Mabry, Samantha.
A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON
New York : Algonquin Young Readers, 2016

IL YA
ISBN 1616205210

Seventeen-year-old Lucas finds the legends and whispered talk about the house at the end of road interesting, especially the talk of the green girl, who has grass for hair and eats the poisonous plants in the garden. But, overall, nothing gets him too excited during his summer visits with his father in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is most often on his own, and spends his days with local friends, drinking and flirting with girls. Then, life takes an abrupt turn when Marisol, a girl he’s gone out with and the cousin of one of his friends, disappears. And she hasn’t been the only girl to go missing in recent years. Curiosity - and not a small amount of fear - take over as Lucas begins to dream about the green girl. He soon learns more about the house, its inhabitants, and all the mystery surrounding the eerie property. And, he discovers it is up to him and a surprise ally to keep more girls from disappearing. A Fierce and Subtle Poison is a lush book, with beautiful scenery and a plot fast-paced enough to keep readers invested in the story. Magical realism comes alive in this book and melds well with suspense. This is Mabry’s debut and is well worth the following I am certain she will develop. (Oklahoma High School Sequoyah Award, 2018)