Poisoned

By: Jennifer Donnelly

Narrated by: Rosie Jones

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

Break the enchanted mirror. Burn the poisoned apple. Fight for your own version of happily ever after. 

Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest. Her lips were as red as blood, her skin as pale as snow, and her hair as dark as night. When she stopped to rest, her huntsman companion took his knife, plunged it into Sophie’s chest...and removed her heart. 

As she gasped for breath on the forest floor, Sophie was terrified but not surprised. She’d heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too weak and foolish to rule, a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. Because in this world, poisoned apples don’t put you into an enchanted sleep - they infect your mind with the cruelest things ever said about you. It’s what keeps girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong.... 

Yet Sophie doesn’t die. She’s rescued by seven mysterious engineers who manage to fashion her a temporary heart. It’s not perfect, but it has one advantage - it hasn’t been contaminated by fear. Now Sophie has the chance to hunt down the source of the poisoned apples, to find the person who stole her heart and take it back. To prove that even the darkest magic can’t extinguish the fire burning inside every girl.

©2020 Jennifer Donnelly (P)2020 Scholastic Inc.

Wonderfully twisted tale

I loved this story. It was beautifully written with many twists that I didn’t see coming. Has a great moral about how love and kindness are always stronger than fear. The story is a little slow to start but picks up after the first few chapters. I’ve read Jennifer Donnellys other fractured fairytale, Stepsister, and noticed she used characters from that story in this one. So seems to me she’s setting up a series of these. Can’t wait for the next one! Bravo!

So unique and hard to put down!!

I really enjoyed this!! It was so unique and hard to put down! I love a dark fairytale retelling, and this one is so well done! The audible was incredible! It was my first time listening to this narrator, Rosie Jones, and I’m so impressed with her range of different voices and how she made the story come to life!! It’s also the first book I’ve read by this author, and I will definitely be reading more!!

A Vivid and Beautiful Retelling

Snow White has always been my favorite fairy tale because of its exploration of the meaning of true beauty. Jennifer Donnelly reshapes this familiar story into something wholly original and beautiful!
Princess Sophie has always struggled with feelings of inadequacy. In a kingdom under the tyrannical rule of her malevolent stepmother, Sophie has always been told that kindness is a weakness. Her empathy for others will only bring about her downfall. When a huntsman cuts out Sophie's heart and leaves her for dead, unusual events are set into motion. Things are not as they appear, and perhaps the true villain of this tale is not whom you may expect.

Poisoned delves deeply into the psychological depths of the Snow WHite fairy tale, unearthing gems of truth that resonate. I especially loved the author's exploration of what truly makes effective leadership. The theme of poisoned words unleashing irrevocable harm was so effectively conveyed. I especially loved the way Donnelly incorporated the familiar tropes of the tale but in fresh ways. The unique use of the ribbons and poisoned comb were particularly riveting.
Poisoned has a lovely feminist slant without making all the male characters despicable. Of course, there are a fair number of unsavory characters, but all of them are complex. The dwarves were delightful, and I loved their backstory. The stepmother's story is poignant and adds much depth to an often maligned character.

The narration of Poisoned was absolutely incredible! Once you begin listening to this book, you will be unable to stop. Each character is given a distinct voice, and much feeling is employed to convey emotion. Thoroughly recommended!
Happy listening, and God bless you all.

amazing!

I love the twist she puts on this story. it's very intriguing and adventurous

Twist on an old favorite

Jennifer Donnelly has a beautiful vision of her take on fairy tale stories, she makes her tale’s with hope and strength! Sophie has a heart of a clock, she needs to find the answer to what it is that makes her stronger. With help from friends and her people! She takes back her crown!!

Awesome Story

The narration was top notch. she did different voices for all the different characters and made them come alive. I read a lot of reviews on Goodreads and I wonder if they were reading the same story as I was, because they were so negative. This was a wild ride start to finish and Sophie really grew as a character.

Magnificent!

I didn’t care much for the story of Snow White before this, but this book changed my mind! It has hands down been the best twisted tale (and I’ve read a lot) I’ve ever encountered! Such talent is given by both author and narrator! I will be purchasing a physical copy of the book to be sure. 1000/10 would recommend! I hope you love it too! 😍

Amazing!

I loved this book and Rosie Jones brought the book to life! So wonderfully narrated, I loved how she brought out each character with a different voice. I was sad when the story ended!

Awesome

Typical Jennifer Donnelly but just gets better and better this definitely did not disappoint awesome

wonderful story

I loved this story. I love the poetry of the words and the visual world and insights the author alludes to that relate to a great majority of people in real life. I want my daughter to read this.