It’s 1954, and Janie Scott is in boarding school in New Hampshire, trying to make a new life. Two years have passed since she last saw the mysterious apothecary—or his defiant son, Benjamin. All she knows is that her friends are out there somewhere, trying to keep the world safe in an age of mounting atomic power. On the other side of the world, Benjamin is treating the wounded in a jungle war, and experimenting with a magical new formula that will let him communicate with Janie across the globe.
But Janie has her own experiment underway, and it’s attracting interest from sinister forces. Benjamin calls on their friend Pip for help, and they have to race to find one another, and to unravel the mystery of their powerful new enemies.
A magical new adventure, following Maile Meloy’s critically acclaimed novel The Apothecary, with captivating illustrations by Ian Schoenherr.
- Used Book in Good Condition
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Even Better Than The Apothecary!
By Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
Oh, the joys of an unsolicited ARC that turns out to be the sequel to a book you enjoyed. Prior to the arrival of this book on my doorstep, I had no idea that there would be a sequel to The Apothecary, nor did I have a specific hankering for one. However, since I did like the first, I was excited to discover what would transpire in this installment. Well, lucky me, The Apprentices is an even better read than The Apothecary, maturer in plot, writing and characterization.Where The Apothecary was very much a middle grade novel, clearly skewing to a younger audience, The Apprentices could really have been published for either middle graders or young adults. Two years have passed since the ending of The Apothecary, bringing Janie from fourteen years old to sixteen. Janie, Benjamin, and Pip have all grown up in the gap between the two novels, still their charming selves but a bit wiser.Despite the maturer tone, The Apprentices retains the magic of The Apothecary. Once again, evil forces are at work, attempting to do evil things involving atomic bombs and it's up to the apothecary, his son Benjamin, and Benjamin's friends to save the day. Using a book called the Pharmacopoeia, they can create potions that make the improbable possible. For example, they can become birds, much like in The Sword in the Stone.On top of that, The Apprentices is also historical fiction. In the first book, Janie's parents had moved to England to escape the Red Scare, as they worked in the entertainment industry. The Cold War is still going strong in The Apprentices. In fact, Meloy even touches on tensions in Vietnam, China and North Korea. I love how she weaves the historical elements in, without beating the reader over the head with them.Meloy's characters are a lot of fun. Janie is brilliant and determined, more concerned with figuring out how to desalinate water than boys. Though she does have fond memories of Benjamin, who left her alone for two years, and another potential suitor in the handsom Raffaello, romance stuff really isn't at the top of her mind. In fact, Benjamin actually spends more of his time thinking about her, worrying that she might have found another boy in his absence. He, too, is incredibly clever, becoming the heir to his father in apothecral (this does not appear to be a word, but I shall make it so) talents.Pip doesn't spend much time on screen (on page?) in The Apprentices, but he still manages to steal the show. Now a television star in England, he's got a posher accent than before, but he's still the same short, cheeky lad. Enlisted to go find and save Janie in America, he gets cheap passage on a cruise ship in exchange for keeping the daughters of the wealthy entertained. The contacts he makes turn out to be hilarious plot points. No one can resist Pip's exuberant charm.If you enjoyed The Apothecary, you will not want to miss Meloy's follow up, which exceeds its predecessor, a rarity in sequels. There's action, a bit of romance, history and humor. The Apprentices is a great read for children, teens and adults alike.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic Read
By LAS Reviewer
Where magic and mystery meet!Thoroughly engrossing, Meloy's new work The Apprentices is a simply spellbinding magical adventure. However, it is the characters - the true test of friendship, and the emotional connections, that is the heart of this story.The Apprentices is a sequel (to The Apothecary) but this reader had not read the first (an oversight I will correct) and this is perfectly comprehensible as a stand-alone. The plot is definitely interesting and unpredictable, yet it is Janie, Benjamin, and Pip who drive the story. The three friends search the world to find each other... well, the search actually starts sooner than that. Janie searches her mind for memories of three missing weeks. Her search allows us readers to get a sense of that first novel, and works as something of a prologue. I might wish this bit had been a bit shorter.This is also a good illustration of how wonderfully Meloy builds characters: Janie's roommate Opal's family are as real as any of the main characters, in the space of a paragraph. And the very first of the surprises happens so quickly after we disregard both Opal AND her parents... that I am immediately shocked and then mad and intrigued. However, I must tell you that I absolutely hate spoilers, and that makes writing a review for this (that anyone can comprehend, anyway) darn near impossible. Just as we begin to think we can see where this is going, we realize we cannot see at all.This book is getting a 5 star review because the plot is magically plotted - and as I read on, I can only tell you that further events are both logical and suprising, that magic is a delight - and friendship, true friendship, never lets you down.The writer's style: Polished professionalism. This story is completely engrossing, and the writing fades to the background - it is simply never intrusive. The classic `good read.' In fact, from cover to layout, everything about The Apprentices is top quality. If you like a true spellbinder, do read.Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.The Apprentices
By Gwyn Wallace
I was a bit worried because this is a sequal to such a good book, but it is just as great. I love this book series, and I hope there are many more books about Janie, Benjamin, and Pip. There isromance perfectly added;not too much, not too little. There is violence and parts that I got extremely emotional, but it adds to the story. I most definitely recommend this book.
