Poison as Motivation

I picked up Poison because I liked the cover. How many times have you done that? This one had a girl in the woods and a near-hidden piglet. It was colorful and intriguing and I felt, just by seeing the cover, that it would be something I’d like. And after reading the description, I knew this would be my next read.

Right as I was making my final decision, something on the back inside cover caught my eye. The word “was” doesn’t usually make an appearance when describing the author. So I read through and discovered the tragic news: the author of Poison, Bridget Zinn, had not lived to see the book published. Over two years ago, she passed away from cancer.   

Suddenly my desire to read this book catapulted into an aching need. I felt that I owed it to Bridget, who hadn’t lived to see her dream of publication come true. I wanted to experience her writing and pass it along. As I read the book and grew to love it, it was difficult to know that I wouldn’t be able to dive into a sequel or another story by her. There was so much potential between the lines: Bridget’s potential to create more and to write more.

Poison is quirky, fun, imaginative and engulfing. The organization of the book was expertly crafted,and the surprises continually astonished me, particularly the last one which I didn’t see coming. It was gasp-worthy and smile-worthy and even though I wish there was a sequel, I appreciate Poison as a great stand-alone fantasy tale.

For me, Poison serves as a reminder that life is unpredictable. There are many people whose lives are lost before their dreams come true. For Bridget, the love of her husband and the help of many friends led to her dream being accomplished posthumously.  But for the vast majority of people, their passing means their dreams perish as well.

It is a reminder, and a motivator. I may have decades to achieve my dreams, but I can’t rely on it. I can hope for years upon years, but that doesn’t mean I can procrastinate. I need to work toward my dreams now. I need to work hard to accomplish what I want to now. Life is unpredictable. Anything can happen, which can be both a blessing and a curse.  

Cheers to Bridget, and the accomplishment of Poison. Cheers to all those that assisted with its publication.

Find out more about Poison here!