The Poison Apples [Hardcover]

Lily Archer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up

We all know the stories of Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel.  But have you ever heard of Alice Bingley-Beckerman, Reena Paruchuri, or Molly Miller?  Of course you haven’t.  Not yet.  What these girls have in common with their fairy tale sisters is this:  they are the stepdaughters of three very evil stepmothers.  And they’re not happy about it.  They think they are alone in their unhappiness until they arrive at Putnam Mount McKinsey, a posh boarding school located in lovely rural Massachusetts.  Here is where they will plot their revenge.  But first they have to meet.
 
In her first novel, Lily Archer tells a knowing, wickedly funny story about how friendship just may turn out to be more happily-ever-after than family.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—Alice, Reena, and Molly meet at an elite boarding school in rural Massachusetts. It takes them a while to realize that they've all landed there primarily because of their wicked stepmothers, but once discovered, this fact binds them in friendship and their shared desire to exact revenge on the new women in their lives during Thanksgiving break. Because readers see them only from the girls' viewpoints, the insensitivity and self-absorption of their stepmothers are stupendously exaggerated—as is the cluelessness of their fathers. This does provide ample scope for humor, however, and allows the girls to have changes of heart as their perceptions mature a tad. Not essential, but good fun.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY
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Review

Praise for The Poison Apples:

 

" Archer makes a wickedly funny debut...Alternating among their perspectives with considerable wit... The teens’ initial misjudgments of one another fuel much of the initial comedy, while Archer’s knowing prose gives even the old-fashioned moral a hip ring." - Publishers Weekly, Starred review

 

"...friendship forms the core of Archer’s tender, funny debut novel... Writing in the alternating voices of the three girls, Archer displays a sure sense of teens’ dialogue, anxieties, and, best of all, humor...Clever, hip, and satisfying, this will attract many readers, who will look forward to the sequels suggested at the story’s close." - Booklist

 

"This pleasant read offers food for thought for even the most reluctant reader. The strength of the story lies in its realistic portrayal of teen insecurity and the need to have love and structure in a seemingly hostile world....Archer smoothly alternates the point of view among the three girls, offering insight into how their different personalities cope with hardship. Fans of Ann Brashare’s Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will enjoy this tale of feisty young women on the brink of adulthood."--VOYA

 

"The Poison Apple members...are entertaining and their hyperbolic tales of woe might be what’s most appealing to gossip-loving adolescents."--Kirkus Reviews

 

"...Good fun." - School Library Journal

 

"...funny, often poignant first novel...What sets the book apart from many in the boarding school genre is the underlying compassion these three retain, despite their new and uncertain circumstances... Readers will hope for more from this likable trio--and this talented storyteller."--Shelf Awareness

 

"The Poison Apples is Lily Archer’s first novel and it’s a very good riff on how much good friends can save you when everything else goes to hell. It’s also very funny and one of those pitch perfect reads for sharing with many girlfriends (whether they have stepmonsters of their own or not)."--Bookslut

 

"There definitely seems to be sequel potential for this book and dare I say it might be even as big as the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants."--The YA YA YAs (blog)

 

"...debut novelist Lily Archer handles the contemporary issues faced by families with delightfully wicked humor and a heartfelt exploration of love, friendship, forgiveness, and the true meaning of 'family.' Middle grade and teenage girls from around the country will laugh at and identify with the themes of this novel and the adventures of three unique main characters."--Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; 1st edition (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312367627
• ISBN-13: 978-0312367626
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,749,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Poison Apples By: Lily Archer Book Review, January 28, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Poison Apples (Hardcover)

Everyone knows the story of Snow White but have you ever heard of Molly Miller, Reena Paruchuri, or Alice Bingley-Beckerman? For one thing, their life is hardly a fairy-tale but everything is about to change. They just have to meet.
The Poison Apples By: Lily Archer opens with the tale of how three delightful friends Molly, Reena, and Alice end up at an elite boarding school in Massachusetts. Each chapter revolves around a father's second marriage and a stepmother who turns out to be quite horrible. The pals form a club to get revenge on their wicked stepmothers but find out that not all wrongs make a right.
This four star fictional novel is probably best suited for teenage girls who love to read about terrific friends who have to cope with major situations in their lives. The girls's loss of control over their own lives was very catastrophic. But their friendship went a long way to help when they were able to form their own little family with The Poison Apples. My favorite character was Reena Paruchuri because of her hilarious humor. (Archer, 20) "I hate yoga. I mean who wants to lie on the ground twisted up like a pretzel while some lady in velvet stirrup pants tells you to "relax"? And whenever I drive by a yoga studio (there are like ten billion here in Beverly Hills) and look through the windows there are crowds of skinny women is short-shorts, contouring themselves into freaky positions." Plus, Reena's stepmother Shanti Shruti is so insane and I think is truly bipolar. On page 112 Pradeep (Reena's brother) quotes, "So Shanti is adopting a penguin, but it needs, like, a really cold, like artic environment...so they're building and addition to the house, this, like, special terrarium or something with ice and water...and its costing Dad like a million dollars." I cannot in reality imagine someone wanting to buy a penguin out of the blue! I have to say that the book was a little confusing at times because each chapter focuses on one-girl and switches viewpoints at bit. The ending is truly magical when the girl's accept the saying "two wrongs don't make a right". Lily Archer's vastly engaging novel makes the reader want to scream out loud for a sequel to answer many unknown questions after reading. And who wouldn't after some romance, heartbreak, and plenty of laughter in The Poison Apples!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poison Apples, September 18, 2007

By 

Librarians Rock "Emily" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Poison Apples (Hardcover)

This is the story of three girls who form a club to get revenge on their respective stepmothers. The girls are all from different places and have diverse backgrounds. My favorite character was Reena Paruchuri, a 15-year-old Indian girl whose father has left her mother to marry a 25-year-old yoga instructor. There's actually really interesting stuff in here about how Western culture has co-opted some aspects of South Asian culture. But mostly it's just a really fun, funny read, and although at first the stepmother seem like monsters, by the end of the book they, and everyone else in it, are humanized.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great beginning, January 16, 2008

By 

E. Honig (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Poison Apples (Hardcover)

Rarely have I thought this about a book: but this book needed to be longer. The first section (more than half of the book) is clever, witty, and a pleasure to read. The three main characters are distinct from one another (although all written in oddly the same voice), each situation is well-depicted, and I both laughed with and sympathized with them.

However, once the three heroines have found one another and bonded over their wicked stepmothers, the book falters badly. In Part II, the three girls' romances are much too abrupt and undeveloped; their decision to seek revenge on their stepmothers is bumpy; and the actual execution of the revenge plots is just lame. The plots take each girl back home and away from all the others, which is a structural problem in the narrative; and each has only one chapter in which to 1) fail in her revenge; and 2) see that it wasn't a good idea in the first place. This needed a lot more thought.

Still, a very promising first book. I look forward to reading more by this author.