21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical blend of 1950's history, magic, and science, October 4, 2011
This review is from: The Apothecary (Hardcover)
I got an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. This was an excellent book. It is based during the cold-war and touches on issues that were important then (Communism and the atomic bomb, Nationalism) as well as entwining magic throughout the story. Very well written and a pleasure to read, with beautiful black and white illustrations. I finished it in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it.
In the early 1950's Janie's parents are suspected of being sympathetic to Communism; as a result Janie and her family are forced to flee from America to London. In London Janie is miserable until she stumbles into Benjamin Burrows. Benjamin is the son of an apothecary and wants to be a spy; he ropes Janie into helping him spy in the park one day. Little do they know that there are very dangerous events afoot and Benjamin's father is part of them. Their innocent spying turns into a flight for their lives as they are drawn into a conflict that spans nations and involves a magical book called the Phramacopia.
I loved this book because it just covered so many different things and made them into a wonderful cohesive and magical story. There is a lot in here about cold war politics, the atom bomb, international spies, and war in general; but there are also other issues covered like fitting in at a new school, the morality of war, idealism in science, and the responsibilities of those who wield great (magical and scientific) power.
Janie is a wonderful character; she is realistic, resourceful, and very easy to relate too. I loved her parents; they treat her like the smart kid she is and are witty and funny. Benjamin was another fascinating character; his obsessions with international spies gets him into a ton of trouble, but he is a realistic character that is again easy to relate to. I loved following Janie and Benjamin through the story as they struggle to unravel the mystery and master the spells presented by the Pharmacopia.
The story was presented in a very creative way; I love how it was presented as something Janie couldn't remember until she got her diary back to read through. There are many twists and turns throughout; yet the story is never hard to follow. At times though you are not sure who is bad and who is good and it is hard to predict how everything will turn out; which I loved.
There was a lot of action and adventure; the story was fast-paced and hard to put down. I read the whole thing in one-sitting. The story wraps up nicely.
Overall I thought this was an absolutely wonderful book. I loved all the different elements of history, science, and magic that were blended together to make this story. Janie and Benjamin are fun characters that are easy to relate too. The book is fast-paced and full of excellent plot twists. There is fun magic in the story too: invisibility potions, transformations into birds...lots of fun things to surprise and delight readers. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to people middle grade and older who love historical fantasy with some war politics woven throughout. A great read and I can't wait to see what Meloy writes next.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Extraordinary Novel, October 16, 2011
This review is from: The Apothecary (Hardcover)
I have been a fan of Meloy's since Liars and Saints and I was surprised to hear she had written a book for children. But it is not just for children. It is a beautifully written book that feels like an instant classic. She takes a her young heroine Janie Scott from Hollywood during the days of the Blacklist and brings her to war torn London. The beginning is so evocative and realistic that when the book moves into espionage and magical elixirs it all feels like it all really happened.
WHat is especially amazing about The Apothecary is that in the midst of a thrilling story, I learned so much. About the Cold War, about the Chelsea Physic Garden (a place I am dying to go visit), about the arms race and the testing of nuclear weapons. And while I loved the more amazing of the spells and tinctures, it was the magic that felt emotional that really made the book great. The Smell of Truth and how it makes both Janie and the boy she likes (Benjamin) confess their feelings for each other was especially wonderful. And at the end I felt such a sense of loss, I was sad it was over and I wouldn't be able to live with these characters anymore. I hear she's writing a sequel. I can't wait.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully Illustrated Historical Fantasy, October 13, 2011
This review is from: The Apothecary (Hardcover)
Who doesn't love a little alchemy in their stories? The Apothecary is fun adventure for both boys and girls. While the story is geared towards young readers (10 and up) there might be a bit of confusion about the story's basis. The storyline all happens because of politics, and involves talk of communism, Russian spies, atomic bombs, and war. Many middle grade readers won't know what's going on when it comes to these areas.
The fantasy portion, which involves the alchemy I mentioned previously, is perfect for the young reader and is a lot of fun. The two kids, Janie and Benjamin, are courageous and get to do lots of cool things kids will envy them for. The miss for this book is the fact that the fantasy seems young while the political storyline seems old and it doesn't work to its fullest ability for either age range. As an adult I found everything to be predictable and felt that there was not enough depth to the characters involved. The Advanced Reader's Copy that I read didn't have the complete artwork in it yet, but from the pages that did contain the illustrations - I thought they were great and added a good touch to the story.
ARC Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
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