Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
This book started out really slow for me but finally picked up, unfortunately just when it was about to end. Still a sweet little book about dragons with a feminist flare.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a free book on audible, and I downloaded it as a nod to my teenage years read I loved reading the dragons of Pern books.
Menolly is a fisherman's daughter, but dreams of a being a bard—but girls can't be bards. When she leaves home, she takes refuge in a cage and ends up bonding with with some fire lizards.
As always, Ann McCaffery's world building if flawless, and her characters draw you into their lives and take you along on their stories. Although it starts a little slow for my liking, it winds into a compelling story.
Lovers of fantasy will enjoy this book.
Menolly is a fisherman's daughter, but dreams of a being a bard—but girls can't be bards. When she leaves home, she takes refuge in a cage and ends up bonding with with some fire lizards.
As always, Ann McCaffery's world building if flawless, and her characters draw you into their lives and take you along on their stories. Although it starts a little slow for my liking, it winds into a compelling story.
Lovers of fantasy will enjoy this book.
I love this little series. I love the entirely of the big world of Pern, but I love this little Harper Hall trilogy maybe even more. At least it will always hold a special place in my heart as this series was the first book my mother gave me to read when I wanted something more challenging than the kids books I was reading. I wasn't even 8 years old and she had to read my the first chapter of Book 1 to get me into it as all the planetary descriptions of the sci-fi were over my head.
Magical Readathon 2019: History of Magic (A book published at least 10 years ago)
As with the other Pern books I've read, Dragonsong is merely a meh read for me.
In this story, we follow 15 year-old Menolly, the daughter of a Lord Holder near the sea who wishes desperately to become a Harper, but can't because the profession is traditionally for men only. Her attempts to break this tradition are frequently challenged by members of the Hold, including her own family. While I was curious to see if Menolly would eventually achieve her dream by the end of the book, I wasn't in any rush to find out. This book is only 180 something pages and it took me over a week to finish; that's how detached and uninterested I was in it. I keep telling myself to put this series down so I can make way for better, more exciting books, but for some reason, I don't listen.
I can say that the poor development of females characters from the prior two books is improved a little bit here. There's more of a balance between female characters in traditional "women's roles" and characters in unconventional roles and their characterization has also improved. This gives me hope for future books if I continue reading this series (which we all know I'm going to because I'm a masochist).
The only thing I really didn't like was that most of the end of the book was (basically) a word for word rehash of the conclusion of Dragonquest, but from Menolly's point of view. I thought it was completely unnecessary and was only included to bolster the page count of this already tiny novel. I don't mind a little overlap if two stories are connected, but I don't need to reread scenes word for word in one book when I basically just read that scene five minutes ago in the other book. This made me leave this book on a sour note when I should've left it feeling satisfied.
As with the other Pern books I've read, Dragonsong is merely a meh read for me.
In this story, we follow 15 year-old Menolly, the daughter of a Lord Holder near the sea who wishes desperately to become a Harper, but can't because the profession is traditionally for men only. Her attempts to break this tradition are frequently challenged by members of the Hold, including her own family. While I was curious to see if Menolly would eventually achieve her dream by the end of the book, I wasn't in any rush to find out. This book is only 180 something pages and it took me over a week to finish; that's how detached and uninterested I was in it. I keep telling myself to put this series down so I can make way for better, more exciting books, but for some reason, I don't listen.
I can say that the poor development of females characters from the prior two books is improved a little bit here. There's more of a balance between female characters in traditional "women's roles" and characters in unconventional roles and their characterization has also improved. This gives me hope for future books if I continue reading this series (which we all know I'm going to because I'm a masochist).
The only thing I really didn't like was that most of the end of the book was (basically) a word for word rehash of the conclusion of Dragonquest, but from Menolly's point of view. I thought it was completely unnecessary and was only included to bolster the page count of this already tiny novel. I don't mind a little overlap if two stories are connected, but I don't need to reread scenes word for word in one book when I basically just read that scene five minutes ago in the other book. This made me leave this book on a sour note when I should've left it feeling satisfied.
I thought it was really cool that she lived with the fire lizards.
As satisfying as I remember finding it when I was twelve, though this time I was noticing a lot more of the various adults’ reactions to events. Almost the perfect self-actualization fantasy for me, and a very comforting re-read.
I read this book over and over again when I was young, and I liked it no less rereading it as an adult.
Audiobook version.
Clearly one of the best of the saga. The world is established enough and we can focus on the story and the characters. Menolly is sweet and kind but she has terrible parents. I can't forgive them for shaming their daughter for being good at a "man job" and I can't excuse them for beating her into what they think she should be. Though we see the very patriarchal view of the world written by Anne McCaffrey, it isn't written as if it was right (this time).
Saddly, horrible people exists, even in our evolving modern society...
I like how we can see Menolly growing from the unhappy docile girl to a (meekly) rebellious teenager. But her escape of the hold isn't because she is young and angry but because she has no hope to ever be happy or even just herself there. It's a logical behavior, even for a good girl like her. I found her character consistent.
Clearly one of the best of the saga. The world is established enough and we can focus on the story and the characters. Menolly is sweet and kind but she has terrible parents. I can't forgive them for shaming their daughter for being good at a "man job" and I can't excuse them for beating her into what they think she should be. Though we see the very patriarchal view of the world written by Anne McCaffrey, it isn't written as if it was right (this time).
Saddly, horrible people exists, even in our evolving modern society...
I like how we can see Menolly growing from the unhappy docile girl to a (meekly) rebellious teenager. But her escape of the hold isn't because she is young and angry but because she has no hope to ever be happy or even just herself there. It's a logical behavior, even for a good girl like her. I found her character consistent.
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a reread, maybe the 3rd time read in my life time. My first time reading this I was very young, maybe 11 or 12 and this is perfect YA novel. The protagonist is 15 and she acts like a 15 yr old. It will be a 5⭐ YA read
As an adult the read is a bit slowmoving. The narration on this audiobook version is terrible. All the adults sound like they are admonishing the protagonist whether they are or not. And the protagonists dialogue comes across as overly childish. Not the way I read her in my youth.
I would say the book only holds out to 3.5 or 3.75 today but I am averaging it out because the world of Pern is so wonderful and this book holds so much importance to me.
I initially downloaded it to listen with my 15yr old daughter and she was not interested in the story. It's quite slow. But she was also put off because Menolly is told she can't be a Harper because she is a girl and girls get married and do women's chores. She was really put off by the gender roles.
Even though I explained that this was written in the 70s and that the story of how Menolly overcame these expectations made this a feminist book for young people in a time when very little fantasy was written for girls.
But now it's seen as an uncomfortable trope rather than a revolution. Sigh
As an adult the read is a bit slowmoving. The narration on this audiobook version is terrible. All the adults sound like they are admonishing the protagonist whether they are or not. And the protagonists dialogue comes across as overly childish. Not the way I read her in my youth.
I would say the book only holds out to 3.5 or 3.75 today but I am averaging it out because the world of Pern is so wonderful and this book holds so much importance to me.
I initially downloaded it to listen with my 15yr old daughter and she was not interested in the story. It's quite slow. But she was also put off because Menolly is told she can't be a Harper because she is a girl and girls get married and do women's chores. She was really put off by the gender roles.
Even though I explained that this was written in the 70s and that the story of how Menolly overcame these expectations made this a feminist book for young people in a time when very little fantasy was written for girls.
But now it's seen as an uncomfortable trope rather than a revolution. Sigh