Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Dragonhaven
Book Review: Sadly disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
Thank goodness I checked this book out at the library. Like other reviewers, I had a lot of trouble getting through it. The only way I managed was to skip ahead to when something starting happening. Then I was able to go back and read through the whole thing. In other words, the plot was fine, but the length could easily have been cut by close to half to make a great book. McKinley also did a great job building her alternate world. Those digressions I did enjoy, learning about Smokehill's history, dragons, the political landscape, etc. The dragons were painted masterfully, intellegent yet very different from human beings. BUT--
The rambling, self-indugent voice got really, REALLY tedious. Yes, I know people can be self-absorbed and repeat themseves, and maybe this was supposed to show Jake's character, but that doesn't mean it makes a good read. As a reader, I don't need to be told something ten times to get it. Two, maybe three at most. This problem first cropped up in Sunshine. I loved Sunshine for its sassy, irreverent voice, but it also came to annoy me with its digressions and hammering certain plot elements OVER AND OVER.
It's great for writers to grow and experiment so we readers don't feel like we're getting the same ol' thing. But Dragonhaven felt more like a rush to get something written than an experiment. I have to admit, I hope this doesn't foretell a new direction for Robin McKinley, whose past novels have often ended up on my "keeper" shelf.
Book Review: Total Flop!
Summary: 1 Stars
I am a HUGE Robin Mckinley fan and own almost all of her books. However, I really hated Dragonhaven. The first person narrative was extremly annoying. The speach patterns were hard to read and very juvenile.The plot was also not up to her usual standards. I'm sorry that I purchased this book without reading it first.
More Dragonhaven reviews:
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