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meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A 9 year old named Violet came into the bookstore to celebrate her birthday and, when she saw my dragon t-shirt, recommended me this middle grades graphic novel about a young Chinese-American girl who’s gifted a dragon egg! While I didn’t love the representation of scientists or Mongolia or the emphasis on blood, I was blown away by the action, plot twists, stunning art, and lovable characters—Nate the dragon enthusiastically included!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Alcoholism, Blood, War, Death of parent, Medical content, and Vomit
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What a fun middle-grade graphic novel read!
Dragons, friendship, and family secrets. These are the main aspects that make up City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm by Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong.
Readers follow the main character Grace, who is navigating a new school in a new country all while trying to make new friends. During a class field trip, Grace and her new friend Ramesh wander off in search of something more exciting than the history of the city. During this adventure, Grace is given a dragon's egg by an elderly woman with no directions or instructions. Soon after, Grace makes a pact with Ramesh, James, and Jing, and all four tweens work together to understand why Grace was given the dragon and what it means for the future of China. Through adventuring across land and sea to battling secret agents to learning unsettling truths about her family, Grace and her gang make discoveries about the dragons that could impact the entirety of China.
This was a really fun adventure graphic novel that brought together mythology, ancient legends, dragons, and friendship. I enjoyed the relationships that were formed between Grace, Ramesh, Jing, and James. Their friendship did not feel forced, and each character truly had something important and meaningful to bring to the group and story.
The illustrations are also well-done and help to bring the storyline to a new level. If just reading the text, graphic novels can often feel like they are missing pieces of the story or have sections that are underdeveloped. Thanks to collaborations with brilliant artists, like Truong, the stories come to life and have so much more depth to them. A particular character that caught my attention in this story is Nate. When I first saw the drawing of Nate (the dragon), my heart melted! I didn’t know dragons could be so cute, and he definitely gave off some canine companion vibes. I would not be upset to have a dragon friend like Nate.
The cliffhanger at the end of the story definitely left me curious to see how the plot continues with Grace and her friends. There are plot lines I want to know more about and hopefully will have the chance to in a sequel to City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm. If you are ready to take flight with Grace and the dragons, I recommend checking this one out!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, and Cancer
Minor: Blood, Murder, Grief, and Medical content
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