Disclaimer: I received the arc and e-arc from the publisher for Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Poisoned

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: retelling, fantasy, ya

Publication Date: October 20, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, self harm TW, suicide TW, child abuse TW)

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest with the queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman took out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . .

With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.

Review: For the most part I really liked this book. It stuck with the source material well (a lot of Brothers Grimm inspiration) and the story and plot were so well told. The characters were also well developed and the tone of the book was just as spooky as the story.

My only complaint is the pacing of the book. It's a bit too slow for my tastes. My other issue is that the ending is a bit too unclear.

Verdict: It was a great book!