The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaries, #1)

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The Poison Diaries (The Poison Diaries #1)

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

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 1,972 ratings · 407 reviews

In the right dose, everything is a poison . . . even love.

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle with her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary. His pride and obsession, a poison garden, contains exotic and local specimens of the most dangerous plants in the world. But Jessamine is absolutely forbidden to ent...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published June 21st 2011 by Balzer + Bray (first published May 27th 2010)

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Nov 01, 2010 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Posion Study

First off, I have to say I thouroughly enjoyed this. This book did it's job, it kept me entertained. Was it mindblowing? No
Was it Fun? Yes
Do I think you should read it? Yes (if you like Young Adult books)

Imagine you can hear voices, voices of Plants. Daisies, Lilies, Trees, Grass, Potato Plants.. sounds good right??? But, you can also hear the voices of poisonous plants, Snakeweed, Moonseed, Larkspur....
They all call out to you, they all have motives.. To save, to heal, to poison, to kill. The...more

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May 17, 2011 Wildbriar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fantasy, intriguing-premise, titles-i-love, reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow. This book was...fascinating. And filled with an awful lot of cruelty. Well-written and engaging, I read this book in a couple of hours this morning while I was supposed to be waterblasting the front veranda -- I just could not put it down.
I actually guessed fairly early who the villain was, and that they were poisoning someone in order to squeeze information from Weed, but it was still a punch in the stomach to have it confirmed. How dare they? How could they? Poison someone just for the sa...more

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May 06, 2010 Cara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BLURB -

Jessamine Luxson lives with her father, Thomas, an apothecary, in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle. Thomas’s pride and obsession is his locked garden full of dangerous plants, which Jessamine is forbidden to enter.

When a traveler brings an orphan to their cottage, he claims the boy has special gifts that Thomas might value. Jessamine is drawn to the strange but intriguing boy, called Weed. Soon their friendship deepens into love. Finally, Weed shares his secret: He can communicate...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone!

Recommended to Taylor by: Tara

Thank you Tara for suggesting this for me, I loved every minute of reading it!!! I honestly can say that I have never read any book like this.

The written was old style and so different to books these days which is why it took some time to get in the feel of it. The whole plot too was great,epic and different! It was so sweet and romantic in it's own twisted way.

Unfortunatly The ending was not the best and could've been a bit better. But overall it is diffently a unique book that is deffinetly...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Three stars: I recommend this book with some reservations.
The Poison Diaries is a book of dark suspense, filled with the innocence of first love and a treacherous betrayal. It is hard for me to review this book. I find myself conflicted on my final rating. While there are aspects of the story I enjoyed, the majority of the book is ominous and it leaves you with an unsettled feeling. This book is about Jessamine, a young innocent, sheltered, flower bud; who for the most part has lived in isolatio...more Three stars: I recommend this book with some reservations.
The Poison Diaries is a book of dark suspense, filled with the innocence of first love and a treacherous betrayal. It is hard for me to review this book. I find myself conflicted on my final rating. While there are aspects of the story I enjoyed, the majority of the book is ominous and it leaves you with an unsettled feeling. This book is about Jessamine, a young innocent, sheltered, flower bud; who for the most part has lived in isolation with only her father, Thomas, the apothecary and the plants, flowers and herbs for company. Then enters a mysterious boy named Weed who has a strange gift. He is able to commune with all the plants. Thus, the seeds for a tender young romance are planted. In time it begins to grow. The delicate Jessamine flowers and loses her heart to the enigmatic Weed. The young love is just beginning to flourish when an unexpected frost touches the seedling of romance. Weed is forced to enter the poison garden of Jessamyn's father to find a cure. The locked garden holds the key to life but also hidden there are the insidious plants of poison; they have the ability to heal or harm. What lengths will Weed go to revive the dying flower of love? Will the garden give up it's sinister secrets and at what price?

What I Liked:
*The characters of Jessamine and Weed. I liked what they represent in the book. They are the symbols of the light and beautiful side of nature. Jessamine is a naive, young girl who blossoms at the first soft touch of love. Weed is the voice of the gentle side of nature. The plants and herbs tell him their secrets and with them he is able to heal the sick. He also mourns the wasteful plundering of nature. The murdering of innocent plants for no good reason causes him great pain. When the tendrils of Jessamyn's love wrap around his heart he finds peace and happiness. Until the touch of evil seeps in threatening destruction.
*I enjoyed learning about the many plants and their medicinal uses. Since the story takes place in the late 1700's it is a time where plants and herbs were relied on heavily for cures. The author definitely researched the plants and their many uses. I also liked that she gave the plants a voice. From the gentle plants and flowers to the treacherous belladonna and the dark Prince Oleander. The plants as characters was definitely a novel aspect of the story.
*I listened to the audio version of this book. If you are able to get your hands on a copy do so. I think hearing the gentle voice of the narrator as she says the soothing names of all the plants is mesmerizing.
*The poison garden was fascinating. It is easy for one to forget the great and terrible capabilities of nature. How a beautiful flower can bear the touch of death. Nature is able to heal and give life or she can snatch it away. She does not discriminate among her victims. We are all prone to her whims. This book reminds you of the infinite power that Nature possesses.

And The Not So Much:
*While the story has some bright spots, the overall story is dark. With the good comes evil. The poison garden is the representation of the danger and harshness of nature. There is a price for everything. We are reminded of the sacrifices that are made everyday; the death of one so another might live. Also of the heavy debt that was paid to acquire modern medicine; with the light comes the dark.
*Thomas, the apothecary, he is the icon of greed and domination. His heart and mind are poisoned with the power that he wields with his garden. He forgets the most important oath of a healer; to do no harm. His craving and avarice for knowledge leads to a shockingly evil decision that will leave you stunned.

Overall the story of The Poison Diaries is intriguing and unique. The writing is beautiful. The dark story and bitter ending may leave you confused and dismayed. This is definitely not a light, funny read. It is a reminder of the cruelty that both man and nature are capable of unleashing. It is a story that will stick with you. The second installment in this series, Nightshade is due out on October 25th 2011.(less)

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

In the beginning it was slow. At first I almost gave up in the book, then I hit chapter four, thats when things really started to get interesting. It certainly did pick up when Weed, started to do strange things. I was very intrigued from the start.

Now, this book was written well, and the plot, drama was great. In the end, it had some very unexpected surprises and I really need to know what happens next.....like NOW!

The Poison Diaries is what it is, poison. It seeps into you forcing you to finis...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Susana rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, historical-romance, insane-characters, talking-plants-mess

What a convoluted story this book turned out to be!
By poison diaries i was expecting the characters (human ones) to be giving us some kind of information about the plants properties. And they do...most of the times. What i was not expecting was to find (view spoiler).

Okay, i guess those who lov...more What a convoluted story this book turned out to be!
By poison diaries i was expecting the characters (human ones) to be giving us some kind of information about the plants properties. And they do...most of the times. What i was not expecting was to find (view spoiler).

Okay, i guess those who love that all that overflowing of angsty feelings that permeates books such as "Wuthering Heights", may end up enjoying this. (i'm not talking about the writing....just that sense of doom and all those insane characters..)
The writing is fluid, allowing a fast read.

For my part, i don't enjoy pointless dramas. And that's what this one felt, from the moment, that the plants started having a fulcral part in the story. It just felt too ridiculous. Jessamine unconcious in her bed, dying, while in her head the Price of Poisons would taunt her with imagens of Weed....

I don't like weak characters. By this i do not mean that they all have to be Kate Daniels "wanna be"....and we all know, how women were treated in ancient times. But in literature, there has to be some sort of "spark" to makes us, readers, interested in the character's plight.
I didn't got tha "spark", neither with Jessamine or Weed.

I don't like reading about insta-love.
(To be fair with the girl, that was the only boy she had access to, so..of course she would have to fall in love with him!! It isn't like she has internet access, or something...) But even so, i would have liked to have felt a connection between those two...besides their mutual strangeness...

I'm okay with strange characters, but the male character "Weed", was just too weird, even for me! (And that's saying a lot...). He was just too sensible in some parts, and then sociopatic(??) in anothers....

And regarding the evil scientist plot, well that's just like saying that the "butler did it". It's olddddddd....and boring. When to that, one adds what her father (view spoiler), the whole thing just became two twisted for me.

For me this was just a waste of my time. Luckily i bought this with a BIG promotion.(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Stephanie ♥Loves Adrian Ivashkov and Warner!♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, brilliant, books-i-own

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood is a dark, captivating tale that is based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland.
My first thoughts were, what is this mindfuckery?! I admit I found it a little weird... okay, a lot weird! But that might be because I read the book in my own language instead of english because I got it from the library. So I don't know if I would find it this weird if I read it in english... anyway... this book being sort of weird doesn't mean it was bad. Not at all acuta...more The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood is a dark, captivating tale that is based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland.
My first thoughts were, what is this mindfuckery?! I admit I found it a little weird... okay, a lot weird! But that might be because I read the book in my own language instead of english because I got it from the library. So I don't know if I would find it this weird if I read it in english... anyway... this book being sort of weird doesn't mean it was bad. Not at all acutally. It's a pretty short book; about 164 pages... so one can finished this in a day or so. Like I did. By the time I finished this book I totally loved it. Even when it was in Dutch.
Our main character is Jessamine. She was quite naive and a little whiny in my eyes but I didn't hate reading about her.
Weed I loved of course. Messy black hair and green eyes. Just try not falling for that!
They fell in love pretty quickly, but I didn't mind. It was sort of cute in their own way.
Thomas, Jessamines father who has a rather unhealthy obsession about his dangerous poison garden. I did not like him. Especially not after I found out what he did... *dum dum duuuuum*
Other than Jessamine, Weed and Thomas there weren't really any other characters in it, except the plants. Yes, they're characters too. And the mysterious Oleander. I'm sure I'll read more of him in the next book. Well, I hope so. He definitely caught my attention.
The start of this book was a little slow and I was wondering if it was going anywhere, but then the plot sped up a little and I couldn't stop reading.
This novel has a lot of potential. I know there's a second book, and yes, I will be reading that for sure to see how the story goes on but sadly the third book was apparently canceled so I'll never know how it did end I guess. I said that this book has a lot of potential but maybe it could've been a little longer but nevertheless I gave it 4 stars because I loved the gothic and dark feel of it. This isn't a typical YA book. One of the maincharacters even murders in it. It even creeped me out and I like to think that I'm used to unconventional novels but here you go. Also the plant stuff makes it a special book too. I really liked that aspect.
Overall this was a pretty intriguing and fast paced book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to pick up a different read than what they used to. (less)

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Aug 31, 2011 Elisandra Franzmann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone that likes to learn secrets

Shelves: audio-books-i-have, books-with-forbidden-love, books-you-just-need-to-read, books-that-make-u-think, books-reviwed, reading-challenge-2011

I've try to put this book down cos I have so many books that I need to read for school, but it seams I can't get away from it. It scares me the way that it keeps calling to me and I can't seam to refuse its summoning.

ok,, I just finish it and I need to think about what I've just heard.
Review will have to wait a bit, but it's on it's way

Ok,, after thinking real hard on it I finely come up with a spoil free review.

MY RATTING 3.5 STARS

Jessamine is a sheltered delicate flower that lives away from th...more

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Nov 04, 2010 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, magic, books-i-own, part-of-a-series

Jessamine's father leaves her at home alone, when he ventures to London with his satchel full of flowers and remedies. In his absence she cares for the belladonna seeds, that he will never let her plant.Upon his return a man from the local crazy house drops off an unexpected gift. The gift is in the form of a young man who goes by the name of Weed. Weed has a special gift and with such he knows how to use plants to help people. This is a very valuable trait to Jessamine's father, who himself is...more Jessamine's father leaves her at home alone, when he ventures to London with his satchel full of flowers and remedies. In his absence she cares for the belladonna seeds, that he will never let her plant.Upon his return a man from the local crazy house drops off an unexpected gift. The gift is in the form of a young man who goes by the name of Weed. Weed has a special gift and with such he knows how to use plants to help people. This is a very valuable trait to Jessamine's father, who himself is a botanical healer. Since Jessamine is the one to care for Weed, they end up spending a lot of time together and getting very close. Neither one of them knows the secrets that her father keeps though, nor the secrets of his locked up Poison garden.

This was a very fascinating read. I really love any book that brings in elements of horticulture, plants are so fascinating, especially how some can be so deadly. Each chapter starts off with an excerpt from Jessamine's Garden Diaries. The excerpts tell of weather and how the planting is going along with some other things on her mind. I really liked Weed, even though he was really odd. He seemed like such a peaceful, down-to-earth guy and it was very dreamy. There was certainly peril and secrets brewed into this tale, that made it that much more interesting. When Jessamine falls ill, the narrative is taken over by Weed, along with the Garden diary. It is a nice change of pace to see what Weed has to go through, instead of just Jessamine's delirious dreams of Prince Oleander, a poison. It struck me a little odd that Jessamine, aided by Oleander, could actually witness the events that unfolded in Weed's and her father's lives whilst she was sick. I'm not sure how this is possible, but it's not really any more improbable then some of the other things in the book. I certainly recommend this to fans of Madapple by Christina Meldrum or anyone who likes tales about floral remedies.

First Line:
"Gray skies; the rain came and went all morning."

Favorite Lines:
"Death is real, make no mistake. But it is also an illusion. An interesting paradox, is it not? Why do you weep, my lovely?"(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 claire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: top-50-best-books, maryrose-wood, poison, diaries

What did you think?... well
riveting
heartbreaking
spine-tingling
poignant
moving
original
thought-provoking
stirring
soul-stirring
suspenseful
compassionate
groundbreaking
jaw-dropping ending
surprise ending
sprawling
bestselling
classic
incredible
monumental
magical
bittersweet
touching
emotional
heart-rendering
upbeat
quirky
fast-paced
spectacular
well-written
brutally honest
sobering
revealing
insightful
spell-binding
extraordinary
unique
distinguished
compelling
enchanting
mesmerizing
facinating
analytical
refreshing
award-winning
cap...more

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May 11, 2011 Kagama-the Literaturevixen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-horror, historical-fantasy

A dark fairytale...

The heroine has been raised by her father (who is a botanic) in a remote place,ever since her mother died its just been the two of them. One day a man arrives with a strange boy,that he claims to be crazy.

Jessamin takes care of the boy and comes to learn that the boy who calls himself Weed, believes himself able to communicate with plants and flowers.They bond and eventually starts to feel something stronger...love.
But things happen and Jessamyn gets sick and falls into a dee...more

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May 25, 2011 Joseph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, medical-fiction, witchcraft, read-in-2010-09-september, recommend-to-ys, read-in-2011-05-may, reread

I enjoyed the premise of this book, the interactions between the people and the plants and where the story headed. I must say that until I learned that this apparently is the first book of a trilogy I was not very happy with how the book ended, but I understand why it did end as it did. I'm looking forward to reading more and seeing how things turn out. I'd recommend reading The Humming of Numbers by Joni Sensel if you liked this one, the ideas are kind of similiar.

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Apr 04, 2013 Cora Linn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: north-east-england, local, ya-fantasy, ya-historical, teenage, guilty-pleasure, easy-read, six-book-north-east

I bought this book at Alnwick Castle and had read almost half of it on the bus ride back to Warkworth where I was holidaying.

This is a great quick read.

I liked Jessamine's spunk and nature, Weed's weirdness, and her father's evil plots.

I did get exasperated at some points, but I think that as a reader you were meant to - it added to the characters and plot.

This book is filled with passion and energy and a hint of the supernatural.

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Jan 17, 2012 Spark740 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The idea behind The Poison Diaries is interesting: magical talking plants. But Ms. Wood could not decide if she was writing Bronte or Morgenstern. At times the characters display irrational passion: but then a plot machination or big inconsequence happens along and you go, "Pwah! This is stupid!" Although the technical quality is reasonable, the beginning is slow, the antagonistic plants have no strong motive, the plot falls falt in the middle, and the characters do character 180s without having...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Kary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the cover:
"My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything...Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of l...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Kate McMurry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, magic, ya-fantasy, ya-paranormal, young-adult-fantasy, young-adult-paranormal

A mystical tale of star-crossed young lovers in 1800 England

Sixteen-year-old Jessamine Luxton lost her mother when she was only four and has lived her entire life with her distant, cold father in a "cottage" on the estate of the Duke of Northumberland. Her home is, in fact, an ancient stone chapel that sits next to the ruins of an abbey destroyed presumably during the era of Cromwell when Catholics were hunted down or driven out of England. Her father, Thomas Luxton, works for the Duke as an apo...more A mystical tale of star-crossed young lovers in 1800 England

Sixteen-year-old Jessamine Luxton lost her mother when she was only four and has lived her entire life with her distant, cold father in a "cottage" on the estate of the Duke of Northumberland. Her home is, in fact, an ancient stone chapel that sits next to the ruins of an abbey destroyed presumably during the era of Cromwell when Catholics were hunted down or driven out of England. Her father, Thomas Luxton, works for the Duke as an apothecary. He cares for the Duke's sick family and employees and in his spare time obsessively studies the properties of medicinal herbs, particularly plants that are known to be deadly poison. Thomas keeps an exotic collection of these plants in a walled, padlocked area Jessamine calls his poison garden.

Jessamine begs her father to let her help him with either his healing work or his poison garden, but he insists the former is too gruesome and the latter too dangerous. Instead, he relegates her to being his housekeeper, which involves maintaining three gardens of her own, for vegetables, herbs and dye plants, as well as sewing, cooking, cleaning, and caring for their small collection of farm animals. Her father is often gone for days at a time treating sick people, and when he is home he rarely talks to her, to the point that Jessamine worries that she has forgotten how to speak. Then one day Tobias Pratt, the owner of the local madhouse, shows up and insists Thomas take charge of an odd orphan named Weed who appears to be about Jessamine's age. Pratt claims Weed has cured so many of the mentally ill in his keeping with herbal teas that his asylum is almost empty. He says that while Weed is putting him out of business, he'd be a welcome help to a healer like Thomas. Greedy for Weed's botanical knowledge, Jessamine's father agrees to take him in, and Jessamine is delighted to at last have some companionship. But Weed is almost as withdrawn as her father. For days Weed hides in their cellar, and it is hard for Jessamine to get him to eat or talk to her. But she is determined to win his confidence, in much the same way she has earned the trust of feral cats in the woods near her home. She talks and talks to Weed, gradually growing very attached to him as he opens up to her little by little. And she can't help being drawn to the startling beauty of his unruly, dark hair, pale skin and "emerald green eyes...like twin jewels." Pratt believes Weed is a witch and Jessamine's father thinks he has an enviable genius with herbs. But as Jessamine gets to know Weed more and more deeply, she learns the actual truth is far more shocking than either of those guesses.

Previous to writing this YA historical, fantasy novel, Maryrose Wood's YA novels have been light and humorous with contemporary settings, so the dark tone and historical setting of this novel may surprise her fans. The first 40 pages of the book is almost entirely made up of the musings of the heroine about her lonely life, both as first-person narrative and entries in her journal. Jessamine longs to be of use to other people rather than hidden away from the world at the mercy of her disinterested father, and this is shown as well as told through the author's atmospheric and poetic prose.

The second part of the book explores Jessamine's relationship with Weed. The writing here is lovely, too, but the mood is more hopeful because Jessamine is no longer painfully alone. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing with Jessamine the conflict between her growing attachment to Weed and her concerns about who he is, what his life has been like up until now, and what exactly his mysterious talent is. I also appreciated the subtle way the author handles the sexual attraction between the two innocent teenagers.

In part three of the book, the mood of the story shifts drastically, getting extremely dark as the villains of the story begin to blatantly make life extremely difficult for the young lovers.

This is clearly the first book of what is probably at least a trilogy, and that probably explains why the ending of the book is not at all satisfying. In fact, it is downright depressing. I assume this is because, in the larger picture of the trilogy, this is only Act 1.

According to the information on the Advanced Reading Copy I received from the publisher through Amazon Vine, they are going all out to promote this book and are very likely hoping that Weed and Jessamine might become as beloved to teenage girls as Edward and Bella. If so, it won't be because Weed is anything like Edward in personality or the particular magic that is his gift. The romantic conflict keeping the lovers apart is also very different than in Twilight. In order to avoid creating any spoilers, I will only say this: Weed makes some ethical choices that Jessamine has big problems with, and many readers might as well. In addition, the way that the author sets up the actions of the two villains makes Jessamine far too helpless and passive--to the point that in the latter part of the book Weed takes over as the first-person voice of the novel. And ultimately, Weed, too, is forced into a position of hopeless helplessness by the structure of the plot. But again, this may all be on purpose because the story of Weed and Jessamine is a three-part epic, and this is only part one. In addition, the story contains an intriguing love triangle, which is a very popular feature of YA fantasy romances, and has been even before Twilight. (less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Gavin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inspired by the current Duchess of Northumberland's public English gardens, The Poison Diaries is a first person written story which follows Jasmine, a young woman who lives on the outskirts of the countryside with her apothecary father who is known around the land as an expert in healing plants. It turns out that he is also an expert in the more poison plants which he keeps locked away in the depths of his garden in hope of finding new and exciting cures. One day he and Jasmine takes in a stran...more Inspired by the current Duchess of Northumberland's public English gardens, The Poison Diaries is a first person written story which follows Jasmine, a young woman who lives on the outskirts of the countryside with her apothecary father who is known around the land as an expert in healing plants. It turns out that he is also an expert in the more poison plants which he keeps locked away in the depths of his garden in hope of finding new and exciting cures. One day he and Jasmine takes in a strange young man called Weed, one who has seems to have a very strange ability indeed and when this happens young Jasmines journey out of isolation and in to adulthood beings.

The book starts of quite slowly in pace and events, but this is necessary as it is used to develop the wonderful characters and it still makes for a interesting read which combines a romantic story with slight gothic undertones. She used Jasmines eyes skilfully to describe their wonderful `cottage' home and her once quite life. The characters themselves are very well written. Maryrose Wood superbly shows Jasmine as a young, isolated but strong willed and smart woman who is on the verge of becoming an adult. The supporting characters are made up almost entirely Weed and her Farther; both of who are wonderfully written with Weed becomes an instant joy to behold.

There is one more character though who take the spotlight however, one who appears solely in the latter half of the story and it is here that the plot becomes truly a joy to behold. The book suddenly becomes faster in pace and it takes on a more fantasy styling while the characters show there true colours and become all the better for it. The slight gothic atmosphere increases and becomes a permanent mark of the book which brings to mind a near Tim Burton style world.

If the books had been as well written as the latter half was then it would have earned itself five stars, but even so The Poison Diaries is still a wonderful quick reading book and I look forward to its sequel and the trilogy as a whole. (less)

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Aug 04, 2012 Heartykiss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beschreibung:
Die Handlung der Geschichte spielt im Zeitalter um 1800. Zusammen mit ihrem Vater, lebt Jessamine in einer verlassenen Kappelle in England. Ihr Vater, welcher Botaniker ist, hilft kranken Menschen. Oft ist er deshalb nicht zu Hause und Jessamine häufig auf sich allein gestellt. Ihr Vater besitzt einen geheimen Giftgarten, den Jessamine nicht betreten darf. Dabei wünscht sie sich nichts sehnlicheres als den Garten einmal betreten zu dürfen, von dem ihr Vater immer spricht und in dess...more Beschreibung:
Die Handlung der Geschichte spielt im Zeitalter um 1800. Zusammen mit ihrem Vater, lebt Jessamine in einer verlassenen Kappelle in England. Ihr Vater, welcher Botaniker ist, hilft kranken Menschen. Oft ist er deshalb nicht zu Hause und Jessamine häufig auf sich allein gestellt. Ihr Vater besitzt einen geheimen Giftgarten, den Jessamine nicht betreten darf. Dabei wünscht sie sich nichts sehnlicheres als den Garten einmal betreten zu dürfen, von dem ihr Vater immer spricht und in dessen er manchmal Tage allein verbringt.
Eines Tages kommt ein Mann zu Ihnen, mit dem Wunsch, Jessamines Vater ein Angebot zu machen. Auf dem Rücken seines Pferdes liegt ein Sack in dem sich ein Junge befindet, ein Monster, wie der Fremde zu sagen pflegt. Er möchte ihn los werden und erzählt Jessamines Vater, dass der Junge magische Heilkräfte hätte. Er könne Tränke zusammenbrauen, die Menschen heilen. Damit kann der fremde Mann jedoch wenig anfangen, arbeitet er doch in einem Irrenhaus. Gegen eine Bezahlung würde er den Jungen abgeben. Jesammines Vater willig ein und behält den Jungen, sichtlich interessiert.
Der Name des Jungen ist Weed, was soviel wie Unkraut bedeutet. Mit der Zeit freunden sich Jessamine und Weed an. Sie beginnt Gefühle für Weed zu empfinden.. Doch Weed verbirgt ein Geheimnis.. Eine Gabe, die ihm durchaus zum Verhängnis werden könnte..

Eigene Meinung:
Soeben habe ich das Buch zu Ende gelesen und immer wieder geht mir folgender Gedanke durch den Kopf: Wieso gefällt das Buch so vielen nicht? Ich habe weiß gott noch nichteinmal 1000 Bücher gelesen, aber ein Buch wie dieses, habe ich zuvor noch nicht gelesen. Ich finde die Autorin, hat einen ganz wunderbaren Schreibstil und auch die Geschichte an sich gefällt mir sehr sehr gut. Mich hat das Gerede über Pflanzen kein bisschen gestört, im Gegenteil, mich hat es fasziniert und total angesprochen, obwohl ich mich sonst nicht für Pflanzen oder dergleichen interessiere, geschweige denn, mich damit auskenne.

Mich hat das Buch wirklich von der ersten Seite an absolut angesprochen. Habe mir sogar ungewöhnlicherweise viel Zeit mit dem Buch gelassen, immer nur Abends ein paar Seiten gelesen, da ich es nicht so schnell beenden wollte. Eigentlich war ich der festen Meinung, dass es mir ebenso, wie vielen anderen, nicht gefallen würde. Ich bin froh, dass dem nicht so ist und freue mich schon sehr auf die letzten beiden Teile, da es sich hierbei um eine Trilogie handelt. Außerdem bin sehr froh, dass ich das Buch bei einem Gewinnspiel gewonnen habe, denn gekauft hätte ich es mir, aufgrund der vielen schlechten Rezensionen, wohl eher nicht. Aber was sagt uns das? Selber lesen und sich eine Meinung bilden ;) Das Cover ist übrigens wunderschön gestaltet, ein totaler Eyecatcher, auch ohne Schutzumschlag!

Fazit:
Ein Buch, was mich wirklich auf jedenfall angesprochen hat und auf dessen fortsetzungen ich mich schon sehr freue!(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Elisabeth Kiese rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ich habe mir dieses Buch gekauft, weil ich es überall zu sehen bekam und es als schöne neue Serie präsentiert wurde.
Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. :)
Es ist Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts, dies merkt man sowohl an der Sprache, als auch an den Sitten und Gebräuchen.
Die Geschichte ist sehr einfühlsam und verständlich, aber auch nicht vorhersehbar.
Das Buch ist so flüssig und leicht geschrieben, dass man es innerhalb weniger Tage durch hat.
Die Handlung nimmt kontinuierlich ihren Lauf und hat am Ende...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Maddy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ZUM INHALT:

Die Poison Diaries der Beginn einer lebensgefährlichen Liebe

Um 1800: Jessamine lebt mit ihrem Vater in einer verlassenen Kapelle im Norden Englands. Sie führen ein stilles, von Jahreszeiten geprägtes Leben. Jessamines Vater ist Botaniker, seine Leidenschaft sind Heil- und Giftpflanzen. In einem verborgenen Giftgarten züchtet er mächtige tödliche Gewächse, sorgsam darauf bedacht, seine Tochter von der Gefahr fernzuhalten. Als eines Tages Weed auftaucht, ein rätselhafter Fremder mit abs...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who enjoy being frustrated, don't read till sequel comes out

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 11, 2012 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, worst-of-2012

A mediocre book with a ridiculous ending that made me want to knock off any remaining stars it had left.

It started off as a three-star book, readable but unimpressive. I got to the last 100 pages and decided it was a 2-star book. I skimmed most of the way to the ridiculous end, and had it been a paper copy would have thrown it across the room. It was that bad.

The premise is interesting. A boy that can talk to plants—but this reveal isn't made until halfway through the book. We don't actually me...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Miri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In der richtigen Dosis ist alles Gift. Auch Liebe

Jessamine lebt mit ihrem Vater, dem Apotheker, abgeschieden von allen anderen, umgeben von unzähligen Gärten. Unter ihnen: der Gift-Garten, dessen Tür für Jessamin seit jeher verboten ist. Eines Tages steht der seltsame Junge Weed vor ihrer Tür, der eine seltsame Gabe zu besitzen scheint. Woher kennt er die verschollenen Geheimnisse der Gift-Pflanzen? Wie kann er so viel Wissen haben? Jessamines Vater will die geheimen Rezepte um jeden Preis erlan...more

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Jan 15, 2012 InkBitten rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sarah

Judged by a Cover: Pick your,er, poison
Both covers sport the same photo shopped girl with the same gorgeous typography. What I can see of the girl makes her look very nice, but it really doesn't have enough to really draw the reader in. It conveys nothing about the book. On the other hand, the back is one of the best synopsises (synopsi?) I've seen.

Wolfsbane
In the right dose
Belladonna
Everything is a
Nightshade
Poison
Love

Character

Character development was not high on the list of priorities for the...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Shweta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

I have read about poisons before as a part of the toxicology course which was compulsory for my graduation. At that time I thought nothing could be as boring as reading the various side effects of these plants.I remember mugging up for the test as I hardly paid attention during those lectures. Had my teachers talked about them the way Maryrose Wood did, I would have been singing a different tune.

The best part of the book is the environment created. Even though it isn't overtly dark there is a un...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Danielle Thorne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a lot of high hopes for this fascinating story about a lonely Northumberland girl and her apothecary father. The premise and the cover are both beautiful. So is the writing. THE POISON DIARIES gets off to a tentative start, but there is a poetic beauty in the words that kept me reading. The first person point of view is very well done.

Jessamine is the daughter of a healer who is famous throughout the land for his miraculous cures. Their ancient, rambling home is surrounded by gardens. Jess...more I had a lot of high hopes for this fascinating story about a lonely Northumberland girl and her apothecary father. The premise and the cover are both beautiful. So is the writing. THE POISON DIARIES gets off to a tentative start, but there is a poetic beauty in the words that kept me reading. The first person point of view is very well done.

Jessamine is the daughter of a healer who is famous throughout the land for his miraculous cures. Their ancient, rambling home is surrounded by gardens. Jessamine is as talented with plants as her father, but she yearns to learn more. The gated, locked up Poison Garden is forbidden. This is something she accepts, until the boy, Weed, shows up at their door. Their attraction to one another is sweet and subtle. The respect and admiration they have for one another is a strong foundation for their fledgling romance.

The mysterious Weed is charming in his innocence but almost frightening in his power as Jessamine learns of his ability to communicate with plants. More than once, I was reminded of the classic 80's film, Edward Scissorhands. Although the setting is historical, there are parallels in the fragile beauty of Weed's personality -- a throwback to that film.

Of everything in this book, the voice of Maryrose Wood stands out. The articulation of scene, of setting and of character, is beautifully crafted. I found the words to be as haunting as the story. But THE POISON DIARIES is not a fast-paced book. It does drag along in some sequences as the young lovers struggle to hold on to one another. In contrast, the evil, eerie twist in the final pages is riveting. It definitely opens the door for more books in the series.

With reservation, I have to suggest that not everyone will find this dark, romantic tale to their liking. I would have preferred a bit more cleverness in the plotting. More sharpness in the editorial eye. However, it is a thought provoking read and a unique story that readers will be relieved to find among all the clutter of cookie-cutter Young Adult fiction(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Chapter by Chapter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was definitely a novel that I'm so glad I ended up reading. Usually, I'm not a big fan of Victorian era novels and maybe it's because I prefer the reality of our time rather than that time, but either way I ended up finding another novel that will end up going on my list of 'awesome reads'. Everything about it pulled me in, the pretty lettering on the cover, the title, the synopsis and the story itself! I finished it quickly (it took me a few hours) because once I began reading, I just coul...more This was definitely a novel that I'm so glad I ended up reading. Usually, I'm not a big fan of Victorian era novels and maybe it's because I prefer the reality of our time rather than that time, but either way I ended up finding another novel that will end up going on my list of 'awesome reads'. Everything about it pulled me in, the pretty lettering on the cover, the title, the synopsis and the story itself! I finished it quickly (it took me a few hours) because once I began reading, I just couldn't bring myself to stop, though I did enjoy the large amount of details that Maryrose Wood put into the story and the way that every little scene became more and more realistic. Though I will admit in the beginning I did assume that the story would drag, but as it progressed I found myself slapping myself silly for even thinking that.

The main character Jessamine was just amazing. I loved the way her eagerness to enter the Poison Garden was presented early in the novel and the way she found treating the belladonna seeds to be a very important job. I even liked how she was daddy's little girl, in a sense. Her father, Doctor Thomas Luxton, was a character whose intentions I was constantly second guessing. At certain points in the story, I believed that maybe he wasn't good, that maybe he was bad and that maybe his obsession with being a botanist and a doctor was going to make him an irritating character.

Now as to the character Weed, I was always wondering who he really was or more what he really was for a few reasons actually: 1- he came from an insane asylum. 2- he is very obsessed with the plants and 3- his name is Weed. Seemed kinda sketchy to me *narrows eyes*. Though as the plot thickened, I began to find interest in Weed. I wanted to know why he was so caring towards the plants and of course I wanted him and Jessamine to admit their feelings to each other. The other thing I know is that once you find out why he's so interested in plants you'll think of him as a guy version of Poison Ivy (it's a comic reference yay!).

I was in love with the way that he was so willing to do anything for Jessamine when she became sick and the way we end up learning why Weed finds the Poison Garden just evil. The plants in there are just cruel and evil.

With there being a Prince of Poison, a Poison Realm and there being so much death and sorrow in the story (there are still lots of cute and happy parts though despite all the poison!) I found it to be an interesting Gothic read with a cute male lead and a girl who just wants to go into the forbidden garden and prove that she's grown up to her father. I only found one downfall with the story and it was the reason I had to stop reading for a minute or so. It was the way that I had to consult a dictionary for certain words that I had no clue what they were. I absolutely hate having to stop reading a great story because of having to find out what a word means, but it is in the Victorian ages after all *shrugs*. I did get curious and ended up Googling some of the poisonous plants to see what they looked like during the parts that were in Weed's point of view. I would recommend this to anybody who wants to read a book that is Gothic, dark and has a twist (I love twists) that you most likely won't see coming.
Now go and get it. It was pretty awesome.(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Aik Chien 인첸 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Poison Diaries is a special story about plants, love and poison. Enchanting and deadly, it will surely lure you into its realms, a place filled with useful, beneficial herbs as well as the most dangerous and poisonous plants, a place where the fates of two souls intertwined.

Jessamine Luxton has never been away from the ancient stone chapel she calls home, or her estranged father who seems more interested in the plants in his apothecary than his own daughter. Her life was boring; she has no frien...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Charlotte Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was perhaps one the shortest books that I have read in a long time, and it seemed to me to be more like a young childs book than that of a teenagers book. However that did not make the story any less addictive than that of the last book I read. In fact the book drawed me in so much that I started and finished it within the space of three hours (yes ok it took me a while but I had breaks between reading it). The story was unusual and different to that of what I usually read. There was nothin...more This was perhaps one the shortest books that I have read in a long time, and it seemed to me to be more like a young childs book than that of a teenagers book. However that did not make the story any less addictive than that of the last book I read. In fact the book drawed me in so much that I started and finished it within the space of three hours (yes ok it took me a while but I had breaks between reading it). The story was unusual and different to that of what I usually read. There was nothing to do with vampires or fallen angels or any other magical creature, but instead of a person who can hear and talk to the plants.

The story line was different and unusual and I think it is this that got me interested in the novel, because it meant that I was reading something fresh and new. The writing style was simple and easy to read and understand, and I still stand by the fact that, except for the topic, it appears more like a book for a child under the age of thirteen. However, the plot flows in a wondeful easy and engaging way, drawing you in more and more to find out what is happening and what is going on. You find yourself promising to read just one more chapter before you go to sleep, but instead you are counting down how many pages there are left to the end just to see what actually happens.

The ending is frustrating and annoying and it does not work out the way that you hope it to. Of course, most of the books I read end up in some sort of happily ever after where the two characters are in love and together but there is still some major drama causing huge problems. However with this novel this was not so. The ending of this book is therefore perfect because it makes you want the second one, it makes you want to read on to know what is going to happen. A relationship can not end on such terms and no way would you leave the love of your life within the safety and care of the person that is meant to be their father. The book was fresh and new and though perhaps not my usual sort of preferred style, it was still exciting and I really want to read the second one now just so I can find out what is happening.

So if your after a quick read thats just something to get the adrenaline racing I would indeed suggest this novel. its short, quick and simple but fresh, engaging and not in any way predictable... or well it wasnt for me.(less)

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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)

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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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Quotes from The Poison Diaries

“Call it professional interest. You see, Jessamine, love is a kind of poison; one of my favorite kinds, in fact. It infects the blood; it takes over the mind; it seizes dominion over the body. It amuses me to think of him pining for you. Aching for what he cannot have. The loneliness in his soul is festering like a wound. There is nothing I could do for him that is worse that what you have already done, my lovely. And I assure you, in his case there will be no cure.” — 18 people liked it

“Weed Rises to his feet. "Nature," he says softly, "makes so many beautiful things. But I did not know until you that nature could make a girl so beautiful.” — 14 people liked it

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