118. The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
Publication: Putnam Juvenile (October 4, 2011), ARC paperback, ?pp / ISBN 039925627X
Genre: MG/YA Sci-fi/Fantasy, Adventure
Read: October 4-5, 2011
Source: BEA 2011
Summary from the book’s website:
It’s 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. There, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and becomes fascinated by his son, Benjamin Burrows—a boy who isn’t afraid to stand up to authority and who dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin’s father disappears, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary’s ancient book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping those secrets out of the hands of Russian spies. Discovering transformative elixirs they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending nuclear disaster.
Review
I’ve become fond lately of YA books set during the Cold War, probably for the same reason that I’m so fond of YA book set during the Interwar period. Besides the fact that the books are excellently written, of course, the period between wars is always full of terrifying emotions and, if you’re lucky, some really great adventures. In The Apothecary we get all of that plus some wonderful characters and the “stranger in a strange land” thing I also adore.1 Continue reading »
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