A wonderful historical novel based in 17th century Rome, that tells a story of women who risk everything, to help other women who have nowhere else to turn.

Set in Rome, Italy, Everything is Poison is the story of Carmela Tofana, who has always wanted to work behind the scenes at her mother's apothecary. When Carmela turns sixteen, she’s finally allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother, Giulia Tofana, and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. There are the daily remedies and sweet-smelling potions, but there are also potions requiring darker ingredients. This includes qua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort for husbands who are just as deadly as any disease. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them all. In addition, Carmela and her mother are not looked well upon by many of the townspeople, who call them witches for the work they do.

Everything is Poison has themes of family bonds, found family, what it feels like to be an outcast, acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship. Overall, this was a great story. I enjoyed all of the references to the different herbs, remedies, and potions. The women in this story are very supportive of each other and consistently lift each other up, and it was great to see that. In addition, the book has a good message about how it's important to treat others well even if they don't treat you well because you never know what they are going through.

While I enjoyed it overall, I did find some aspects of the story to be predictable. In addition, what was supposed to be the climax of the story didn't really feel like it. I also felt that the ending was a bit lack luster. Because the climax didn't feel strong, it made the ending feel dull and as if there wasn't really a good resolution. There was an epilogue to help tie things together, but it felt like it was an easy way out to give the book a happy ending.

Trigger Warnings: Death, abortion, blood and gore, physical and sexual assault, domestic violence

As soon as Carmela turned sixteen, she was finally allowed into the workroom of her mother’s apothecary in the 17th-century Campo Marzio neighborhood of Rome, where her mother and two women make some of the most effective remedies for the community. But the workroom of La Tofana is no simple place and for every flowery suave and tonic, there's another potion where the main ingredient is dried blood or something else unpleasant. And then there’s Aqua Tofana - the apothecary’s remedy of last resort and a secret Carmela never bargained for.

So, I knew of Joy McCullough from a middle grade book of hers I read years ago, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, so this was my first Young Adult book of hers. I picked it up both because of her and as well as a women run 17-century apothecary sounded amazing!

Carmela, though she was sixteen, still had a lot of growing up to do within these pages. I know sixteen was a decent age during the 17-century, but sometimes Carmela’s attitude towards patrons of the apothecary kind of annoyed me. She was there to help people, regardless of their life standing. I was glad to see her growth with her empathy by the end of the book, especially when it came to Violetta because I felt she was holding a childhood grudge that needed to be let go.

Overall, I loved learning about a time period in history where women were undermined badasses who helped each other right under men’s noses.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this one! I am not the best at writing reviews sometimes, but sometimes books take you by surprise and this one did just that. I got invested a few chapters in and couldn't put it done. It was so good! I highly recommend this one.

A heartwrenching and heartwarming read about the power and pitfalls of womanhood and community. McCullough again has created a masterful novel in verse that explore historical context while providing strong female protagonists.

I loved Blood Water Paint when I read it years ago and I'm normally not a fan of historical stories. So I was excited to see something new from this author so similar to her debut. While I enjoyed this one, I didn't love it as much as Blood Water Paint. This book is emotional, deals with important topics like her debut. It just didn't grab me the way her first book did. If you like historical stories that focuses on women and their struggles, I think this author is a great one to get into.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Joy McCullough for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

Step into the legendary La Tofana Apothecary in Campo Marizio, Rome, where potions, sympathy, tinctures, advice, creams, tough love, and tonics are dispensed by the all-female staff - including the captivating La Tofana herself - in equal amounts. La Tofana's daughter, Carmela, longs to fit in with her mother and the other women of the apothecary, and her day finally dawns on the morning of her 16th birthday. As Carmela discovers, for every sweet-smelling flower to press, there's also a foul concoction of blood and other fluids to extract, and while soothing lotions and sweets are the bread-and-butter of the shop's operations, there are more sinister secrets lurking in the apothecary, with the infamous Aqua Tofana being the most dark and horrifying of all. "Everything is Poison" is a coming-of-age tale of poisons hiding in plain sight, and the women who work around them to carve out safety for themselves, their families, and their communities.

This was a poignant take on the near-mythological elixir Aqua Tofana, a poison created in the 1600s in Sicily that was thought to be made of arsenic, lead, antimony, and mercury chloride. While the story centers the legendary La Tofana and follows the mythos of the woman who provided the women of Italy with a way (often the only way) to free themselves and their children from the horrors of man, it is more so a lens on the ways in which women of the time (and perhaps women of now) shape themselves and are shaped by the male forces in their lives and in their societies. Told in alternating third-person from the perspectives primarily of Carmen and her mother, but also part in prose/spoken word poetry from the perspectives of characters we meet along the way, "Everything is Poison" crushes, distills, blends, boils, and dries the grasping wants of a fiercely independent and headstrong teenager as she seeks her own place in a world which would see her plucked and clipped to fit a mold, and the women in her life who help her find her (and their own) ways in building a community in which they can thrive.

3.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟

Everything Is Poison is a historical fiction novel written partly in verse. After nearly every chapter, there’s a verse section that delves deeper into a character or setting previously mentioned, adding more detail and nuance to the story.

The novel follows Carmella and her family, who run an apothecary shop in 17th-century Rome. I really enjoyed seeing the dynamic between Carmella, her mother, and the two assistants, Maria and Laura. Even though, they're not family by blood they all love each other so deeply. Carmella’s growth as a character is one of the highlights of the story—watching her learn compassion for her past enemies and how to run the apothecary on her own was so rewarding. The themes of female power, sisterhood, motherhood, and friendship are explored beautifully throughout.

The epilogue especially stood out to me. Seeing Carmella and Violetta move past their conflicts and work together to run the shop is such a heartwarming conclusion. Their evolving friendship and interactions were my favorite part, and it was so satisfying to see them grow into best friends.

Overall, an engaging read that flew by with a strong focus on character growth and relationships!

I absolutely loved this beautiful story set in Renaissance era Rome, following the women who run the Tofana apothecary. Carmela has grown up helping her mother run the apothecary, but now that she's 16 she can finally be trusted to know the weight of responsibility, secrets, and danger that her family has to put themselves in to help the women in their community who need them. Like Blood Water Paint, it's a blend of historical fiction and modern feminism.

I absolutely loved this. Even though it is about such heavy topics, like gendered violence, domestic abuse, abortion, death, etc., it was written in a way that felt so comforting. The prose chapters tell the story of a family who cares so deeply not only for each other, but for their entire community, and the verse chapters drive home the point that although we are all different, we are also so much the same. The characters have to continuously find common ground with each other, acknowledge each other's humanity, and accept a sense of responsibility towards each other, even when they hate each other, and I thought it was all so beautifully done. And this might just be me, but I would even say that the way we lived in the daily life of the apothecary was actually downright cozy. It made me want to start an herb garden immediately. I really enjoyed reading this and would highly recommend it!

Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

I really enjoyed the combination of prose and verse in this, and the story was interesting. I also liked the characters...but I also grew very annoyed with Carmela throughout the story...especially with how petty she is and her holding grudges. I do think it gives an interesting look at herbal medicine and yes, the poisoning elements as well. I also liked how they're called Tofana.

There was also a brief moment where I was imagining Friar Lawrence in R&J and how he talks about the good and bad parts of plants.

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT.

I lost the amount of times I cried while reading it but I treasure it so much that it's now a favorite of mine for 2025! The writing, the characters and bringing a not so common story and tying it to how women fought back then to keep control of their lives and to have power over men in the only way they knew how hit really hard especially in our current times where women's rights are going to continue being challenged, it is so fitting for our current times. Beautiful. I can't wait for whatever is next!

Everything Is Poison by Joy McCullough is a stunning historical novel.
There was not a dull moment throughout the novel. The setting was magnificent.
The characters just come alive. And the wrong magnificent.

I’m a big fan of Joy McCullough and will read whatever she writes.

This story transports you to 17th-century Rome, where women fight for survival and agency in a world that gives them neither. At the heart of the story is Giulia, who runs an apothecary that secretly helps women escape abusive situations, and her curious teenage daughter, Carmela, who is eager to follow in her footsteps.

The bond between these women and their tight-knit, found family is what makes this book shine. It’s about resilience, community, and quietly defying the odds. The writing is immersive, and the mix of historical detail with themes of empowerment makes it a truly engaging read. I loved how it balanced heartbreak with hope. A must-read for anyone who enjoys stories about strong women.

Everything Is Poison by Joy McCullough is a powerful and thought-provoking read. It’s more than just a historical fiction novel—it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go when it comes to gender equality and societal expectations. The story is compelling, with a strong lead who challenges the norms of her time in ways that still feel relevant today. While some parts felt a bit rushed, the overall message about courage, independence, and breaking barriers really shines. Definitely worth a read for the important perspective it brings.

Wow! This was everything I hoped it would be. I loved McCullough's first novel Blood Water Paint, and hoped this would be similar. Yes, it gave me the same feminist chills. Following these women through several generations of trauma, love, loss, and lifting each other up was heartrenching. The writing was captivating and haunting. The mixture of poetry and prose was dynamic and I enjoyed every moment in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the e galley. The opinions in this review are my own.

In Sophia Petrillo from Golden Girls' voice- Picture it, 17th Century Rome, a mother Giulia runs the Apothecary Tofana with a cadre of strong women, while raising her teenage daughter Carmela who is eager to learn the healing ways of her mother.

In a time period where women do not have agency or choice, Giulia and her apothecary gives the female residents of her small village hope, and sometimes more necessary means to combat the patriarchal system around them.

When Carmela turns 16 and starts working at the apothecary, things do go awry as her inexperience with the ingredients and how to manage people happens. Her found family rallies around her and her mother while supporting the females of the village.

Found family, feminism and magic make this a very compelling read.

I don’t know why this made me so emotional. It didn’t hit me until almost an hour after I finished. I just love women. I love reading about female relationships, either born or formed. I love the communities women create, the compassion women exhibit, the love women hold.

This is a historical fiction novel taking place in 17th century Rome. It is inspired by the real life figure of Giulia Tofana, a poisoner who invented Aqua Tofana which she sold to women who wanted to murder their husbands. In Everything is Poison we follow the perspective of her daughter Carmela. She has just turned sixteen and is finally allowed to apprentice at her mother’s apothecary. As she begins to learn the ins and outs of the business, and the various remedies they create, she stumbles across one of the shop’s deadly secrets. Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort.

An apothecary shop run by women already faces many superstitious beliefs. Carmela and the women in her life are often called witches and shunned by the people in their community. Despite those same people being customers in their shop. If it ever got out that they were giving women power over their abusers, a poison that could bring a man to his knees, they would be executed. This book tackles what it is to be a community center that is met with unforgiving judgement. To cultivate knowledge that can heal or harm. To decide how far you will go to protect those who need it most.

McCullough utilizes both prose and verse. While our main story stays firmly in prose, at the end of each chapter is a section in verse that gives insight into the everyday lives of the people surrounding the apothecary. We see how other residents of Campo Marzio live similar experiences as our characters. The universality of both suffering and joy. I’ve studied the late-Renaissance period in the past, and this book was a lovely refresher. It was nice to immerse myself in the era again, and to see a narrative interpretation of the way women interacted.

I honestly flew through this and had a wonderful time. I loved our characters, and I especially enjoyed seeing Carmela and Violetta’s tumultuous relationship. Their growing kinship was a great opportunity for them to become more sympathetic to each other and see another’s perspective. To understand the ways women may lash out to feel in control when they have none. As well as to treasure what makes them more fortunate than others.

Joy McCullough does an excellent job bringing to light some of the more unknown historical stories--especially the often untold women's stories. Carmela wants nothing more than to work in her mother's apothecary in 17th century Rome. The women who work here help all sorts of Romans with ailments--real and imagined. When Carmela finally gets her wish, she learns about the darker side of the apothecary--that gives women poison to get out of unsafe and violent relationships. Based on some truth, this story was riveting. Partially told in verse, any student who likes historical fiction and/or women's stories will enjoy this quick read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

“Everything Is Poison” by Joy McCullough is a gripping historical novel that dives into the dark, complex world of 17th-century Rome. Carmela Tofana’s story of apothecary secrets, poison, and survival is haunting and empowering.. Tthis book is both thought-provoking and beautifully written.

3✧!!
╰ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ mini review down below!

my thoughts🧪┆ this was such a fun read!! and it was historical fiction, which is a genre that i need to read more of!<3 what i loved most was carmella’s character development throughout the book, the story follows carmella as she finally gets to work in her mothers apothecary on her 16th birthday. i learned so much about struggles women went through back then - and how husbands would treat their wives. i also enjoyed the poetry strung in the chapters!! overall this was a good book, quick and easy to binge!!

characters🧸!!

➼ carmella
╰ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ she was our fmc, and i really did enjoy seeing her character develop and grow throughout the story. it was fun to see her work with her mother and also how she learned compassion and how to make the right decisions and calls! she wasn’t my favorite fmc - i couldn’t really relate to her at all, but i still enjoyed her story nonetheless!💌

bottom line┊this was overall a pretty fun and interesting read!! i liked it, but historical fiction isn’t really my thing - but i would definitely recommend - if you love historical fiction, or if you want a book to binge!! thank you so so so much to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with my first arc!!
~saisha🤍
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