While reading this excerpt from A Magic Steeped in Poison, one can't help but feel there is something familiar about it. It is truly a young adult coming-of-age story about a young girl finally finding her way in the world. And yet, past that familiarity, is some undercurrent running underneath it all. A magic that the reader and the protagonist doesn't understand. Set in distant China, the daughter of a gifted tea-maker, capable of reading fortunes and healing people struggles after the loss of her mother while watching her sister slowly dying.
While, logically, the belief in magic in ancient times seems foolhardy, this book makes you believe in its' presence and its' power. It isn't a myth in this world; the magic resides in their family. The book rushes right into the lives of this girl and her family. The writing is direct, but written with such description, you feel as if you're watching a movie rather than reading a book. The motivation of the girl becomes clear within a few paragraphs and empathy and kinship for her follow soon after. While the general direction of a country girl making her way into a city to carve out a place for herself is evident and common, it is a new take on a young adult novel due to its location in Ancient China and a magic we have yet to understand.
While, logically, the belief in magic in ancient times seems foolhardy, this book makes you believe in its' presence and its' power. It isn't a myth in this world; the magic resides in their family. The book rushes right into the lives of this girl and her family. The writing is direct, but written with such description, you feel as if you're watching a movie rather than reading a book. The motivation of the girl becomes clear within a few paragraphs and empathy and kinship for her follow soon after. While the general direction of a country girl making her way into a city to carve out a place for herself is evident and common, it is a new take on a young adult novel due to its location in Ancient China and a magic we have yet to understand.