Rebecca E. Hirsch's A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds starts with a warning: "Proceed with caution." Rather than striking fear, Hirsch's conspiratorial tone creates an invitation that will be especially enticing to those who dance with danger and those curious about the science of deadly plants. Each of the book's 23 chapters focuses on a single plant, opening with a vivid illustration by Eugenia Nobati and a suspenseful anecdote before Hirsch (Plants Can't Sit Still) dives in. Most chapters contain a box of brief information, including the featured plant's scientific and common names, where it grows, and symptoms of poisoning, as well as a section Hirsch calls "Deadly Details." In the chapter on the gympie-gympie tree, this section describes a marsupial found in the tree's native Australia that is immune to the tree's toxins.
Each chapter stands alone, and some of the narratives can be grisly, so some readers may want to take breaks while reading. Some chapters include fascinating history, such as the chapter on the opium poppy, which is the source of such addictive drugs as morphine and heroin. Readers may be surprised to learn that heroin was originally manufactured in the hope of creating a nonaddictive substitute for morphine and that "in 1900 the charitable St. James Society offered free heroin through the mail to anyone wishing to kick morphine." The book closes with an author's note (in which Hirsch includes a poison control phone number), a glossary, and a list of further resources, making this a deeply interesting and highly informative YA offering that could easily cross over to adult readers. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian