Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

An introduction to the seemingly harmless flowers, leaves, and seeds that hold dark potential as unexpected tools for murder and warfareAppealing illustrations abound in this collection of facts and cautionary tales about the world's most poisonous plants. Readers learn about familiar plants, such as tobacco, habanero chili, and poison ivy, along with more mysterious ones, such as henbane, mandrake, and aconite. Each chapter contains harrowing anecdotes about poison victims and subsections relaying scientific information and concludes with a detailed description of the plant's toxic effects on humans (and sometimes animals, too). Hirsch includes a bulleted list of "Deadly Details" for each plant, providing surprising facts ("People have been poisoned by eating honey made by bees gathering nectar from heartbreak grass flowers"). The striking page design evokes a strong sense of the macabre and is reminiscent of dark academia. Botanical drawings and other images break up the blocks of text. Color photographs of the plants provide a glimpse of how these dangerous species appear in the wild. Bookended by a thoughtful prologue and cautionary epilogue, the contents are organized alphabetically, allowing for quick reference. Source notes, a selected bibliography of high-quality works, a comprehensive glossary, and teen-appropriate further resources (including a quirky blog by a professional horticulturalist) invite readers to continue their education beyond the text.An engaging, visually appealing guide for science buffs, true-crime enthusiasts, and herbalists alike. (index, photo credits)(Nonfiction. 13-18)

ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 31 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Promising "myth, mayhem, and murder," this diabolical botanical guide delivers on all fronts. Hirsch distills her training in plant physiology to potent effect as she walks readers through a lethal garden of 22 plants (and 1 fungus) of infamous repute, including flora such as belladonna, datura, heartbreak grass, the manchineel tree, the opium poppy, and the strychnine tree. Each eight-page entry opens with an alluring, vintage-style illustration, famous quote, and true account of a poisoning. Socrates (poison hemlock) and Abraham Lincoln's mother (white snakeroot) are among the book's casualties, as are more recent victims etched in history for their unfortunate demises. Next comes a box of fast facts; an overview of the plant's appearance, history, and use; a "Bodily Harm" rundown of ill effects, often describing the deadly chemicals at play; and a short list of "Deadly Details." Deliciously macabre and almost conspiratorial in tone, Hirsch's coverage is nicely rounded, pulling in traditional uses of many of these plants, some of which have medicinal treatments in small doses. An excellent bibliography and source list draw this sinister offering to a close.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

An introduction to the seemingly harmless flowers, leaves, and seeds that hold dark potential as unexpected tools for murder and warfareAppealing illustrations abound in this collection of facts and cautionary tales about the world's most poisonous plants. Readers learn about familiar plants, such as tobacco, habanero chili, and poison ivy, along with more mysterious ones, such as henbane, mandrake, and aconite. Each chapter contains harrowing anecdotes about poison victims and subsections relaying scientific information and concludes with a detailed description of the plant's toxic effects on humans (and sometimes animals, too). Hirsch includes a bulleted list of "Deadly Details" for each plant, providing surprising facts ("People have been poisoned by eating honey made by bees gathering nectar from heartbreak grass flowers"). The striking page design evokes a strong sense of the macabre and is reminiscent of dark academia. Botanical drawings and other images break up the blocks of text. Color photographs of the plants provide a glimpse of how these dangerous species appear in the wild. Bookended by a thoughtful prologue and cautionary epilogue, the contents are organized alphabetically, allowing for quick reference. Source notes, a selected bibliography of high-quality works, a comprehensive glossary, and teen-appropriate further resources (including a quirky blog by a professional horticulturalist) invite readers to continue their education beyond the text.An engaging, visually appealing guide for science buffs, true-crime enthusiasts, and herbalists alike. (index, photo credits)(Nonfiction. 13-18)