ARC Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
288 Pages

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

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Review:

Poison was adorable. I can only describe it as a fairy tale. It's got all the elements of a thrilling fantasy: romance, friendship, daring adventures, magic and an adorable little pig. From the very beginning, this story will have its readers entranced by this fantasy world and the perspective of determined Kyra.

Kyra is a potions master on the run after attempted to murder the future queen of her country and her old best friend. Kyra is the only person to see that something is wrong with the princess, which means she's the only person that can save the country from disaster. Along the way, she encounters villains, witches, a cute pig and Fred, who is on his own adventure. With the help of her potions, Fred and the pig, she's resolved to defeat the princess and protect her homeland and its citizens.

This story was so fun to read! While there are scenes that really emote, overall, this tale is nothing, but entertaining. It kept my attention completely. It even had me laughing aloud. 

The characters were sweet and so fun to read about. Fred, how I adored him! He's so sweet and kind and precious and dear lord, I love that boy. He and Kyra are great together as well. As soon as he was introduced, I wanted them to fall for each other. Kyra is a fantastic female lead. She exudes determination, strength and is an easy-to-understand character. I sincerely enjoyed reading about her and her adventure. The minor characters were also entertaining. I loved the way each one tied into the story. Their roles helped move the story along and really contribute to the story, especially Rosie the pig. So precious! 

So why only three stars? Some "shockers" were actually pretty obvious. That's most always a negative with me. If you are going to write a twist, try and write something a bit less obvious, or don't make the main character's epiphany occur earlier. I also wish it had been a bit longer. I really enjoyed it, but I felt that it was over too quickly. There were several scenes that could've been elongated and that would've helped add to the story. I read this story in a few short hours and was sad when I could not longer flick to the next page on my kindle.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of light fantasy. Whether you are a pre-teen, a young adult, a new adult, or even a regular ol' adult, there is something that everyone will find entertaining in Poison. This isn't so developed that it will demand all of your concentration and still leave your head spinning, but it is woven into a new and fascinating world. It's an adventure that everyone should try! Amusing, witty and absolutely delightful, Poison is sure to entertain!

*It was heartbreaking to learn that Poison will be published postmortem. Thank you, Bridget Zinn, for leaving us with such a fun tale. You were an excellent writer and I am disappointed that we will not see more of your work in the future.

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the author via Netgalley.