Monday, April 1, 2013

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy - ADVISABLE


Meloy, Maile  The Apothecary, 353 pgs.  G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2011.  $16.99  Content: Language: G; Mature Content: PG (the female and male characters undress in the same room in order to make a potion work); Violence: PG.  

Janie Scott is sad to move from America to England, but her parents are accused of sympathizing with communists and it’s 1952.  When she arrives in England, she meets the apothecary across the street and his son, Benjamin.  Janie is intrigued by Ben because he is spying on a man in the neighborhood and Ben uses Janie as a cover story for his spying.  There spying turns into something more when they realize that Ben’s father has secrets because of his apothecary skills that his father convinces them to hide one of his apothecary books that has secret potions in it.  Ben and Janie get caught up in a plot to defuse an atomic bomb and have great adventures along the way.  

This book is fun and fast pace.  The characters are funny and smart and as a reader you find yourself cheering for them to succeed.  The book is well written and the quirky characters and exciting adventures will keep any reader hooked.  

EL (4-6)-OPTIONAL.  MS-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.

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