Book Review / Poison by Bridget Zinn

Ok, so here's my first REAL post.  A book review of a YA book. Wait, aren't you a children's librarian?  Yes, yes, I am but I also read lots of young adult lit and want to share my warm fuzzies for books, that, in my humble opinion are worth putting in the hands of your patrons (or kids, students, or your own hands!) :) That said, here we go with a book that was just published earlier this month from Disney Hyperion.






























In Poison, debut author Bridget Zinn combines magic, humor, and mystery into a captivating read for middle grade and teen fantasy fans.  The novel features a strong female protagonist who is forced to question her judgement and decisions on a journey to save an entire kingdom.  Sixteen-year-old and master potioner Kyra is forced into apparently betraying her best friend, who happens to be the crown princess and heir to the throne.  After a failed assassination attempt, Kyra is forced to go on the run to avoid capture and meets some unlikely allies along the way.  In the end, it's with the help of a mysteriously handsome boy, his dog, and a loveable pig along with Kyra's own considerable potioner skills that she is able to attempt to save the kingdom.

This novel is a really fun read.  At first glance, I thought it was going to be much more serious but I ended up appreciating the humor and lightheartedness that balanced out the more serious elements of the story.   Kyra's character was especially fun to get to know.  She was real, had doubts about herself and her abilities, but persevered despite those doubts with her friends' help.  I'm very sad we won't be able to read any more of Bridget Zinn's published work, but thankful at least for this novel!  A great choice for 6th grade and up, especially girls who enjoy fantasy but who are starting to outgrown Harry Potter but aren't quite ready for something as heavy as maybe The Hunger Games.

Reviewed from a digital ARC from netGalley.