Book Review: Everything is Poison by Joy McCullough

Publisher’s description
This historical novel in prose and verse tells the story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those with nowhere else to turn, perfect for fans of Blood Water Paint and The Lost Apothecary.
Early Seventeenth-Century Rome
For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one thing: to be allowed behind the counter of her mother’s apothecary in Campo Marzio, Rome. When she turns sixteen, she’s finally allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother, Giulia Tofana, and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling flower extract in the workroom, there’s another potion requiring darker ingredients. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort for husbands who are just as deadly as any disease. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them all.
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Amanda’s thoughts
If January too early to decide that a book will be one of my very favorite reads of the year? No, no it’s not. I know what I like and I know what excellence looks like, so yeah, I’ll go ahead and call it: this book will be on my list for top reads of 2025.
Set in 17th century Rome, we meet Carmela, who has just turned 16 and FINALLY will be able to learn all of the amazing things her mother, an apothecary, can teach her. She will no longer be relegated to simply sweeping up and doing some tasks—Carmela will be able to apprentice at the shop and continue the important work her mother and the others who work there do. Sure, some people call her mother a witch, a “poison mistress,” but the shop provides necessary help to the community. It also, Carmela learns, provides help specifically to women in various ways. They provide women a choice over what’s happening in their bodies. They also provide a way out for women when they have no other options, a subtle poison to help them escape the monsters men can be. Carmel’s mother, Guilia, and her coworkers have been quietly providing this to women, knowing the trouble it could land them in but absolutely committed to helping protect the women in their community. But the heat is on after Carmela makes a choice that has unexpectedly huge consequences. Everyone associated with the apothecary has to make decisions what to do moving forward, knowing they may not be safe, knowing they may be put to death for their actions. This sudden turn of events brings unexpected allies, surprising choices, and heartbreaking outcomes.
The bulk of the story is told in prose, but verse is interspersed. The verse is full of the confessional voices of people in the community, like a woman about to be hanged, a grieving widower, a laboring mother, a tavern mistress, an abused wife, an infant, a priest, and so many more. Most of the verses highlight the violence and abuse and fear so many women live under.
Deeply affecting and beautifully written, this look at the lengths women will go to to protect and aid one another is a necessary and exceptional read.
Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher
ISBN-13: 9780593855874
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 01/14/2025
Age Range: 14 – 17 Years
Filed under: Book Reviews

About Amanda MacGregor
Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on BlueSky at @amandamacgregor.bsky.social.
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