Review: Poisoned Apples

Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty
By Christine Heppermann
Expected publication September 23, 2014 by Greenwillow Books

Feminist fairy tale inspired poetry, alongside photographs that capture the mood of each poem.

Okay, back when I was a teenager, I thought I was going to be a world-famous poet. I mean, I wrote angsty poetry like my life depended on it. But I also really appreciated poetry - I read a lot of it, and not just the mainstream poets. Poetry was probably one of my first creative loves and I'm a bit sad that I let that love die. As such, my experience with modern poetry is extremely limited. I will occasionally read a new poetry volume in the children's department, but that's about it. However, when I heard about this book and the buzz it was starting to generate, well, a little bit of my old love flared up inside me and I had to read it.

I am so thankful I did. Because this book, you guys, is AWESOME. Since I obviously can't pretend to be any sort of expert on poetry, I can't dissect the finer literary points of this collection. But if your teens are into Ellen Hopkins and the like, hand them this book. If they're into fairy tales, hand them this book. If they're girls dealing with the realities of what that means in our society, hand them this book. Heppermann has crafted completely kick-ass poems that combine the everlasting appeal of fairy tales (and their timeless messages) with modern issues and sensibilities. The result is an amazing collection of poetry that should be required reading for all teens. As I read an advance copy, I can't speak to the full impact of the photos that accompany the poems, but I can say that I think they work extremely well together. At little more than 100 pages, this book packs a punch. And I couldn't help but want it to be longer. Highly recommended and I will be thrusting this into the hands of every teen I can.

Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.