plants and Black girl magic。Bayron sets the atmosphere cleverly， slowly， quietly， until it becomes stifling and thrilling towards the end。 Speaking of which， This Poison Heart is the first book in a series and ends on a stunning cliffhanger。 I don’t know when the next installment is planned and I hope we won’t have to wait too long to find out what happens next。I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Rosie
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Y'all this book is so good and full of twists I did not see coming。 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Y'all this book is so good and full of twists I did not see coming。 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 。。。more
Vera
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of This Poison Heart！I absolutely loved Cinderella is Dead， and so I was extremely excited to read another YA fantasy from Kalynn Bayron。 Although this story is almost entirely different from Cinderella is Dead in all ways， I loved it at least as much， if not even more。 I love that the main character is a Black girl from Brooklyn， and I connected with her life in the city and her family's struggles to make enou Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of This Poison Heart！I absolutely loved Cinderella is Dead， and so I was extremely excited to read another YA fantasy from Kalynn Bayron。 Although this story is almost entirely different from Cinderella is Dead in all ways， I loved it at least as much， if not even more。 I love that the main character is a Black girl from Brooklyn， and I connected with her life in the city and her family's struggles to make enough money to be able to live comfortably and run their florist shop。 I also love all of the references to Greek mythology and the ways that Briseis and her family connect with those ancient myths。 The plant magic that Briseis has is well crafted and the theme of protecting the earth and helping the plants flourish really spoke to me。 The world-building is great， and I love the ways that the real-world pieces connect with the magical elements。 The supporting characters in the book are also well-developed and interesting， and I especially loved reading about Briseis's relationship with her two moms。 I really appreciate this kind of LGBTQ rep， where it isn't necessarily a major theme of the story but is just part of everyday existence。 I absolutely loved everything about this book， and I am already super excited for a sequel！！！ Highly recommend！！ 。。。more
Zoe Giles
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I was a little apprehensive about this book because I really did not enjoy the author's first novel Cinderella is Dead。 However， I can definitely say I much preferred this one。 Briseis was a very likeable main character and her mothers and their familiar bond was truly beautiful and a joy to read。 The book was also very modern with references to Hmusicals like Hamilton and Hadestown which as a massive musical lover， I really enjoyed。 Then there was the elements of fantasy and magic with the plan I was a little apprehensive about this book because I really did not enjoy the author's first novel Cinderella is Dead。 However， I can definitely say I much preferred this one。 Briseis was a very likeable main character and her mothers and their familiar bond was truly beautiful and a joy to read。 The book was also very modern with references to Hmusicals like Hamilton and Hadestown which as a massive musical lover， I really enjoyed。 Then there was the elements of fantasy and magic with the plants which I think were executed really well。 On top of all this， there was a Greek mythology element which as we all know is my favourite thing to read about。 Overall， it was a great YA， sapphic， black girl magic novel that was a lot of fun。 。。。more
Ariana
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I knew I’d enjoy this book when I read the dedication page （proud plant mom here🙋🏾♀️）。 It’s a lighthearted and fun YA fantasy novel。 I loved the fantasy elements， the friends Briseis made， and her own self growth over the book。 There is plenty Black and LGBTQ+ representation in this story。 Bayron added commentary on race and societal issues that added depth to the characters and plot。 The ending will leave you wanting more。 I seriously can’t wait for the sequel！ Synopsis: Briseis is a girl with I knew I’d enjoy this book when I read the dedication page （proud plant mom here🙋🏾♀️）。 It’s a lighthearted and fun YA fantasy novel。 I loved the fantasy elements， the friends Briseis made， and her own self growth over the book。 There is plenty Black and LGBTQ+ representation in this story。 Bayron added commentary on race and societal issues that added depth to the characters and plot。 The ending will leave you wanting more。 I seriously can’t wait for the sequel！ Synopsis: Briseis is a girl with a unique and deadly power: she can grow plants from tiny seeds with a single touch。 When Briseis’s aunt dies she inherits a creepy， mysterious estate in rural NY。 Briseis find instructions， an apothecary， and a hidden garden with the deadliest plants。 Over the summer， living in this estate， she finds out many secrets about her family that has lived long before her。—Thank you so much NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Stephanie （My Book Throne）
，
RTC！
Kate Henderson
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After reading Kalynn Bayron's 'Cinderella Is Dead' last summer I was super exciting for this book。 I fear this book is going to be difficult to review。 This book has so much going on - a little too much at times。 It took a good while for me to get into this book， I think this is because I was unsure where it was going。 I really liked the premise， and from reading the blurb was intrigued how this idea would transfer into the plot of the book。 The blurb doesn't mention anything about the Greek Myt After reading Kalynn Bayron's 'Cinderella Is Dead' last summer I was super exciting for this book。 I fear this book is going to be difficult to review。 This book has so much going on - a little too much at times。 It took a good while for me to get into this book， I think this is because I was unsure where it was going。 I really liked the premise， and from reading the blurb was intrigued how this idea would transfer into the plot of the book。 The blurb doesn't mention anything about the Greek Myth/Gods/Goddesses so it came as a surprise - but a good surprise。 （I don't know why it wasn't referenced in the blurb as it doesn't spoil the plot as such）At times the pacing was quite slow， and it constantly went up and down pacing。 Super fast and intriguing to super slow etc。 It made me feel a little unsettled at times。Overall， I did enjoy this book - it was nice enough but I'm not gagging for a the sequel。 I don't feel that attached。 However， a sequel to 'Cinderella Is Dead' - now THAT is what I need！ 。。。more
Jessica （jesonemorepage）
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4。5！ RTCE-arc provided by NetGalley。
Leah M
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book。 I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily。CONTENT WARNING: violence， gore， deathI knew Kalynn Bayron was talented after reading her debut， Cinderella is Dead， but this book really brought that point home and showcased her immense talent in the best possible way。 It’s a gothic novel with Black girl magic， elemental powers， family secrets， a secret garden， LGBT rep， and Greek mythology running throughout。 Plus， it’s topped off wit Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book。 I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily。CONTENT WARNING: violence， gore， deathI knew Kalynn Bayron was talented after reading her debut， Cinderella is Dead， but this book really brought that point home and showcased her immense talent in the best possible way。 It’s a gothic novel with Black girl magic， elemental powers， family secrets， a secret garden， LGBT rep， and Greek mythology running throughout。 Plus， it’s topped off with a stunning cover。 What’s not to love？ In this case， you have my full approval to judge this book by its cover。I’ve always loved stories that incorporate Greek mythology， but this one does it in a completely unique way in a field that is saturated in Greek myths。 The plot was compelling from the start， rapidly snowballing until it picked up an amazing amount of speed in the last quarter of the book。 I found myself simultaneously rushing towards the end and dreading the end， because it meant that I’d run out of book and I just wanted to keep reading this amazing piece of art。 Briseis is a compelling main character， one that I easily identified with and wanted to see her do well。 She’s both loyal to her family and struggling with loneliness。 Her elemental magic keeps her isolated from her friends， making it difficult to maintain close friendships。 When she has an estate left to her by a dead relative that she’s never met， she has a chance to start over in a new place， surrounded by plants。 But it brings a whole new set of difficulties， and she does’t quite know who she can trust。 I enjoyed meeting the people around her as well， with the characters having their own engaging personalities。 There were plenty of humorous aspects to the story， and I found myself chuckling many times as I read。 Bayron works in pop culture references so effortlessly and naturally， it’s a perfect example of YA authorship。 I only had two complaints about the story。 My first is that one of the characters was clearly suspicious， and Briseis never picked up on anything about it。 It seemed blatantly obvious to me， and as soon as the first clue appeared， my wheels started turning， even though nothing ever clicked for Briseis until literally everything got spelled out。 The other was the way that Briseis and her love interest had a kind of insta-love connection， rather than having things develop a bit more slowly and naturally。 Other than that， this book was damn near perfect， and I’m already dying to get my hands on the next book （as soon as it comes out）。 Yep， it’s that good。 。。。more
laurel [the suspected bibliophile]
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THIS WAS EVERYTHINGEver have one of those books where you just know you will love it right from the first sentence？ The writing， the characters （the MOMS！！！）， the mystery， the plants on plants on plants—I loved it all。The only thing I didn't love？That fucking cliffhanger！Now I have to wait a million years for book 2 and I needs it now。Full RTC。I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review THIS WAS EVERYTHINGEver have one of those books where you just know you will love it right from the first sentence？ The writing， the characters （the MOMS！！！）， the mystery， the plants on plants on plants—I loved it all。The only thing I didn't love？That fucking cliffhanger！Now I have to wait a million years for book 2 and I needs it now。Full RTC。I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review 。。。more
Calliope
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Synopsis: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， Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer。 Hopefully there， surrounded by plants and flowers， Bri will finally learn to control her gift。 But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions， an old-school apothecary， and a walled ga Synopsis: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， Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer。 Hopefully there， surrounded by plants and flowers， Bri will finally learn to control her gift。 But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions， an old-school apothecary， and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage。When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep， asking for tinctures and elixirs， Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them。 One of the visitors is Marie， a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends， only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community。 There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined， and she is determined to uncover it 。 。 。 until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir。 Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth， Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family。Review:Thank you so much to Bloomsbury for providing me with a physical ARC of 'This Poison Heart'。 Wow！ I loved this so much。 It started well， and it just got better and better from there！The characters in this book were so fantastic and not at all what I expected。 Bri was a great narrator， funny yet very intelligent and practical。 The side characters were just amazing， too~ Mo and Mom are so loveable and just everything I could want in fictional parents。 Marie's character was so interesting， and I definetly didn't guess anything right about her。 The entire Colchis family line was an amazing concept。The Greek History that was interwoven was so seamless！ After reading The Song of Achilles， I've been very curious about mythology， and 'This Poison Heart' taught me a lot about that， specifically the story of Medea！ The writing style was super easy to get into/very accessible。 I wasn't confused at any point， yet I learned so much about botany along the way。 The romance part of 'This Poison Heart' was super sweet， and I liked the Bi/Pan （not specified） representation in Bri！ It's always so great to see integration of modern ideas （pronouns， sexuality， etc） in imaginative fantasy worlds！ （See also Victories Greater Than Deathfor this！）The twists were insane， similarly to the author's previous book， and I was not expecting that ending！ I loved how it was open ended yet satisfying。 （Will there be a sequel？！）All in all， this was such an imaginative， humorous and sharply intelligent novel， Kalynn Bayron is becoming an auto-buy author for me！Anticipation: 4: Loved Cinderella is Dead， excited！Enjoyment: WHAT WAS THAT jfkdljgldfjglf--> 4。75 stars， this was amazing！Recommended for ages 13 and up （Some violence/gore and peril）Buy 'This Poison Heart' from Blackwell's （UK）: https://blackwells。co。uk/bookshop/pro。。。Buy 'This Poison Heart' from Mrs。 Dalloway's （US）:https://www。mrsdalloways。com/book/978。。。 。。。more
Pamela
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Briseis is a seventeen-year-old with a unique gift she doesn’t understand and isn’t sure is a gift。 When she inherits an old house with 40 acres， she and her two Moms leave Brooklyn to go take a look at it to see what they think。 There are immediate problems – the house has been closed up for at least a decade， there is dust everywhere， and there are strangers coming onto the property。 Briseis discovers what looks like an apothecary complete with hundreds of jars of plant-bases medicines。 As she Briseis is a seventeen-year-old with a unique gift she doesn’t understand and isn’t sure is a gift。 When she inherits an old house with 40 acres， she and her two Moms leave Brooklyn to go take a look at it to see what they think。 There are immediate problems – the house has been closed up for at least a decade， there is dust everywhere， and there are strangers coming onto the property。 Briseis discovers what looks like an apothecary complete with hundreds of jars of plant-bases medicines。 As she explores the house and land surround the house， her magical powers begin to grow stronger。 In the meantime， one of her Moms is loving the place， but the other isn’t as sure especially after she an encounter poison ivy and her allegories act up because of the 10-year-old dust。 Briseis comes to know she belongs on the land。Bayron has written a slow-build novel that is very-well written and her main characters are interesting， strong， intellection women who readers will fall in love with。 The interactions between Briseis and her Moms is caring and sometimes funny。 The author eases into her story by setting the scene and tone of the book and slowly introduces readers to Briseis’ gift while ensuring readers know what she does even if no one seems to understand how she does it， including Briseis and her Moms。 As the book progresses， readers， already invested in the plot and characters， will find themselves finding it harder and harder to put the book down。One thing readers may take issue with is the ending and the way the author writes it。 It ends abruptly as if the author reached her word goal and just stopped。 That is to say the ending needed something more。If you like books with featuring a teenager who isn’t addicted to drama and angst and is on the verge of becoming a woman with loving parents， and who is trying to understand how to become who she is supposed to be， then this book is for you。 If you like a bit of magic with your books that more than the ability of current superheroes as well as a mystery and the pacing of most thrillers， you need to put it at the top of your to-be-read list。 My thanks to Bloomsbury YA Books and Edelweiss for an eARC。 。。。more
katherine
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okay hear me out， a ownvoices fantasy retelling with THE cover of dreams can only be the match of dreams， right？
Lilia
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This book just took my breath away it was amazing！ I got it from my school librarian how asked me to read it and give my opinion on it and of course I said it was amazing it was one of the best books I have read in my life。I hope that the Author will write another one after this one。😁
Eva
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Briseis Greene is good with plants。 It’s not your average green thumb， though – she has a mysterious magic that allows her to grow seeds into blossoms in seconds， and bring a wilted husk of a plant back to life。 Her hold on this magic is somewhat tenuous， though， and the plants don’t always stay in her control。 When she receives a message that her aunt – from a birth family she has had no contact with since her adoption – has passed away and left her a house in the countryside， she and her moms Briseis Greene is good with plants。 It’s not your average green thumb， though – she has a mysterious magic that allows her to grow seeds into blossoms in seconds， and bring a wilted husk of a plant back to life。 Her hold on this magic is somewhat tenuous， though， and the plants don’t always stay in her control。 When she receives a message that her aunt – from a birth family she has had no contact with since her adoption – has passed away and left her a house in the countryside， she and her moms pack up to go and find out what exactly Bri has inherited。 She soon finds herself entangled in magic and mystery， besieged by even more questions about the family she came from。 The magical world of this novel is a combination of magic and mythology， which I love。 I also adored the spooky setting of the old house and its mysterious gardens。 Bri’s relationship with her parents （her two adopted moms） was fantastic， as was the representation in this novel – aside from Bri’s two moms， Bri herself is queer （bi or pan） as is her female love interest， and most of the characters in the book are people of color。 I wasn’t that into the romantic aspect， to be honest - I appreciate the wlw representation but it’s kind of insta-love-y。 But that was one of my only minor complaints about the novel。 I’m interested to explore this world more when the next book comes out。 I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Courtney
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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 I was charmed， if a bit underwhelmed， by Kalynn Bayron’s debut， Cinderella is Dead， and I had high hopes for her sophomore novel， This Poison Heart。 Once again， she’s taking inspiration from folklore and mythology， which I found instantly appealing。 I loved the mix of influences that show up here。 It’s in part an homage to Greek mythology， apparent from the name of the protagonist， Br I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 I was charmed， if a bit underwhelmed， by Kalynn Bayron’s debut， Cinderella is Dead， and I had high hopes for her sophomore novel， This Poison Heart。 Once again， she’s taking inspiration from folklore and mythology， which I found instantly appealing。 I loved the mix of influences that show up here。 It’s in part an homage to Greek mythology， apparent from the name of the protagonist， Briseis， to some other allusions and plot points。 There’s also a Secret Garden-esque feel， but a more modern and inclusive take， with Black and LGBTQ+ people front-and-center。 I enjoyed the way the plant/garden/elixir elements were explored。 That’s never been an interest of mine， but it was conveyed in a way that made it interesting， especially in how it connected with the historical elements。 A major highlight is the characters and their relationships with one another。 Briseis has a lovely bond with her two moms， who support her as she digs into her heritage about receiving her inheritance from her biological mother。 Her journey of having to find out who she is is incredibly relatable， and it’s beautiful to see more adoptive children represented on the page， even if in this case there is a fantastical twist。 I did find the romance a bit underwhelming in comparison to the other elements。 However， this is the first in what looks to be a series， so I suppose there’s room to grow as the story goes on。 This book is an absolute delight， and I cannot wait for more （especially given that it ends on a cliffhanger）！ If you love fantasy influenced by Greek mythology and fairy tales， you’ll enjoy this book！ 。。。more
Elena
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I want to say a big thanks to Macmillan for sending me a physical ARC of one of my most anticipated releases of this summer， it means a lot to me so thank you！writing & plot- I loved the writing style and Bris as the narrator， I think it was very easy to understand and follow。 I would say that the first 100 pages are kinda slow but to my surprise also interesting and so I didn't get bored at all。 NOW， I have to say greek mythology AND fantasy？ OMG YES！ I LOVED the depth of that and all the conne I want to say a big thanks to Macmillan for sending me a physical ARC of one of my most anticipated releases of this summer， it means a lot to me so thank you！writing & plot- I loved the writing style and Bris as the narrator， I think it was very easy to understand and follow。 I would say that the first 100 pages are kinda slow but to my surprise also interesting and so I didn't get bored at all。 NOW， I have to say greek mythology AND fantasy？ OMG YES！ I LOVED the depth of that and all the connections to the story。 The plot has lots more potential of what it seems it does and oh gosh THAT ENDING。 IT BROKE ME。 THE PLOT TWIST？ I DID NOT SEE IT COMING AT ALL。 Unfortunately I can't say anything without spoiling the entire book， so I will leave it here。。。 The irony is that I have to wait for another year for the next book。。characters-I honestly adored the characters so much！ Bri is a very likable protagonist， her two moms are probably the cutest thing in the book and I want them to adopt me， Karter is adorable and Marie is kind of badass。 There are many more characters that I liked but I can't fit them all in here。romance-so there is a bit of romance and it is sapphic （something that of course I love） but I was disappointed。 I think it probably is because it is the type of 'instant love' that I do not like and maybe because of the age gap？ It was cute at times but again I didn't like it as it felt plain。。 I feel like the author's romance in Cinderella is Dead was way much better and I guess I was expecting some of that with more tension。。To finish of this review I will just say if you liked Legenborn you will also love this one or if you like any of the following; the idea of plant magic， Greek mythology， books with funny and adorable side characters， more poc and LGBTQ+ reputation， a badass female protagonist with magical abilities involving plants or a book that will make you scream at the end and stare at you ceiling at 3am wondering what you just read then this is for you！ Please read it folks， Kalynn Bayron is the best and deserves more love <3 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=This Poison Heart
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=This Poison Heart&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,This Poison Heart&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0