Parents' Guide to

Madapple

By Terreece Clarke, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Disturbing mystery tale with many mature themes.

Book Christina Meldrum Mystery 2008
Madapple Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

YoLeo
YoLeo Adult
November 10, 2011
age 17+

YoLeo

Awesome storyline. Abrupt yet satisfying ending. Never read anything quite like it. So read it!

This title has:

Great messages
tae99
tae99 Parent of 17-year-old
May 11, 2010
age 15+
I loved the book and would reccomend it for any one who is over the age of 13, because there is many adult themes

This title has:

Too much swearing
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Aslaug Helig isn't sure about much of her past and is uncertain about her future. Her father is an unknown mystery her mother refused to solve. After her mother's death Aslaug learns she has relatives that may hold the secret to her origins. Could she be more divine than human?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

Strange, disturbing, detailed, creepy, poetic -- Christina Meldrum's MADAPPLE is a rolling, twisting, odd mystery tale that wins on many levels. Obvious care has been given to researching botany, religious theology, and science. The novel switches with each chapter between Aslaug's telling of her version of the events and witness testimony at her murder trial. The switch teases and encourages readers to continue on Aslaug's winding journey.

Where the novel disappoints is in the sheer amount of detail. There is so much information -- plant descriptions, Latin classifications, and uses, along with overwhelming amounts of religious theory and a tangled family history that may or may not be incestuous, divine, or just dysfunctional. At times it feels as if Meldrum, a former litigator, has compiled her facts and figures and heaps them exhaustively on readers as if trying to convince them of the novel's validity. The novel has potential, but the potential gets lost in the details and ends a little too tidy. Parents may find much of the subject matter disturbing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the use of plants in medicines. How were some common remedies discovered? Why are plants so important in medicine? Families can also discuss differences in religious beliefs. What religions hold similar beliefs about the birth of prominent religious figures? What are the differences between the religions featured and your own?

Book Details

  • Author: Christina Meldrum
  • Genre: Mystery
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
  • Publication date: May 13, 2008
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 14
  • Number of pages: 416
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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