Book Review: Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

This book will always hold a special place in my heart. Why? Because two and a half years ago, I lost my reading mojo and lost the ability to complete a book. This is the first book I was able to finish all the way to the end in over two years. And that, my friend, is high praise. I adore reading and storytelling, in all of its forms. I have been known to consume a massive tome of 1000 pages in less than a week. I used to burn through books the way my parents churn through firewood to keep their renovated schoolhouse warm on a -20 Canadian winter night. Why did I lose my reading mojo? Simple. One word. Heartbreak.I went through a period in life (like we all do) so painful that it stripped away even simple the joys in my life. I tried dozens of times. I tried all my favourite authors. I tried short stories so I wouldn’t be so daunted and my attention could be shorter and it would be ok. None of it worked. I couldn’t finish anything I started. And worse yet, my writing suffered.

What I had taken for granted was that in order to fully immerse myself in a fictional world, I had to be at peace inside. I had to be able to rest and let go of my thoughts and pains to be able to focus on enjoying the story laid out in front of me.

Poison Study is the first book in two years that I was able to read to the end and I’ll be forever grateful to Maria V Snyder for that. Her writing is crisp and clean, it’s not weighed down with too many adjectives, saccharine descriptions, or cliché phrases. I especially enjoyed her descriptions of how the main character, Yelena, feels when she is poisoned. These were heady, creative, and really pulled you into the moment and carried you along with the disorientation of the character.

The story was simple but complex enough for me to get drawn in. Her characters were interesting, lovable, and relatable. It’s a well-done story, and if you’re a fan of YA fiction with a hint of romance in it, then I recommend it because it is a lovely read. I stayed up very late one night to finish it and that’s always a high compliment to a writer.