Recent Reads: A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry

Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers Program and Recorded Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry
Publisher:  Recorded Books
Publication Date:  April 22, 2016

 

Format:  Audiobook CDs

Rating:
 


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

In this stunning debut, legends collide with reality when a boy is swept into the magical, dangerous world of a girl filled with poison.

Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl--Isabel, the one the senoras whisper about. They say she has green skin and grass for hair, and she feeds on the poisonous plants that fill her family’s Caribbean island garden. Some say she can grant wishes; some say her touch can kill.

Seventeen-year-old Lucas lives on the mainland most of the year but spends summers with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico. He’s grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic. When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers--and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world. But time is running out for the girl filled with poison, and the more entangled Lucas becomes with Isabel, the less certain he is of escaping with his own life.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison beautifully blends magical realism with a page-turning mystery and a dark,  starcrossed romance--all delivered in lush, urgent prose. 

Review: 
I finished this audiobook but I was not very impressed with it. The overall plot was very slow-going and the main character was not very likable - he really got on my nerves actually. 

The plot follows a young boy during the summer months, he is living with his dad in Puerto Rico and pretty much has free reign to do anything because his dad is traveling. The boy, Lucas, gets involved with a young girl and a string of murders/appearances and finds himself the main suspect in the investigation. Now, normally I would feel sorry for any teen in this situation - wrong place, wrong time, but Lucas meddles through the whole thing even after being accused, you would think at that point he would straighten up and ask for help not dig the hole deeper. But that is what he does. He is also felt very arrogant and he seemed very un-emotional. While his is upset about the murders he also moves on from them very quickly...it was strange.

I guess I just felt no real connection with him so it took what felt like forever to get through listening to this audiobook. The plot was interesting but very slow moving, there is a lot of information about the cursed girl and all that before it got into the real tale about her/ why she is important and how it all fits but it was done in a way that made the narrative drag on. I was just not feeling this one, it wasn't what I expected based on the synopsis, this one was not for me.