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blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I never saw things from the miner's pov. Sure they know this might not be the best work, but what else can they do? It is the only work where they live. The greenpeace like peeps protesting just do not get that.
But this was not a book about miners. This was about Di that returns to get small hometown. She does not want to. She wants to continue her studies, to be away. Alas, her dad was in an accident. And you just feel how the town is trying to drag her back kicking and screaming.
The town where her ex lives. The town where she meets a new friend. There town where she meets the people protesting the leveling of the mountain (and yes that is effed up. Destroying an entire mountain!?) The town with her over bearing mother. Her sick father....
And let us not forget the dragon. That made me think of that movie Pete's dragon. There are dragons still in the wild, not many, but there. And he was a decent dragon too...to her at least.
It's not a long book, but it does make you think about a few things. I liked her wonder of things, I wish there was magic around too. Good and short.
But this was not a book about miners. This was about Di that returns to get small hometown. She does not want to. She wants to continue her studies, to be away. Alas, her dad was in an accident. And you just feel how the town is trying to drag her back kicking and screaming.
The town where her ex lives. The town where she meets a new friend. There town where she meets the people protesting the leveling of the mountain (and yes that is effed up. Destroying an entire mountain!?) The town with her over bearing mother. Her sick father....
And let us not forget the dragon. That made me think of that movie Pete's dragon. There are dragons still in the wild, not many, but there. And he was a decent dragon too...to her at least.
It's not a long book, but it does make you think about a few things. I liked her wonder of things, I wish there was magic around too. Good and short.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
You really can't go home again. Or at least the home you remember. Though the story is ostensibly about a dragon [and there is one], the tale is really about trying to move on with your life but getting stalled by home and love and duty to family.
I really looked forward to reading this book as soon as I read the synopsis. The setting resonated with me as I am married to someone from this coal mining environment. He's told me stories and I've visited his home and I can see parallels to Diamond and her upbringing. Coal is what the residents know and when that becomes threatened in any way, there is an uproar.
I could empathize with Diamond as she is torn between what is known and the unknown. She loved college and the chance to move away from home, but I think she was a bit relieved to find herself home again. It's terrifying growing up and away. There is comfort in the familiar, however appalling that may feel.
Excellently developed characters, intriguing premise and some unanswered questions. A fantastic mystery as much as a fantasy.
Laura Bickle is pretty much on my get-as-soon-as-released authors. I've loved everything she has written and I always look forward to all upcoming creations from her.
Definitely recommend.
I really looked forward to reading this book as soon as I read the synopsis. The setting resonated with me as I am married to someone from this coal mining environment. He's told me stories and I've visited his home and I can see parallels to Diamond and her upbringing. Coal is what the residents know and when that becomes threatened in any way, there is an uproar.
I could empathize with Diamond as she is torn between what is known and the unknown. She loved college and the chance to move away from home, but I think she was a bit relieved to find herself home again. It's terrifying growing up and away. There is comfort in the familiar, however appalling that may feel.
Excellently developed characters, intriguing premise and some unanswered questions. A fantastic mystery as much as a fantasy.
Laura Bickle is pretty much on my get-as-soon-as-released authors. I've loved everything she has written and I always look forward to all upcoming creations from her.
Definitely recommend.
saerryc's review
3.0
A family tragedy forces a college student to reluctantly return home to a West Virginia coal mining town she thought she’d escaped, where she gets mixed up in a conflict between miners, environmentalists, and the dragon who turns out to be living in the mine. This isn’t essential reading, but it’s solid enough if you’re interested in the subject matter. The great cover art at least partially makes up for the utterly terrible title.
mermaidmoonqueen's review
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher on Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of books about dragons, so in all honesty, I probably shouldn't have requested this book. But I also like stepping out of my comfort zone, so I thought I would give this book a try. Even though I gave The Dragon's Playlist a 3 star rating, I actually thought it was pretty good and it immediately made me think of one of my friends who would love this book. So while for me it's a 3 star rating simply because it's just not the type of story I would read about, I know that for others it will be a 5.
There's a lot to like about this story. The characters are all realistic people, and throughout the story, they develop really well. The main character Di really struggles with what she wants to do when she comes home after her father gets hurt in a mining accident. Does she want to go back to school or does she want to stay at home and make money to support her family? Along with her is her family, including her grandfather who introduced her to music, music which brings magic into her life. Her ex-boyfriend Jason is also in the picture, and the one who rescued her father. Along with many other people, there's a rich cast of characters in this novel but none of them feel flat or cheap. I can say that I genuinely liked all the characters that were introduced, including the dragon.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this story was that it was very fast-paced. There wasn't ever a moment where I felt it dragged, and I got through it very quickly. This was good for me who wasn't very interested, but I also thought that people who would be very invested in this story wouldn't mind the pace either. There's something to really like about a novel who has no dull moments, and I think everyone can appreciate that.
Another thing I liked was that this novel was very multi-faceted. It wasn't JUST about dragons like I thought. It was about the environment, about family, about magic and music. It was honestly more than I expected, but that was a wonderful surprise. It was an added dimension to this novel that it really benefited from.
Honestly, there was no reason to dislike this novel, it just really wasn't my cup of tea. But like I said, I think that for people this appeals to, it would be a 5 star book.
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of books about dragons, so in all honesty, I probably shouldn't have requested this book. But I also like stepping out of my comfort zone, so I thought I would give this book a try. Even though I gave The Dragon's Playlist a 3 star rating, I actually thought it was pretty good and it immediately made me think of one of my friends who would love this book. So while for me it's a 3 star rating simply because it's just not the type of story I would read about, I know that for others it will be a 5.
There's a lot to like about this story. The characters are all realistic people, and throughout the story, they develop really well. The main character Di really struggles with what she wants to do when she comes home after her father gets hurt in a mining accident. Does she want to go back to school or does she want to stay at home and make money to support her family? Along with her is her family, including her grandfather who introduced her to music, music which brings magic into her life. Her ex-boyfriend Jason is also in the picture, and the one who rescued her father. Along with many other people, there's a rich cast of characters in this novel but none of them feel flat or cheap. I can say that I genuinely liked all the characters that were introduced, including the dragon.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this story was that it was very fast-paced. There wasn't ever a moment where I felt it dragged, and I got through it very quickly. This was good for me who wasn't very interested, but I also thought that people who would be very invested in this story wouldn't mind the pace either. There's something to really like about a novel who has no dull moments, and I think everyone can appreciate that.
Another thing I liked was that this novel was very multi-faceted. It wasn't JUST about dragons like I thought. It was about the environment, about family, about magic and music. It was honestly more than I expected, but that was a wonderful surprise. It was an added dimension to this novel that it really benefited from.
Honestly, there was no reason to dislike this novel, it just really wasn't my cup of tea. But like I said, I think that for people this appeals to, it would be a 5 star book.
mermaidmoonqueen's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher on Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of books about dragons, so in all honesty, I probably shouldn't have requested this book. But I also like stepping out of my comfort zone, so I thought I would give this book a try. Even though I gave The Dragon's Playlist a 3 star rating, I actually thought it was pretty good and it immediately made me think of one of my friends who would love this book. So while for me it's a 3 star rating simply because it's just not the type of story I would read about, I know that for others it will be a 5.
There's a lot to like about this story. The characters are all realistic people, and throughout the story, they develop really well. The main character Di really struggles with what she wants to do when she comes home after her father gets hurt in a mining accident. Does she want to go back to school or does she want to stay at home and make money to support her family? Along with her is her family, including her grandfather who introduced her to music, music which brings magic into her life. Her ex-boyfriend Jason is also in the picture, and the one who rescued her father. Along with many other people, there's a rich cast of characters in this novel but none of them feel flat or cheap. I can say that I genuinely liked all the characters that were introduced, including the dragon.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this story was that it was very fast-paced. There wasn't ever a moment where I felt it dragged, and I got through it very quickly. This was good for me who wasn't very interested, but I also thought that people who would be very invested in this story wouldn't mind the pace either. There's something to really like about a novel who has no dull moments, and I think everyone can appreciate that.
Another thing I liked was that this novel was very multi-faceted. It wasn't JUST about dragons like I thought. It was about the environment, about family, about magic and music. It was honestly more than I expected, but that was a wonderful surprise. It was an added dimension to this novel that it really benefited from.
Honestly, there was no reason to dislike this novel, it just really wasn't my cup of tea. But like I said, I think that for people this appeals to, it would be a 5 star book.
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of books about dragons, so in all honesty, I probably shouldn't have requested this book. But I also like stepping out of my comfort zone, so I thought I would give this book a try. Even though I gave The Dragon's Playlist a 3 star rating, I actually thought it was pretty good and it immediately made me think of one of my friends who would love this book. So while for me it's a 3 star rating simply because it's just not the type of story I would read about, I know that for others it will be a 5.
There's a lot to like about this story. The characters are all realistic people, and throughout the story, they develop really well. The main character Di really struggles with what she wants to do when she comes home after her father gets hurt in a mining accident. Does she want to go back to school or does she want to stay at home and make money to support her family? Along with her is her family, including her grandfather who introduced her to music, music which brings magic into her life. Her ex-boyfriend Jason is also in the picture, and the one who rescued her father. Along with many other people, there's a rich cast of characters in this novel but none of them feel flat or cheap. I can say that I genuinely liked all the characters that were introduced, including the dragon.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this story was that it was very fast-paced. There wasn't ever a moment where I felt it dragged, and I got through it very quickly. This was good for me who wasn't very interested, but I also thought that people who would be very invested in this story wouldn't mind the pace either. There's something to really like about a novel who has no dull moments, and I think everyone can appreciate that.
Another thing I liked was that this novel was very multi-faceted. It wasn't JUST about dragons like I thought. It was about the environment, about family, about magic and music. It was honestly more than I expected, but that was a wonderful surprise. It was an added dimension to this novel that it really benefited from.
Honestly, there was no reason to dislike this novel, it just really wasn't my cup of tea. But like I said, I think that for people this appeals to, it would be a 5 star book.
sandyd's review
5.0
Fun urban fantasy without the usual cliches. Instead, there is a protagonist from a blue collar family in West Virginia who is a musician. She has mixed feelings about the mining excavations and the protestors in her hometown - and the paranormal happenings. If you're expecting the usual romance - don't.
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