From the secret garden full of deadly plants to the local community her birth family apparently served through the apothecary in the house, there are plenty of secrets to discover and a long-buried history that’s darker than anything she expected – and powers that go far beyond being able to handle everyday poisonous plants.īayron’s writing is crisp and evocative, and as heroines go her Briseis is refreshingly messy modern. So when news arrives that her birth mother’s sister has left her a sizeable estate in her will, the family takes the opportunity to relocate to upstate New York for the summer in order to give Briseis the chance to not only find out more about her own history but explore her strange powers in a less open and therefore risky setting.īut when Briseis arrives in Rhinebeck, she learns there’s more to her family history than she ever could have imagined. Neither Briseis nor either of her adopted moms understands where these gifts have come from, but the girl’s inability to control them is making her life difficult – she’s lying to her friends, hiding experiments with more dangerous plants, and keeping herself locked away at home, lest someone notice how the neighborhood trees react to her presence.

Not only can she make them grow with a touch of her hands, but she also has an immunity to all toxic varieties, from poison ivy to hemlock and belladonna. This Poison Heart follows the story of Briseis, a young Brooklyn teen who has a special affinity for plants. Smart, well-written, and full of incisive character work, this is a fantasy story that effortlessly balances classic tropes with a modern sensibility, centering its story around the main character’s experience as an adopted Black teen on a journey to discover who she is – that’s only partially relevant to the strange powers she can command. Her second effort cements her place as one of the genre’s most exciting up-and-coming authors: This Poison Heartis a compelling tale of magic and family that incorporates Greek mythology, herb lore, and a fascinating contemporary Gothic atmosphere into something that feels wonderfully fresh and new.

Kalynn Baron’s YA fantasy debut Cinderella is Deadwas one of 2020’s most pleasant surprises, a rich and compelling retelling that reimagined the classic fairytale as a powerful story of resistance.

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron