Book Review: Madapple
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this creepy mystery is full of
mature themes including teen pregnancy (there are three
pregnant teens here), teen sex (fully described), incest,
divine birth, controversial religious beliefs, and the usage of
plants for medicinal and experimental purposes. A young teen
girl is wrestled to the ground violently and tied up on a
regular basis, and people die from poisoning.
Families can talk about the use of plants in medicines. How were some common remedies discovered? Why are plants so important in medicine? Families can also discuss differences in religious beliefs. What religions hold similar beliefs about the birth of prominent religious figures? What are the differences between the religions featured and your own?
Common Sense Media Review
Strange. Disturbing. Detailed. Creepy. Poetic. Christina
Meldrum's MADAPPLE is a rolling, twisting, odd mystery tale
that wins on many levels. Obvious care has been given to
researching botany, religious theology, and science. The novel
switches with each chapter between Aslaug's telling of her
version of the events and witness testimony at her murder
trial. The switch teases and encourages readers to continue on
Aslaug's winding journey.
Where the novel disappoints is in the sheer amount of detail. There is so much information -- plant descriptions, Latin classifications, and uses, along with overwhelming amounts of religious theory and a tangled family history that may or may not be incestuous, divine, or just dysfunctional. At times it feels as if Meldrum, a former litigator, has compiled her facts and figures and heaps them exhaustively on readers as if trying to convince them of the novel's validity. The novel has potential, but the potential gets lost in the details and ends a little too tidy. Parents may find much of the subject matter disturbing.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
Join Us