Jacinda’s got a lot going on. New town, new school, new friends: one of the plain old girl variety, one of the not-so-plain (and not-so-strictly-friend-zoned) boy variety. Everything in her life is different now…except her mom’s five-cheese macaroni with unique blend of herbs.
Of course, this particular dish is made especially delicious because Mom is a Verda draki – the kind that know everything there is to know about herbs, specifically how to optimize them into food and medicines. In other words, the exact type of dragon descendant you want your mom to be.
Maybe I should back up.
Jacinda’s unique family tree boasts glorious traditional dragons of yore, as well as the evolved creatures of more recent generations like herself who have the ability to shift to human form. But even though Jacinda can attend a normal high school and live a regular teen existence, she wants to live in the fog-cloaked mountains, manifesting into her dragon form at will and feeling the wind caress her gossamer wings.
So the above-mentioned comfort food is Mom’s attempt to make a home where it is not – not just because the new home is a moldy pool house in the back yard of a snoopy old lady (a pool house to a pool that she won’t even let them use), but because the dry desert town is the complete opposite of the lush, protected land she had to leave behind.
It’s all part of Mom’s plan to kill Jacinda. Yes, really. Okay, not to make her dead dead, but to destroy the draki part of her so that the family can in every way move on from the past. The past that includes both the old home and the rest of the draki tribe…and also that tribe’s plan to breed Jacinda because of her generations-unique fire-breathing ability.
Mom knows they can’t go back (and at some level Jacinda does, too) to their old lives (and selves), so busting out the special macaroni is her only move. All she can do is nourish Jacinda’s body, while continuing to starve Jacinda’s soul. Supposedly for her own good. But it sure doesn’t feel that way to Jacinda every time she chokes on the dry desert air that burns her draki lungs…
Publisher: Harper Teen (September 7, 2010)
Hardcover: 336 Pages
Book from BEA
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret. (Source)
Review
FIRELIGHT, by Sophie Jordan, introduced me to a supernatural creature that I have never read about before, dragons. Or in this case draki. I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover, isn't it gorgeous? The subtle changes in the human form make the cover intriguing and when I heard about it, I just had to read it.
I read this book a couple of weeks ago and I have been going back and forth about the review. I wanted to love the book but I couldn't. I did like the book but there were times when I wanted to close it and be done with it.
I really liked the creativity Jordan put into her creation of the draki. Since I have never read a dragon book I can't compare it to anything else but I thought the history and way of life was stellar. I wanted Jacinda to let her draki come out more often because I enjoyed experiencing the natural freedom it gave her. I did enjoy the suspense of the story and the cliffhanger ending did leave me wanting more.
I did not like how easily the romance blossomed between Jacinda and Will. It seemed to happen too quickly and Jacinda would be hot and cold about the relationship at the drop of a hat. It went back and forth too often and it seemed to me that the relationship was there, just to be there. I don't want to spoil too much, that is why it was tough for me to write the review. I have an idea about why the connection is so strong between these two and it might negate what I just said, but it was not explained in this book so I am actually excited for the next book to answer more questions.
Overall, this was a good book. The draki culture really make it stick out to me, but in the relationship department I found myself being taken out of the story too often.
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The winner of Dead Beautiful is...
Candyland!
Congrads and please email your address to [email protected]
Today's Arc Giveaway is Sophie Jordan's Firelight.
This was one of the books on the YA Buzz Panel.
Don't you love the cover? And the premise is awesome!
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.
Today, all you have to do to enter is sign up for my new monthly Market My Words newsletter to enter.
Starting the end of this month, I will be sending out marketing tips, scoop on upcoming contest news, book giveaways, marketing book reviews, special newsletter interviews, and more.
Good luck to all on the Pitch Contest! They were great! :)
Update: Bree says she will have the winners by Monday!!
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Ooh, newsletter...sure. Done!!
Congrats Candyland!
Congrats to Candyland! I'm already a newsletter subscriber--this ARC looks great!
This is fun!Already subscribed!
Done!
Subscribed! :)
sithereandread (at) gmail (dot) com
Already signed up!
already subscribed!! Awesome contest!!
I've really been wanting to read this one! I subscribed. thanks!
I'm in! Thanks!
Will do! You are so awesome. :)
I subscribed! Great contest!
Congrats Candyland! Though I'm secretly jealous! I'm already signed up for the newsletter, love the cover of the ARC book!
Congrats Candyland! The ARC looks awesome!
I can't wait to see your newsletter, Shelli! I'm sure it will be marvelous!
I signed uppp ! Can't wait for updates :D
~Alison
lostinbelieving(at)yahoo(dot)com
I've signed up and would love to read FIRELIGHT. :)
Maybe if I read your newsletter I'll get a clue how to do my own.
I'm an old newsletter subscriber :)
This book sounds terrific!
I'm already a subscriber and am looking for to reading it.
Awesome!
I signed up! What an awesome giveaway. I hope I win...!
I just found your blog and your twitter profile, so I'm now a follower of both. Can't wait to read more of what you have to say. :-)
Signed up!
And Monday, wow. *bites nails*
I almost didn't see this! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(And continuing with the lucky streak, I'm going to sign up for the newsletter!)
Congrats Candy! AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL COVERS, that one is gorgeous!
Already signed up.
Congrats candyland!
I'm in! So excited!