I really wanted to like this book by Kelly Barnhill...after all, who can resist that title? And she has won numerous prizes and awards for her children's books, including the Newbery Medal for The Girl Who Drank the Moon. And I loved the premise--that every woman had some dragon in them, and when they reached for that power they could, in fact, become dragons. But overall the book felt like it dragged and ended on such a sticky sweet note that I can't wholly recommend it.
Set in a 1950's era America, math and science prodigy Alexandra Green (it's Alex for those who care) is abandoned by her favorite aunt, Marla, who is part of the mass dragoning disappearance of tens of thousands of women in 1955; by her mother who shortly therafter dies of cancer; and by her father, who quickly remarries the proverbial secretary to start a new family. Literally, he shoves teenage Alex and her young cousin, Beatrice, in a run-down apartment and sends them rent and food money once a month--until he, too, dies. Fortunately Alex has the support of the local public librarian, who is a force to be reckoned with.
Kirkus, on the other hand, extolls the storyline: "In lesser hands the dragon metaphor would feel simplistic and general, but Barnhill uses it to imagine different ways of living, loving, and caring for each other. The result is a complex, heartfelt story about following your heart and opening your mind to new possibilities. This novel’s magic goes far beyond the dragons." The New York Times offers a more thought provoking review. Publishers Weekly also closes on a positive note, "Barnhill makes palpable Alex’s sense of loss as well as the strictures of mid-century American life. This allegory packs a punch."
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