Scan barcode
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
On the younger side of YA, but it had a dragon narrator and was laugh out loud funny at times.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
caitlinemccann's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I DNF'd this book after 13 pages because the sense of humor just did not land for me. It's books like this that make me think I should stop trying to read comedic fiction, especially if it's scifi.
holly_keimig's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book a lot. I had it on my to-read list for a while and finally picked it up. It is an interesting premise. A teenage dragon must try to get the most popular dragonette in school to fall for him in 24 hours and he also needs to find his grandfather who has disappeared. It is full of action and seems to be a satire on the science fiction genre itself. It has an almost "Family Guy" like feel to it. It was funny in parts, but mostly confusing. It seemed to go on a bit long for the time period it was supposed to represent too. I think younger readers (older teens) might find it amusing and maybe if I was closer to my school years, it would have resonated with me more. Not bad but also not quite what I expected.
gatun's review against another edition
3.0
Gork, the Teenage Dragon
A novel
by Gabe Hudson
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Sci Fi & Fantasy , Teens & YA
Pub Date 11 Jul 2017
Courtesy Netgalley
Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teen and YA are just a few of the genres I read on a regular basis. When I came across Gork, the Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson at Netgalley, I decided to read it. I picked it up in late June and just finished it last night, just over a month later. I think it would appeal to a different type of reader than myself.
I found the first chapter to be the most enjoyable. Gork, the title character and narrator, complains about how humans how defamed dragons. He even names a few examples like Beowulf and The Hobbit. It is a very funny take from the dragon point of view. The rest of the book did not do as much for me. Again, I believe I am probably not the ideal audience. If you have a young person, teen or YA, in your family, you should check Gork, the Teenage Dragon out. As with all books for those age groups, I strongly suggest parents read the book first before handing it over to their younger family members. That is not a comment on Gork in particular but just a good practice for all parents to do. Besides the the value of pre reading for any content issues, there is a true joy to sharing books with your children, whatever their age may be.
A novel
by Gabe Hudson
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Sci Fi & Fantasy , Teens & YA
Pub Date 11 Jul 2017
Courtesy Netgalley
Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teen and YA are just a few of the genres I read on a regular basis. When I came across Gork, the Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson at Netgalley, I decided to read it. I picked it up in late June and just finished it last night, just over a month later. I think it would appeal to a different type of reader than myself.
I found the first chapter to be the most enjoyable. Gork, the title character and narrator, complains about how humans how defamed dragons. He even names a few examples like Beowulf and The Hobbit. It is a very funny take from the dragon point of view. The rest of the book did not do as much for me. Again, I believe I am probably not the ideal audience. If you have a young person, teen or YA, in your family, you should check Gork, the Teenage Dragon out. As with all books for those age groups, I strongly suggest parents read the book first before handing it over to their younger family members. That is not a comment on Gork in particular but just a good practice for all parents to do. Besides the the value of pre reading for any content issues, there is a true joy to sharing books with your children, whatever their age may be.
rkiladitis's review against another edition
4.0
Gork's a dragon, but don't even think about mentioning Smaug to him. He's not happy at all with the way dragons are portrayed in Earth fiction, and he's here to set the record straight. So begins the story of Gork: teenage dragon, student at WarWings Academy, orphaned on Earth during his parents' mating mission and raised by his scientist grandfather, Dr. Terrible.
Starting off on Crown Day - the day dragon and dragonette cadets at the Academy agree to be mating partners - Gork has one goal in mind: to get the luscious Runcita Floop to wear his crown and agree to be his queen. The problem? His nickname is Weak Sauce, his Will to Power ranking is Snacklicious (if you're a gamer, think of Will to Power as a CON/DEX/overall attractiveness level) and he's got a bad habit of fainting when he's scared. If Runcita says yes, she and Gork will go off in his spaceship and find a planet to conquer together. If Gork can't sea the deal, he's doomed to be a slave.
Gork has a heck of a day ahead of him: Dean Floop - his intended's father - hates him; his sadistic grandfather is on the run from the Dean, he's being hunted down by a group of WarWings cadets that have murder on their minds, and the Trenx, a fellow cadet who had similarly low ratings, has seemingly blossomed overnight. Before the day is out, Gork will have to survive and learn some hard truths about his family. He'd better keep his best friend - a robot dragon named Fribby - by his side.
Gork is an out-there novel. It's a page-turner, and Gork is an endearing first-person narrator, if a bit single-minded in focus. He's obsessed with mating, but he is a teenager, after all. He refers a lot to his "scaly green ass" a lot, which gets tedious. Gork's story uses fantasy to tackle some very real points: bullying, friendship, self-esteem, and falling in love. It's a much deeper novel than the title "teenage dragon"encompasses; it's a fantasy, a YA romance, and a coming of age story.
Starting off on Crown Day - the day dragon and dragonette cadets at the Academy agree to be mating partners - Gork has one goal in mind: to get the luscious Runcita Floop to wear his crown and agree to be his queen. The problem? His nickname is Weak Sauce, his Will to Power ranking is Snacklicious (if you're a gamer, think of Will to Power as a CON/DEX/overall attractiveness level) and he's got a bad habit of fainting when he's scared. If Runcita says yes, she and Gork will go off in his spaceship and find a planet to conquer together. If Gork can't sea the deal, he's doomed to be a slave.
Gork has a heck of a day ahead of him: Dean Floop - his intended's father - hates him; his sadistic grandfather is on the run from the Dean, he's being hunted down by a group of WarWings cadets that have murder on their minds, and the Trenx, a fellow cadet who had similarly low ratings, has seemingly blossomed overnight. Before the day is out, Gork will have to survive and learn some hard truths about his family. He'd better keep his best friend - a robot dragon named Fribby - by his side.
Gork is an out-there novel. It's a page-turner, and Gork is an endearing first-person narrator, if a bit single-minded in focus. He's obsessed with mating, but he is a teenager, after all. He refers a lot to his "scaly green ass" a lot, which gets tedious. Gork's story uses fantasy to tackle some very real points: bullying, friendship, self-esteem, and falling in love. It's a much deeper novel than the title "teenage dragon"encompasses; it's a fantasy, a YA romance, and a coming of age story.
inmyhumbleopinion's review against another edition
4.0
Gork, the Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson is a quirky, tongue in cheek, sometimes angsty, all around good read. Our hero, Gork, isn’t much like the other dragons at his school. He is weaker, his horns are smaller, and his heart is way too big. He is a really fast flyer and it has kept him alive this long.
I enjoyed this fun story. It brought me back to high school and feeling the misfit. There is a terrific set of supporting characters who round out this tale. I recommend for anyone trying to get their tweener – teen son to read.
I enjoyed this fun story. It brought me back to high school and feeling the misfit. There is a terrific set of supporting characters who round out this tale. I recommend for anyone trying to get their tweener – teen son to read.
spookyreads92's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted this to be one of those books that was good despite the average rating. Unfortunately, this was just ... not good.
droar's review against another edition
3.0
A strange little book. The story takes place almost entirely over one day, but with 1 million flashbacks. There was a fair amount of telling instead of showing (vaguely irksome). The first half of the book feels a little like TV show writing (small episodes of mayhem with little connection to the over arching plot) in fact the whole book felt like a 2 season TV show. First season is weird one off episodes tentatively attached & then the 2nd season rushes to fill in the actual plot. Its a fun and interesting premise though & the language is enjoyable.
nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
Attracted to the promise of something completely different from the heavier fiction I'd been reading, I selected this at the beginning of summer as a welcome palate-cleanser. It had been reviewed as a John Hughes-ish story with dragons, which is irresistible in its absurdity, and I needed to sample for myself.
The good news is that Gork lives up to that sum-up and all the appeal that may carry (or not) for the reader. It's silly and smart and sweet, peppered with satiric insights on human behavior, and salted with fights and fantasy gore. Gork is a dragon with too-small horns and a too-big heart who must win the talon of his lady-love or be doomed as a slave. A constant disappointment to his grandfather, the infamous Dr. Terrible, he battles trying to be the dragon everyone expects him to be versus the compassionate creature he naturally is.
At first I thought this might have the fun genre-bias-busting potential of Ready Player One, but no. There will be far more readers tickled by the premise than won over by the story itself. Even as one who wanted it to succeed, I could only enjoy the first half or more of the book in small portions. It verges on too-pleased with its own quirk, and there are missteps in pacing. That said, there is wit and heart, and as long as I gave myself permission to pick it up and set it down in bits, it was fun to know it was there. Once the book finally gained traction, it was easier to more fully invest, and as an avowed fan of Some Kind of Wonderful, I can only be satisfied with the final character beats.
Readalike author names bandied about include Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Tom Holt, all of which I see, but ultimately this is going to appeal to a very specific taste and mood.
The good news is that Gork lives up to that sum-up and all the appeal that may carry (or not) for the reader. It's silly and smart and sweet, peppered with satiric insights on human behavior, and salted with fights and fantasy gore. Gork is a dragon with too-small horns and a too-big heart who must win the talon of his lady-love or be doomed as a slave. A constant disappointment to his grandfather, the infamous Dr. Terrible, he battles trying to be the dragon everyone expects him to be versus the compassionate creature he naturally is.
At first I thought this might have the fun genre-bias-busting potential of Ready Player One, but no. There will be far more readers tickled by the premise than won over by the story itself. Even as one who wanted it to succeed, I could only enjoy the first half or more of the book in small portions. It verges on too-pleased with its own quirk, and there are missteps in pacing. That said, there is wit and heart, and as long as I gave myself permission to pick it up and set it down in bits, it was fun to know it was there. Once the book finally gained traction, it was easier to more fully invest, and as an avowed fan of Some Kind of Wonderful, I can only be satisfied with the final character beats.
Readalike author names bandied about include Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Tom Holt, all of which I see, but ultimately this is going to appeal to a very specific taste and mood.