A Blood Water Paint-style historical YA in prose and verse from New York Times bestselling author Joy McCullough. For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one to be an important part of La Tofana Apothecary, her mother’s apothecary in the Campo Marzio neighborhood of Rome. When she finally turns sixteen, she’s allowed into the workroom of the shop, where her mother and two other women make some of the most effective remedies in all of Rome. They also dispense a healthy amount of good, non-medical advice to their clients. But the workroom of La Tofana is no simple place, and for every sweet-smelling flower extract to be prepared, there’s another potion where the main ingredient is blood or something even less pleasant. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort and one of several secrets Carmela never bargained for in all her years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Everything Is Poison is a story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those most in need.
- Title: Everything is Poison
- Author: Joy McCullough
- Publisher: Dutton
- Publication Date: January 14, 2025
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Source: Print ARC Publishers / BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review
- Targeted Age Range: YA
- Content Warnings: mentioned death of a parent (past), abortion, mentions of stillbirth, death of a child, pregnancy (on page, in detail), past bullying, death, murder, abuse, poison, blood, childbirth (described, on page), mentions of prostitution, stabbing, physical violence, attempted rape
- Rating: ★★★★.5
The first book of Joy McCullough’s I read was Enter the Body, and after being completely blown away by her prose and storytelling abilities, I knew I had to read more of her work. When I saw that BookishFirst had a giveaway happening for Everything is Poison, I knew I had to enter and try to get an ARC of her 2025 release. And once again, BookishFirst came through (I also got an ARC of Enter the Body from them) and I was able to read this gorgeous story ahead of its January release date.
This book gutted me, and I mean that in the most complimentary fashion. Everything is Poison is a book about the female spirit, how women need to protect each other, and how most of the time, the only people we can count on is each other. Though Everything is Poison is set in the 17th century, it truly could’ve been set today for how relevant the subject matter was, and I think that’s what made it so emotionally powerful. I also loved that this book was loosely based on/inspired by a real historical figure, Giulia Tofana, an Italian professional poisoner. While, of course not everything in this book happens the way it did in history, I do think knowing that she was a real woman made it all the more interesting.
I thought the characters were so well written and felt extremely real. The found family created by Giulia, Maria and Laura was beautiful, and I could really understand Carmela’s desire to join the apothecary as soon as possible and work with her mother. I loved Carmela’s growth throughout the story and how her world-view, and her view of those around her, evolved as the story progressed.
With the current world debate over what women can and cannot do with our bodies, Everything is Poison really hit home. There was one quote, in particular, that I feel really encapsulates the novel, and that was,
“That is the daily work we are here for. Giving women a choice over what happens in their bodies”
In a time where women had very little control in anything involving their lives from where they lived, to who they married, to what they had access too, I loved reading about these women who really truly looked out for those around them and fought for their autonomy, regardless of their status in the community, or even if these women were kind to them. They didn’t discriminate and would help anyone who came through their doors because they knew that if they didn’t help these women, no one else would. Their community didn’t always welcome them, but they always welcomed anyone from their community. That kind of kindness is truly selfless, and I wish there was more of that in the world. I think now more than ever we need stories like this; stories of love and support and community and women fighting for their rights in any way that they can.
I thought the addition of the poems was so well done, and really added McCullough’s signature way of storytelling to the book. I think that each one got their message across well, but my absolute favorite was The Women. In under 100 words an entire story was told through that poem and it absolutely broke my heart. That poem made me cry while reading it and I continued to cry for a solid 5 minutes afterward. It was so powerful and, I do think that as a woman especially, it was very difficult to read.
Joy McCullough’s Everything is Poison is a beautiful story of found family and feminism, and a great reminder of the power of the human spirit. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
Links for Everything is Poison: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop
Joy McCullough’s debut young adult novel, Blood Water Paint, won the Washington State and Pacific Northwest book awards, as well as honors including the National Book Award longlist, finalist for the ALA Morris Award, a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and four starred reviews.
She has since written picture books and young adult and middle grade novels that have been Junior Library Guild Selections, Indie Next Selections, finalists for the Washington State Book Award, and a New York Time bestseller.
She is also a playwright, and is currently Resident Playwright at Seattle Public Theater. She writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She studied theater at Northwestern University, fell in love with her husband atop a Guatemalan volcano, and now spends her days with kids and dogs and books.
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