this book is awesome. you have to read it.
The Apothecary (The Apothecary Series)
By Maile Meloy
Book 1 of 3 in the
The Apothecary Series
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 6 - 8 | Grades 3 - 8 | W | 4.9 | 75862 |
It's 1952 and the Scott family has just moved from Los Angeles to London. Here, fourteen-year-old Janie meets a mysterious apothecary and his son, Benjamin Burrows - a fascinating boy who's not afraid to stand up to authority and dreams of becoming a spy. When Benjamin's father is kidnapped, Janie and Benjamin must uncover the secrets of the apothecary's sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia, in order to find him, all while keeping it out of the hands of their enemies - Russian spies in possession of nuclear weapons. Discovering and testing potions they never believed could exist, Janie and Benjamin embark on a dangerous race to save the apothecary and prevent impending disaster.
Together with Ian Schoenherr's breathtaking illustrations, this is a truly stunning package from cover to cover.
Together with Ian Schoenherr's breathtaking illustrations, this is a truly stunning package from cover to cover.
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN-13: 9780142422069
ISBN-10: 0142422061
Published on 2/12/2013
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 368
Book Reviews (33)
![smartweirdo](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 12 12"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I just read this book. It grabs you, and whirls you back in time, to another world. I don't have enough time to do a full review, but this book is AMAZING! Tears were slowly rolling down my cheeks in the end. I am sooooo excited about The apprentices!
When Janie moves to England from California, her life changes. She meets a boy named Benjamin Burrows, who doesn’t go under the tables during bomb drills, and who’s father is an apothecary. When the apothecary is kidnapped and they get their hands on an ancient book with potions and spells, they’re life is changed forever. They are being chased by their soviet Latin teacher, Mr. Danby, Jin Lo, a chemist is kidnapped, and the gardner at the Physic Garden is murdered. On a quest to stop an atomic bomb, they use a variety of magical concoctions to pursue their goal. In a stunning series of events with unexpected twists and turns in the plot, you never know who you can trust-or you might die. WIll they stop the atomic bomb, or will they all die because of it? What I thought about it: Maile Meloy is an amazing author. The Apothecary had me turning pages like there is no tomorrow; very well written and beautifully illustrated. I loved that it was set in 1952, it was great to have it set right after world war II. Also, I loved all the potions and magic and suspense in the book; it reminded me a little of Harry Potter. This was the first book I have read by Maile Meloy, and I merely checked it out of the library because of the wonderful cover art. I didn’t even look at the blurb, the cover was enough to capture my attention. And, yes, people, I can prove you wrong when you say you can’t judge a book by its cover. Because I do it all the time. I think the cover of a book is more important than the blurb, or the first sentence. Every book I judge by the cover has gotten a great review from me. You may say it’s just luck, but I’d say it’s a good eye. I am looking forward to the next book in the series due this summer.