Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
July 26, 2021/in Fiction 14+ Secondary/Adult /by Ellie
BfK Rating:
BfK 249 July 2021
Reviewer: Margaret Pemberton
ISBN: 978-1526632791
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 14+ Secondary/Adult
Length: 400pp
Buy the Book

This Poison Heart

Author: Kalynn Bayron

What a truly amazing mix of modern America and elements of Greek Mythology.  Briseis is a young black girl living in New York with her adoptive mothers.  She just wants to live a normal life, but unfortunately, she is hiding a secret that makes her very different from her friends.  She is able to make plants grow, but not in a natural way; when Briseis comes across a dying plant she can bring it back to life in a matter of seconds.  Whilst this might prove useful as her parents are florists, this also has a downside and means she keeps her distance from her peers.  When she receives news that she has inherited a house and grounds from her birth mother, Briseis and her family move to this new environment.  What follows leads to the discovery of a poison garden, unearthing ancient mysteries and realizing that her power with plants is part of her family heritage.  However, someone is determined to uncover a hidden secret and they are willing to do anything to achieve their end; it is down to Briseis and her friends to solve the mystery.

This fantastic story quite literally seemed to ‘grow’ on me.  Briseis is a young girl who has so many elements that she has to come to terms with in her life.  Moving to a more rural area of the USA she has to learn about her heritage and the fact that she is now in the minority.  She is also learning about family history, her powers and developing skills as an apothecary to the local community.  At one level this is a magical and mystical story, harking back to the Greek myths surrounding Jason and Circe.  However, on a more personal level this is about a young girl learning who she is, both in terms of family and in terms of who she is inside herself.  It is about development and self-knowledge, as well as accepting the special powers that have been passed down to her.  I loved seeing Briseis grow more confident as she begins to accept herself, but the story has many twists and turns and leaves us with questions that may be answered in the next book in the series.  I am looking forward to continuing his story in the future.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Poison.jpg 499 325 Ellie http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Ellie2021-07-26 18:00:452021-07-26 18:00:45This Poison Heart

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue BfK 255 July 2022
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Sarah Hagger-Holt wins the 2022 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction 2022

July 21, 2022

Maisie Chan and her editor Georgia Murray of Piccadilly Press win the 2022 Branford Boase Award

July 14, 2022

Valerie Bloom wins the CLiPPA 2022

July 8, 2022

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2022 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
Not My Problem Hide and Secrets
Scroll to top