Today the Book it Sisters reviewed The Apothecary by Maile Meloy.
(Published 2011, 362 pages)
Book it Sisters’ Grade:A-
It’s 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. Here, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows—a fascinating boy who’s not afraid to stand up to authority and dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin’s father is kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary’s sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping it out of the hands of their enemies—Russian spies in possession of nuclear weapons. Discovering and testing potions they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending disaster.
Here is our report:
| Judy Bush | A | What makes a young adult book a young adult book? is it just the fact that the character is youn? if not for that, this weould be a regular book. It was an enjoyable spy story. I loved flying like a bird. The Apothecary/scientist was a fun idea. It seems like it's ripe for a sequel! |
| Samantha Harrison | A | I thought the book was entertaining and kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen. |
| Mary Halsey | A | Great hook into the book with the preface explaining how Janie had such an adventure she couldn't remember... I enjoyed the flying the best. Characters and adventures were engaging and interesting. |
| Tricia Gadberry | A | I enjoyed this book! It was a fun and easy read, and had a cute story that kept me interested in reading the book. |
| Suzanne Rigby | B+ | I enjoyed the story and the characters, especially the magical theme. I only give it a B+ because it didn't grip me in a "I can't do anything else until I finish this book!" kind of way. |
| Denise Link | B+ | A fun book to spark your imagination. |
| Cheryl Clowes | A | I really enjoyed listening to this story It was very griping. The descriptive verse makes you fell as if you are there. The characters were also very believable and well developed. I can't wait to read the sequel. |
| Nina Yatsko |