Book Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Title: Poison
Author: Bridget Zinn (web | twitter)
Genre: Fantasy YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release date: March 12, 2013
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge
Source: NetGalley (Thanks Disney Hyperion!)

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

I’ve been looking forward to reading Bridget Zinn‘s debut, POISON, for a long time now, so when I got a chance to read an ARC from NetGalley, I almost literally jumped on it (as much as one can jump on a PDF). As you might already know, I LOVE fantasies. As you might not already know, I think piglets are the cutest things ON THE PLANET. We all know that POISON is a fantasy, and if you take a look at the cover, you can see that we also have a piglet on our hands. Excellent. That makes the fact that Bridget Zinn‘s debut is fun, breezy, light and adorable just about the biggest bonus ever.

So POISON is the story of a young potions master named Kyra who is on a mission: she must kill her best friend and the heir to their kingdom, Ariana. Except she tried to do it once already and failed and so now she’s on her kingdom’s most wanted list, which as we all know makes assassination attempts even harder. While on the run from her pursuers and to her bff, she runs into a charming, super cute, puppy dog kind of guy named Fred, whom she can’t seem to shake no matter how hard she tries. (And let’s be honest: she kind of doesn’t WANT to try all the time.) Of course, we can’t forget the PIGGEH!! Rosie, a little doll of a piglet Kyra takes with her to track the princess down. It’s all really adorable and thoughtful and fun.

One of the things I really enjoyed the most about POISON is the tone. As a big time reader of fantasy novels, both YA and adult, I am accustomed to reading large, ponderous tomes packed with details and lots of characters. I LOVE that stuff. But coming across a fantasy like POISON is a refreshing experience. It’s sweet and fun, and it’s got adorable animals and a vibrant world that I can picture in my mind, and characters who have secrets and demons, but not anything exceptionally dark or depressing. It reminded me of a Disney movie in that way. So not like the fantasies I’m used to but so very enjoyable just the same.

Kyra is an interesting and wonderful character. There were times when I wished she wouldn’t fight off her feelings so much because it made her seem a little cold, even though she really wasn’t. I particularly loved how devoted she was to being a potion master because she loved it and was good at it. Whatever was expected of her by her family, it most assuredly wasn’t being a potion master, but Kyra does her own thing. She’s independent and determined, even when that means having to do something incredibly difficult but right. She has so many qualities to admire. For real: she’d make such a great Disney princess, I can’t even tell you.

Kyra’s relationship with Fred is a key element in POISON as well, and it was tame but really sweet. If I hadn’t already said the D-word twice in this review, I’d probably drop it again here. They meet, they wind up traveling together and meeting up again when they get separated, much to Kyra’s consternation. There’s secrets and revelations and times when you’ll think, “WAH! But they’re so cute together!” Because they really are. He’s just like a teddy bear, and he’s got a dog, Langley, who becomes friendly with Rosie. Fred is charming, and Kyra finds herself liking him more and more despite herself. I had none of those reservations; I liked Fred from the start. He’s got charisma in that adorkable way.

Another important character in POISON is Princess Ariana, Kyra’s best friend and the heir. See, Kyra, in addition to being a potions master, sometimes has visions of a terrible future. In the world Bridget Zinn built here, only witches have that power, but witches are no looked upon kindly and Kyra wants to be a potions master anyway. But in one of her powerful visions, she sees the doom of her kingdom, with Princess Ariana at its center. Thus the central drama between these two girls. I liked Ariana lots–she’s brash and funny and loud and unconventional, and I thought Bridget Zinn did a great job resolving all of the conflicts and issues involving the two girls.

I occasionally thought things happened a little quickly or without any preamble. There were a few twists that were the biggest instances of this, but overall I was enamored with POISON and its characters. If there was ever a chance that there could be more, I’d read it in a flash, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to readers of any age. Kyra and Fred and Ariana are all teens, but there’s nothing in POISON that isn’t fit for a younger reader. I’m a big fan of Bridget Zinn‘s, friends, and I don’t have any doubts that you won’t be too.