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Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon
Allyson fights acne, not trolls. As an inhaler-carrying member of the asthma society, she just wants to meet the father who turned her mother into a paranoid, move-across-the-nation freak. Now she’s trying to fit in at yet another school, but for the first time in her life, she has a best friend, Beth. When Allyson accidentally spits fire at kidnappers in the mall, she realizes why her father isn’t in the picture: she’s half dragon. Her acne? Emerging scales. Her asthma? The side effects of her dragon’s fire breath. Instead of freaking out, unflappable Beth reveals her own troll heritage and explains how things work with the supernatural creatures hiding within the modern world of smartphones and skyscrapers.
When trolls kidnap a unicorn, Beth gets blamed. Allyson is determined to prove Beth’s innocence and keep her friend off the unicorn chopping block. When they start looking for the kidnappers, they get a call from the last person they expect: Allyson’s father. He tries to warn them off, but he’s been put under a spell by the kidnappers to keep the victims from escaping. Nothing short of death can stop him. Now Allyson must choose between killing the father she’s always dreamed of, or letting her best friend die for a crime she didn’t commit.
When trolls kidnap a unicorn, Beth gets blamed. Allyson is determined to prove Beth’s innocence and keep her friend off the unicorn chopping block. When they start looking for the kidnappers, they get a call from the last person they expect: Allyson’s father. He tries to warn them off, but he’s been put under a spell by the kidnappers to keep the victims from escaping. Nothing short of death can stop him. Now Allyson must choose between killing the father she’s always dreamed of, or letting her best friend die for a crime she didn’t commit.
230 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2015
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1110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
April 29, 2016
Category: A Book About a Road Trip (well, I am using the term "road trip" loosely here. This is more a book about an adventure which requires fleeing and chasing.)
3 imperfect-heroine Stars
Fifteen year old Allyson has acne, asthma and an absentee father. She has been carted all over by her loving mother, only staying in one place for a few months at a time. When her and a friend get attacked at the mall, she discovers that all is not quite as it seems. You see their means of escape?! Flames…. Flames erupting from HER mouth. The truth begins to unravel after that, with the help of her half-troll best friend, Beth, she begins to understand that she is not exactly the everyday girl she had always assumed.
This is a cute little YA supernatural story. Through a series of crazy-sauce events, Allyson and Beth find themselves driving an abandoned MGB across the desert in search of a part unicorn boy from their school. Along the way they meet trolls, unicorns (or monohorns) and gryphons. They encounter kidnappers and bikers and Allyson learns about the father she has never known and the heritage his blood has passed down to her.
As I said, this is a cute little story. It’s not reinventing the wheel or anything but it is fun. The characters are a bit stereotypical. The writing is imperfect, an editor (or ANOTHER editor) could have helped out with some of the grammatical errors here. Overall this was a light, relatively fluffy, read.
3 imperfect-heroine Stars
Fifteen year old Allyson has acne, asthma and an absentee father. She has been carted all over by her loving mother, only staying in one place for a few months at a time. When her and a friend get attacked at the mall, she discovers that all is not quite as it seems. You see their means of escape?! Flames…. Flames erupting from HER mouth. The truth begins to unravel after that, with the help of her half-troll best friend, Beth, she begins to understand that she is not exactly the everyday girl she had always assumed.
This is a cute little YA supernatural story. Through a series of crazy-sauce events, Allyson and Beth find themselves driving an abandoned MGB across the desert in search of a part unicorn boy from their school. Along the way they meet trolls, unicorns (or monohorns) and gryphons. They encounter kidnappers and bikers and Allyson learns about the father she has never known and the heritage his blood has passed down to her.
As I said, this is a cute little story. It’s not reinventing the wheel or anything but it is fun. The characters are a bit stereotypical. The writing is imperfect, an editor (or ANOTHER editor) could have helped out with some of the grammatical errors here. Overall this was a light, relatively fluffy, read.
December 11, 2015
Istyria book blog ~ A World of Enchanted Books
DNF at 12%
I promised myself a while ago to not DNF books that much anymore because negative reviews are just part of the life of a book blogger. (That and they can be kind of fun...) But I can't continue this book. I don't want to read it anymore and I don't want to spend my time on it while I could be reading something else, something better. But I have a list of reasons! And none of these are spoilers since it's all in the first two chapters. SIGH.
~ Everything happens too fast. I think. We get so much info in chapter 1 without getting any at all. What I mean with that is that the MC finds out what she is & what her best friend is, she breaths fire without any real build-up to it and is attacked by people wanting to kill her. And all that while I still don't know WHO she is as a character. All I found out in the first two chapters was that she's she's vain and stupid and dumb and half dragon. (I'll come back to that later.) There is zero build up here. None, zilch, nada. I want to find out more who the MC is before the big reveals come. I want to connect with her first. Now I'm left with an MC whose name I don't remember.
~ The writing is incredibly meh. I didn't care for it, as you might have noticed earlier. I know I only read the first two chapters, but I expect a little more development in my characters and a little world building. You know, set up the story so I can get swept away and fall in love with it. Nope, didn't get that.
~ I got the alarming info that unicorns are jerks and sparkle like vampires. SAY WHAT? First off, unicorns aren't jerks. They're magical, beautiful beings. And second, VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE. Also, I find the notion that one can be half troll or half unicorn just plain stupid. Sorry, but I just don't buy that.
~ The MC is insufferable. I don't know that much about who she is, more what she is, but that's enough. She's vain and stupid. Vain because acne is a disgrace to her so she smears a ton of make-up on her face every day to hide it. YEAH I'M SURE THAT'S GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN AND WILL HELP WITH THE ACNE. She also says that writing with chalk on a chalkboard in school equals the Stone Age, which... whut? Oh and you'd think YAY DIVERSITY upon hearing that she's half Irish & half Japanese but NOPE because she's, in her words, a reject from a Geisha convention. So we're not celebrating diversity here, people, move along!
~ What I expected to get from this book was a fantastical adventure with some humor. Honestly, my expectations weren't that high! Look at that title and that way-too-gorgeous cover and tell me you wouldn't expect the same thing. It's misleading and maybe this is harsh, but this book doesn't seem like it deserves a cover that pretty. All I thought while reading it until I gave up was "What the flying flipping fudge is this?" GAH.
So yeah, suffice to say this was disappointing. And none of this is a spoiler to me since it's all in the first 12%. For those of you that wanted to read this, don't. Or do, maybe you like it? I don't know. It's up to you, really.
DNF at 12%
I promised myself a while ago to not DNF books that much anymore because negative reviews are just part of the life of a book blogger. (That and they can be kind of fun...) But I can't continue this book. I don't want to read it anymore and I don't want to spend my time on it while I could be reading something else, something better. But I have a list of reasons! And none of these are spoilers since it's all in the first two chapters. SIGH.
~ Everything happens too fast. I think. We get so much info in chapter 1 without getting any at all. What I mean with that is that the MC finds out what she is & what her best friend is, she breaths fire without any real build-up to it and is attacked by people wanting to kill her. And all that while I still don't know WHO she is as a character. All I found out in the first two chapters was that she's she's vain and stupid and dumb and half dragon. (I'll come back to that later.) There is zero build up here. None, zilch, nada. I want to find out more who the MC is before the big reveals come. I want to connect with her first. Now I'm left with an MC whose name I don't remember.
~ The writing is incredibly meh. I didn't care for it, as you might have noticed earlier. I know I only read the first two chapters, but I expect a little more development in my characters and a little world building. You know, set up the story so I can get swept away and fall in love with it. Nope, didn't get that.
~ I got the alarming info that unicorns are jerks and sparkle like vampires. SAY WHAT? First off, unicorns aren't jerks. They're magical, beautiful beings. And second, VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE. Also, I find the notion that one can be half troll or half unicorn just plain stupid. Sorry, but I just don't buy that.
~ The MC is insufferable. I don't know that much about who she is, more what she is, but that's enough. She's vain and stupid. Vain because acne is a disgrace to her so she smears a ton of make-up on her face every day to hide it. YEAH I'M SURE THAT'S GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN AND WILL HELP WITH THE ACNE. She also says that writing with chalk on a chalkboard in school equals the Stone Age, which... whut? Oh and you'd think YAY DIVERSITY upon hearing that she's half Irish & half Japanese but NOPE because she's, in her words, a reject from a Geisha convention. So we're not celebrating diversity here, people, move along!
~ What I expected to get from this book was a fantastical adventure with some humor. Honestly, my expectations weren't that high! Look at that title and that way-too-gorgeous cover and tell me you wouldn't expect the same thing. It's misleading and maybe this is harsh, but this book doesn't seem like it deserves a cover that pretty. All I thought while reading it until I gave up was "What the flying flipping fudge is this?" GAH.
So yeah, suffice to say this was disappointing. And none of this is a spoiler to me since it's all in the first 12%. For those of you that wanted to read this, don't. Or do, maybe you like it? I don't know. It's up to you, really.
February 5, 2016
I was first attracted Acne, Asthma and OtherSigns You Might be a Half Dragon by the lovely cover; the title then “sealed the deal” for me. I was looking for some light fun reading and hoped that based on the title I’d get that and hopefully some sassy, quirky one-liners as well.
Rochford’s book did provide all that – it was fun and a bit sassy, though there were parts that I felt needed to be fleshed out a little more.
The protagonist of Rochford’s novel, Allyson, has never known her father and her mother moves them around the country a great deal with each new job offer and promotion. She’s always the new kid and outsider, without many friends.
In the town she currently lives in she has finally made a friend – Beth. Allyson dreads hearing that her mother will move them yet again. Events rapidly unfold that make this the least of Allyson’s worries. She discovers an entire supernatural community lives around her and that her recurrent acne is really one of the signs that she is a half dragon – everybody else seems to know what’s going on except Allyson. Allyson and Beth get caught up in territorial wars between various supernatural races and find themselves prey to those involved in an evil plot which they must try and foil.
What I loved about this book was that the unicorns were not squeaky clean – they were just as prone to hatred and the desire for revenge as any other race. They had suffered years of persecution only to adopt a “shoot first” policy in their dealings with others. Also the political intrigue between races was rife in this novel and I felt the world building and history in this regard was good. The pace was generally excellent.
I would like to have seen this story fleshed out a little more, particularly in terms of the initial set up. The book immersed the reader straight into the action, but at the expense of setting up the main character. It was clear from the title that Allyson was going to discover she was a dragon, that’s not the type of set up I’m referring to. Rochford revealed too little about Allyson’s character, her desires and her past early on. We learnt more about this as the story progressed, but the result was that I didn’t empathise with or care about Allyson until over half way through the book. I did, however, like her best friend from the beginning.
Overall I really enjoyed it. I’d definitely read the next one. So if you’re after a light fun read give this one a try.
Rochford’s book did provide all that – it was fun and a bit sassy, though there were parts that I felt needed to be fleshed out a little more.
The protagonist of Rochford’s novel, Allyson, has never known her father and her mother moves them around the country a great deal with each new job offer and promotion. She’s always the new kid and outsider, without many friends.
In the town she currently lives in she has finally made a friend – Beth. Allyson dreads hearing that her mother will move them yet again. Events rapidly unfold that make this the least of Allyson’s worries. She discovers an entire supernatural community lives around her and that her recurrent acne is really one of the signs that she is a half dragon – everybody else seems to know what’s going on except Allyson. Allyson and Beth get caught up in territorial wars between various supernatural races and find themselves prey to those involved in an evil plot which they must try and foil.
What I loved about this book was that the unicorns were not squeaky clean – they were just as prone to hatred and the desire for revenge as any other race. They had suffered years of persecution only to adopt a “shoot first” policy in their dealings with others. Also the political intrigue between races was rife in this novel and I felt the world building and history in this regard was good. The pace was generally excellent.
I would like to have seen this story fleshed out a little more, particularly in terms of the initial set up. The book immersed the reader straight into the action, but at the expense of setting up the main character. It was clear from the title that Allyson was going to discover she was a dragon, that’s not the type of set up I’m referring to. Rochford revealed too little about Allyson’s character, her desires and her past early on. We learnt more about this as the story progressed, but the result was that I didn’t empathise with or care about Allyson until over half way through the book. I did, however, like her best friend from the beginning.
Overall I really enjoyed it. I’d definitely read the next one. So if you’re after a light fun read give this one a try.
January 2, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
If you're anything like me, when you read the description of this book, you went "woah, wait, what?!" I picked up this book for two reasons. One, dragons. Two, I just had to know more.
Allyson is your typical teenager. She's dealing with the struggle of trying to find out where she fits in, and lets not even get into the awful acne that plagues her on the daily. On top of it all, her Mom is moving them around the country every few months for her work, so Allyson is seriously lacking stability.
Walking through the mall with her friend Beth one afternoon, the girls are suddenly surrounded by three young men who attempt to kidnap them. Trying to protect themselves, Allyson finds herself breathing fire at the men. Making a narrow excape, Allyson is completely dumbfounded as to what just happened, when Beth tells her that she is half Dragon and Beth herself is half troll.
As if Allyson's life wasn't complicated enough.
What I really liked about this book was that despite it's somewhat silly premise, the Author seemed to almost use her characters to poke fun at the idea of this whole secret fantasy society. And even though the idea seems a little far fetched, it's still really enjoyable to read. The characters are amiable, the story keeps you guessing at what might happen next. Allyson has you sympathizing her from the littlest things, such as her acne, to the larger issues, such as the lack of relationship with her father.
The other thing I really appreciated was the subtle tones of body positivity. While it wasn't the general theme, it was definitely there. Allyson must learn to accept herself for who she is, acne, scales and all. Beth is half troll and thinks that nobody could ever love her, but the two see the beauty inside one another.
"Her stocky frame didn't fit with beauty magazines, but her smile was indestructible, a shield against a world obsessed with beauty."
If you're looking to read something a bit different in the fantasy genre, I'd recommend giving Rocford's book a try!
3.5/5
If you're anything like me, when you read the description of this book, you went "woah, wait, what?!" I picked up this book for two reasons. One, dragons. Two, I just had to know more.
Allyson is your typical teenager. She's dealing with the struggle of trying to find out where she fits in, and lets not even get into the awful acne that plagues her on the daily. On top of it all, her Mom is moving them around the country every few months for her work, so Allyson is seriously lacking stability.
Walking through the mall with her friend Beth one afternoon, the girls are suddenly surrounded by three young men who attempt to kidnap them. Trying to protect themselves, Allyson finds herself breathing fire at the men. Making a narrow excape, Allyson is completely dumbfounded as to what just happened, when Beth tells her that she is half Dragon and Beth herself is half troll.
As if Allyson's life wasn't complicated enough.
What I really liked about this book was that despite it's somewhat silly premise, the Author seemed to almost use her characters to poke fun at the idea of this whole secret fantasy society. And even though the idea seems a little far fetched, it's still really enjoyable to read. The characters are amiable, the story keeps you guessing at what might happen next. Allyson has you sympathizing her from the littlest things, such as her acne, to the larger issues, such as the lack of relationship with her father.
The other thing I really appreciated was the subtle tones of body positivity. While it wasn't the general theme, it was definitely there. Allyson must learn to accept herself for who she is, acne, scales and all. Beth is half troll and thinks that nobody could ever love her, but the two see the beauty inside one another.
"Her stocky frame didn't fit with beauty magazines, but her smile was indestructible, a shield against a world obsessed with beauty."
If you're looking to read something a bit different in the fantasy genre, I'd recommend giving Rocford's book a try!
June 27, 2017
I love that title and it instantly drew me to read this book. Life is tough for any teenager but when Allyson breaths fire on some kidnappers in the mall, life just got a lot more complicated. Turns out, there's a lot more underground supernatural beings than Allyson. When her best friend, Beth, gets blamed for a unicorn kidnapping, Allyson sets out to prove Beth's innocence. I loved this book so much! It has everything I love in a YA paranormal. Allyson, while a little geeky as a teen, is super cool as a half-dragon. Clever plot twists, great dialogue and a superb ending. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
July 18, 2017
3,5/5
Acne, Asthma (lo abbrevio per comodità) è un urban fantasy che ci presenta Allyson Takata, padre giapponese madre americana, affetta da uno dei casi più difficili di acne giovanile, tanto da spendere un sacco di soldi per fondotinta teatrali per cercare di mascherare il problema. Inoltre sua madre si trasferisce di continuo, quindi non ha amici, non conosce suo padre, e soffre di asma.
Finalmente nella scuola che frequenta è riuscita a farsi un’amica, Beth, che abita vicino a lei.
Ma quando le due amiche vengono assalite da dei ragazzi che sembrano rapitori al centro commerciale, Allyson, in preda alla paura e a quello che sembra un attacco di asma, sputa fuoco.
Letteralmente. Dalla bocca. Come un drago.
Ha però ancora qualche problema con la sua metà draghesca, infatti ogni volta che sputa fuoco poi vomita. Ehi, non deve essere facile!
In questo modo riesce a scappare e a salvarsi. Ma un sacco di domande iniziano a ronzarle in testa. Come ha fatto a sputare fuoco? Perché non si è bruciata? Perché la sua acne si è trasformata in scaglie? Come farà a mascherarle col fondotinta?
Ma ci pensa la sua amica mezza troll a informarla: lei è mezzo drago. Ce ne sono molti come loro, mezzi unicorni (detti monocorno) mezzi grifoni, ma pochissimi draghi.
Così quando un loro compagno di scuola sparisce e Beth essendo mezzo troll viene accusata, lei e Allyson partono per trovarlo e per scoprire il mistero dietro David, il padre mezzo drago della protagonista.
Scritto per un pubblico abbastanza giovanile, acne asma è interessante, scritto in modo semplice e con personaggi originali e divertenti.
La trama a volte sembra vacillare un po’ e il finale non mi ha convinto del tutto, ecco perché il voto non è altissimo.
Tuttavia non si può dire che non sia una storia originale e piacevole da leggere.
Il livello di inglese non è molto difficile, era un po’ più complicato a swift kick in the asteroids, avendo un linguaggio da fantascienza.
Lo consiglio alle appassionate di urban fantasy e di draghi.
Acne, Asthma (lo abbrevio per comodità) è un urban fantasy che ci presenta Allyson Takata, padre giapponese madre americana, affetta da uno dei casi più difficili di acne giovanile, tanto da spendere un sacco di soldi per fondotinta teatrali per cercare di mascherare il problema. Inoltre sua madre si trasferisce di continuo, quindi non ha amici, non conosce suo padre, e soffre di asma.
Finalmente nella scuola che frequenta è riuscita a farsi un’amica, Beth, che abita vicino a lei.
Ma quando le due amiche vengono assalite da dei ragazzi che sembrano rapitori al centro commerciale, Allyson, in preda alla paura e a quello che sembra un attacco di asma, sputa fuoco.
Letteralmente. Dalla bocca. Come un drago.
Ha però ancora qualche problema con la sua metà draghesca, infatti ogni volta che sputa fuoco poi vomita. Ehi, non deve essere facile!
In questo modo riesce a scappare e a salvarsi. Ma un sacco di domande iniziano a ronzarle in testa. Come ha fatto a sputare fuoco? Perché non si è bruciata? Perché la sua acne si è trasformata in scaglie? Come farà a mascherarle col fondotinta?
Ma ci pensa la sua amica mezza troll a informarla: lei è mezzo drago. Ce ne sono molti come loro, mezzi unicorni (detti monocorno) mezzi grifoni, ma pochissimi draghi.
Così quando un loro compagno di scuola sparisce e Beth essendo mezzo troll viene accusata, lei e Allyson partono per trovarlo e per scoprire il mistero dietro David, il padre mezzo drago della protagonista.
Scritto per un pubblico abbastanza giovanile, acne asma è interessante, scritto in modo semplice e con personaggi originali e divertenti.
La trama a volte sembra vacillare un po’ e il finale non mi ha convinto del tutto, ecco perché il voto non è altissimo.
Tuttavia non si può dire che non sia una storia originale e piacevole da leggere.
Il livello di inglese non è molto difficile, era un po’ più complicato a swift kick in the asteroids, avendo un linguaggio da fantascienza.
Lo consiglio alle appassionate di urban fantasy e di draghi.
March 28, 2018
With its quirky title and gorgeous cover, I expected this story to be more magical and adventurous . I did like the premise - a hidden society of shapeshifting dragons, unicorns, gryphons and more are in turmoil - but its execution left a lot to be desired. The plot and pacing were a little too haphazard for my taste. The beginning really left a sour taste in my mouth. which is honestly the most likely reason why I could just not get into this story.
I can only suspend my disbelief so far in books - even urban fantasies - and cannot, for the life of me, understand characters who react so mildly when they are told they are part magical creature or from another world. Allyson barely battered an eyelid when she started accidentally started breathing fire and her best friend came out as half-troll. I get that Allyson dismissing Beth’s crazy claims would have delayed the story but seriously, what person would not scoff, laugh hysterically or in some way react to that sort of information? It’s ridiculous how easily she took all that on board. Freaking unicorns exists and she just… accepted it so easily. I couldn’t believe it!
I also did not like the way Allyson’s dragoness was portrayed in general. It was never explicitly stated what her abilities were but somehow - all of a sudden - she would just be able to fly or be super stealthy. How she knew how to do this - or even what powers she was meant to have as a dragon (seeing as she’d never meet one before and neither had Beth) - was glossed over. It really bugged me how little this part of the story was developed. I didn’t understand the ‘moulting’ either. Why would her skin be growing scales when she could just swap between her dragon and human forms? Did I miss all of this information somehow? I honestly felt like I knew more about gryphons than Allyson- and that irritated me. I’m not even going to mention how confused I am about the general policies of ruling/policing within the kin world. I have too many questions.
The plot was quite… all over the place? I don’t know how else to describe it. It took off in a bunch of really weird directions but never seemed to be following a particular end goal. There were so many moments when I didn’t completely understand what was happening. I don’t know if I just zoned out for certain sections or what but suddenly the characters would be in a new location or off doing something and I’d be frantically trying to find out why. I will say that final scene was very action-packed and thrilling. If only more of the story had been like that!
I don’t think it helped that I never really felt attached to the characters. I think this is mainly due to the writing style to be honest, which tried to be modern and sassy but failed epically. I didn’t find Allyson funny in the slightest so the entire tone of her voice was almost cringe-worthy. The minor romances attempted towards the end of the story, especially between John and Beth, were also frustratingly unnecessary and underdeveloped. They made me dislike the characters even more.
Also, Absent Parent Syndrome much? I did not like the way that Allyson’s mother was written at all. She didn’t do anything when her daughter disappeared nor did she tell Allyson anything about her inheritance, even when she found out about it on her own. Bad parenting 101.
Overall?
While the last 20% of the book was definitely more action-packed and exciting than the rest of the book, Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might be Half Dragon was poorly executed as a whole. I did not like the plotline or the world-building because I spent too much of my time in disbelief or simply confused. The writing style was not to my tastes and tried way too be hard to appear ‘up with the times’. The characters, especially Allyson, were also underdeveloped. I wish I enjoyed this one as much I thought I would but sadly, I’m quite disappointed.
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
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I can only suspend my disbelief so far in books - even urban fantasies - and cannot, for the life of me, understand characters who react so mildly when they are told they are part magical creature or from another world. Allyson barely battered an eyelid when she started accidentally started breathing fire and her best friend came out as half-troll. I get that Allyson dismissing Beth’s crazy claims would have delayed the story but seriously, what person would not scoff, laugh hysterically or in some way react to that sort of information? It’s ridiculous how easily she took all that on board. Freaking unicorns exists and she just… accepted it so easily. I couldn’t believe it!
I also did not like the way Allyson’s dragoness was portrayed in general. It was never explicitly stated what her abilities were but somehow - all of a sudden - she would just be able to fly or be super stealthy. How she knew how to do this - or even what powers she was meant to have as a dragon (seeing as she’d never meet one before and neither had Beth) - was glossed over. It really bugged me how little this part of the story was developed. I didn’t understand the ‘moulting’ either. Why would her skin be growing scales when she could just swap between her dragon and human forms? Did I miss all of this information somehow? I honestly felt like I knew more about gryphons than Allyson- and that irritated me. I’m not even going to mention how confused I am about the general policies of ruling/policing within the kin world. I have too many questions.
The plot was quite… all over the place? I don’t know how else to describe it. It took off in a bunch of really weird directions but never seemed to be following a particular end goal. There were so many moments when I didn’t completely understand what was happening. I don’t know if I just zoned out for certain sections or what but suddenly the characters would be in a new location or off doing something and I’d be frantically trying to find out why. I will say that final scene was very action-packed and thrilling. If only more of the story had been like that!
I don’t think it helped that I never really felt attached to the characters. I think this is mainly due to the writing style to be honest, which tried to be modern and sassy but failed epically. I didn’t find Allyson funny in the slightest so the entire tone of her voice was almost cringe-worthy. The minor romances attempted towards the end of the story, especially between John and Beth, were also frustratingly unnecessary and underdeveloped. They made me dislike the characters even more.
Also, Absent Parent Syndrome much? I did not like the way that Allyson’s mother was written at all. She didn’t do anything when her daughter disappeared nor did she tell Allyson anything about her inheritance, even when she found out about it on her own. Bad parenting 101.
Overall?
While the last 20% of the book was definitely more action-packed and exciting than the rest of the book, Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might be Half Dragon was poorly executed as a whole. I did not like the plotline or the world-building because I spent too much of my time in disbelief or simply confused. The writing style was not to my tastes and tried way too be hard to appear ‘up with the times’. The characters, especially Allyson, were also underdeveloped. I wish I enjoyed this one as much I thought I would but sadly, I’m quite disappointed.
Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.
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December 13, 2015
When I saw Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might be Half-Dragon by Rena Rocford on NetGalley, I immediately fell in love with the cover and title. Dragons? Acne? This looked like a fun book. On a hunch, I put in my request and it was luckily granted. My instinct paid off as it was a very fun read.
I enjoyed the friendship between Allyson and Beth. Both are outcasts and when Allyson moves to Albuquerque, they quickly become friends. Beth turns out to be half Troll, so when Allyson turns fifteen and starts to show strange abilities (like breathing fire), Beth is there to reassure her that she is not going crazy. I also liked that Beth was not just a side-kick to Allyson, but had her own story and romantic interest. They have a great rapport and tease each other when boys flirt with them. Loved it!
Allyson goes to great lengths to hide her acne (and later, her scales). I could see how these are an analogy for the not being comfortable with your true self. As Allyson starts to understand that she is half dragon, she starts to let go of worrying about what people think of her, and embraces her heritage. The character is also half Japanese. This aspect of her life wasn't explored much in the book, but I hope it will be part of any sequel.
If there is one criticism I would have, it would be that the book needed a bit more exposition in the beginning. There were times where I was lost because I didn't have enough information to know what was happening. I suppose that we, the readers, were to be as confused as Allyson about what was happening. But I wish I could have understood a few basic things like how can there be magical creatures such as trolls, unicorns, and dragons, and yet they look like everyone else? Shouldn't Allyson be more freaked out, especially since no one will explain anything? If I could have understood some of the rules of this universe, I would have been able to buy in to the story faster.
Overall, I found this a delightful fantasy. The action made it a page-turner as I needed to find out how it would all turn out. It makes me want to read more about this universe and find out what further abilities each character has.
I enjoyed the friendship between Allyson and Beth. Both are outcasts and when Allyson moves to Albuquerque, they quickly become friends. Beth turns out to be half Troll, so when Allyson turns fifteen and starts to show strange abilities (like breathing fire), Beth is there to reassure her that she is not going crazy. I also liked that Beth was not just a side-kick to Allyson, but had her own story and romantic interest. They have a great rapport and tease each other when boys flirt with them. Loved it!
Allyson goes to great lengths to hide her acne (and later, her scales). I could see how these are an analogy for the not being comfortable with your true self. As Allyson starts to understand that she is half dragon, she starts to let go of worrying about what people think of her, and embraces her heritage. The character is also half Japanese. This aspect of her life wasn't explored much in the book, but I hope it will be part of any sequel.
If there is one criticism I would have, it would be that the book needed a bit more exposition in the beginning. There were times where I was lost because I didn't have enough information to know what was happening. I suppose that we, the readers, were to be as confused as Allyson about what was happening. But I wish I could have understood a few basic things like how can there be magical creatures such as trolls, unicorns, and dragons, and yet they look like everyone else? Shouldn't Allyson be more freaked out, especially since no one will explain anything? If I could have understood some of the rules of this universe, I would have been able to buy in to the story faster.
Overall, I found this a delightful fantasy. The action made it a page-turner as I needed to find out how it would all turn out. It makes me want to read more about this universe and find out what further abilities each character has.
December 9, 2015
Put the fun back in fantasy!
I found this book with the long title a really fast read. The quick pace and constant activity of the plot just kept me turning pages. Allyson was a character I could get behind and her relationship with her best friend Beth reminded me of my own best friend from that age. It also appealed to me that that the boys in the story added a nice touch of romance without becoming the sole focus of the story.
So Allyson finds out she is a half dragon when she's attacked by trolls. It seems a band of trolls is kidnapping unicorns and other paranormal humans (sort of like Grimm). Her best friend Beth (troll) is blamed. Allyson and Beth set out to clear Beth's name and rescue the victims and discover Allyson's long lost father is involved in the mix. Along the way they meet a really cute griffin that teaches Allyson how to test her wings.
This was a story where I enjoyed both plot and characters. It seems so many books lately I only liked one or the other. It was a relief to find a story where both kept me entertained. It seemed like I'd just started it and I was already halfway through the story. There was a good mix of world building and magic. It did start just a little too fast, throwing the reader straight into the story. That would be my only negative that I would have liked to see Allyson more before she discovers she's a dragon. But the ending left me wanting more. I look forward to seeing other books of Allyson and this world.
I found this book with the long title a really fast read. The quick pace and constant activity of the plot just kept me turning pages. Allyson was a character I could get behind and her relationship with her best friend Beth reminded me of my own best friend from that age. It also appealed to me that that the boys in the story added a nice touch of romance without becoming the sole focus of the story.
So Allyson finds out she is a half dragon when she's attacked by trolls. It seems a band of trolls is kidnapping unicorns and other paranormal humans (sort of like Grimm). Her best friend Beth (troll) is blamed. Allyson and Beth set out to clear Beth's name and rescue the victims and discover Allyson's long lost father is involved in the mix. Along the way they meet a really cute griffin that teaches Allyson how to test her wings.
This was a story where I enjoyed both plot and characters. It seems so many books lately I only liked one or the other. It was a relief to find a story where both kept me entertained. It seemed like I'd just started it and I was already halfway through the story. There was a good mix of world building and magic. It did start just a little too fast, throwing the reader straight into the story. That would be my only negative that I would have liked to see Allyson more before she discovers she's a dragon. But the ending left me wanting more. I look forward to seeing other books of Allyson and this world.
April 29, 2018
When I found this on NetGalley, I immediately fell in love with the title, the cover, and the synopsis of the story. I remember reading somewhere that books with long titles are usually a huge "if" when it comes to readers choosing their next book, but, this title proves that's only so if it's not as compelling as Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon. I was really excited to start reading this book because it had a character you would see in everyday life; she wasn't some insanely gorgeous person, she was a normal teenager battling acne and asthma, which could help with readers relating to the main character. I don't read enough books with characters like that.
I know I should stop expecting things of books I take on to read, but I never learn my lesson. With the promise of realism in the story, I expected amazing things, but unfortunately, there were more flaws than anything.
When first starting the book, you expect the first few chapters to help you get to know the characters of the story as well as the very beginning of a building plot (the reveal, as I like to call it). However, the book... (more via website)
February 15, 2016
Currently (14.02.2016) free on Amazon Kindle.
EDIT after finishing the book. Actual rating 1.5 stars.
This book was on a Kindle freebie deal a few days ago and since it had an intriguing title and a pretty decent blurb, I decided to give it a shot. Now, that I've finished it, I have only one question for myself... Why do I do this to myself??? I'm beginning to lose faith in Kindle freebies, especially when you are under the impression that you got access to a standalone novel and discover that it's the first book/part of some sort of a series...
Although I would like to applaud the author for adding some diversity to her main characters by making the main character an asthmatic and a teenage girl who does suffer from the consequences of acne in addition to her racial background, I can't help but notice that Rocford doesn't really do anything with that. A couple of times we're mentioned that our heroine Allyson is part Irish and part Japanese, we hear a lot about her obsession with her makeup due to her acne but we're actually very briefly introduced to the asthma aspect of things. Why include it in the title when it isn't really a major part of the book?
I can't help but issue a stupid teenager alert. ... My thoughts on this book continue HERE.
EDIT after finishing the book. Actual rating 1.5 stars.
This book was on a Kindle freebie deal a few days ago and since it had an intriguing title and a pretty decent blurb, I decided to give it a shot. Now, that I've finished it, I have only one question for myself... Why do I do this to myself??? I'm beginning to lose faith in Kindle freebies, especially when you are under the impression that you got access to a standalone novel and discover that it's the first book/part of some sort of a series...
Although I would like to applaud the author for adding some diversity to her main characters by making the main character an asthmatic and a teenage girl who does suffer from the consequences of acne in addition to her racial background, I can't help but notice that Rocford doesn't really do anything with that. A couple of times we're mentioned that our heroine Allyson is part Irish and part Japanese, we hear a lot about her obsession with her makeup due to her acne but we're actually very briefly introduced to the asthma aspect of things. Why include it in the title when it isn't really a major part of the book?
I can't help but issue a stupid teenager alert. ... My thoughts on this book continue HERE.
March 23, 2016
As a fan of silliness and romps, I enjoyed this one from the beginning. The narrator is high-energy, flippant, and breezy. A few pages into the book, this "ordinary" teen Allyson accidentally breathes fire, leading to the revelation that she's half dragon. Too bad Allyson's Mom never had The Talk with her -- all she got was the "use a condom" part but nothing about blue scales and molting... But she takes it all in stride, to some extent. We soon find out her lanky friend Beth is half troll... and in fact there are a lot of "Kin" around if you know how to look... They're not all nice guys.
The action is pretty much non-stop all the way through with Beth's wad of cash, a "borrowed" sports car, and a mad road trip from Albuquerque to San Francisco. (Oh, I liked the author's touch of putting in some real places, like that state park in Utah and the mothball fleet near Vallejo. Nice!)
The only down-side for me... Well, OK, here's where I have a side-bar telling you that I'm one of those people who find long fight scenes sort of annoying, so when I have to watch action movies, I've been known to fast forward through all the carnage, mayhem, and special effects. But if you like that sort of thing, there's a good one in here, complete with magic and the literary equivalent of advanced CGI.
The action is pretty much non-stop all the way through with Beth's wad of cash, a "borrowed" sports car, and a mad road trip from Albuquerque to San Francisco. (Oh, I liked the author's touch of putting in some real places, like that state park in Utah and the mothball fleet near Vallejo. Nice!)
The only down-side for me... Well, OK, here's where I have a side-bar telling you that I'm one of those people who find long fight scenes sort of annoying, so when I have to watch action movies, I've been known to fast forward through all the carnage, mayhem, and special effects. But if you like that sort of thing, there's a good one in here, complete with magic and the literary equivalent of advanced CGI.
July 13, 2016
This book attracted me right away.
+ Beautiful cover.
+ Quirky title.
+ Dragons!
+ The summary reminded me of Going Down in Flames.
Why Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon didn't work out for me? I can't pinpoint the reasonable explanation. Sure, the complaining about acne and zits was annoying but it was not reason enough to give up on the book.
There were different kinds of paranormal creatures, mystery unfolding and I could not care less. Maybe I am finally getting too old for young adult novels?
DNF @ 27% on 6th July 2016.
+ Beautiful cover.
+ Quirky title.
+ Dragons!
+ The summary reminded me of Going Down in Flames.
Why Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon didn't work out for me? I can't pinpoint the reasonable explanation. Sure, the complaining about acne and zits was annoying but it was not reason enough to give up on the book.
There were different kinds of paranormal creatures, mystery unfolding and I could not care less. Maybe I am finally getting too old for young adult novels?
DNF @ 27% on 6th July 2016.
December 18, 2016
Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon by Rena Rocford is such a great fantasy book I had to stay up all night to finish. It has a wonderful cast of creatures such as trolls, unicorns, griffins, dragons, goblins and more. A fun ride across the road with Allyson and Beth as they try to prove the innocence of Beth in a kidnapping. Meanwhile, everyone, creatures too, are after them. Allyson is also changing into a dragon, her best friend has secrets of her own, and more. It is a hoot! This book has action, adventure, suspense, touch of romance, humor, and fantasy. What more do you want? Loved this book! Can't wait for book 2! Please tell me there will be, please!!! I received this book for a honest review and it in no way effected my rating or review content.
January 31, 2016
This was a NetGalley read, so there'll be a full review on my blog soon. In the meantime I'll say that this is the kind of book I think I would have loved when I was twelve and obsessed with dragons. Reading it now, I found some of it difficult to believe -- not the dragon stuff, but the idea of a fifteen-year-old driving halfway across America, for example. The plot was complex, and mostly engaging although it lost me in a few places.
March 31, 2021
1,5 stars
I'm sad that I didn't love Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon. It has so much going for it, a gorgeous cover, a fun title, dragons and what seemed like an entertaining read.
Almost every single aspect is flat, shallow and underdeveloped. This book isn't exciting and failed to hold my attention. I couldn't relate to the characters, the romances are poorly written and the plot and world doesn't make sense.
Alyson might not have much of a personality, but she's also the first character I've read about in a YA Fantasy who has acne. I like that the aspects she considers to be insecurities and flaws are the parts that make her unique and otherworldly. I also like that her makeup skills play a role in hiding her dragon nature. Unfortunately, some aspects are unbelievable such as her acceptance of mythical creatures and that she might be half-dragon without much hesitation as well as when she figures out the dragon stuff pretty quickly.
The plot is all over the place and I couldn't understand what was going on most of the time. It's like there's a bunch of different plot lines that don't make sense on their own, nor do they make sense in terms of the overall story. I couldn't understand what the characters are trying to achieve and what's the point of it all.
I love books about mythical creatures and there are many different mythical creatures such as trolls, unicorns, centaurs, gryphons and dragons. However, I didn't like how they're portrayed. Some mythical creatures are explored more than others, but it's still very shallow. The main character is half-dragon, but I still don't know much about the dragons in Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon.
I always felt like I was missing important information about the world, the creatures and the characters and the ending is abrupt.
Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon could have been a fun read. Interesting ideas, but terrible execution.
I'm sad that I didn't love Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon. It has so much going for it, a gorgeous cover, a fun title, dragons and what seemed like an entertaining read.
Almost every single aspect is flat, shallow and underdeveloped. This book isn't exciting and failed to hold my attention. I couldn't relate to the characters, the romances are poorly written and the plot and world doesn't make sense.
Alyson might not have much of a personality, but she's also the first character I've read about in a YA Fantasy who has acne. I like that the aspects she considers to be insecurities and flaws are the parts that make her unique and otherworldly. I also like that her makeup skills play a role in hiding her dragon nature. Unfortunately, some aspects are unbelievable such as her acceptance of mythical creatures and that she might be half-dragon without much hesitation as well as when she figures out the dragon stuff pretty quickly.
The plot is all over the place and I couldn't understand what was going on most of the time. It's like there's a bunch of different plot lines that don't make sense on their own, nor do they make sense in terms of the overall story. I couldn't understand what the characters are trying to achieve and what's the point of it all.
I love books about mythical creatures and there are many different mythical creatures such as trolls, unicorns, centaurs, gryphons and dragons. However, I didn't like how they're portrayed. Some mythical creatures are explored more than others, but it's still very shallow. The main character is half-dragon, but I still don't know much about the dragons in Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon.
I always felt like I was missing important information about the world, the creatures and the characters and the ending is abrupt.
Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon could have been a fun read. Interesting ideas, but terrible execution.
March 5, 2018
This is a great light-read which, I must admit, only landed on my shelves because of it's superb title. If it were a series, I'd be adding the next one to my list!
November 22, 2015
I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.
Move over Ms MacAlister and her Wyverns – there’s a new type of dragon in town! Well, half-dragon… and not just one town, a few towns… and other places.
I loved this book! Being a huge fan of Urban Fantasy and world’s within our own that have a good dash of reality, a large sprinkle of humour and a dollop of sarcasm – how could I NOT love this book?
And thank goodness for a book that contains teens, supernatural creatures and NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES! Hoorah! I do love it when you get writers who know how to write a great book and break free of those horrible cookie cutter moulds that seemed to restrain the Urban Fantasy genre for so long. We need more books like this! So glad it appears to be the first in a series. Please put me down for the next one!
Okay, so now I try and talk to you about the book without giving away the plotline… as, seriously, you want to know about the story, you need to read it. ;-)
But basically Allyson is your typical teen outcast with no true place to call home, always on the move and with more than the usual pimples of puberty to deal with. She meets someone she really connects with, finds out there is more to her life than what she thought and is then thrown into an adventure that introduces both our protagonist and the reader to the world of the Kin and all that is going on. Seriously, read it. My blurb does it no justice.
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes I would. Lovers of the Wyvern series by Katie MacAlister, or Other Worldly book like the Hollows by Kim Harrison or even Mary Janice Davidson will enjoy this book. Though it is more of a YA genre than they are as the main characters are teens and not the twenty somethings of the series I’ve mentioned. Still, ‘Acne, Asthma, and other signs you might be half dragon’ is not your typical teen Urban Fantasy (see my comments about the lack of pretty fanged wonders) and so really is worth a read.
Would I buy this book for myself? Yes I would. And I look forward to the next in the series. Ms Rocford’s style is light, refreshing and she sets a good fast-paced scene that keeps you reading and kept my ‘One more chapter’ mantra going. So this book, series and author are definitely ones I will keep on my list of things to remember.
In summary: A well written, fast-paced YA Urban Fantasy where reality will still make even the supposedly graceful and wise dragon’s bunny hop from time to time. Well thought out, highly entertaining and a fantastic first book in what looks to be a great new series. Well worth you checking out tomorrow!
Move over Ms MacAlister and her Wyverns – there’s a new type of dragon in town! Well, half-dragon… and not just one town, a few towns… and other places.
I loved this book! Being a huge fan of Urban Fantasy and world’s within our own that have a good dash of reality, a large sprinkle of humour and a dollop of sarcasm – how could I NOT love this book?
And thank goodness for a book that contains teens, supernatural creatures and NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES! Hoorah! I do love it when you get writers who know how to write a great book and break free of those horrible cookie cutter moulds that seemed to restrain the Urban Fantasy genre for so long. We need more books like this! So glad it appears to be the first in a series. Please put me down for the next one!
Okay, so now I try and talk to you about the book without giving away the plotline… as, seriously, you want to know about the story, you need to read it. ;-)
But basically Allyson is your typical teen outcast with no true place to call home, always on the move and with more than the usual pimples of puberty to deal with. She meets someone she really connects with, finds out there is more to her life than what she thought and is then thrown into an adventure that introduces both our protagonist and the reader to the world of the Kin and all that is going on. Seriously, read it. My blurb does it no justice.
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes I would. Lovers of the Wyvern series by Katie MacAlister, or Other Worldly book like the Hollows by Kim Harrison or even Mary Janice Davidson will enjoy this book. Though it is more of a YA genre than they are as the main characters are teens and not the twenty somethings of the series I’ve mentioned. Still, ‘Acne, Asthma, and other signs you might be half dragon’ is not your typical teen Urban Fantasy (see my comments about the lack of pretty fanged wonders) and so really is worth a read.
Would I buy this book for myself? Yes I would. And I look forward to the next in the series. Ms Rocford’s style is light, refreshing and she sets a good fast-paced scene that keeps you reading and kept my ‘One more chapter’ mantra going. So this book, series and author are definitely ones I will keep on my list of things to remember.
In summary: A well written, fast-paced YA Urban Fantasy where reality will still make even the supposedly graceful and wise dragon’s bunny hop from time to time. Well thought out, highly entertaining and a fantastic first book in what looks to be a great new series. Well worth you checking out tomorrow!
June 28, 2016
This was a fun read.
Ally's character is amusing and her thought process is entertaining to follow. She has a dry wit and a wry, sarcastic sense of humor. Ally and Beth are both interesting individually and together they have an entertaining dynamic. Ally is sassy and sarcastic, while Beth is spunky and cheerful (despite her depressing upbringing).
I like how the story jumps right into the thick of things. I don't like too much world-building first and then action later. I like it when the action pulls me in and the world-building happens along the way, which is definitely the case here.
The story starts out lighter than I expected -- a teenie, high school story -- but quite soon into the story the stakes are upped a notch and the intensity increases.
It's not as intense or as heavy as a lot of the YA paranormal/fantasy books I've been reading lately, but maybe that's why I'm enjoyed it so much. It's fun (almost a cross between YA and Middle Grade -- in the family of Percy Jackson). There are dangers and risks, but the tone is light.
I really enjoyed this book. It didn't have any whopper, blow-me-out-of-the-water surprises, but it was a fun ride. I really liked Ally's sarcastic, sassy attitude, which she held on to even in stressful, life-threatening situations. The action scenes were not too intense -- I was never really worried that any of the main characters might not make it. It had a more light, fluffy feel to it.
All in all, I had a lot of fun with this story. It may be more middle grade than young adult, as the stakes never get too high (or at least it doesn't feel as if they do -- even though, technically, the main characters are running and fighting for their lives).
I also loved the cover and I found the title to be especially original and creative.
See review on my blog:
TJ's Time Travel Tips!
https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
BUDDY READ:Paranormal/Fantasy > Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon by Rena Rocford - Starting April 5th 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Ally's character is amusing and her thought process is entertaining to follow. She has a dry wit and a wry, sarcastic sense of humor. Ally and Beth are both interesting individually and together they have an entertaining dynamic. Ally is sassy and sarcastic, while Beth is spunky and cheerful (despite her depressing upbringing).
I like how the story jumps right into the thick of things. I don't like too much world-building first and then action later. I like it when the action pulls me in and the world-building happens along the way, which is definitely the case here.
The story starts out lighter than I expected -- a teenie, high school story -- but quite soon into the story the stakes are upped a notch and the intensity increases.
It's not as intense or as heavy as a lot of the YA paranormal/fantasy books I've been reading lately, but maybe that's why I'm enjoyed it so much. It's fun (almost a cross between YA and Middle Grade -- in the family of Percy Jackson). There are dangers and risks, but the tone is light.
I really enjoyed this book. It didn't have any whopper, blow-me-out-of-the-water surprises, but it was a fun ride. I really liked Ally's sarcastic, sassy attitude, which she held on to even in stressful, life-threatening situations. The action scenes were not too intense -- I was never really worried that any of the main characters might not make it. It had a more light, fluffy feel to it.
All in all, I had a lot of fun with this story. It may be more middle grade than young adult, as the stakes never get too high (or at least it doesn't feel as if they do -- even though, technically, the main characters are running and fighting for their lives).
I also loved the cover and I found the title to be especially original and creative.
See review on my blog:
TJ's Time Travel Tips!
https://tjtimetraveltips.wordpress.co...
BUDDY READ:Paranormal/Fantasy > Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon by Rena Rocford - Starting April 5th 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
November 25, 2015
Good, fast-paced urban fantasy that you should check out right now. It has great characters, a little bit of humor and lots of adventure.
Allyson is not your average teenager, even if she doesn't know it all yet. She lives with her mother, who makes her move all over the country every few months. It seems Allyson had finally found a friend at school - Beth. Everything seems to be going just fine. And then the weird things happen...
It all starts at the mall, the girls are minding their own business, doing some shopping and suddenly three big guys surround them. To protect herself and her friend Allyson suddenly breaths fire.
If that wouldn't make Allyson rethink her current life, the fact that Beth is half-troll accused of kidnapping an influential unicorn's son and is facing her death, would be a total killer. Now both girls have to run to save Beth's life and to find the missing unicorn boy.
OK, I just missed like half of what's happening at the very beginning of the book. There's too much I would have to write to explain you all, but there's a better way to do it - you simply have to read the book.
Allison is an interesting character with all her flaws, complexes, strong and weak sides. And most of all - we can finally see a character with proper reactions to her suddenly discovered powers. Not one of those "oh I can use magic, let's save the world now". Allyson really freaks out when she finds out she's part dragon and the author knows just how to show it. Her skills grow stronger with her throughout the story, she has to learn to control and free them to save herself and her friends.
I'd love to read a bit more about her aunt, she seemed like fun and smart person, but there wasn't that many occasions to get to know her better.
This book is really nicely written. With all the things going on, you simply can't stop reading. All the character, the setting, the abilities that each of the kin possess makes you curious to what might happen on the next page. It's one of those books that you can't put down in the evening, that makes you want your bus go slower, so you wouldn't get to your destination just yet.
I had a really good time with this read and you should check out this book. I'll be waiting for the next book about Allyson and her friends
I received this copy from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review.
Check my reviews at https://maginibooks.wordpress.com
Allyson is not your average teenager, even if she doesn't know it all yet. She lives with her mother, who makes her move all over the country every few months. It seems Allyson had finally found a friend at school - Beth. Everything seems to be going just fine. And then the weird things happen...
It all starts at the mall, the girls are minding their own business, doing some shopping and suddenly three big guys surround them. To protect herself and her friend Allyson suddenly breaths fire.
If that wouldn't make Allyson rethink her current life, the fact that Beth is half-troll accused of kidnapping an influential unicorn's son and is facing her death, would be a total killer. Now both girls have to run to save Beth's life and to find the missing unicorn boy.
OK, I just missed like half of what's happening at the very beginning of the book. There's too much I would have to write to explain you all, but there's a better way to do it - you simply have to read the book.
Allison is an interesting character with all her flaws, complexes, strong and weak sides. And most of all - we can finally see a character with proper reactions to her suddenly discovered powers. Not one of those "oh I can use magic, let's save the world now". Allyson really freaks out when she finds out she's part dragon and the author knows just how to show it. Her skills grow stronger with her throughout the story, she has to learn to control and free them to save herself and her friends.
I'd love to read a bit more about her aunt, she seemed like fun and smart person, but there wasn't that many occasions to get to know her better.
This book is really nicely written. With all the things going on, you simply can't stop reading. All the character, the setting, the abilities that each of the kin possess makes you curious to what might happen on the next page. It's one of those books that you can't put down in the evening, that makes you want your bus go slower, so you wouldn't get to your destination just yet.
I had a really good time with this read and you should check out this book. I'll be waiting for the next book about Allyson and her friends
I received this copy from Curiosity Quills in exchange for an honest review.
Check my reviews at https://maginibooks.wordpress.com
December 13, 2015
This one left me stumped. It's rare I give a low star rating, but I really had no choice here.
First off "Unicorns are Jerks?!?" So not true unicorns are awesome, beautiful creatures. That irked me, really badly.
Secondly where's the lead in. It feels like the author had all these ideas chucked them on the page and went "Yep that'll do for a first chapter." No, sorry just no.
I don't know who this character is, I have no emotions about her yet and then you throw all these half and half people at me and expect me to care. Not to mention a supposed friend who has only just figured to mention that.... "Wait, you don't know your half dragon, didn't your family tell you." If she was my friend and she is only just deciding to mention this having supposedly been aware for so long, I would be decidedly peeved.
Plus I'm pretty sure if I suddenly discovered I could breath fire my reaction would be a lot stronger than those represented by the character in this book.
I'll be honest I could not finish this book, I couldn't even get past the first few chapters. It's all far to unbelievable and with fantasy, the whole point is to make the unbelievable, believable. To give us hope that these crazy wonderful things can really happen in this often far to boring and mundane shuffle through life.
I loved the cover, I even liked the title, but the contents just doesn't match up with the exterior. Oh when will I learn that oh so important lesson of never judging a book by its cover?
I am though in all seriousness really disappointed. I want to at least like this book but I just couldn't get through it. For me reading is meant to be an enjoyable experience and this book left me more confused and at times damn right mad (jerks, frigging jerks, unicorns jerks, oh hell no.)
I encourage this author to read, read and read some more, amazing books by amazing authors and look at how they construct a story. The lead in and the introduction to the characters. The way they make us relate to them and believe in them and try and play around with adjusting her approach.
Like everything in life writing takes time, practice and observation of those more skilful than yourself.
It's unlikely I would pick up another book by this author in the future but I wish them the best of luck with their writing career.
First off "Unicorns are Jerks?!?" So not true unicorns are awesome, beautiful creatures. That irked me, really badly.
Secondly where's the lead in. It feels like the author had all these ideas chucked them on the page and went "Yep that'll do for a first chapter." No, sorry just no.
I don't know who this character is, I have no emotions about her yet and then you throw all these half and half people at me and expect me to care. Not to mention a supposed friend who has only just figured to mention that.... "Wait, you don't know your half dragon, didn't your family tell you." If she was my friend and she is only just deciding to mention this having supposedly been aware for so long, I would be decidedly peeved.
Plus I'm pretty sure if I suddenly discovered I could breath fire my reaction would be a lot stronger than those represented by the character in this book.
I'll be honest I could not finish this book, I couldn't even get past the first few chapters. It's all far to unbelievable and with fantasy, the whole point is to make the unbelievable, believable. To give us hope that these crazy wonderful things can really happen in this often far to boring and mundane shuffle through life.
I loved the cover, I even liked the title, but the contents just doesn't match up with the exterior. Oh when will I learn that oh so important lesson of never judging a book by its cover?
I am though in all seriousness really disappointed. I want to at least like this book but I just couldn't get through it. For me reading is meant to be an enjoyable experience and this book left me more confused and at times damn right mad (jerks, frigging jerks, unicorns jerks, oh hell no.)
I encourage this author to read, read and read some more, amazing books by amazing authors and look at how they construct a story. The lead in and the introduction to the characters. The way they make us relate to them and believe in them and try and play around with adjusting her approach.
Like everything in life writing takes time, practice and observation of those more skilful than yourself.
It's unlikely I would pick up another book by this author in the future but I wish them the best of luck with their writing career.
May 3, 2016
In a world of magic and mythical creatures, Acne, Asthma and other signs you might be half dragon, Allyson is not going through puberty as she believes, but is actually turning into a dragon. This newly discovered magical legacy opens the doors to a world of trolls, griffons, unicorns and magic wielders. In this world her best friend, Beth, is falsely accused of killing a unicorn boy and they are sent on the run to prove her innocence.
I found this story, surprisingly, boring. It was a long read that seemed to drag on. Plot wise, the story was not well developed and was not written in a way that would keep the readers attention. Beth and Allyson were also not very well developed and definitely had a lot of room for improvement. There is not much else to say about this book besides that it was very boring and not that well written. The theme of the novel had lots of potential, but in the end did not live up to expectations. I do not recommend it and I give Acne, Asthma and other signs you are half dragon the rating of ONE STAR OUT OF FIVE!
Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...
December 23, 2015
Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon is a delightful story. It's refreshing to find a protagonist who isn't (at first glance) attractive. Allyson has to deal with both asthma and acne to find her inner strength and beauty. Beth is also a strong female character who can handle herself in a fight. I also like how the Kin are handled; they're all impressively strong and there aren't (as far as I can tell) any weak ones.
I strongly recommend this book if you're a fan of fantasy. This is easily one of the best stories I've read this year. It's well-written and well worth your time.
I strongly recommend this book if you're a fan of fantasy. This is easily one of the best stories I've read this year. It's well-written and well worth your time.
December 1, 2015
The first thing that caught me on this book was the cover just love that cover, then the title intrigued me and i was not holding high expectations but i was completely taken by surprise. From page on all the way to end i was held in rapt attention as i watched Allyson learn all about her dragon part of herself and i love how it does not let up on the action and you really want to see how it all going to play and their even hints of more to come.
Read
March 14, 2016Yes :)
This story filled a void in my imagination. A world filled with the he fairy tales sitting right under our noses, until the powers from the other half start to manifest. I really enjoyed this novel. The drama was kept to a minimum and the adventure took up residence in my brain making time fly by with out comprehending the length of time that the story had held the focus. I would welcome the chance to read the next novel.
This story filled a void in my imagination. A world filled with the he fairy tales sitting right under our noses, until the powers from the other half start to manifest. I really enjoyed this novel. The drama was kept to a minimum and the adventure took up residence in my brain making time fly by with out comprehending the length of time that the story had held the focus. I would welcome the chance to read the next novel.
March 25, 2016
You Might Half Dragon
In less than a week you must become an adult, save all your new friends and kill your dad. Well that makes a thrilling book, not just a page Turner but a page burner!
In less than a week you must become an adult, save all your new friends and kill your dad. Well that makes a thrilling book, not just a page Turner but a page burner!
October 29, 2016
What a fantastic story. I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are well developed and interesting. There were parts of the story that I wish had been developed more and expanded upon. Hopefully there’s a follow-up book.
(Borrowed this book from a friend.)
(Borrowed this book from a friend.)
January 29, 2017
I really enjoyed Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon. It was full of action. It was fun to watch as Allyson learned what it means to be half dragon and to discover what she can do. The writing was good and the book is edited well. I highly recommend reading it!
May 9, 2016
Another teen with supernatural powers - but this one was fun. Dragons, trolls, gryphons - a whole new set of "kin" among us. I thought the main characters were compelling.
September 28, 2017
I love the cover! So, so beautiful!
This e-book was sitting on my TBR shelf on my e-reader for more than a year, it's a fast read and by all means I would have loved to give all the initial thoughts of the book, but by reaching 30% of the book the plot from so much of uniqueness and individuality and potential just went straight to a regular High School novel, which was ok, nothing outstanding, that's for me, maybe not for you and you will enjoy...
The plot takes a reader to know more about secretive societies of trolls, unicorns, shape shifting dragons and gryphons, so to say a very weird combination knowing Trolls come from Scandinavian literature and unicorns - so to say a paranormal topic. Main character Allyson, is a regular 14 year old teenager turning to be 15, who has always had an issue with asthma and some acne which recently seems to have gotten worse and no make-up helps to cover it. She has a close friend Beth and her life for a day seems like a normal one and brings hopes of staying to live there till the end of the High School, because she and her mum moves a lot, and I mean A LOT. She lives only with her mum and have never met her dad, but her aunt from dad's side often gives all these weird gifts, but her mum does not get along with her, so there's never a chance to actually ask about dad....who he is and is he alive..what's the story...
One day at the mall together with Beth turns the world upside down when some creepy guys try to kidnap them both. Allyson has gone to self-defense class and knows what to do but still the whole situation leaves a mark and she ends up vomiting - no actually, splitting the fire, a real fire out of her mouth. Her friend says she is a half-dragon!
The book took me for a road trip, for fight actions and war between sides, it also draw a closer discovery who her dad is and her condition.
Well, the "recent" hype with unicorns just made it for me less bearable, kind of annoying as at times I lost sense of the idea. I also had issues with suddenly finding the whole society being "not normal, human citizens" - to have trusty moment - how one could live and not been suspected on abnormalities around and laws by the Government!
This e-book was sitting on my TBR shelf on my e-reader for more than a year, it's a fast read and by all means I would have loved to give all the initial thoughts of the book, but by reaching 30% of the book the plot from so much of uniqueness and individuality and potential just went straight to a regular High School novel, which was ok, nothing outstanding, that's for me, maybe not for you and you will enjoy...
The plot takes a reader to know more about secretive societies of trolls, unicorns, shape shifting dragons and gryphons, so to say a very weird combination knowing Trolls come from Scandinavian literature and unicorns - so to say a paranormal topic. Main character Allyson, is a regular 14 year old teenager turning to be 15, who has always had an issue with asthma and some acne which recently seems to have gotten worse and no make-up helps to cover it. She has a close friend Beth and her life for a day seems like a normal one and brings hopes of staying to live there till the end of the High School, because she and her mum moves a lot, and I mean A LOT. She lives only with her mum and have never met her dad, but her aunt from dad's side often gives all these weird gifts, but her mum does not get along with her, so there's never a chance to actually ask about dad....who he is and is he alive..what's the story...
One day at the mall together with Beth turns the world upside down when some creepy guys try to kidnap them both. Allyson has gone to self-defense class and knows what to do but still the whole situation leaves a mark and she ends up vomiting - no actually, splitting the fire, a real fire out of her mouth. Her friend says she is a half-dragon!
The book took me for a road trip, for fight actions and war between sides, it also draw a closer discovery who her dad is and her condition.
Well, the "recent" hype with unicorns just made it for me less bearable, kind of annoying as at times I lost sense of the idea. I also had issues with suddenly finding the whole society being "not normal, human citizens" - to have trusty moment - how one could live and not been suspected on abnormalities around and laws by the Government!
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