When Briseis’ aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined - it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri’s unique family lineage.

When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman whom Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it...until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.

From the best-selling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her.

Listening Length

10 hours and 17 minutes
Author

Kalynn Bayron
Narrator

Jordan Cobb
Audible release date

June 29, 2021
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ASIN

B097HQ57J2
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	10 hours and 17 minutes
Author	Kalynn Bayron
Narrator	Jordan Cobb
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	June 29, 2021
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B097HQ57J2
Best Sellers Rank	#12,201 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #26 in Fiction on Friendship for Teens #37 in Paranormal Fantasy for Teens #37 in Paranormal Mystery, Thriller & Suspense for Teens

Customer reviews

5 star		71%
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3 star		7%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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5/5 for atmosphere, 2.5/5 for pacing

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2021

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3.5 stars

This is a book that's really hard to review. Did it grab me till the end? Yes. Did it also seem to have inconsistent character development and have no idea how fast or slow the plot should be? Yes.

This book definitely trumps Cinderella is Dead for atmosphere and really making the core mystery interesting. Briseis herself (and her moms) are well formed characters and the spooky Gothic/Greek magical mystery keeps you on your toes. The descriptions are lavish and detailed, especially plants and flowers--pretty important for a book about plant magic. Everything has that awesome "old creepy house mystery" feel.

But the book also suffers from Bayron trying to fit a very complex plot too small a package. We have several characters, including the love interest, whose development is just.... not there. The central mystery is clogged up at the end with 50 billion revelations about various mysteries/characters, but with an "here's the infodump! oh these characters were involved too". I expect Bayron will resolve a lot of these threads in the sequel, but that's the big issue: most of these threads should either have been combined, removed, or pushed to the next book altogether. It might have forced the series to have an extra book, but it would be well worth it.

Still gonna read the sequel for the cool Gothic Greek vibes, tho. Also, queer black people being badass normal/magical.

11 people found this helpful

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Elizabeth

Hard to rate

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021

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There was a lot to like about This Poison Heart--queer rep, cool Black characters, plant magic, a weird Greek mythology retelling, and a secretive small town. What is not to love, I ask you? And there is a lot to love! Initially, the book started out super strong, if a little slow. The author takes her time setting up the story, and I was fine with that. Briseis is a Brooklyn girl with no friends to speak of because she's got a secret: plants react to her. This makes things really awkward for her, since the plants don't pick up on social cues and react whether she likes it or not. That makes living in a densely populated area like Brooklyn a little difficult, since Briseis can't risk whatever nearby plant wrapping itself around her wrist in public without said public freaking out about it.

Enter the plot: a lawyer shows up from her birth family's estate to announce she's inherited a house in upstate New York. Cool! Her moms pack up the apartment and head to Rhinebeck and Briseis's ancestral home, where she's presented with an garden obstacle course to get at whatever her birth family has spent centuries protecting. But, naturally, someone else wants it first. People start showing up, asking when she's going to reopen the house's apothecary. Their car's tires get slashed. It turns out Rheinbeck has some secrets and Briseis's family was right in the middle of them, so now she has to figure out what those secrets are to take control of her life or risk getting sent back to Brooklyn, where she can't be herself. Cool, okay!

But, dang, the execution. I just don't know how to say this other than details don't knit together or make sense in the larger scheme of the plot. Briseis knows she's immune to poison before she discovers she's immune to poison, for instance. So why the big reveal? The entire book is like this, meandering all over itself setting up revelations to secrets that don't appear to go anywhere. Characters are introduced in order to give Briseis some knowledge to set up what she has to do at the end and then disappear entirely. Sometimes the knowledge itself simply opens up a plothole the book doesn't fill--possibly because there's a second book in the works? Maybe? Unsure. I also felt like the plot was being spoon fed a bit, with the book taking time to explain in exposition what had just been revealed in action, which...why? It made the main character look dense, or like she wasn't paying any attention. At one point a character says she doesn't know how better to explain and I'm like the reader has picked up all the many hints, why hasn't Briseis?

The ending itself was a whole issue. Most of the characters acted out of character or simply didn't act at all. It's difficult to follow because characters said one thing and then acted totally different. The villain was underwhelming. There was some heavy monologuing going on to explain all the whys, since you'd have no clue why the villain--who also was acting totally out of character and had made irrational choices that made no sense--was a villain at all.

I guess I'm just disappointed, ultimately. I really wanted to love this--and the concept is still super cool and unique--but this is another one of those instances for me where a book that's the first of a duology (trilogy? unsure.) is doing too much than it can handle within its page limit and doesn't satisfyingly conclude.

5 people found this helpful

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Ambre Nulph

Another hit by Kalynn Bayron

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

I loved the first book I read by Ms Bayron – Cinderella is Dead – so much that I immediately bought This Poison Heart and started reading it (even though I had other obligations). THIS BOOK IS SO COOL. I love the mixture of poison plants, Greek mythology, and Goth vibes. I also enjoyed watching Briseis’ growth (pun intended) throughout the book, and her relationship with her moms was so beautiful and real – you could just feel the love and affection coming off the pages. And the last five chapters had me on the edge of my seat!! Talk about some plot twists!!

Briseis is a young woman with an amazing power – she can make plants grow and thrive just by touching them. But trapped in the concrete jungle of Brooklyn, her power is stifled and so is she. That is, until she mysteriously inherits a derelict old house and the massive estate upon which it sits, including a secret garden filled with the deadliest plants known to humans – and even some that aren’t….

Briseis is suddenly thrown into a world of freedom to develop her skills and let loose – just breathe and be. But that world isn’t without it’s dangers, as Briseis and her moms come to find out, when strange people start turning up in their lives and the mystery of Briseis’ past starts to grow clearer. Greek gods, ancient family trees, a sacred duty…

Where will it all lead? You’ll just have to read This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron to find out!

One person found this helpful

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Kristina Aziz

Loved this book

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2021

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I love absolutely everything about this book. The mystery, the mythology, the relationships, and ESPECIALLY the heartbreaking betrayal at the end I already need the next one immediately.

Breakdown:
Characters: Believable, realistic, lovable, I would die for almost each and every one of them

Plot: I love the mystery and the plot, and the underlying theme of trying to find your roots even if you are happy where you are really resonated with me.

Diversity: I mean, there was tons. POC characters, non nuclear families, lgbtq rep, yes please!

Would I have it on my shelf: yes, absolutely, no questions asked.

Would I buy it for others: ABSOLUTELY I WOULD, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Chloe M

May give it a second try, it wasn't that bad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2021

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Not sure if I enjoyed it, but I got half way and I felt like the story hadn't really stepped into gear!
Plus there were so many pop culture references I was really put off.
Sometimes I had to reread because I would lose the flow of the page but, don't think that's entirely the books fault if I wasn't completely invested however I just felt I was missing parts of the storyline.
The last 200 pages or so we're good, and then you're just left with a cliffhanger! So yes, if there's another book I shall read it even if I didn't fully enjoy this one!

2 people found this helpful

Siobhan

Witchy and cottagecore-type vibes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2022

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*TW*
This book contains details of violence, murder, homicides, poisons, injuries, etc.
If a sensitive reader, this book may not be for you.

Am I mad? Absolutely!!
Do I want more? Of course!!!

I am currently an emotional wreck after this book🤪
Kalynn Bayron I have a bone to pick with you, was everything truly necessary!? WAS THAT BETRAYAL NECESSARY!? 😠

I will not rest until I have the next book in my hands! I need to know what happens and how....and who can be trusted anymore!? My trust issues are not happy with you Kalynn Bayron. 🙂

....
From the very beginning, I was interested. As you begin reading, it feels slightly mysterious. You don't know all the details straight away, instead, they are slowly revealed to you. This is what kept me keen on reading further.
Finding out more and more about Bri alongside her was truly interesting. She's basically a plant whisperer if you ask me.

The intwined Greek Mythology had me. I love learning more and more and Kalynn Bayron had clearly done her research.

Bri's moms...ugh...I love them. That's all I gotta say. Mo's (Angie) inability to cook breakfast and her overflowing confidence really warmed my heart. Mom's (Thandie) over-protectivenesss of Bri was felt.
I could connect well to Bri's character and I definitely feel that she has even bigger trust issues now than what she had at the beginning *death stare directed at no author in particular....*.

I cannot wait for book 2!! I need it ASAP😣 Must I wait till June 😩

Char!

I need to find someone to talk about this book. Oh my goodness what a ride!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2021

Verified Purchase

It took me a while to get into this book, but around 30% I was hooked and read the rest of the book in one sitting.

The character's are so vivid, our main character Briseis is a a great character. She was relatable and easy to connect with.

The story was very unique and super interesting. I loved the mixture of magic and mythology and it has made me want to learn more about the mythology that was mentioned.

The twists?! Oh my goodness the twists had me yelling in shock!

I highly reccomend this book and cannot wait for the next instalment.

One person found this helpful

Justine (I Should Read That)

A heartwarming YA novel that's a delight to read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a really wonderful book! A YA character who trusts her parents? Plant magic? Links to Greek mythology? A healthy dose of peril? Perfection. One of my favourite books of the year!

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Really enjoyed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

My son thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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