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anniemlx's review
3.75
Really fun read. Some minor typos that took away from the experience as it took me out of the experience.
librarianinperiwinkle's review
3.0
I finished reading the ARC from NetGalley a couple of weeks ago, and even with that amount of time to ponder, I still am not quite sure what I thought/think of the book. It is definitely unlike anything I have ever read before! From the description, I was expecting something much less dark and violent. Yes, there is a great deal of humor, but it's not a lighthearted read. Characters die, nearly die, and lose body parts. The vast quantity of profanity starts on page one, the crude sexual references and jokes not long after.
You can't help but root for teenage (Everett) Squib Moreau, and I grew fond of Vern, the depressed curmudgeon of an ancient dragon, as time went on, too. Constable Hooke freaked me out--he's a ruthless psychopath who has been getting away with murdering people for years, beginning with his cruel zealot of a father.
On balance, I think I'm glad I read the book because it was so unusual and kept me reading to find out what would happen. But it's not one I'll re-read. I prefer my escapist fiction to be more laugh-out-loud and less dark. I'm sure other people with different reading tastes will love this, though.
For readers' advisors: story doorway is perhaps primary? Readers will need an incredibly high tolerance for bad language, sexual references, and on-screen violence. Vern is, he believes, the last of his kind--a fire-breathing dragon ("Vern" is short for "Wyvern"). The closest genre it fits into is contemporary fantasy because the story revolves around a dragon living/hiding in a swamp in a modern-day Louisiana bayou.
You can't help but root for teenage (Everett) Squib Moreau, and I grew fond of Vern, the depressed curmudgeon of an ancient dragon, as time went on, too. Constable Hooke freaked me out--he's a ruthless psychopath who has been getting away with murdering people for years, beginning with his cruel zealot of a father.
On balance, I think I'm glad I read the book because it was so unusual and kept me reading to find out what would happen. But it's not one I'll re-read. I prefer my escapist fiction to be more laugh-out-loud and less dark. I'm sure other people with different reading tastes will love this, though.
For readers' advisors: story doorway is perhaps primary? Readers will need an incredibly high tolerance for bad language, sexual references, and on-screen violence. Vern is, he believes, the last of his kind--a fire-breathing dragon ("Vern" is short for "Wyvern"). The closest genre it fits into is contemporary fantasy because the story revolves around a dragon living/hiding in a swamp in a modern-day Louisiana bayou.
hollydoo97's review
3.0
This was one of my first ever 'blind dates with a book' that I had ever purchased. I never was much of a fan of the YA/Children's novels that Eoin Colfer wrote. But Highfire was obviously a fun write for him. It has adult humor and themes, but a walking, talking, fire breathing dragon living out in the bayou. If you want a low fantasy novel with some witty humor and an easy to hate villain, this is worth the read at least once.
timinbc's review
4.0
Four stars for me, and probably for teenage boys, and possibly for anyone who still likes to revert to being a teenage boy occasionally. They probably call it "adult" because there's quite a lot of violence and some characters whose views of women are no more enlightened than their views of, say, obeying the law.
I sense quite a bit of Carl Hiaasen in this, but Vern is a more complex and interesting character than I remember from CH.
So, you set the scene, you establish the premise, and crank out a series of wild and crazy adventures and revelations. What I liked was that even the most outrageous scene was never at odds with what we had already been told.
There's a nice overall tone of the dialect and idiom of the area, without taking it too far. Sounds a bit like the dialog from "Pogo." To find out what I mean you'll have to read it your own self.
And of course the good guys win in the end. Well, most of them.
I sense quite a bit of Carl Hiaasen in this, but Vern is a more complex and interesting character than I remember from CH.
So, you set the scene, you establish the premise, and crank out a series of wild and crazy adventures and revelations. What I liked was that even the most outrageous scene was never at odds with what we had already been told.
There's a nice overall tone of the dialect and idiom of the area, without taking it too far. Sounds a bit like the dialog from "Pogo." To find out what I mean you'll have to read it your own self.
And of course the good guys win in the end. Well, most of them.
rlfrick's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It was fun but the story focused too much on the main antagonist who wasn’t even that good of a character. Some of the more fun parts of the story seemed to be stripped away in favor of the antagonist which made it boring. By the end of the story I was skipping sections from the antagonists perspective because, I get it, he’s a bad guy.
bookish_emily's review
3.0
Vern is (probably) the last dragon alive, and is currently living a lonely life in the Louisiana swamp, until one day his covert existence is threatened by a teenager's run-in with a corrupt cop. Everett "Squib" Moreau manages to avoid incineration and convince Vern that he can be useful rather than a liability, but things get a little dicey when the corrupt cop keeps digging. Vern and Squib are forced into an unlikely partnership to save themselves and their loved ones.
Highfire is an entertaining adult fantasy novel with a quirky cast of characters. It is funny, sad, and graphically violent in equal measure. After a bit of a slow start the story picks up, with nonstop action towards the end.
Highfire is an entertaining adult fantasy novel with a quirky cast of characters. It is funny, sad, and graphically violent in equal measure. After a bit of a slow start the story picks up, with nonstop action towards the end.
jennrocca's review
3.0
Meh. It was OK, and there were parts I liked, but it took a long time for me to get into it. Also, it’s a story set in Louisiana but I never stopped hearing the British come through in the writing so it did not feel authentic. It does not earn any high praise but it was diverting for a week so, meh.
readcharlotte's review
4.0
3.5 stars. Typical Colfer, and really enjoyable with the adult language and pop culture references. I read everything this guy puts out, and it's always a comfortable, enjoyable experience.
aofloyd's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5