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Nightshade (The Poison Diaries #2)

by Maryrose Wood, The Duchess Of Northumberland (Goodreads Author)

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 548 ratings · 147 reviews

A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.
The latest book in the grippingly dark series, The Poison Diaries.

Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reuni...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by HarperCollins

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Nov 18, 2011 Cass - Words on Paper marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-release, sequels-series, bought, historical-ya

Wow.

I can not believe the sequel is releasing this year -- I had no idea! I'm actually quite excited about this one. The Poison Diaries was by no means perfect, but I do remember being thrown on an emotional rollercoaster. I love that the cover of this one matches the first one. :)

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Nov 02, 2011 Trisha Wolfe rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit, I didn’t read the first book, THE POISON DIAREIS, but now I have to. I need to see how Jessamine and Weed fell in love, and understand more of her relationship with her father. But, I do think you can dive into the second book without having read the first. It’s easy to see where the story started and get to know the characters. I can envision Jessamine being very timid and accommodating, maybe almost weak, in the first book. I’m glad she wasn’t like that in this one. She was da...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Elisabeth Kiese rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ich konnte nicht mehr warten, bis im März der 2. Band der Poison Diaries Serie auf Deutsch erscheint, deswegen hab ich es mir einfach auf Englisch geholt. :)

Dieser Band ist ganz anders als der erste und doch bin ich sehr positiv überrascht.

Es passiert sehr viel, im Gegensatz zum Vorgänger. Weed und Jessamine sind getrennt und machen sich so auf die Suche nach dem jeweils anderen. Es werden einige Länder und Städte veranschaulicht, die sie besuchen, zum Beispiel das goldige Venedig mit seinem wun...more Ich konnte nicht mehr warten, bis im März der 2. Band der Poison Diaries Serie auf Deutsch erscheint, deswegen hab ich es mir einfach auf Englisch geholt. :)

Dieser Band ist ganz anders als der erste und doch bin ich sehr positiv überrascht.

Es passiert sehr viel, im Gegensatz zum Vorgänger. Weed und Jessamine sind getrennt und machen sich so auf die Suche nach dem jeweils anderen. Es werden einige Länder und Städte veranschaulicht, die sie besuchen, zum Beispiel das goldige Venedig mit seinem wunderschönen Garten "Orto botanico".

Jessamine sieht mehr von der Welt, kommt allerdings auch von ihrem 'Weg' ab, was mir aber am Ende erst richtig klar wurde und mich traurig gemacht hat. Weeds nicht endende Suche ist voller Hingebung, doch sie verliert sich vollkommen in Oleander. Großen Respekt an die Autorin, das hat sie sehr gut hinbekommen, schrittweise und nicht aus den Haaren hergezogen.
Es ist viel düsterer, mystischer und dunkler als im 1. Band und diese Stimmung hält die Autorin das gesamte Buch über sehr gut an. Es ist ein anderes Dunkel als in den meisten Büchern - es ist eher diese Art von Dunkel im Sinne von Manipulation und Verlust des Ichs.

In der Pflanzenwelt hat sich auch einiges getan:
Man wird noch tiefer hineingezogen. Sie bekommen Leben, Persönlichkeit! Sie werden fast menschlich ! Es geht jetzt nciht mehr hauptsächlich um die giftigen Pflanzen, sondern vielmehr um die die heilen! Deren Anwesenheit und Andersartigkeit bekommt der Leser zu spüren, es fühlt sich gut an.

Die Autorin hat nun auch öfters aus Weeds Sichtweise geschrieben, das passt sehr gut, vor allem, da man ja noch viel mehr über ihn erfahren will und über seine Gabe.

Es wird düster, gruselig und skrupellos im 2. Teil der Serie; und wer sich eine schnulzige Romanze erhofft wird hier immens enttäuscht werden. ;)
Willst du die sehnsuchtsvolle Suche von Weed und Jessamine (oder sollte man Belladonna sagen? ;) ) erleben, dann solltest du dieses Buch unbedingt lesen !

Von mir 5 Punkte für die Originalität, Schaurigkeit und das viele Gefühl ! (less)

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May 20, 2012 Nalla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Meine Meinung:
"Die Poison Diaries - Liebe ist stärker als der Tod" ist Band zwei der Poison Diaries und basiert auf einer Idee von Jane Northumberland, Herzogin von Northumberland, geschrieben von Maryrose Wood. Schon nach Band eins war ich von der einzigartigen Schreibart der Autorin gefesselt, die von der Neuentdeckung der Leidenschaft schrieb und den Pflanzen eine emotionale Stimme gab.
Auch dieses Buch drückt deutliche Gefühle aus und bringt mir die Welt der Pflanzen auf's Neue näher und fühl...more Meine Meinung:
"Die Poison Diaries - Liebe ist stärker als der Tod" ist Band zwei der Poison Diaries und basiert auf einer Idee von Jane Northumberland, Herzogin von Northumberland, geschrieben von Maryrose Wood. Schon nach Band eins war ich von der einzigartigen Schreibart der Autorin gefesselt, die von der Neuentdeckung der Leidenschaft schrieb und den Pflanzen eine emotionale Stimme gab.
Auch dieses Buch drückt deutliche Gefühle aus und bringt mir die Welt der Pflanzen auf's Neue näher und fühlbarer - auch wenn selbst Unkraut bei mir vergeht...

Im Mittelpunkt sollte die Apothekerstochter Jessamine Luxton stehen, die um 1800 lebt und an der Liebe zu zerbrechen droht. Weed - ihre große Liebe - ist fort und ihr Vater behauptet die gruseligsten Dinge, die sich Weed angetan hätte und das er nie mehr zurückkehren würde, nicht ohne selbstgefälligen Unterton. Denn was Jessamine nicht weiß, aber ein wenig ahnt: Ihr Vater ist böse! Nicht nur der liebevoll angelegte Giftgarten deutet darauf hin, auch, dass er Jessamines Mutter zu Testzwecken vergiftete, auch als sie mit ihrer Tochter schwanger war. Davon erzählt das grausame Tagebuch ihres Vaters, doch alles ist so unglaublich.
Jessamine will Weed wiedersehen, sich vergewissern, dass es ihm gut geht. Was sie nicht weiß: Weed hat einen hohen Preis gezahlt, als er sich das Mittel vom Giftprinzen holte, dass Jessamine zurück ins Leben holte. Er sollte weit weg gehen und nie wieder zurückkehren.
Der Giftprinz Oleander spinnt sein Netz aus Lügen und Intrigen weiter, bis auch Jessamine in seinen Klauen hängt...

Ich kann nicht so recht sagen, dass ich das Buch gut fand, aber ich kann auch nicht hundertprozentig dafür sprechen. Es stehen Charaktere im Mittelpunkt, die sich stark entwickeln, einlullen lassen und ein ganz anderes Gesicht zeigen. Jessamine war im ersten Buch eine starke Persönlichkeit, doch nun lässt sie sich lenken für ein Ziel, dass sie nie erreichen wird. Man spürt was sie sich antut, will ihr zurufen, sie solle umkehren, aber irgendwie entgleitet sie einem. Sie liebt Weed und doch reagiert sie völlig falsch.
Und Weed? Der macht alles richtig, und dann... Ich wollte nur noch schreien!

Das Buch ist mal aus Jessamine's Sicht geschrieben, die auf ihrer Flucht als Hexe bezeichnet wird und beinahe den Tod findet, und mal aus Weed's Sicht, der seinen stillen Kampf gegen Oleander austrägt und dabei die Pflanzenwelt gleichermaßen glücklich und traurig macht.

Es ist eine faszinierende Reise, die aber immer mehr nur von den Pflanzen erzählt, statt von den Erlebnissen der Charaktere. Es war einerseits schön und auch richtig, denn die Charaktere leben von den Pflanzen - sie sind ihr Sinn des Lebens - aber irgendwie hätte ich mir mehr Eigenleben von Jessamine und Weed gewünscht.

Am Anfang erfolgt eine Schande auf die nächste. Im Mittelteil pänkerte die Geschichte dann vor sich hin und am Ende war es wieder dieser Grrrrrrr-Moment, der mich wahnsinnig macht, denn ein richtiges Ende gibt es nicht. Die Erzählung scheint entgültig, aber es wird noch einen Folgeband geben.

Fazit:
Liebe und Leid lagen noch nie so nah beieinander und waren gleichermaßen faszinierend. Der Leser erlebt im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes wie ein reines Herz voll Gift getränkt wird und immer tiefer abstürzt. Maryrose Wood hat wieder eine einzigartige Sprache gefunden, die man mögen muss, aber leider scheint sie dabei völlig vergessen zu haben, dass sie eine Geschichte zu erzählen hat.(less)

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Apr 17, 2012 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: gothic, victorian, young-adult

Total let down. I was so excited to read this second book and as I read it got more and more disappointing. I don't even know if I would bother reading the third book.

The first book, "Poison Diaries" had an ethereal quality. It was dark, but magically delicious. This book was just dark and it got gloomier and gloomier as the story went on. Jessamine seemed to do a complete 180. Characters must grow and in the first book Jessamine lost some of her innocence, but still remained pure and steadfast...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Aik Chien 인첸 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nightshade picks up where Poison Diaries end. Now awaken, Jessamine is heartbroken to find out that Weed has left, his whereabouts unknown. Her father tells her about how Weed, feeling helpless, left her to die because he knew that he could not save her. However, Jessamine doubts her father’s words, for when she was in a delirium, the Prince of Poison, Oleander had shown her everything.

When she finds out the truth behind her mother’s death, she wants to get revenge… and no other way is better th...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Clarissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, ya, creepy

http://thebooksweread.com/2011/11/nig... probably should have read the back of the book before I committed to reading it. I'm not interested in reading really creepy books, and this one is really creepy. If I had known, it would have been less of a shock when she remorselessly kills her own father in the first 20 pages of the novel. I was shocked then, and I never had a chance to recover. This book took me places I never expected. I read the first book of this series last year and liked it. This...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

A deliciously creepy YA paranormal gothic style romance appropriate for Halloween weekend reading! It is the second in the Poison Diaries trilogy so now I have to get the first one as I want to know more about how Jessamine and Weed fell in love as clearly theirs is an all-consuming passion, at least on Weed's part. Unfortunately, Jessamine has "gone to the dark side" and become the pawn for Prince Oleander who is intent on Jessamine finding a place at the side of the King of England from which...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nightshade: Poison Diaries Book Two

Four stars: A return to the garden with a superior sequel.

Jessamine returns from the brink of death to find her beloved Weed gone. Left behind are the shriveling remnants of their budding love; bitten by the deadly frost of betrayal. Jessamine loses her innocence and tenderness after she sees the bald roots of truth, attached to the vine of lies that ensnares her. Her entire existence adulterated with her father's injurious greed and insatiable lust for knowled...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed the change in the characters. It was not the turn most characters take, but I loved that the author surpirsed me with something real.

The plot line picks up right where it left off. Both characters are now on the run, and the king is now running the show. I loved how the plot kept the reader going. It was intense and full of so much new information that I was just taking it all in.

What I really liked it how dark the book got. So many dark emotions and thoughts. As the reader, you...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Michelle O'Boyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-and-read, 2011

Now, if you have not read The Poison Diaries then you need to get out there and pick up a copy. I also would like to make it known that I LOVE the cover art. It is what drew me to this series. I started reading The Poison Diaries without even knowing what it was about. I think that makes for a great cover. I liked the first book, but the second book was just packed full of intrigue. Whereas the first book was set all at Jessamine's cottage this one takes you across the English countryside and en...more Now, if you have not read The Poison Diaries then you need to get out there and pick up a copy. I also would like to make it known that I LOVE the cover art. It is what drew me to this series. I started reading The Poison Diaries without even knowing what it was about. I think that makes for a great cover. I liked the first book, but the second book was just packed full of intrigue. Whereas the first book was set all at Jessamine's cottage this one takes you across the English countryside and ends in Italy.

If you have not read the first book I would stop reading now because I cannot promise there will not be a few spoilers to the first book. I will do my best to not give too much away for those that are patiently waiting for October 25th to get here.

The story starts where the other ended. Jessamine is still living with her Father at the cottage, but she no longer has that innocent glow about her. She has been changed by her sickness, the departure of Weed, and has lost all her faith in her father. Weed is sulking far away from Jessamine and seems to have no real purpose now that he has lost Jessamine. The best thing about this book compared to the first is that it is action paced from here on out. I mean it was like overload with all the changes that were taking place. Jessamine makes a deal with Oleander (Prince of Poisons) that if she does what he asks, then Oleander promises to lead her to Weed. But if we learned anything from the first book that is going to come at a steep price.

Jessamine truly becomes a different person as she follows Oleander's instructions. Even changes her name, personality, and physical features (hair, sink color, and dress). It was interested to see how Wood takes Jessamine to these different places and watching her change into what Oleander wants is hard at times. You are cheering for this innocent girl to hang on to all she was, while watching her lose herself.

The book switches between Jessamine and Weed, which was fantastic because I really enjoyed the little bit of narration we received from his perspective in first book. Weed decides to ignore Oleander and return to Jessamine, but as with most romance books it was too late. His decision to stop wallowing in self pity was what made his changes so great. In the first book he was this scared little weed hiding in the cellar and you start to see him change into this complex man. After reading all of Thomas Luxton's book of horrors it leads him to go to the Orto Botanico di Padova at the University of Padua, Italy. Weed believes that he will find the answer to where Jessamine is and how to help her if he just makes it there, Signora Baglioni does not disappoint.

I do not want to give away too much of the amazing details of Nightshade because I truly believe it is best to take the roller coaster ride yourself. This one ends without a true cliffhanger, but more of a "I have no idea where this story is going!" I would not be surprised to see a certain character show up in the final book, but unless you have read both books I cannot tell you who. Just know you heard it here first if that character does show up. I loved the bits of history included in story, especially the use of Mithradates VI Eupator, King of Pontos. Those who are history people will love how Wood does not vary too much from his actual story.

The Poison Diaries: Nightshade was very enjoyable to read and I think I liked it more than the first book because so much was happening in this book. It will be interesting to see how this series ends which is currently expected to be out in April of 2012, so a great birthday idea for me. (less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed, review-books

Nightshade is the second book in the poison diaries series.

Nightshade is a very different book to the first instalment in the series. I found it to be much darker especially in how Jessamine was written. I also thought it was much more fast paced and exciting and enjoyed it even more than book one.

For me the biggest change from book one was in how Jessamine is written. She has changed an awful lot since book one become a much confident and self assured but darker character. I actually loved this...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Ricarda Scola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

Inhalt:

Jessamine weilt wieder unter den Lebenden, ist dadurch aber keineswegs vor Oleander, dem Giftprinzen, geschützt. Dieser treibt sie langsam aber sicher in den Wahnsinn und bringt sie dazu, ihren Vater zu töten und Hulne Abbey hinter sich zu lassen.

Währenddessen verkriecht sich Weed im Wald und gibt sich seiner Trauer hin. Die Bäume und Blumen haben aber die Nase voll von ihm und schicken ihn unter Menschen. Trübsal blasen nütze niemandem etwas. Endlich beschließt er, nach Jessamine zu sehe...more Inhalt:

Jessamine weilt wieder unter den Lebenden, ist dadurch aber keineswegs vor Oleander, dem Giftprinzen, geschützt. Dieser treibt sie langsam aber sicher in den Wahnsinn und bringt sie dazu, ihren Vater zu töten und Hulne Abbey hinter sich zu lassen.

Währenddessen verkriecht sich Weed im Wald und gibt sich seiner Trauer hin. Die Bäume und Blumen haben aber die Nase voll von ihm und schicken ihn unter Menschen. Trübsal blasen nütze niemandem etwas. Endlich beschließt er, nach Jessamine zu sehen, doch diese ist fort. So macht er sich auf die Reise, um Jessamine zu retten...

Eigene Meinung:

Der zweite Band der Poison Diaries Trilogie von Maryrose Wood ist ebenso skurril und abgehoben wie sein Vorgänger.

Auch hier gilt, dass man sich drauf einlassen muss, um irgendwie Gefallen an der Geschichte zu finden. Der Schreibstil war etwas weniger "blumig", durch viele Dialoge und neue Figuren wurde die Eintönigkeit aus dem ersten Band aufgelockert.

Die Protagonisten machen eine 180° Wendung. Während Weed immer menschlicher und angepasster wird, wird Jessamine die Hure des Giftprinzen, die nur noch ein Schatten ihrer selbst ist.
Weeds Entwicklung macht richtig Spaß und ich freute mich über jede Testpassage, die aus seiner Sicht geschrieben wurde. Zu Anfang war auch Jessamines Reise beinahe interessant, aber ihre Kollision mit der Außenwelt ist ziemlich brutal. Die Figur nervt mich irgendwann nur noch, gleichzeitig tut sie mir Leid, denn wenn man es genau nimmt, war ihr ganzes Leben für die Tonne.

Die Handlung ist wesentlich interessanter als beim Vorgängerband, doch überzeugen kann sie nicht. Man lernt viele interessante Charaktere kennen, leider hatten diese nur sehr kurze Auftritte.

Eigentlich bin ich der festen Überzeugung, dass mir die Buchreihe nicht passt, weil ich einfach kein Blumenmensch bin. Pflanzen sind schön und gehören zum Leben dazu, keine Frage. Ich habe auch kein Problem damit, ihnen einen Seele einzuhauchen, aber ein Giftprinz? Der dann auch noch wirklichen Einfluss nehmen kann? Das ist mir einfach zu abgedreht. In beiden Büchern wird der Giftgarten verflucht - mal ehrlich, warum fackeln sie diesen dann nicht einfach ab? Das kann und will nicht in meinem Kopf rein und ich reg mich die halbe Zeit nur auf.

Fazit:

Maryrose Woods "Poison Diaries - Liebe ist stärker als der Tod" ist eine gelungene Fortsetzung, sofern der erste Band Anklang fand. Da mir dieser schon nicht gefiel, bin ich mit gemischten Gefühlen an diese Geschichte rangegangen. Objektiv betrachtet ist eine klare Steigerung ersichtlich: die Charaktere entwickeln sich in besonderem Maße weiter, neue Figuren betreten die Bühne, das Setting ist nicht mehr so eintönig, allgemein passiert auch mal was. Subjektiv betrachtet gefiel es mir besser als sein Vorgänger, das Ende hat es aber wieder verdorben. Somit vergebe ich schwache 4/5 Büchern.(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Kristin Lundgren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-teen, ya-fantasy

Again, I came in on Book 2, so I missed the backstory, although I think the author did a good job of catching you up, especially as this is a small slight volume. It concerns a talented herbalist, her father, who is obsessed with poisons and owns a poison garden which he keeps locked up, his journal of poisons and how to administer them, and a young man who loved his daughter, but left her when she lay almost dying in the first book. In this book, we are concerned with her finding her true love,...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Dulcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Publisher: Harper Collins
Age: Young Adult
Species: Human/ Exceptional Human*/Plants
Rating: 4.5/5
Interest: Poisons/ Series/Requested Review
Source: Finished copy from publisher

A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.
The latest book in the grippingly dark series, The Poison Diaries.

Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Jake Rideout rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review will ****SPOIL**** the first book. If you haven't read it, please stop here!

No, seriously, stop.

Okay, you asked for it.

At the end of book one, Weed and Jessamine were separated. Now, in Weed's absence, Jessamine is beginning to change. She has taken over her father's apothecary business while he devotes all of his time to his poisons. She remembers the things that Oleander showed her during her illness, and she wonders what secrets her father has hidden from her all these years. Slow...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own-print, signed, for-review-read, read-in-2011

After really enjoying The Poison Diaries I have to admit I was excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of Nightshade and I couldn't wait to start reading it. Although Nightshade goes in a completely different direction to the one I was expecting and is a lot darker than The Poison Diaries I still really enjoyed it. In fact I think I liked it even more because it managed to surprise me! The story is a quick read and one I was able to whizz through in one day, the action is fast paced and you...more After really enjoying The Poison Diaries I have to admit I was excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of Nightshade and I couldn't wait to start reading it. Although Nightshade goes in a completely different direction to the one I was expecting and is a lot darker than The Poison Diaries I still really enjoyed it. In fact I think I liked it even more because it managed to surprise me! The story is a quick read and one I was able to whizz through in one day, the action is fast paced and you never know quite what will happen next which definitely kept me turning the pages.

Jessamine has done a lot of growing up since the first book, the discoveries she made about her father have changed her dramatically and I was pleased to see her stand up for herself more this time around. Although there were times I wanted to shake her for listening to Oleander it was easy to see why she turned to him. With Weed missing and her trust in her father destroyed she has nowhere else to turn and this makes her an easy target for the prince of poisons. If Jessamine is to have any chance of finding Weed she has to hope that Oleander will help her but he has plans of his own and it isn't going to be easy for her to remain focused on her goal.

Weed is also searching for Jessamine but even the plants don't seem to know where she is. Weed is having to try and fit into the human world while he tries to find his lost love and I enjoyed seeing things through his eyes, he actually becomes much more comfortable around people which was nice to see. I still love Weed's character but I was a bit disappointed that we don't really get to see as much of him in this installment. While this was understandable considering what is happening I missed reading about him and hope he is more prominent in the next book.

Nightshade is a much faster paced read than the first book but it is still a beautifully descriptive story and I loved the setting of the gardens that Weed finds himself in during his quest to find Jessamine. I can't say too much because I don't want to give spoilers but I liked the contrast between the new garden and Thomas Luxton's poison one. The story ended on a killer cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the final book in the series and see how things turn out, I wonder if the author will manage to surprise me again with the direction the story takes next?

If you haven't started this series yet I'd highly recommend picking up your copy of The Poison Diaries now, the series is totally different to anything else I've read and stands out all the more because of that.(less)

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Nov 21, 2011 Kary rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I want to say a big "thank you" to Ms. Wood's wonderful PR team at kdotonline.com who sent me this book for review!

This book picks up a little while after the first one ended. Jessamine has recovered, but finds that Weed has left her. She begins to realize that her father has something to do with his disappearance, and she soon figures out the man that her father truly is - and she can't let him get away with it.

Jessamine has changed drastically from the first book. She grows up qu...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Rating 2.5 Stars

I started this book with high hopes as I really enjoyed reading the first book in the series. Sadly, I was disappointed. I had to force myself to finish reading this book. I really hate who Jessamine becomes. This is what essentially ruined the book for me. I hate the things that she does with her "poisons" and hate how she uses her body. I think the author took it took too far in this respect. A the same time, I love who Weed becomes in this book even though we do not see as muc...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, interesting, other-supernatural, series, ya

I can't say I really liked this book as a whole, but there were several parts I really did like. The one thing that stands out most in my mind is Wood seems to have the courage to take her YA heroine places no other YA heroine has ever seen before. I don't think I've ever read another YA novel where the heroine gets to do things that "debase" and "ruin" her. But Jessamine does. AND IT IS AWESOME. So many YA authors shy away from ugliness, or else present it in a less offensive light, and all bec...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Brett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-historical

The traditional British Gothic novel goes teen in Wood's Poison Diaries. The second installment finds Jessamine turning to the dark side when she realizes that her mother was murdered by her father in his never-ending quest for more knowledge about poisonous plants. Turns out that the disappearance of her beloved Weed leaves her open to the sweet insinuations of the voice of Oleander, known as the Prince of Poisons. It's a shame Jessamine doesn't realize that Weed has been purposely avoiding her...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ya-books, paranormal, books-reviewed

Review copied from original post at Imaginary Reads

Nightshade is better--darker--than the first book. Jessamine and Weed's lives have been complicated by many factors, and now they are separated. Desperate to be reunited with Weed and tired of living with her treacherous father, Jessamine allows Prince Oleander to slowly poison her mind with his tantalizing words. Angry with himself, Weed seeks solace in the forest until it brings word that something has changed with Jessamine.

There is definitel...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Misty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, historical, dark, quirky, magical-realism, sci_fi-fantasy, series, juvenile-ya, review-copy-accepted

Just to warn you: there really is no way to write a review of a 2nd book in a series without revealing some secrets from the first book. This is especially true where this series is concerned, so this review will contain spoilers for book one!

I mentioned in my review of The Poison Diaries that I liked it better after having read Nightshade. It brought some things together for me, but mostly I think it was because the ending to TPD takes such a strange turn that I think your mind needs time to a...more Just to warn you: there really is no way to write a review of a 2nd book in a series without revealing some secrets from the first book. This is especially true where this series is concerned, so this review will contain spoilers for book one!

I mentioned in my review of The Poison Diaries that I liked it better after having read Nightshade. It brought some things together for me, but mostly I think it was because the ending to TPD takes such a strange turn that I think your mind needs time to adjust, and there just wasn't time before the book ended. I mean, yes, you've been somewhat prepared for talking plants from Weed's revelations, but then to actually have plants talking - and plotting murder and world domination - is just a little strange. It takes a big adjustment. A lot of willing suspension of disbelief. But by book 2, it almost seems natural. Partly, I think this is because not just poisonous plants are doing the talking. You start to get a feel for the different "personalities" of the plants, and they become more like characters. But I think it's also because of the way it's narrated - more in Weed's voice, and where Jessamine is concerned, she's no longer fevered, so it reads less...manic, I guess. Whatever the reason, it works now, and makes the ending of TPD go down a little better.

Where it seemed to touch on magical realism in book one, I think it takes a pretty firm turn into magical realism in Nightshade. It also goes really, really dark. Wood explores some pretty deep, scary waters for a YA book, which, coupled with the magical realist feel, is really interesting. When you think "dark" in YA, you tend to think emotional contemporary blahblah. This is a completely different kind of dark, a story of control and manipulation and completely losing oneself to it. It's very Gothic feeling, and I kept thinking as I was reading that it would make such a good, strange little movie. (You know, if you could figure out a way to make Oleander scary and not just silly onscreen.) It's told in that delicious car-crash-in-slow-mo way that just grips you and makes you certain that it's going to be a first-rate tragedy. [I mean Tragedy-capital-T; you know, the cosmic irony, world is against us, every step I take in what I think is the right direction makes everything worse...that type of thing.]

Part of what makes this work so well is the split narration between Jessamine, who is slowly losing herself with the help of Oleander, and Weed, who is coming into his own. I wasn't a big fan of the split narration in book one, but here it really works. There is good balance to their story arcs, and getting to see every false step from two angles, seeing it all plotted out by Oleander, and how successful he is at pulling the strings, really contributes to the Gothic tragedy feeling. I also just plain liked Weed's voice in this, so I was happy to be in his thoughts and have his world opened up more. He keeps it all together, but it's Jessamine who steals the show. I mentioned at the end of my TPD review that book 2 is definitely worth reading because Jessamine is kickass, and I meant that. She is...dark and dangerous and a complete 180 from the charmingly naive girl she was in the beginning. And what's more, it's believable. It's sometimes painful to watch, and you sometimes want to cheer for her and sometimes want to yell at her, and it all just works to push us toward an ending you can't help but fear.

As for the ending itself, I have to say I loved it. Now, this comes with a caution, because, just as in book one, I think this is the type of ending that may really piss people off. It is certainly not for fans of the cliff-hanger ending. But, going back to the movie comparison, the whole thing feels very episodic and it works for me. The feel of the ending is really haunting and an interesting blend of optimism and pessimism. It's perfectly in keeping with the darker tone of the book, and I respect it as a result. And I have to say, without giving anything away, the final image is just... just brilliant.

So if you've read book one and were on the fence about whether to continue the series, I would strongly urge it. It's really going some interesting places, and I think you'll like the two books almost as a set. If you haven't read book one, but ignored my spoilers warning and read this review, and now have your interest piqued (talking plants? Oleander? Tragedy?), I would strongly recommend picking up both books at the same time, so that you can head straight into Nightshade after finishing TPD. Don't worry, they're both quick reads...

(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Jaime Leroy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school

This book is the second book of the Poison Diaries trilogy. In book one, we meet a very naïve and sweet girl named Jessamine who falls in love with a boy who can talk to plants. Jessamine is aware of plants abilities to heal—she is an apothecary’s daughter, but until she meets Weed, she is unaware of the havoc it can wreak as well. When she is betrayed by the person closest to her at the end of the first book, she is changed. In this second book, Jessamine is no long gentle and sweet. She is ven...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Ricki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review, fantasy, historical-fiction, horror

The YA market is currently oversaturated with dark fantasies. In order to stand out, an author has to have a very unique concept. That is exactly what Maryrose Wood, with the help of The Duchess of Northumberland, has with The Poison Diaries trilogy. The first book in the series was a gothic tale of love, plants, and a startling revelations. Nightshade, the middle book of the trilogy, takes an even darker turn, adding murder and political intrigue to the mix.

After recovering from her illness, Je...more The YA market is currently oversaturated with dark fantasies. In order to stand out, an author has to have a very unique concept. That is exactly what Maryrose Wood, with the help of The Duchess of Northumberland, has with The Poison Diaries trilogy. The first book in the series was a gothic tale of love, plants, and a startling revelations. Nightshade, the middle book of the trilogy, takes an even darker turn, adding murder and political intrigue to the mix.

After recovering from her illness, Jessamine Luxton wakes to find her betrothed, Weed, has fled. Depressed, she goes about her day working as a healer and trying to avoid the voice of Oleander, the Prince of Poisons, in her head. However, it is with his help that she discovers the cause of her illness and her mother’s death. Enraged, Jessamine sets out to poison her father, and ends up killing another man in the process. Now she must disguise herself and flee Northumberland with only Oleander to guide her. Shortly after she leaves, Weed comes back for her only to surmise what she had done. With the plants in England too scared of the prince to tell Weed where Jessamine is, he travels to Italy, to the Orto botanico, the oldest garden. There he falls under the tutaledge of Signora Baglioni, the gardener, a wise and trust-worthy woman interested in Weed’s gift of talking to the plants. But while Weed is bettering himself, Jessamine is falling further under Oleander’s power, possibly past the point of no return.

While The Poison Diaries was dark mostly in an atmospheric sense, Nightshade was dark all around. Jessamine’s life starts off dim and gets darker and darker as she progresses through the blonde healer Jessamine, the auburn embroidery and cosmetics merchant, to the raven-haired poison dealer. Weed’s life, on the other hand, seems to lighten a little once he reaches the Orto botanica and is able to learn more about how to use his gift for good. However, through it all, he still carries the burden of his murderous transgression along with the worry of loosing Jessamine to Oleander. These emotions make for tense, fast-paced reading.

Nightshade was a good I simply could not put down. Maryrose Wood shows great prowess as a storyteller in all aspects of writing. I simply cannot wait to see how The Poison Diaries trilogy ends.(less)

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Sep 10, 2011 Lynsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve just come back from the amazing experience I had at the Poison Diaries Event up in Alnwick Castle where we were presented with an ARC of Nightshade, the next instalment in the poison diaries series. To see the castle grounds in person and Hulne Abbey where Jessamine lived was awe inspiring, not to mention the real life poison garden. I was so wrapped up in the experience that I read the book on the very long train ride home and let me tell you, if you thought The Poison Diaries was dark, th...more I’ve just come back from the amazing experience I had at the Poison Diaries Event up in Alnwick Castle where we were presented with an ARC of Nightshade, the next instalment in the poison diaries series. To see the castle grounds in person and Hulne Abbey where Jessamine lived was awe inspiring, not to mention the real life poison garden. I was so wrapped up in the experience that I read the book on the very long train ride home and let me tell you, if you thought The Poison Diaries was dark, then wait until you read Nightshade which plunges further into the blackness. It goes without question to say that if you haven’t read The Poison Diaries yet (which I reviewed here) then please read that first before going any further. If you’re still with me, then here is the synopsis for Nightshade:

“A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.

Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reunite with her true love, Weed? Find out in this thrilling story where poisons, darkness and horror are a part of everyday life, and love is the only cure.”

Jessamine is all grown up and a far cry from the figure she cut in the first book. She’s more confident than ever in her skills and is no longer the vulnerable little girl she once was. Believing that Weed left her in her hour of need was pretty devastating but you can’t keep the truth hidden forever and this causes a series of cataclysmic events resulting in Jessamine leaving town trying to forge a new identity. She tries desperately not to use the skills that she’s learnt but she can’t help it and before she knows it, she’s tangled up in an assassination plot. I’ve really enjoyed watching Jessamine’s character grow albeit into something darker than she once was. I don’t blame her, I mean how could she not be changed by her experiences? She is definitely more of an interesting character now though. And what of poor Weed? Well, Weed is more human than ever and of course, his thoughts are never far away from Jessamine. I did particularly enjoy his journey to Padua, Italy in this book where he learned about how plants were used for medicinal purposes. Of course, there were reasons why he went there but I shall say nothing more of it.

Nightshade introduces us to some new characters, most of which are transitory but one of my favourites was Rye. You’ll see what I mean when you read it ;)

What’s interesting about how the story has developed is the character’s view of themselves. I was reminded of Pinkie from Brighton Rock by Graham Greene who thought that because he committed an unspeakable act, that there was no way back from that. He believed he was damned and if that was the case, he should just continue doing what he wanted and I kind of got that vibe, especially from Jessamine. I do believe that Jessamine has become somewhat of a poison to herself (ironically) and I just hope she realises that the cure is inside her. At least that’s what I think.

I thought this was a great sequel and I love that I have absolutely no idea where the story is heading. I get the feeling that Maryrose Wood is going to continuously surprise me and I’m all for that. (less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Anke rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wenn man den ersten Teil eines Buches so liebt wie ich den dieser Geschichte, so sind Fortsetzung nur zu oft enttäuschend.

Versteht mich nicht falsch! Das Buch ist auf seine Art wundervoll: Es ist ungemein düster - was ich persönlich ab und zu mal genieße - doch fand ich es im Gegensatz zum ersten Teil ein wenig ... banal.
Durch eine geradezu brutale Kehrtwende des Charakters unserer unschuldigen Protagonistin verliert das Buch im Vergleich zu seinem Vorgänger seine geheimnisvolle und manchmal ger...more

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May 03, 2012 Nesa Sivagnanam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Jessamine Luxton is heartbroken. Her true love, Weed, the strange but intriguing young man who came into her life so suddenly, has disappeared. How could he have left her with no farewell, and no word since?

Jessamine may not know why Weed vanished, but she does suspect that her own father, Thomas, may have had something to do with it. Thomas, who was so obsessed with Weed’s secret knowledge of dangerous plants that he would do anything to learn it. This suspicion—and her experie...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Salima Korri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own-this-physical, historical-fiction

The first book in the trilogy was really good but the second book was even better! I know that the first book, the plot was strangely weird yet intriguing and there wasn't that much information on the characters. Well now, in the second book, all the characters come out of the their shells to fight for true freedom and love.

I adored how we finally learn a little more about the Prince Oleander. In the first book I thought he was helping Jessamine but now I know that he is nothing but a dark Princ...more The first book in the trilogy was really good but the second book was even better! I know that the first book, the plot was strangely weird yet intriguing and there wasn't that much information on the characters. Well now, in the second book, all the characters come out of the their shells to fight for true freedom and love.

I adored how we finally learn a little more about the Prince Oleander. In the first book I thought he was helping Jessamine but now I know that he is nothing but a dark Prince messing with their heads and the very ending is so sad. How could he do that to poor Jessamine?

There is much more action in book two because Jessamine and Weed travel the sea's and lands to find each other. They risk others and their very own lives to just reunite and be with each other again so the romantic suspense just kills you from start to finish.

Weed finally turns in to something more than an uneducated boy and reveals his dark and handsome side where he is able and willing to do anything for Jessamine and to find her, so travels all the way to Venice to take advice from the plants and from Signora B. who is a very strong character and you can see that she believes and supports Weed on his mission.

At one point, a love triangle was blooming and a new character called Rye, confessed his love to Jessamine while she was at his inn. I thought they would both go together especially that Rye was really sincere and honest but then I thought about how amazing Weed was too and felt sorry that he was trying his best to find his beloved and I really thought Jessamine would leave him for Rye but then events turn around so I was satisfied.

It is like that everything you want to happen in this book, will happen and although the first book was predictable, the second was not. From Killing, Witch's', Venice plants and poisons to masquerade balls and finding your loved ones again, I thought this story expressed so much about the loss and gain and love of Romeo and Juliet and now I know how doomed Weed and Jessamine are since they cannot be together in a single moment of peace.

First Luxton tries to kill Weed and drives him away, then they do everything to find each other and then when they finally find each other, Jessamine thinks she is not good enough and flees. All because of that horrible Prince Oleander's influence on her.

Dark, gripping and what a ride!(less)

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Nov 05, 2011 WovenMyst rated it 4 of 5 stars

Is poison the weapon of evil, or is it poison who uses evil as it’s ultimate weapon?
In this journey of self preservation, Jessamine evolves as a character. She is molded by the Prince of Poisons. He has shaped her into a new kind of weapon. The only weapon he needs to destroy Weed. The only weapon that would actually inflict serious harm on Weed…Destruction of the Heart.

In the second installment of the Poison Diaries, we follow Jassamine as she slowly loses the little innocence she has left, to...more

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About Maryrose Wood

Maryrose grew up in the wild suburbs of Long Island, moved to New York City at age 17 to study acting at New York University, then dropped out to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical — which flopped.

Lean and action-packed years of acting, directing, and making drunk people laugh at comedy clubs followed. Becoming a writer seemed the only way out of this Dickensian existence.

Maryrose started out...more Maryrose grew up in the wild suburbs of Long Island, moved to New York City at age 17 to study acting at New York University, then dropped out to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical — which flopped.

Lean and action-packed years of acting, directing, and making drunk people laugh at comedy clubs followed. Becoming a writer seemed the only way out of this Dickensian existence.

Maryrose started out writing for the theater and film, as a lyricist, librettist, playwright and screenwriter. She was the first recipient of the Georgia Bogardus Holof Lyricist Award, and is a three-time recipient of the Richard Rodgers Award for New Musicals, which is administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Her first novel for young adults, SEX KITTENS AND HORN DAWGS FALL IN LOVE, was published in 2006 and hailed as “an uproariously funny debut” (Booklist), “irresistible” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), and “an effervescent delight” (Common Sense Media).

The Morgan Rawlinson series launched in 2007 with WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT, followed by a sequel, titled HOW I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS. The third book about Morgan and her magical adventures is WHAT I WORE TO SAVE THE WORLD. The hilarious, romantic and magical adventures of the always irreverent Morgan have earned a devoted fan following. And so has Morgan’s freckle-faced Irish hottie, Colin! #cutefictionalboyswewishwerereal

Maryrose’s worlds collided neatly in MY LIFE: THE MUSICAL, a tale of two theatre-obsessed teens who go to ridiculous lengths to see their favorite Broadway show over and over again. In the kind of life-imitating-art-imitating-life twist one could only find in a musical, Maryrose had to invent a fictional Broadway show for the characters in her novel to be obsessed with.

This year sees the launch of her first middle-grade series, THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE (starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ and Publishers Weekly, Junior Library Guild selection, yesss!), and a new YA series called THE POISON DIARIES (based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland, and inspired by the real-life poison garden at Alnwick Castle, US pub date July 20). Both are from the Balzer + Bray imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books.

Maryrose did eventually graduate from NYU’s Gallatin School. She enjoys gardening, biking, kayaking, napping, reading books and trying new vegetarian recipes. She lives in New York with her two children, two cats and a small, feisty, red-headed dog.(less)

More about Maryrose Wood...

Books by Maryrose Wood

The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1)

The Hidden Gallery (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #2)

The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, #3)

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out (Morgan Rawlinson, #1)

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Nightshade (The Poison Diaries #2)

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