Aslaug is kept very isolated from society by her mother who claims she is a miracle brought into this life from a 'virgin birth'. As the story makes progress Aslaug's mother dies from illness, and she is thrown into an unknown world to her. A world where she is believed to have committed arson and murder. She begins to question her sanity as her own miracle is put up to trial. Weird book!! Well written but, in a way that is hard for me to review. While a lot of the parts of the book I could have done without, the lessons in botany, for example, I don't think the book could have been told without them. As this was Aslaug's life, it's what she knew. Being sheltered and reared by her mother in a home-schooling environment where the main focus was on science, history, mythology, legends and religion. Her whole life was plants and flowers. They were used in nourishment as well as medicine. So, there was no way to take these 'lessons' out of the book, as it was very much a part of the story. Even so, those sections bored me. The rest of the book clipped along for me. And at the end I was glad I stuck it out. It wasn't a OMG that was so good book for me, as others have found it, but it was thought provoking. I liked most of this book but thought that the ending was awful enough to ruin the book. I see that other reviewers thought that too much was going on in the book. Personally, I loved the detail about plants and the "medicinal" properties of them. The structure of the novel moving back and forth between a trial transcript and the events as they transpired was compelling. The family relationships were interesting until the plot just stretched the willing suspension of disbelief to the breaking point.
What do You think about Madapple (2008)?
All around great book. Very thought-provoking. I devoured it in one sitting.
—Leolovesbooks
Very strange! Made me hope no one's life is really as messed up as that.
—Bob
Interesting book. Sort of predictable.....but still kept my interest.
—vicky1234567
