By Maile Meloy
Publication Date: August 29, 2011 (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Hardcover, 362 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; Historical Fiction; Mystery; Childrens; YA
Source: Library (but I loved the story so much that I bought it)
DESCRIPTION:
It's 1952 and the Scott family has moved unexpectedly from Los Angeles to London. Janie Scott feels uncertain in her strange new school until she meets Benjamin Burrows, the local apothecary's curious defiant son, who dreams of becoming a spy.
Benjamin's father promises Janie a cure for homesickness, and it seems to work. But Mr. Burows is no orindary apothecary, and he holds dangerous secrets. When he disappears, Benjamin and Janie find themselves entrusted with his sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia. And Russian spies are intent on getting their hands on it.
Discovering transformative elixirs they never imagined could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous quest to save the apothecary and prevent an impending nuclear disaster.
From award-winning author Maile Meloy comes a novel that sparkles with life and magic. Breathtakingly illustrated by Ian Schoenherr, this is a sotry that will delight kids and return not-so-young readers to a world in which the extraordinary is possible.
—from the book's dust jacket
REVIEW:
I love love love The Apothecary. It's classified as a childrens book, but I'd say it's boarderline young adult. Scratch that. The Apothecary is for anyone young at heart, but I think female fans of Harry Potter will enjoy it the most.
Anyway, The Apothecary had a completely delightful cast of characters.
Janie was a real diamond in the rough in the world of weak-female-protagonists and male-hero-dominated-adventure-books: she was both a strong and determined main character, and a pleasant narrator (the book is written in first-person). As a reader, I found Janie easy to get along with. Benjamin, who I'd say was another protagonist, was admirably brave, and Pip, the street urchin was resourceful, funny, and intelligent. Pip wasn't my favorite, but he could easily be any reader's favorite.
My favorte character was Sergei. I completely adored Sergei. He reminded me of a more lonely version of Neville Longbottom, and I pitied him so much for it. I loved Jin Lo second best, because she acted tough and nonchalant on the outside, but harbored hidden sorrows inside.
Anyway, The Apothecary had a completely delightful cast of characters.
Janie was a real diamond in the rough in the world of weak-female-protagonists and male-hero-dominated-adventure-books: she was both a strong and determined main character, and a pleasant narrator (the book is written in first-person). As a reader, I found Janie easy to get along with. Benjamin, who I'd say was another protagonist, was admirably brave, and Pip, the street urchin was resourceful, funny, and intelligent. Pip wasn't my favorite, but he could easily be any reader's favorite.
My favorte character was Sergei. I completely adored Sergei. He reminded me of a more lonely version of Neville Longbottom, and I pitied him so much for it. I loved Jin Lo second best, because she acted tough and nonchalant on the outside, but harbored hidden sorrows inside.
The plot rocked. It was fresh and ingenious. Even though the characters often brewed potions such as the Smell of Truth and the Invisibilty Elixar, I found none of it cheesy or unbelievable partially due to the way the author, Maile Meloy, and Janie presented it in the book. By "Chapter 7: The Message," which began on page 60 in my hardcover copy, the pace of the book picked up and I coudn't put it down. By the end, all the sub-plots and plots and conflicts were so tangled together that I didn't know how the end would turn out (and it seemed like the author didn't know either because one point of the conflict was lamely compromised), until I reached the ending.
The ending. Grrr. :( It took my breath away not in the way you may think. :(
The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy (funfact: Maile Meloy is the sister of Colin Meloy, lead singers in the band, The Decemberists) is a truely magical and ingenious book that I would read again and again and again and again and...
The ending. Grrr. :( It took my breath away not in the way you may think. :(
The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy (funfact: Maile Meloy is the sister of Colin Meloy, lead singers in the band, The Decemberists) is a truely magical and ingenious book that I would read again and again and again and again and...
RATING:
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