Poison [Paperback]

Chris Wooding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

In "a novel almost unparalleled for density and invention" (Horn Book), YA phenom Chris Wooding introduces an electrifying heroine...and an unforgettable story.

Poison has always been a willful, contrary girl, prone to being argumentative and stubborn. So when her sister is snatched by the mean-spirited faeries, she seeks out the Phaerie Lord to get her back.
But finding him isn't easy, and the quest leads Poison into a murderous world of intrigue, danger, and deadly storytelling. With only her wits and her friends to aid her, Poison must survive the attentions of the Phaerie Lord, rescue her sister, and thwart a plot that's beyond anything she (or the reader) can imagine. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10–Pale and thin, with long black hair and violet eyes, the sullen, moody girl named Poison is an appropriate heroine for this over-the-top gothic horror fantasy. The 16-year-old has never been out of the Black Marshes, one of the remote backwaters settled by humans in a Realm ruled by phaeries and inhabited by a cast of foul creatures that includes trolls, daemons, and a particularly nasty Spider Woman. When her baby sister is kidnapped and a changeling is left in her crib, Poison sets off for the Realm of Phaerie to rescue her. Her old friend and confidant, the elderly Fleet, who is acquainted with the world outside the Marshes, equips her with directions and money. But her greatest asset is her knowledge of old stories from the books in his library, for her quest leads her into adventures that seem to repeat familiar fairy tales. By the time she confronts Alethar, Lord of Phaerie, Poison has picked up an appealing cast of sidekicks who lighten the relentlessly horrific situations. As thunder and lightning crash, and rain pours down, the plot twists and turns toward an ending that may not surprise careful readers. Suffice to say that Poison is definitely the hero of her own story. Her destiny serves as a fitting metaphor for the self-absorbed alienation that accompanies adolescence. Poison's story should please crowds of horror fans who like their books fast-paced, darkly atmospheric, and melodramatic.–Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Although Wooding's second stand-alone youth fantasy has its share of violent deaths and other terrifying episodes, the title refers not to a deadly toxin but to its eponymous violet-eyed heroine. Quick-witted, fierce, and fed up with living in a community where residents view misfortune as inevitable, Poison fights back when her baby sister is spirited away by "phaeries." She faces obstacles both physical and mental. In one pivotal scene, she meets her own creator, an all-powerful storyteller whose revelations prompt ruminations about self-determination and the nature of reality. Some readers won't appreciate the shift from familiar quest-story action to quiet, more metaphysical upheavals, and Poison doesn't emerge triumphant in the way that many will expect. Still, Wooding's serpentine plotting and lush, imaginative writing have something to offer to both the more mature audience of The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray (2004) as well as slightly younger genre fans. Try this on readers who enjoyed Angie Sage's Magyk (2005). Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 273 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439755719
• ISBN-13: 978-0439755719
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Twisted Phaerie Tale, October 20, 2004

By 

LemurKat "LemurKat" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poison (Paperback)

I loved this book, it's a fairy tale, more-or-less, which I have a fondness for from the start, but it's also one of the fairy tales you feel is actually parodying them. Poison lives in a little village in the swamps, with her father and stepmother (who is not so much wicked, they just don't get along too well) when her little sister is kidnapped by the Phaeries. So, Poison sets out to rescue her, venturing into worlds the likes of which she's never imagined and facing intrigue and prejudice and witches that like to eat bones and then has her whole world turned upside down when a startling revelation is pushed upon her.

I found myself laughing with glee as several points to the plot materialised. Just brilliant and deserves better recognition then it appears to be getting. Read it in one sitting, more or less.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Fun Novel from Chris Wooding, November 21, 2005

By 

Ariel Wetzel (Bellingham, Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poison (Paperback)

Chris Wooding's ability to build suspense and keep the plot twists coming make "Poison" an engaging read and Wooding a memorable author. Wooding doesn't take himself too seriously and pokes fun at fairy tales while crafting an entertaining one himself.

Poison is an easy character for young adult readers to identify with because she feels out of place in her village and does not get along with her step-mother. Although she possesses some cliches (such as her violet eyes and refuge found in books), she's a proactive character with convincing motivations and relies on her wit to solve problems.

I gave this book four out of five stars because at times the writing seemed poorly polished and it made it a little more challenging for me to get into the novel. There was a point of view shift in an early chapter I found jarring, and at times I felt things were explained (such as over-described speaker attributes) that had already were clear through dialogue and action.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poison, March 19, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Poison (Hardcover)

This book is brillaint for teenagers.it is about a girl who lives in the marshes and her baby sister is taken away by the Phaerie Lord so she is forcerd to make her dad and her stepmother to look after a ugly clone whilst she goes on a breathtakingly exciting adventure.