Poison by Bridget Zinn follows sixteen-year-old Kyra, a potions master on the run after a failed assassination attempt.  A resourceful and independent young lady, Kyra is not only skilled in magical potions, but she also has a few ninja-like skills.  The characters are light and enjoyable; there is a pig who is quite adorable.  Although this story has a fairy tale feel, the dialogue is quite modern, which may or may not agree with individual reading tastes.

This gentle young adult fantasy would probably be especially enjoyed by pre-teens and young teens that are fans of fairy tales.  Unlike most young adult fiction these days, this is a stand-alone novel.  Poison is a fun, quick, light read.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  5 religious exclamations; 5 mild obscenities.

Violence/Gore:  Characters put to sleep with potion; character struggles with fantasy creatures by hitting, kicking, knocking unconscious; character’s blood sample taken against will; verbal threats; threat to eat a character; character has a vision in which blood is mentioned; an animal is injured by another animal; darts with sleeping potion are used against characters; scene of confrontation with scuffling, kicks, magical spells; battle scene with weapons and potions (non-detailed); report of assassination attempt.

Sex/Nudity:  Character wears lacy underthings and is seen by a member of the opposite sex; characters kiss upon different occasions; character tells dirty jokes (this is stated…the jokes are not described); a character wakes naked from a magical spell (non-sexual).

Mature Subject Matter:

Assassination

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Poisons are used in a fantasy setting to do magical things.