Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language: There are two handfuls of hells and damns.  The “S” word once, exclamations of Deity, and some other crude language like pissed and skag.

Violence:  A dragon is shot in the wing, bleeding and cannot fly.  Jacinda thinks she is being chased and runs.  She hurts her hand and it bleeds.   Some girls gang up on Jacinda in the bathroom and beat her up.  There is a fight between Will and Cassian.

Sexual Content:  Jacinda yearns for Will.  She wants to touch him, craves his nearness.  Will takes his shirt off.  Will and Jacinda kiss, her hands roam over his shoulders, back and chest.   Will and Jacinda kiss many times, often with hands under shirts, moaning, quivering, arching and so forth.  Jacinda’s sister says, “I don’t want everyone at school whispering about her like she’s some toy you get your kicks with in a stairwell.”

Adult Themes:  Will sneaks into the house through the window when Jacinda is home alone.  Jacinda sneaks out of the house to go out with Will.  There is a party with many teens where they are drinking alcohol.

Synopsis

Jacinda is a Draki, living with her pride in the Cascade Mountains of Washington where it is moist and lush.  The Draki are descendants of dragons who can now take on human form to protect themselves from those who would hunt and harm them.  Jacinda is the first fire breathing dragon the pride has seen in hundreds of years and has been chosen to marry the leader’s son.  Jacinda rebels against the rules of the pride and the expectations therein.  She breaks the no flying rule and attracts the hunters to herself.  She is shot down and found by a hunter; a green eyed boy who says she is beautiful.  He allows her to escape back to her pride.  But danger awaits her there as the pride decides to make it so she can never fly again.  Her mother secretly leaves the pride that night, taking with her Jacinda and her twin sister, Tamra.  They end up in Nevada where Jacinda is told to let the Draki within her die, and live a normal human life.  But how can she do this when fate intercedes and she meets again the boy who allowed her to live?  That beautiful boy who brings alive the Draki inside her every time she is near him.

I enjoyed reading this book.  But I was also left wishing I knew more about the history of the Draki and  the people the hunters sold dragon parts to. Why did they want the dragon parts so badly?  What kind of creatures were they and where did they live?  How did they fit into the world?  I felt like I didn’t really get all of Jacinda’s rebellion because I didn’t know the history of the pride and the characters very well.  I like the idea of the Draki and the dragons.  It was a very appealing story line with plenty of tension.  The story moved along quickly and I am left wanting to know more.  Booklist gives 8^th-12^th grade for the reading group for this book.  I would say based on the language and sexual content it would be more appropriate for upper high school ages.