The Apprentices

Starred review from May 6, 2013
Set in 1954, this sequel to The Apothecary features the same fun, fast-moving formula as the first book, with charming characters and exciting intrigue mixed with a handful of magic. As this story opens, Janie, now 16, is alone at an elite American boarding school, unaware of the whereabouts of her first boyfriend, Benjamin, and his apothecary father. After she is wrongly expelled, she realizes she is the victim of a nefarious scheme, which again poses a threat to world peace. The elaborate but well-executed plot spans the globe as the heroes find their way back to each other. Readers are again treated to plenty of impressive alchemical wizardry along the way, including a powder Benjamin invents that gives its users the ability to see through someone else’s eyes, allowing for a sort of long-range communication. Schoenherr’s moody illustrations (not all seen by PW) add to the atmosphere of this magical (in multiple senses) story; readers will be glad to reconnect with these well-drawn characters and be grateful that Meloy leaves room for a third installment. Ages 10–up. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM.

May 1, 2013
"Our work is an ongoing struggle with unintended consequences," says Marcus Burrows, the titular apothecary of Meloy's previous novel for young adults (2011). The work to which he refers is using alchemy to halt the spread of nuclear weapons in the 1950s, and in this sequel, he is joined in his quest again by the resourceful and quick-witted 16-year-old Janie Scott. Meloy's deft exposition sets the stage swiftly, so that when the boarding school where Janie has been sent for safekeeping is quickly revealed as a treacherous place and her bogus expulsion in the second chapter plunges her into action, readers already understand her history. The narration shifts among Janie and her allies: Benjamin Burrows, the apothecary's brave son; Pip, the wily London con artist; and Jin Lo, the tortured Chinese chemist. This mirrors their experiences when they discover an elixir that enables them to see through one another's eyes while they cross the globe to reunite, head off nuclear disaster and cope with the fallout from their own alchemical experimentation. The denouement leaves room for both optimism and a third (as yet unconfirmed) installment. This sober and well-constructed adventure accurately conveys the geopolitical instability of the era and is leavened with just enough magic, chaste romance and humor to appeal to middle-grade readers through teens. (art not seen) (Historical fantasy. 10-14)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 5-9-It is 1954, and 16-year-old Janie attends a private school in New Hampshire. When her roommate's father, Mr. Magnusson, kidnaps her and holds her hostage on a Malay island, Janie's friends Benjamin and Pip come after her. Despite living on three different continents, the friends share a special bond. In The Apothecary (Putnam, 2011), they harnessed the Pharmacopoeia, a magical apothecary manual, to stop Russia's first nuclear weapons test. Janie then returned home with her parents, Pip became a London actor, and Benjamin pursued humanitarian work in Asia. Now Benjamin must decide how the Pharmacopoeia might rescue Janie and stop Magnusson's plans for his own weapon. Nuanced secondary characters like Magnusson's wife and another apothecary named Jin Lo round out a detailed story. Beloved characters, lyric prose, and exotic settings continue to characterize Meloy's distinguished world-building. However, the three friends spend the novel adrift and alone, physically and metaphorically, and readers may find this sequel less emotionally satisfying than the first book. With more active escape scenes and only a few pages spent together, Janie and her friends seem frozen in fight-or-flight mode, and little character development occurs in the book. Janie manages to resolve her relationship quandary with Benjamin, but Pip is broadly sketched, and the ending is abrupt. Numerous story threads that weave characters and globe-trotting adventures together flash by with confusing rapidity. Series readers will pore over the death-defying escapes and hope the third book reunites the trio more successfully.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2013
Grades 6-9 In The Apothecary (2011), Janie was caught up in a fantastic series of events that included everything from Hollywood blacklisting to magical elixirs. Now 16, she hasn't seen first-love Benjamin Burrows or his father, whose talents at potion making help save the world from an atomic bomb. A perilous situation reignites the relationship, albeit only through a potion that links the teens' thoughts. That's enough, however, to show Benjamin that Janie is in grave danger, and he must save her. Unfortunately, doing so involves being turned into a bird, sailing through cyclones, and fighting off cannibals. Also looking for Janie are the magical Jin Lo, on her way after letting her murdered family's spirits free in China, and saucy Brit Pip, swatting away the girls as he goes. Meloy boldly weaves the disparate strings of the story together in inventivesometimes breathtakingways. More nuanced than the first book, this brings together a large and intriguing cast and explores their knotty relationships. The sometimes hole-filled plot becomes less and less important, but the characters become more memorable as the pages fly by.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Janie, Benjamin, Pip, and Jin Lo reunite two years on in this genre-defying sequel to The Apothecary that spans the globe and knits together elements of ancient alchemical principles and modern nuclear chemistry. Meloy employs a light touch and a taste of verbal humor, and, while her story sometimes demands suspension of disbelief, strong characterizations and unexpected twists carry the reader along.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)