The Apothecary [Hardcover]

Maile Meloy (Author), Ian Schoenherr (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011 | Age Range: 10 and up | Lexile Measure: 740L (What's this?)

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.

Together with Ian Schoenherr's breathtaking illustrations, this is a truly stunning package from cover to cover.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Maile Meloy’s enchanting E. B. White Award-winning novel, THE APOTHECARY:

 

 

“Inventive, smart and fun, an absolute delight.”—Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me

 

 

STARRED REVIEW from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:

 

 “[A] thoroughly enjoyable adventure, filled with magic, humor, memorable characters, and just a bit of sweet romance. With evocative, confident prose and equally atmospheric spot art from Schoenherr, adult author Meloy’s first book for young readers is an auspicious one.”

 

From THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW:

 

“[Meloy] brings to her first book for young readers the same emotional resonance that has won acclaim for her adult fiction, grounding her story in the intricacies of family love, friendship and loyalty blended here with the complicated fluctuations of adolescence.”

 

From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL:

 

“Maile Meloy’s sly commingling of the real and the imaginary make this a witty and entertaining Cold War romp—with a touch of age-appropriate romance.”

 

 

From USA TODAY:

 

“The title of Maile Meloy’s smartly written, page-turning adventure/fantasy refers to a magical druggist in London in 1952. . . . It’s for curious readers who, like Meloy’s characters, can make room in their imaginations and ‘allow for the possibilities.’”

About the Author

Maile Meloy is the author of the story collection Half in Love, and the novels Liars and Saints, shortlisted for the 2005 Orange Prize, and A Family Daughter. Meloy’s stories have been published in The New Yorker, and she has received The Paris Review’s Aga Khan Prize for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award, the Rosenthal Foundation Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2007, she was chosen as one of Granta’s Best American Novelists under 35. She lives in California.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; First Edition edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780399256271
• ISBN-13: 978-0399256271
• ASIN: 039925627X
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Europe

More About the Author

Maile Meloy is the author of the story collection Half in Love and the novel Liars and Saints, which was shortlisted for the 2005 Orange Prize. Meloy's stories have been published in The New Yorker, and she has received The Paris Review's Aga Khan Prize for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award, the Rosenthal Foundation Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She lives in California.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical blend of 1950's history, magic, and science October 4, 2011

By Karissa Eckert TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format: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.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Illustrated Historical Fantasy October 13, 2011

By Book Sake VINE™ VOICE

Format: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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Extraordinary Novel October 16, 2011

By Darlington

Format: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.