Celia Buell (semi hiatus)'s Reviews > The Apothecary

Here's another favorite from middle school that I never actually reread, at least not in recent years. I'm happy to say it's still a hit for me.

I love the girl power of women in science in the 1950s in this one. From the beginning, Janie is an intelligent woman who doesn't back down, and yet the story is not about attempting to achieve equality with a man. In contrast, Janie already has it. While this may not be realistic in the 1950s, it's nice to take a break from that fight in literature about the era, when so much that's written for adults and even older teens is about those struggles. I guess that's why it's fun to go back and read middle grade or young adult sometimes. I know it wasn't realistic for the time, but I'm glad that there is historical fiction where this doesn't need to be at the forefront.

Although we've definitely moved past the "two boys one girl trio" trope in more recent young adult fantasy, and I would have liked more involvement from female characters in this one (and especially in the sequel, but no matter), I like the way it's done here, with the main trio, but also the trio of scientists. At the point they were about to meet Jin Lo, I was like, "yes, my favorite character" and I don't even remember if I felt that way the first time reading the first two books, or if I'm just struck with that feeling now after reading books like Lilac Girls and other WWII and post-WWII books that show how far women still had to go in the 1940s and 50s.

I also love Pip and the way he takes everything in stride from the very beginning. He's definitely an example of the "convenient" character who shows up when he's needed, but again, it's done really well, and he serves as comic relief and a relief to have in general as the third member of the main trio.

I think sometimes later middle grade to early YA fantasy just hits different. This is the third time in the last few months that I've completely fallen into an old favorite middle grade fantasy. There's something about that genre, more than any other, that just takes me out of reality for a while.

I'm definitely going to read the second one The Apprentices soon, and then hopefully I can finally read The After-Room while it's still fresh in my mind.