I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It takes place in an apothecary store run by women and headed by Giulia Tofana and her daughter Carmela. This story takes us through the daily ins and outs of running the apothecary shop. This book delves into the personal history of each member of the apothecary shop, and what led them to working there. It also details some of the other women of the village that they have helped. Throughout this book is an undercurrent of tension, because while the ladies of the apothecary shop are helping the village (especially the women) they are also looked down upon and there are always rumors of witchcraft. When a customer fails to follow instructions for a remedy given, Giulia Tofana must flee to escape execution. The shop is now in the hands of her grieving daughter Carmela who is still just learning how to balance the treachery of the women who seek the apothecary's help and will not hesitate to lay blame at it's feet when confronted by the powerful men in their lives with the drive to be compassionate and help them when no one else will or can. I liked that this book also had poetry in it every few chapters to illustrate how this may be a book about these specific characters, but the story itself encompassed women as a whole throughout that time period and their lived experiences.

As usual, Joy McCullough's books weave a tight narrative that pulls you in emotionally and keeps you there considering and reconsidering as you read. A compelling dive into the women poisoners of long ago.

McCullough (Blood Water Paint, 2018; Enter the Body, 2023) returns with another powerful young adult historical fiction that transports readers to 17th Century Rome. Carmela Tofana is desperate to follow in her mother’s footsteps in their family’s apothecary La Tofana. Finally on her 16th birthday, Carmela is permitted to accompany the women of the apothecary into the workroom where all the ingredients for the magical remedies are stored. Often feeling like she’s in the way but desperate to prove that she belongs there, Carmela struggles to find her place among the respected (and sometimes feared) healers. As she masters simple remedies and the art of watching her tongue while working with customers, Carmela begins to blossom. However, there are remedies and secrets Carmela never knew about as a naive child. Some clients come to the apothecary and are seeking a last resort cure. When Carmela is faced with helping a peer who has been nothing but unkind to her, she has to decide who she will be and if she is cut out for the work of an apothecary woman.

THOUGHTS: Filled with beautiful descriptions of plants and historical architecture, McCullough’s newest novel will fill a gap in older historical fiction, shining a light on women at a time when they were not recognized as powerful. This is more than just a historical fiction, so readers will enjoy the strong female friendships and familial relationships. Highly recommended for high school collections.

Fascinating premise; lackluster execution. I just found this did not have anything new or original to add to the story of Giulia Tofana. Perhaps a reader who was less familiar with this history would enjoy this book more.

This complicated medieval tale is about Carmela, who desperately wants to become an apothecary, just like her mother. She's a bit clumsy and struggles to gain acceptance in her mother's shop, which is part apothecary and part confessional. Until men start dying and the women who have been tolerated are suddenly under suspicion. There are big themes of family and found family, caring for one another, the power of women, the historical role of women and paying for mistakes. If you like historical fiction, particularly the middle age time period, this one might be a great one for you!

This was a heart-wrenching read just like Joy McCullough's previous release Blood, Water, Paint. The lives of women have never been easy.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book!

Carmela has always wanted to be apart of the Tofana apothecary, like her mother. Now that she is 16, she is finally brought into the family business. As she begins to work as an apprentice, she learns the secrets, responsibility and danger her mother has been hiding.

I'm usually not the biggest fan of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this story! I flew through it so quickly as it was so easy to read. I liked learning about, Aqua Tofana and the women behind its creation. Guilia Tofana was such an interesting character to me, and the fact that she was based off of a real person made her all the more fascinating to me. I liked the character growth that Carmela went through. She was definitely a bratty 16 year old when the story started, but she learned empathy towards people as the story went on, especially toward Violetta. I listened to this on audiobook, which was read by the author which I think made it even better. I also really liked the addition of the poems between each chapter, I think it really helped lay the groundwork for the story to follow.

Okay, super interesting premise that wasn't super well executed. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it left me feeling bored and wishing I was doing something else.

Joy McCullough's novel masterfully blends prose and verse to tell a compelling story of resilience and solidarity among women. The interwoven poems provide depth to the narrative, offering insight into the characters' inner worlds and the societal challenges they face. Carmela's journey from a hopeful apprentice to a courageous leader is both poignant and empowering, making this a standout work in historical young adult fiction.

I really, really, really wanted to love this one. A time period not often written about that YA audiences could learn a lot about. That being said, the - writing style was not at all appropriate in my opinion for the YA crowd. I can't imagine teens vibing with the difficulty of the style - they're looking for more straight forward writing. The tense also took me out of the story.

I did not care for this book. The writing seemed like it was for the younger end of young adult but the content would interest adults. It just was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Just kinda mid and forgettable. The story felt disjointed and more episodic than a congestive narrative. Which is fine sometimes but I don't think it quite worked here.

Carmela has descended from a family of apothecaries, and she has waited for her chance to become one. Now that she has just turned 16, she has been able to soak up all of her mother’s teachings, as well as learn from the other two women who help run the shop. Right away, Carmela learns not only about the ointments, tinctures, potions and various ingredients, but just as importantly she learns how to deal with incoming customers and that there are numerous secrets that must be kept. As one can imagine from 16th century Rome, there are a lot of injustices around women and especially around apothecaries, who are often thought of as witches. This book is more than a historical fiction, it is interwoven with poetry which adds a lovely depth and dimension to the story. Highly recommended for 8th grade and up.

I loved the writing style within this story, it had me gripped from start to finish! Especially the falling action of the story

This book had an interesting premise, but ultimately was not for me.

Aspects I enjoyed:
- The female rage was strong in this book. I love a good female rage story!
- Women protecting women.
- Anything to do with apothecaries is my jam!

Things I didn't love:
- I couldn't get past the third person narration. It felt a bit cold and separate from the character, who I never really got around to connecting with, which ultimately brought the rating down to what it is.
- There were so many names and 'she's being thrown around that it was hard for me to keep up with who was speaking when and why.
- Carmela was young and did seem to act her age (which I appreciated) but she was a little whiny when there were secrets being kept from her. They usually ended up sharing those secrets, but sometimes I felt like she didn't earn them.

Carmela works with her mother and two ladies n the Tofana Apothecary in the Campo Marzio area of Rome. She only wants to be allowed in the workroom. She is finally allowed when she turns sixteen. While the ladies are known for making remedies for all people, they have a secret remedy for women in trouble, Aqua Tofana. Along with the Aqua Tofana, there are strict directions to put a few drops in the offender's meal over a period of time. Trouble comes when the directions are not followed and something dreadful happens, with the ladies of the Tofana Apothecary caught in the crossfire.

Part of me wishes the book was nonfiction, while part hopes it is a wonderfully realistic work of fiction. I could not put it down! My daughter is waiting to read it as soon as it is released! I have also recommended it to some of my coworkers. I love the characters and hate the villains! Great, five star read!

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fascinating story about Giulia Tofana, a real woman known for running an apothecary that doled out poisons, usually to female customers who were being mistreated by men. I really liked that the story was told through her daughter, Carmela's eyes. It allows us to see Giulia as a person from the outside while also letting us see some of her thinking and motivations. I loved all of the side characters in this book - Mary, Laura, and even Violetta eventually. They really added to the richness of the story. I loved, as I always do in Joy McCullough's books, the inclusion of verse and the specific way that in this book, she used the verse to highlight the voices (or possible voices) of the many characters that enter and leave the apothecary or live in the community. It helps to round out the time period, setting, and tone of the entire book, and adds a change to the pacing which I appreciated.

I do have to say that as a school librarian, I think there are two things that will keep this book out of my students' hands.
1. The story feels obscure. They haven't heard of Giulia Tofana before and as much as I would like to think that they will be excited to read about her, I am not sure that's accurate.
2. The story is so dark. Despite Carmela taking over her mom's role at the apothecary, there is very little hope felt in this story. That will make it a hard read for many teens.

Sadly, none of Joy McCullough’s newest books have been able to live up to Blood Water Paint. Everything Was Poison was dull, and with characters that I just didn’t care about. Definitely a disappointment.

Carmela wants to grow up. Carmela wants to have friends. Carmela wants to work with her mother at the shop. Carmela wants to avenge childhood slights. Carmela wants to learn the secrets of her mother’s shop. Carmela wants to be like her mother. Carmela wants to be La Tofana. But for all of Carmela’s wants there’s a price to be paid and as all youth, she doesn’t think her wants and actions through enough before plunging in.

This was just okay for me. It wasn't that it was bad, I just never felt like I wanted to read it persay