Madapple

Reader reviewed by ambeen

Madapple is truly a very different sort of novel from what I'm used to reading. I really enjoyed it, though, finding myself getting wrapped up in the story, desperate to know more.

Each chapter alternates between the past events and the present jury trial. I really liked this aspect because it gave us a glimpse of what would be happening in the future chapters. Those events would then turn out to be totally different from what I was expecting from the information given during the trial chapters. I thought this was clever and an interesting new way to tell a story.

While I enjoyed the trial chapters, some of the legal jargon during the objections from the lawyers was confusing and I wasn't sure how it fit with what the witness was testifying. It didn't really affect the reading, but was just a minor annoyance that I wasn't able to fully grasp what was going on during the trial.

The characters in the novel were another part I thought was executed really well. While I hated pretty much every character apart from Aslaug (the main character) and Phalia, I thought they were well written and developed. I was able to understand why they were all a bit psychotic along with their extreme behaviors, even while hating them for it.

All in all, a wonderful first novel. I can't wait to see what Christina gives us next. She really is an author to look out for with her originality and great writing style. I literally ate up this 400 page book in 2 days (technically 3 but since I didn't really read the day inbetween, I don't count it :P ).

Reader reviewed by Sena

Amazing book. A page-turner, but best for sophisticated/mature teens (and adults). Definitely thought-provoking. It delves into topics ranging from religion and mythology to physics and herbology to incest. It's a bit controversial in its subject matter, but the mature themes are handled with sensitivity. And it has a compelling mystery that makes it a page-turner. The chapters oscillate between sixteen-year old Aslaug's telling of the story and her trial for murder. The shifting perspectives kept me guessing. And I didn't figure out the mystery until the last page or two. (And I usually do figure out the mysteries!) That said, this book is not for teens under fourteen. It's probably best for sixteen and up. I think many adults would love this book, too. It's a good book for people who enjoy thoughtful, provocative mysteries. Regarding the characters, they all are imperfect people, yet I found myself caring about them deeply. I really loved this book and I highly recommend it. It is one of those books that I will go back to and read again, knowing that I will get more out of each read. I sense there is a lot of symbolism in the book, much of which I didn't fully appreciate on the first read. But if you like books with layered meanings, this book is for you!

Reader reviewed by Megan

Madapple, by Christina Meldrum, tells us the story of Aslaug, whose name means consecrated to God. The author splits the story into two parts, alternating the chapters. Some chapters begin to explain Aslaugs life alone with her mother no electricity, foraging for food, learning several different languages. As Aslaug gets older, she sees her mother get more and more addicted to a plant called jimsonweed, known as green dragon, stinkwort, and madapple. When Aslaugs mother dies from cancer, police arrest Aslaug as a suspect. Once she is freed, however, she runs away to the family she did not know she had. There, she learns much about her life and secrets about her mother that brings Aslaug to believe in virgin birth. This is what she believes, too, when she finds out that she is pregnant. After Aslaugs baby is born, the child is suddenly taken away by her cousin and his friend. The loss of the child is so great, that Aslaugs aunt and cousin poison themselves, and their house burns down. We find ourselves at the trial in the other chapters, deciding if Aslaug is truly a murderer.
This book took me awhile to get in to. However, once I got more involved, the story was mildly interesting. The alternating chapters were a little difficult to get used to, but overall the book is worth reading.