Dragonhaven

I kept waiting to be 'captured' by the character in this book, but I had very little empathy for him, or connection to him. The story seemed to drag on and bog down in mundane events. I really TRIED, but haven't made it past 2/3 of the way through. I plan to finish, hoping there will be something redeeming in it's ending. The general grammar is bad and sentences are jumbled and don't flow. I hope this was an intentional effort on the part of the author - if not, I can't imagine how an editor would let something this discombobulated get through. I cannot recommend this book and plan to throw it away when I finish, rather than pass it on to my daughter. More youthful readers may relate to this book more, but I certainly can't condone having them learn this sort of writing style.

i usually love robin mckinley especially the book "Beauty". i love dragon novels and since i liked the book Beauty by this author i thought i would give it a try. it has a good story plot but for the life of me, i couldnt finish it, try as i might. the book is written from a teenagers point of view but its scrambled and unorganized.

there was a lot of repitition and i skipped a lot of parts because it seemed like the author was just rambling and not really getting anywhere. so yes it was slow going. robin mckinley is an excellent author ill give her that, but this book is a no go.

Robin McKinley writes consistently well-imagined stories, and Dragonhaven is no exception. The protagonist in this book is a teen boy, and his voice shines through. The setting of Dragonhaven is rich with compelling details. The overarching plot can be predicted by experienced readers of fantasy, but, just as in McKinley's Beauty and Rose Daughter, the focus of the book is not on plot but on character and setting. I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed McKinley's previous works, as well as any fan of dragon-related tales such as Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) or Inkheart. This book is appropriate for young teens and older preteens.

Dragonhaven is imaginative, dragon tale of McKinley order. I was expecting a "Blue Sword" type of tale, but instead was introduced to a whole new host of characters and story line. Not as fast paced as her other books, but a good read.

McKinley's strongest assest as a writer is her ability to captivate you with her characters depth. Every book that I have read has been great, and this one is no different! Dragonhaven

I was excited to read this, and was very disappointed. Robin Mckinley is one of my favorite authors. This book didn't really fit. It seems she was trying to do something different. Too bad it didn't work. The first person narration was very poorly written. The whole book was written as if a teen-age boy was telling his story, and I don't think it was realistic in any way. It was very distracting to the actually story line, and I found myself re-reading things because it didn't flow properly. The story in itself was a good one, but because of the style in which it was told, I found myself bored and even skipping parts(which I never ever do).

I LOVE McKinley's writing, usually, but reading this book was like wading through hot tar. The first-person narration is very grating, and with a better editor, the book could have been shortened by about a third. The plot is engaging, which is why I gave it two stars, but I don't know if most people are even going to get that far. It's the only one of McKinley's books I've ever had a hard time finishing.

WOW, I am moved and crying. Robin McKinley takes us always into new worlds. The Blue Sword of course was incredible. This one has me dreaming dragons. The dreaming and communication parts are an incredibly interesting way to face interspecies communication. The writing is evocative and prose beautiful. Many parts are as dreamy and unfocused as the fight chapters in Spindle's end. The narration style with its shifts of time is difficult at first, and even you begin to doubt that reading this is worth it. I don't give a hoot about teenage boys. But then sort of when Lois is born, the narration style puts a haze between us and the action in the same way Jake is feeling confused and yet totally focused. It is like caring for the puppies in her other books. I admit I have just rescued and bottle fed kittens so I feel a kinship (but they were eating on their own in 3 weeks). It is better than any dog story. THANK YOU

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was interesting and fun, but I think, a little long in the side comments. This made it difficult at times to keep interested in where the story was going. But overall a fun read..

WOW, I am moved and crying. Robin McKinley takes us always into new worlds. The Blue Sword of course was incredible. This one has me dreaming dragons. The dreaming and communication parts are an incredibly interesting way to face interspecies communication. The writing is evocative and prose beautiful. Many parts are as dreamy and unfocused as the fight chapters in Spindle's end. The narration style with its shifts of time is difficult at first, and even you begin to doubt that reading this is worth it. I don't give a hoot about teenage boys. But then sort of when Lois is born, the narration style puts a haze between us and the action in the same way Jake is feeling confused and yet totally focused. It is like caring for the puppies in her other books. I admit I have just rescued and bottle fed kittens so I feel a kinship (but they were eating on their own in 3 weeks). It is better than any dog story. THANK YOU

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was interesting and fun, but I think, a little long in the side comments. This made it difficult at times to keep interested in where the story was going. But overall a fun read..

Dragonhaven was definitely, definitely up to Robin Mckinley's usual standard! I loved it. Mckinley has this beautiful style of pulling a reader through the story as though we're really experiencing it through the main character's thoughts and mind. It's slightly disjointed, and yet it flows so well! That is one of my favorite things about Mckinley's books is that disjointed but flowing aspect that is so similar to how real people think. This book did not disappoint me. It was so heartfelt, so real, so beautifully written. It lived up to (and possibly beyond) Mickinley's reputation.

This book is not up to the usual McKinley standards. There is little or no action & the teen age narrative gets old in a hurry. I won't waste my time finishing it. Don't spend your $ on this one. What a disappointment, McKinley is one of my favorite authors.