The Poisons of Caux: The Hollow Bettle (Book I)

Praise

Review, Publishers Weekly, August 17, 2009
“Bewitching. . . . Debut author Appelbaum’s stylish, atmospheric prose is well matched by Taylor’s warm interior illustrations. . . . Caux is an enchanting, unusual setting that echoes the complexity of its heroes and villains alike. ‘High above the tallest trees, you can feel the land’s misfortune,’ Appelbaum writes. ‘You might feel it even pulling you in.”

Review, Booklist, June 1, 2009
“A deeply satisfying, humor-laced quest with elements of wizardry and herbology, deeds of a dastardly nature, and ultimately, redemption. Similar in tone but not as darkly Dickensian as Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, this adventure pulses with imaginatively named characters, gratifying close calls, and a landscape that is vividly alive. Readers, individually or as part of a read-aloud experience, will savor young Ivy’s expedition and eagerly await more adventures in the land of Caux.”

Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November 2009
“A true epic quest. . . . The carefully described morbid, darkly elegant setting and a well-developed cast of intriguing and subtle characters add depth and balance to the quick pace and sarcastic tone of the book. The resulting novel is at once rollicking adventure and thoughtful fantasy.”

Review, VOYA,
“Appelbaum’s first novel quickly captures the imagination. [Readers] will not want to wait to see what happens to Ivy and Rowan in the second installment of this trilogy.”

Review, Chicago Tribune, August 15, 2009
“Witty . . . Ivy and Rowan encounter a lively assemblage of eccentrics, bound to return in later volumes of the Poisons of Caux trilogy.”