Madapple [Paperback]

Christina Meldrum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2010

THE SECRETS OF the past meet the shocks of the present.
Aslaug is an unusual young woman. Her mother has brought her up in near isolation, teaching her about plants and nature and language—but not about life. Especially not how she came to have her own life, and who her father might be.

When Aslaug’s mother dies unexpectedly, everything changes. For Aslaug is a suspect in her mother’s death. And the more her story unravels, the more questions unfold. About the nature of Aslaug’s birth. About what she should do next.

About whether divine miracles have truly happened. And whether, when all other explanations are impossible, they might still happen this very day.

Addictive, thought-provoking, and shocking, Madapple is a page-turning exploration of human nature and divine intervention—and of the darkest corners of the human soul.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 9 Up—In Bethan, ME, 1987, Maren is pregnant; she claims that she is still a virgin. The story of her daughter, Aslaug, follows. She is raised by her severe mother in isolation. Her homeschooling, which includes multiple languages, religious studies, and herbology, excludes much more than it includes. Then, in 2003, Maren dies, and Aslaug discovers that she has an aunt and cousins nearby and begins living with them. She is simultaneously fascinated and confused by her discoveries of social interactions and how the world functions. Fast paced and suspenseful, Meldrum's novel deftly and subtly maintains tension by judiciously revealing key plot points. Aslaug narrates events from 2003 and 2004, which come back to haunt her in 2007, when she finds herself on trial for the murders of her aunt and cousin. Her story fills in gaps and masterfully manipulates perspective, ingeniously pointing out how everything can change depending on one's point of view. Chapters on the courtroom trial alternate with Aslaug's account, which leads up to the deaths. Deep examination of religion and science and how they intersect pervade the text in an exploratory and informative way. The inclusion of rape and poisoning lends darkness and weight to Aslaug's already intense experience. Filled with herbal imagery and nomenclature, the descriptions, both beautiful and surprising, paired with the expert control of pacing, make for a riveting and mind-opening experience.—Amy J. Chow, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Aslaug lives in isolation; the flowers and plants that her mother, Maren, uses to make their lives possible are more real to her than the outside world. Then Maren dies, and Aslaug makes her way to the nearby Maine town, where she finds her aunt Sara and teenage cousins Susanne and Rune. Aslaug hopes they will have a clue to her father’s identity; she learns, as readers already have, that Maren proclaimed Aslaug a virgin birth. Aunt Sara, a charismatic preacher, wants none of this. But Susanne, enthralled with the writings of esoteric religionists and pagans, believes this is a possibility, while Rune is just enthralled with Aslaug herself. Then Aslaug finds herself pregnant, and divine intervention is once more a possibility. Plot summary does little justice to this haunting book, which is as much mysticism as it is story. Meldrum plunges deeply into the nature of reality. She uses language in a particularly arresting way, with the leaves and petals of the plants that are so much a part of Aslaug’s life shimmering over the pages. If all this wasn’t satisfaction enough, Meldrum, a litigator, mixes faith and science with a solid mystery, told in the transcripts of a trial in which Aslaug is the defendant. There is much to ponder in this enthralling achievement from a debut author. Grades 9-12. --Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375851771
• ISBN-13: 978-0375851773
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,066,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Dysfunctional Relationships

More About the Author

Christina M. Meldrum is the author of the award-winning novel MADAPPLE and of AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY, forthcoming in February 2011 from Gallery, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 26, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madapple (Hardcover)

I finished reading MADAPPLE last night and, for the first time ever, I sat staring at the book in shock. For fifteen minutes. I was ready to laugh, to cry, and to scream in frustration. Never before have I read a book that left me feeling that way after finishing it. Sure, there have been books where I've laughed, cried, and been frustrated at different points as I read it (HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS comes to mind) -- but to experience them all at once at the end of a book? Never.

Once the shock wore off, I began wondering how I was ever going to write a review of this book. Because a book that can cause emotions like that definitely can NOT be summed up in one paragraph, no matter how long. I could say that MADAPPLE was about flowers and plants. I could also say that it's about a girl who's a prisoner in her own life. I could also say that it challenges the religion of Christianity. I could say all of those things and so many more, but none of them would be correct. Yes, MADAPPLE is about flowers and plants. It's also about being a prisoner in your own life and it's even about Christianity. But it's also about so much more than that. More than even my mind can comprehend.

But I must warn you - MADAPPLE is NOT for everyone

Told in alternating chapters of the present and of testimonies being held at Aslaug's trial, MADAPPLE challenges the reader. It informs the reader. I, myself, though not a strong Christian, know by now that most Christians are offended when their religion is challenged. MADAPPLE does that. But I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, for it never states that Christianity is wrong, and every single character has their own opinion on it. Heck, one of them even runs a church. But what it does do is explain how the birth and story of Jesus that the Christians follow is not the first in history. I'm not going to say more on that subject in fear of giving too much away, but I'll say this - if you're a Christian who is easily offended, I wouldn't read this. If you're a Christian who can handle a reasonable amount of things, pick up the book.

My feelings about MADAPPLE changed throughout the entire book. At first, I was intrigued, then confused, and then bored. Actually, I think I was confused up until the last page and then some. Even at this moment, I can't say whether I love or hate MADAPPLE. But I'm going to say that I love it because it's left me speechless, and the only other books to have done that are my favorites. The one thing, however, this book didn't do was make my stomach hurt. The character emotions just weren't there to make my heart break. All other aspects, besides that, which I love in books were there.

So do I recommend MADAPPLE? Definitely yes! But only if you're up for a challenging read. Only if you're mature enough to handle speculations about virgin and premarital birth. Only if you're ready to be blown away, because you will be, whether it's in a good or bad way. Only you can make that decision.

Reviewed by: Harmony

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Accomplished Debut Novel I've Read in Ages, May 14, 2008

By 

Margaret - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madapple (Hardcover)

It's hard to know where to start in the praise for this amazing story of Aslaug, a teenaged girl who, having been raised by a reclusive mother, finds herself--after her mother's death--in the unfamiliar world of her minister-aunt's church. Meldrum cuts back and forth between rapid-fire courtroom testimony of Aslaug's trail and beautifully lyrical sections detailing the events of Aslaug's life that land her in court. Each of the more lyrical chapters is titled with the name of a plant, and Meldrum's weaving of a rich wealth of information about each plant's medicinal qualities with a deep knowledge of religions of all sorts adds more to this book than I ever could have imagined--without ever slowing the pace of the story. I'm only left wishing there were a second of this author's books to pull off the shelf, and hoping there will be soon!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I'm torn between one star and five stars, December 31, 2008

By 

Doc Occula "I Can Has Cheezburger?" (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Madapple (Hardcover)

I would give this novel five stars for the sheer audacity the author has invested in what is clearly a huge amount of research, of life experience, and of honing a complicated writing style. I would also give the novel one star because I believe it fails across the board at everything it wants to be: YA, romance, historical fiction, mystery, you name it. But I'm not giving it a 3-star middle ground. I think the work fails more often than it succeeds.

Other reviewers have commented on the originality of this story. Sadly, I don't find it so; I see a huge number of parallels to 'White Oleander,' by Janet Fitch, right down to the Scandinavian protagonists. With every page I waited for the book to break free of everything that was dragging it down: the too-true-to-life courtroom scenes (which are probably interesting to an attorney, such as the author, but i can't imagine a teen wants to slog through what are basically court transcripts), the uneven character development (Aslaug is basically a wild child, but her language, actions and even thoughts are not consistent with such a character) and the laborious botany and religion lessons. I am a huge fan of many works with an academic slant, but even I found myself skimming because I didn't see the relevance in having to swallow a huge dose of medieval philosophy along with my teen novel. And, fundamentally, I felt the author had a tough time keeping her book reined in. The plot veers in too many directions and has trouble with even simple elements, such as making sure characters are introduced clearly.

As with other books, I was suckered in by the excellent art direction and by the CV of the author. My expectations were fairly high, since I think teen readers need to expand their oeuvre beyond 'Gossip Girl.' But I don't think I'd recommend this work to any. Whatever the author's original clarity of vision was with this story, it became too muddled in the telling.