return to home  
Join   |  Gift   |  Member Login   |  Library Login
BookBrowse Mobile
Follow Us: 
   First Impressions: Book Reviews

Member Reviews of forthcoming books.

Book Jacket

Madapple
by Christina Meldrum

Publisher: Knopf Children's Books
Publication date: 05/13/2008.
Novels, 416 pp.

Number of reader reviews: 15
Readers' Consensus: 3.5
More information
Buy This Book
First Impressions: Page 1 of 3
Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Velma (Jacksonville TX)

Something Different
Madapple is a strange,compelling book that defies you to put it down. Classified for young adult readers it has an adult feel in its exploration of relationships, reality, and religion. Parents should be aware that it includes dark and/or controversial subjects which might be disturbing for some teenagers. That said, I found it to be an intelligent and enjoyable read. Definitely different from your average story.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Karen (Hendersonville TN)

WOW!
Wow! That is the first word that came to mind when I finished this book. "Madapple" is listed as a book for teens, but as an adult, I absolutely loved it. There was mystery, intrigue and dysfunction all rolled into an amazing story. When I closed the book after reading the last page, I just sat there a minute, thinking. This book made me THINK! Many questions pop into your mind as you are reading, and they are all answered by the end of the story. I would recommend this book to everyone...adults and the teens it was intended for. A great book!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Ann (Shenandoah IA)

Madapple
I purchase books for teenagers; therefore I was intrigued by Madapple.

Aslaug, isolated from society, still manifests traits of an adolescent. Her naivete hinders her ability to understand some situations, but frees her from limitations in seeking solutions as well.

Some teens and parents might find the book objectionable, but the questions which might arise can lead to thoughtful discussions. I would include it in the collection I oversee.

The author's knowledge of botany and religions and her ability to weave them into the very core of the book is impressive.

Personally I found Madapple beautifully written, enlightening, and thought provoking.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Kathleen (Appleton WI)

Madapple: Captivating and Complex
Madapple is a very good read and evoked many emotions in me. I was captivated by the characters in this story and at times, was even willing to suspend rational thinking and accept the "miracle birth". The terrible truth took me by surprise, which hopefully is more indicative of the author's skill than my naivety. I highly recommend this book to adults and mature teens , especially those who are interested in herbs, complex relationships, and the dichotomy between religion and science. The subject matter may be disturbing to some readers and if you don't care about herbs, this book might be hard to enjoy, but Madapple is sure to generate a great discussion.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Cheryl (Tucson AZ)

Madapple
I don't usually read Young adult books as this one is listed as such, it did interest me though. It's very different from a regular novel and I think it would appeal to young teens.

It goes back and forth between a courtroom setting in the present to the past and how the story leads itself to the courtroom.

I enjoyed Aslaug, the teenage lead character, she has led a very sheltered out-dated life because of her mother. Home schooled and actually only learning the things needed to pass state tests, she still has no idea what the real world is like. They live in a cabin, live off their land in Maine and use all herbs and plants as remedies, soap, etc..

Aslaug faces a trial based on assumptions and is very naive with it all. How she prevails is interesting and how she was used is also enlightening. I would definitely read another book by this author, it was a very good debut novel.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Heather (Brooklyn NY)

Provocative, Disturbing, Brilliant
Very suspenseful and involving! I was fascinated by Aslaug's life: her profoundly disturbed mother, her abrupt immersion into civilization as we know it, and her coming of age amidst accusations of murder. She is a brilliantly written character.

The author's scholarship is impressive, but better yet she is excellent at portraying empathetic characters. I felt great compassion for Aslaug as she struggles emotionally, psychologically, and physically with her search for connection; she has some heavy monkeys on her back for a fifteen year old. She also has great intelligence, perseverance, and courage.

I would absolutely read this author again (I couldn't put Madapple down once I'd begun it!), and plan on sharing my copy of Madapple with members of my book club. Madapple is controversial, haunting, and illuminating ... highly recommended.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Dorothy (Front Royal VA)

Madapple
This story was like reading my own bio. Parents who want to control their children, like Aslaug's mother, unknowingly emotionally abuse their children. Aslaug may have learned a lot about "mother nature" but not how easily this mother earth knowledge can't help in real life.

Thanks for a good read!

1 2 3   next »

Become a Member
The Expats by Chris Pavone
Editor's Choice
  •  Jun 17 
  •  Jun 15 
  •  Jun 13 
Americanah
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah Jacket

Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
Karen Joy Fowler

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Jacket

The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
TransAtlantic
Colum McCann

TransAtlantic Jacket

The most mature work yet from an incomparable storyteller, TransAtlantic is a profound meditation on identity and history in a wide world that grows somehow smaller and more wondrous with...
Click Here
   Most Recent Blog Entries
Top Ten Guidelines For How to Behave in a Book Club
Movies Based on Books: Summer 2013 (May - August)
Jewish Themed Young Adult Books, Not About The Holocaust
rss  RSS   rss  subscribe
Recent Reader Reviews
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story... read more
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner
From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years... read more
TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part... read more
RSS RSS feed More...  
Most Viewed This Week
1. Coraline
Neil Gaiman
2. Memoirs of a Geisha
Arthur Golden
3. The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls
4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot
5. Behind the Beautiful Forevers
Katherine Boo
More...
Book Club Recommendations
A Monster Calls
by Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness
Paperback (Mar/13)
The End of the Point
by Elizabeth Graver
Paperback (Feb/14)
Out of The Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
Paperback (Feb/14)
Maggot Moon
by Sally Gardner
Hardback (Feb/13)
More...
First Impressions
Members read and review books often months before they're published. See what they think in First Impressions!
Children of the Jacaranda Tree
by Sahar Delijani
4.5 Stars            (Jun/13)
Her Last Breath
by Linda Castillo
4.5 Stars            (Jun/13)
Crime of Privilege
by Walter Walker
Four Stars            (Jun/13)
More...
  Latest BookBrowse News
Kenn Nesbitt is new Children's Poet Laureate (Jun 12 2013)
Kenn Nesbitt has been named the new Children's Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation, which noted that the two-year position... Full Story
rss RSS feed More...
 
BookBrowse Poll
Q: We've been discussing guidelines for book club etiquette. Which of these do you think are important?
Read the book
Listen thoughtfully to all members
Take notes while you're reading
Stay on topic when you're speaking
Enjoy yourself
Don’t get drunk
Bring chocolate, everyone likes chocolate!
Eat before you come so you don’t devour the snacks
Compliment others sincerely
Have a good sense of humor
Don’t fret the small stuff
Search: Title or Author
Free Newsletters

Online Book Club
More about
The Execution of Noa P. Singleton
Join the discussion!


Win This Book!
You Only Get Letters From Jail


one of the finest and truest collections of 'American' short stories I have ever read

Enter To Win Now!

wordplay
Solve this clue:
"T M T C, T M T Stay T S"

and be entered
to win....
frame top
New Author
Interviews
Carol Rifka Brunt
Kent Wascom
Jennifer McVeigh
Elizabeth Becker
frame bottom
HOME Book Submissions | Advertising | Library Subscriptions | Reviewing for BookBrowse | Contact Us