This Poison Heart

Starred review from April 26, 2021
In this smart and atmospheric sophomore effort, the opener to a planned duology, Bayron (Cinderella Is Dead) presents the trials of adopted Brooklynite Briseis, a Black teen with the ability to control plants. Bri’s powers are greater than even she knows, until a dangerous accidental brush with water hemlock reveals that she is impervious to poisonous plants. Just as Bri and her two moms face the possibility of losing their flower shop to gentrification, Bri receives an inheritance from her late birth mother’s sister: a house and 40 acres in Upstate New York. Yet summer in Rhinebeck reveals that there’s more to Bri’s inheritance than a sprawling mansion: she soon encounters a fully stocked apothecary, a garden full of deadly vegetation—and countless strangers seeking access to it—and secrets about her birth family and her own powers. Bayron weaves science and Greek mythology into a captivating lore that lends weight to this fantastical contemporary story. She conjures entertaining and realistic dialogue and attentive characterization, while incisive descriptions and sumptuous prose evoke a wonderfully gothic atmosphere. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jamie Vankirk, Rainbow Nerds Literary.

May 15, 2021
A teenager explores her magical connections to greenery and gods. Briseis Greene is a Black high schooler with magical powers that she hides from most people save her adoptive mothers, Thandie and Angie. She has an innate connection to plants and is even able to grow them from seeds using just her mind and hands. Bri is curious about the source and extent of her powers, but after some mishaps, she is more fearful of the potential harm she could bring by tapping into them, so she refrains from exploring further. When she is surprised by news of an extensive estate near Rhinebeck that she has inherited from the recently deceased Circe Colchis, her late birth mother's sister and someone whose existence she was previously unaware of, the three of them move from Brooklyn to upstate New York. Bri quickly grasps that her new home and the biological family she never knew have many more secrets in store for her--and in those secrets may lie answers to questions that she has had all her life. In this intriguing and well-paced novel, Bayron conjures a world filled with magic and mystery. Readers will share the protagonist's curiosity about her powers and eagerness to uncover her history. Fans of retellings will enjoy this modern tale that reimagines stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Major characters are Black. Brings much-needed inclusivity and contemporary flavor to the teen fantasy genre. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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Starred review from June 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Briseis has a supernatural gift. Whatever seed or plant she touches grows into full bloom, and she's immune to the various poisons plants hold. But Briseis hasn't yet mastered her skill, often leaving her and those around her in precarious situations. So when Bri's family gets a call saying that her birth mother's sister has left her a home in upstate New York, they take it as a much needed break from the stressors of city life. What at first seems like a fairytale opportunity for Briseis to make friends, find love, and reopen her birth-family's apothecary soon becomes a mindboggling quest for answers as she grapples with realizations about her lineage and gift. The lush landscapes Bayron paints remind readers of beauty found not only in large acreages of land but even in bustling cities. Beyond the physical beauty it imparts, the greenery of this novel also creates an intimate space that delicately holds the weight of the issues Briseis grapples with, such as friendship, queerness, adoption, secrecy, and gentrification. Despite Briseis' struggles, it is refreshing to see the love and support of her moms throughout the story, breaking the mold of the traditional family model. This Poison Heart masterfully weaves a unique story grounded in the depths of Greek mythology and Black girlhood, ideal for lovers of folklore or those who enjoy the thrill of a well-paced and unanticipated adventure.

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