This is a really solid book - but it’s just… there. It’s fun to read but I didn’t want to talk about it after

A gorgeous story steeped in mythology, greenery and familial love. This Poison Heart is the story of Briseis a young adopted teen living with her two mums and managing a gift of flora magic. When she inherits a house from a biological family she never knew, she learns there is a lot of secrets within her heritage.

The love and power of family - both biological and found - throughout this story is gorgeous and memorable. The way Bayron weaves mythology and ancient magic grants an atmosphere of a complex tale, without the enormity of a saga. While a little slower in pacing, I didn't feel like it drew away from the story. A story focused on family over romance, and steeped in mystery makes it something you will keep going back to. This is a book I would highly recommend to any young reader who loves mythology and magic, especially if they have a green thumb!

This Poison Heart is one of my favorite reads this year. I loved the story, the characters, the writing. Everything was beautiful and I couldn’t recommend it more.

This one grows slowly. Briseis has some interesting abilities to interact with plants which she knows about even living in Brooklyn. But when she moves with her family to Rhinebeck, NY to a house she inherited from her birth aunt, things start to get interesting and a little scary. What happens when Briseis lets her abilities loose? Can she make friends? Yes, but there's a few more complications in her life besides friends.

This book really lets you explore Briseis's abilities and life and investigation into that with her so it's a slow build to an action-packed finale with a huge cliffhanger. Definitely looking forward to the next one!

Not only did I not want to put down this book, I cannot wait for the next to come out. Kalyan Bayron beautifully intertwines Greek mythology, poisonous plants and fantasy.

Kaylynn Bayron does it again! Her writing continuously improves and she gives us a lush fantasy world with an amazing protaganist. What I particularly enjoy about Bayron is that her YA books feel like genuine YA books. There is no NA in disguise, and she manages to deal with complex and heavy themes in a way that doesn't feel like she was "forced" to age down her story. I know this is a silly thing to include in a review but it genuinely makes me happy.

Black girl magic indeed!

Briseis has always known she was a little different and as she’s gotten older she’s learned how to hide her powers. Unfortunately, in order to do this, she has had to make her self smaller and keep from being her full authentic self.

Her moms are going through economic hardship when suddenly a women appears with a will from Bri’s birth mother bequeathing a beautiful estate full of wonders in a small town in upstate New York. There is more to meet the eye as Bri and her family move to this new home and begin to get familiar with the library of herbs, surrounding gardens, and town.

Bri begins to learn more about her birth family and why she is the way she is. As she tests her limits and learns to grow more into her own, there are forces that are trying to take away something that has been protected by her family for decades.

This is a lovely, magical, coming of age mixed with fantasy-YA novel. I loved the fairy tale elements throughout the book and really grew to love the characters. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Bri.

I wanted to love this especially after loving Cinderella is Dead but this just felt way too YA for me. I also didn't realize going in that this is rooted in mythology rather than fairy tale which is just not my thing. That said there is no denying that Bayron writes incredible diverse fantasy and I will continue to read her future work.

This book was received as an ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books - Bloomsbury YA in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reminded me of The Secret Garden meets Get Out but this time with poisonous plants and family secrets that are so unbearable to comprehend. This was such an intriguing story that I was invested from beginning to end. The pressure of the discovery of secrets and powers Briseis discovered in the house were so shockingly stimulating that I could feel her nerves through me while I was reading. It was so funny while I was reading this book, I was overseeing the construction of our library garden. The setting and timing could not have been more perfect. The passion, adventure, and determination of this book will definitely attract the interest of our teen book club and our YA community.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I love, love, love the cover of this book. It's what got me to pick it up, even though I am pretty burned out on YA books right now. I'd heard about references to Greek mythology, there's Black girl plant magic, and when I read the first few pages the book felt fresh.

As I continued, I became less enthusiastic. I couldn't get a real sense of character for either of Briseis's moms, and I think that the snappy dialogue might age badly- it's full of pop culture references that might not stand the test of time.

And then, the book was slow. About 25 percent in, we've just gotten to the magical, creepy house that is Briseis's legacy. We've just started exploring her heritage.

On the way, we found that Briseis's family's floral shop is in trouble. We watched Briseis go into the woods and pluck a bush out of the ground to bring home. We found that Briseis can't be poisoned even when her mom sneaks up behind her and grabs her while she's got a scalpel out dissecting a poisonous plant. (This scene itself bugged me. Would you really sneak up and grab your teenage daughter when it looks like she's intently working on something next to her microscope? It felt like artificial drama.) We saw that Briseis doesn't get along with her friends anymore. We saw the fam singing to the Hamilton soundtrack as they drive from Brooklyn to the magical creepy house. We looked at pictures in the house. Looked at the apothecary inside the house. Reading back on what I just wrote, it looks more interesting than it did when I was actually reading it. I didn't stay interested and Didn't Care What Happened to These People. I think this might be a good Netflix show, but it's not the book for me.

Dnf at around 20%. This book started out really interesting and I really thought I’d love it because it’s a most anticipated release, so yeah of course! But I was bored for the most part and I just didn’t like the flow of the storyline nor was the main character interesting enough.

This poison Heart is a marvelously written book that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! I really loved how the magical components felt like a natural part of the story. I also really enjoyed Bayron's writing style, the story did not feel slow or forced at any point, and i loved that i felt engaged throughout. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of Caraval, ACOTAR, or Throne of Glass. Really loved the book, 5/5 for me!

4/5 Stars. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After loving Cinderella is dead, I was equally as hyped for This poison heart and it did not disappoint! This plant based magic was intriguing and layered and you can tell how much work this was put into. The amount of reputation was amazing along with the plot and characters.

Cinderella is Dead was one of my top five favorite books in 2020 and I just knew This Poison Heart was going to be fantastic - and I was right!

Witchy mystery magic + girl power, incredibly well-written and believable characters, fantastic pacing, and spooky setting - this book is a bit darker than Cinderella is Dead but dude, did I love it!

Much like Cinderella, the author takes a complicated - but relatable - girl in a complicated situation and shows that she has (that YOU have) the power within to save herself. What an important message to send to young (all) women - and the vehicle for that message is this incredible novel. I absolutely loved it. So well written, this story will suck you in.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury YA, NetGalley, and the author for early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

This Poison Heart is about a girl named Briseis, her plant magic, and the hidden history and secrets of her ancestors that are more dangerous than she could have imagined. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I will admit that readers who need a really strong plot may struggle with this book because it is more slow paced but I had a great time reading it. This whole book reads like the introduction to the story, the ending sets up the major plot of the series for the sequel. I just wish there had been a little bit more in this book than set up but I liked the characters a lot and the plant magic was my absolute favorite part, I thought it was so cool and interesting.

This Poison Heart is a fun, original YA fantasy with true diversity. Briseis has the power to grow plants with a single touch. When her aunt dies, she inherits the dilapidating estate and her moms move the family there so she can learn to control her gift surrounded by plants and flowers. The mystery starts when the house comes with mysterious instructions, a garden of poisonous, deadly plants, and more secrets than they bargained for. Bri is determined figure it out. The story is filled with plenty of twists and original mythology. Highly recommended!

I was really drawn into the mythology and voice of this story. And I really loved the relationship between Briseis and her Moms! Plus, wow oh wow did a lot happen at the end. Very curious for the sequel!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review! this has not affected my review in any way, all opinions are mine.

4/5 stars

bri has a green thumb. maybe too literally. even dead plants flourish under her fingertips, with an immunity to poisonous plants, an inhereted estate in a small town, and strange happenings, bri tries to figure out exactly how she fits into the picture.

this book was breathtaking. while it's a little too slow for me in the first half, the second half is a ride that i didn't want to get off of. i had no idea where this book was going and it kept me on the edge of my seat guessing. i cannot wait for the sequel because my head is spinning and i immediately need more

(also, gorgeous cover)

This was our August YA pick for the Inked Pages Book Club. So let me preface this by saying that Little Shop of Horrors and The Secret Garden were. some of my favorite movies when I was a child and let's be honest, still some of my favorite movies. This book was a perfect fantasy, magical mash-up of these two movies with the added sprinkle of black girl magic. This book was absolutely incredible. Briseis is a dynamic character who has been raised by some of the smartest parents I've come across in a fantasy book. Her moms are funny and honest and completely accepting of Bri and all her special gifts. When they move to a new town after Briseis inherits an old mansion and a secret garden, the rollercoaster begins. The mystery aspect of this book had me side eyeing every character we meet and questioning everything everybody said. The last half had my heart pumping out of my chest with all the excitement. I will try very hard to be patient waiting for the next book because that cliff hanger left me clutching my pearls.

Everything about This Poison Heart is right. The characters come from diverse backgrounds and there are all types of queer representation. The story seamlessly references Greek mythology with nods to the Victorian gothic and musical theater. I am required to share that there is a reference to Hamilton and two references to Hadestown. I simultaneously couldn’t put The Poison Heart down and tried to savor it because I never wanted it to end. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.