What a delightful rendition of some truly terrifying tales of misfortune, misdeeds and misidentification of common plants! The illustrations are beautiful, paired with photographic details and easily digestible (unlike their herbaceous counterparts) facts.

This book has beautiful photos and illustrations. The chapters are the perfect length for middle and high school students to enjoy. It is well organized and extremely interesting.

After receiving A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants:Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds by Rebecca E. Hirsch, I was immediately struck by Eugenia Nobati’s lush, velvety, botanical illustrations. I generally prefer to reveal a book, page by page, as I read it, but I felt compelled to flip through and scan the illustrations. I soon found that I was also intrigued by the format of the book. It is set up similar to a textbook, with each plant receiving a dynamic unit wherein the plant’s history, folklore, true accounts of poisonings, and other facts, are broken into bite-size sections. Each section has its own visual layout, including photos, graphics, illustrations, bulleted lists, etc. My ADHD brain delighted at the visual variety, easily digestible sections, and wealth of interesting trivia. The book reads like a 101 of poisonous plants and would surely satisfy the budding curiosity of a teen botanist or a young true crime buff. Mind you, there are some gory details, and the subject matter can be a bit grim. But, then again, it certainly is beneficial to learn the lesson that Mother Nature is a wondrous force, not to be taken lightly. I would definitely recommend this lively, if macabre, read to teens and young adults who like a bit of sinister to their science.
Thank you, Zest Press, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants is a visually stunning book about, well--poisonous plants! Full of stories and histories, it captures the reader and draws them in to the sinister side of nature. Rebecca Hirsch uses her scientific background to study, understand, and teach us more about these plants! A truly fascinating read! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing and Zest Groups for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Deadly Plants is a visually stunning collection, filled with beautiful artwork and informative photographs. The book covers a fascinating range of plants, from the Coca plant to deadly ones like Castor Beans and Nightshade. I appreciated the historical context and the connection to famous figures, but I would have liked clearer organization between plants with practical uses and those that are strictly harmful.

Each plant gets a brief chapter, but the content feels a bit rushed. With fewer plants, there could have been more space for deeper exploration. The writing style was my biggest issue—it felt a bit flat and informational rather than engaging. Despite this, the book is still highly enjoyable for those interested in the topic.

a really cool mix of herbology, chemistry, true crime, history, and mythology to present poisonous plants from tobacco to wolfsbane set up through anecdotes, how it was discovered and used, and the effects it has on the body. Some of the information got a bit repetitive and I felt the layout of the pages felt a bit messy, especially with some of the pictures, but that's just me being nitpicky

This is a very engaging, beautifully illustrated book that nonfiction readers will love. I can see many of my students reading this and sharing it with their friends. It's a great blend of history and science with wide appeal

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants is a very well written monograph for middle grade readers about poisonous botanicals curated and written by Rebecca E. Hirsch. Released 22nd Oct 2024 by Lerner Publishing on their Zest Books imprint, it's 204 pages and is available in library binding, paperback, and ebook formats.

This is a beautifully presented book, with elegant photos and illustrations. It's aimed at middle grade+ readers, so the language is purposefully simple and direct. Proper nomenclature is used throughout alongside common names. Each of the plants (and they are myriad and varied) gets its own profile.

There are "true crime" historical tidbits and stories scattered throughout as well as scientific based items like what poison types each plant contains and sometimes their effects. If the author occasionally goes a tiny bit overboard with the sensationalistic "gross info incoming", it should be remembered that this book is aimed at youngsters for whom a good gross bit of info is ambrosia.

Well written and visually appealing, it would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition (school acquisitions personnel are strongly advised to vet the content beforehand and evaluate in light of liability concerns). It would also be a neat addition to gardening / allotment / community garden library, and home use.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you, Netgalley and Rebecca E. Hirsch for the chance to review this book!

This is a vastly different read from my usual, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'm interested in plants and their various uses and discovering how many poisonous concoctions there are was fascinating. As someone who is working on writing her first novel, I like to learn about different things I can incorporate and I have a feeling this one will come in handy :)

Definitely read this book, but uh...don't put it into practice.

This fascinating book is filled with so much information. It covers the science and some of the history behind a number of deadly plants. It also presents anecdotal accounts of incidents where the plants were used to harm others. There are even relevant quotes at the start of each new plant—a fun glimpse into historic sentiments.

Nice pictures and an aesthetically pleasing layout. I was thoroughly captivated by the dangerous knowledge and lore surrounding these deadly plants.

This book is gorgeous. The bright-colored illustrations and photographs are enhanced by the beautiful typography. It’s the kind of book that you can sit out and let people get sucked into because it’s just so pretty. I’d strongly consider getting a coffee table version to show off.

Each plant had a variety of interesting things about it, from the gory details of how the plant’s poison worked to information about how these poisons were used historically or in specific true crime cases. The sections cover mythology when relevant and other interesting tidbits about how this plant has been important.

It was such a delight to read and look at that I really wanted it to be longer. I also wish the sections had been a little more organized, and I would have loved for more details on some of the information.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.

“A Deadly Compendium of Poisonous Plants” is an informative and well-researched compendium that serves as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in botany, herbal medicine, or environmental science. This comprehensive volume delves into a wide variety of plants known for their toxic properties, providing detailed descriptions, images, and essential identification tips.

The book is organized systematically, making it easy to navigate through different categories of plants. Each entry includes crucial information such as habitat, toxic components, symptoms of poisoning, and safe handling practices. The author’s expertise shines through in the clarity and depth of the content, offering readers both scientific insights and practical advice.

Illustrations are plentiful and enhance the learning experience, allowing readers to easily identify plants in the wild. Additionally, the inclusion of historical anecdotes and cultural references adds an engaging layer to the text, making it not only educational but also fascinating to read.

I think the first thing that needs to be spoken about here is the gorgeous cover and illustrations. What a wonderful addition to this book. I loved them and spent some time looking at them and noticing all the details. inside, every plant is prefaced by a story, then usually there is a photo, then an explanation of what happened in the story, then the science behind how the poison works. Overall it was an enjoyable read, Some parts were pretty gruesome, so I wouldn't recommend this particular book for children. I like that is also includes a glossary, source notes, a bibliography, and a further reading section. A really good book. It exceeded my expectations. 4 out 5 stars.

This book had beautiful illustrations and was factual but managed to keep me interested.
The only issue I had was the overall format didn’t seem to flow.

I really like the illustrations at the beginning of this book. I wish there had been continuity in photographs OR illustrations. I think this would’ve brought the book up a level in stars. I know many students that will line up to get this book from my library whether it is for the illustrations/pictures or for the topics (older students) such a fun book.

I loved this book! Learning about various deadly plants was very interesting. The writing was both humorous and informative, and I liked that each plant came with at least one account of how someone was poisoned by it.

Discover the dark side of nature in this exploration of poisonous plants. From their historical uses in medicine and warfare to their roles in infamous crimes, this book reveals how plants evolved toxicity and became agents of death.

This fun-to-read book is full of fascinating information. It’s a must-read for gardeners and mystery authors. It will also appeal to history buffs and true-crime fans. Written in an entertaining style, it’s educational and spine-tingling. A perfect Halloween read!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Laugh out loud hilarious writing about each of nature's most deadly plants.
I loved this book, and every entry has full-color illustrations and facts that will blow your mind.
Highly entertaining, informative, and intriguing. I love the author's way of delivering stories about how each plant was used in espionage and skullduggery.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this book. Loved the attention to detail in explaining how in particularly the plant affects the body. I also like the little cases that introduce the plant. Overall a great book.

This book is filled to the brim with fascinating insight into the world of poisonous plants! I kept pausing my reading to share the facts I was learning with my husband. It reminded me in the best way possible of the science & history fact books every library used to have when I was small. Pared with a gorgeous interior full of beautiful illustrations & pictures from both nature & history, it was a joy to read. I highly recommend it, and will watch for other works from this author!