The Apothecary

By: Maile Meloy

Narrated by: Cristin Milioti

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Maile Meloy (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] thoroughly enjoyable adventure, filled with magic, humor, memorable characters, and just a bit of sweet romance. With evocative, confident prose and equally atmospheric spot art from Schoenherr, adult author Meloy’s first book for young readers is an auspicious one.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“The title of Maile Meloy’s smartly written, page-turning adventure/fantasy refers to a magical druggist in London in 1952.... It’s for curious readers who, like Meloy’s characters, can make room in their imaginations and ‘allow for the possibilities'." (USA Today)

"Those who know little about blacklisting, the Cold War, and European life after WWII will just have to dive into the fantasy-adventure pool, which runs long and deep. Magic elixirs, transformational disguises, and everyday cunning help Janie, Benjamin, and several scientists elude capture.” (Booklist)

Simply Wonderful!!!!!

The Apothecary exists in a class with Scott's Alchemist series, Riordan's Lightening Thief series, Divergent and Michael Vay-- and is simply wonderful...I have a Tween daughter who is an avid reader and I am always looking for new authors for her to try...I hit a gold mine with Maile Meloy. Obviously I am not the target audience...but I thoroughly enjoyed this book...My daugher is on her second go-round listening and is quoting passages. It is original, funny, action packed and full of fantasy--a recipe my child cannot resist. She did, however, have one complaint--she does not like the ending--it is a cliffhanger and now she has to wait and hope he author publishes a follow up book...which we will be certain to add to our collection. There is a select group of books (comparison books I listed among them) that we purchase in hardcover and on audio...this is firmly in that category. Highly recommended by Mother and daughter...

confused

i read the book while listening to the audio at same time, but they were different. Like something, was somethings.

PreTeen age novel

If you could sum up The Apothecary in three words, what would they be?

PreTeen Novel

What did you like best about this story?

Great fantasy.

What about Cristin Milioti’s performance did you like?

SHe went from character to character very smoothly and was easy to follow

Who was the most memorable character of The Apothecary and why?

All three kids because it was their fantastic journey

Any additional comments?

I only wish I had known that it was about young people. Great story, reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games..as the characters were about the same age.

Good Adventure Series Starting...

What does Cristin Milioti bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I only gave this book a try because she was the narrator. I finished another series she did and she was so good I went looking for more read by her. This book, though slow in some places, is fun and adventurous. There are two more books in the series and they are pretty good as well.

Very Visionary! Great story line and performance!

I would always listen to this book for fun all the time! This is definitely one of my favorites for sure! I'd strongly recommend this book anytime someone wants a good adventure with laughter along the way, and sometimes even tear-jerking moments. I love every little bit of the way the storyline reads and how it is said. I honestly had fun myself listening to this book every second. I was sad once a GREAT book is over (along with the sequel), and now I will wait however long it takes for the third book. I am one happy woman when I decided to listen to this thanks to my brother. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and open for the possibilities in life.

Great for the family!

If you could sum up The Apothecary in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, suspenseful, and magically fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Pip. He was very funny and clever. He caused us to laugh out loud numerous times even though he isn't a main character.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

When science was Magical

Any additional comments?

I purchased this book as a trial to see if my 7 year old would enjoy an audio book. Needless to say, every time we would get in the car to go somewhere he would beg to put the Apothecary on the radio. We ended up loving the excitement of the story, and it also allowed me to teach him many things about history, science, and beliefs.I would recommend this book, and the whole series for that matter, to anyone with children from 7 or 8 years and above. I also enjoyed it, but I probably would not have enjoyed as much if I were listening to it alone as an adult. Definitely a great family time and family bonding story.

I really enjoyed this book.

I look forward to reading The Apprentice.
I especially liked the magic /fiction in the story.

Middle Grade Adventure story, not YA Spy story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The book is not terrible, it just was not what I was expecting based on what I had read about this book and I was disappointed

What was most disappointing about Maile Meloy’s story?

The story was tame, and sort of preachy about war

What three words best describe Cristin Milioti’s performance?

Good Character voices

Could you see The Apothecary being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I would not go see it, so I wont put any effort into the question

Any additional comments?

This is a good book but just not a fit for my reading preferences, probably best for kids under 6th grade

Blech! Poorly written bit of trash.

Don't waste your time and money on this. It is the worst excuse for a novel I have ever had to endure and the first time I will ask Audible for my money back

I would have loved this when I was in middle school

The story was very cute. I would have loved it when I was in middle school.