This Poison Heart
Kalynn Bayron
Bloomsbury YA, June 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781526632791
This Poison Heart is an amazing novel. You find yourself sucked in as soon as you start reading and relating to the characters and the situations. The use of suspense and drama is captivating, and magic and mystery is woven into the book.
Briseis’s magic is something she has always hidden for fear of being judged, but when she moves into the middle of nowhere, she starts to let herself be open. The more Briseis learns about her birth family, the more she starts to understand herself. As you read on, more and more mysteries start to unfurl and Briseis begins to doubt herself.
The diversity in this book is handled deftly, written well but included in a way that makes it seem like it’s not the most important thing. This is great because I’ve read plenty of books where LGBTQIA+ and POC representation is handled gingerly.
The writing in this book is incredible, and the use of imagery means that you can see the story appear around you as you read. It’s one of my new favourite books!
Sarah O’Gara, 13
