The Dragon Keeper

by Mindy Mejia

A zookeeper fights to save the animal she loves, even as her own life crumbles around her... Meg Yancy knows she may be overly attached to Jata, the Komodo dragon that has been in her care since it arrived at the zoo from Indonesia. Jata brings the exotic to Meg's Minnesotan an ancient, predatory history and stories of escaping to freedom. A species that became endangered soon after being discovered, Komodos have a legacy of independence, something that Meg understands all too well. Meg has always been better able to relate to reptiles than to people, from her estranged father to her live-in boyfriend to the veterinarian who is more concerned with his career than with the animals' lives. Then one day, Meg makes an amazing discovery. Jata has produced viable eggs-without ever having had a mate. Faced with this rare phenomenon, Meg must now defend Jata's hatchlings from the scientific, religious, and media forces that converge on the zoo to claim the miracle as their own. Finally forced to deal with the very people she has avoided for so long, Meg discovers that opening herself up comes with its own complications. And as she fights to save the animal she loves from the consequences of its own miracle, she must learn to accept that in nature, as in life, not everything can be controlled. Mindy Mejia's gripping debut novel highlights the perils of captivity and the astonishing ways in which animals evolve.

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Audiobook, Wildlife, Novels, Vegan

286 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2012

About the author

My name is Mindy Mejia and I’m a writer. I write because, ever since I was six years old, my favorite game has been pretend. My life doesn't have symmetry, theme, symbolism, or meditated beauty and I gravitate toward these things like a houseplant to the sun. I love the perfect words; I love how 'fierce' and 'confounded' and 'swagger' look on the page and how my chest expands when I read them. I write because I believe in the reality of my fantasies, the truth in my fabrications. I’ve always had stories sneaking around my head, thrillers like LEAVE NO TRACE and EVERYTHING YOU WANT ME TO BE, and sometimes I inhabit those stories more than my own life. (Best not to mention that last part to my husband, kids, or boss.)

Reviews

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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3.25 stars

The Dragon Keeper tells a very specific type of story. This the third novel I've read by Mindy Mejia and it certainly has a unique premise. Mejia's books differ in style and subject-manner, yet genre distinctions aside, each one of her story is underlined by a tense atmosphere. Most of The Dragon Keeper takes place in the zoo where Meg Yancy works. Meg is the keeper of her zoo's Komodo dragon, Jata. Having never been close to her parents or her phlegmatic sort-of-boyfriend, Meg finds fulfilment in looking after Jata.
When the zoo discovers that has produced viable eggs, without mating, Jata begins to receive attention from the media and the scientific world. It becomes clear that Meg, who is closed-off and often abrasive, isn't versed in zoo politics. While Meg may be Jata's keeper, she has little control over the Komodo dragon's future.
Moving from the time before and after the hatching of Jata's eggs, The Dragon Keeper depicts Meg's relationship to Jata. Meg wants the best for Jata yet she finds herself bending rules and ignoring signs that point to Jata's predatory nature. Meg's entanglement with a veterinary, who also happens to been her sworn enemy, further clouds her judgment.
There are a lot of interesting discussions in this narrative: on parthenogenesis, on Komodo dragons, on animals who are raised in zoos, on the advantages and disadvantages of zoos, on the way media manipulates facts, on parenting and on abortion.
There is also a sense of unease pervading the story. Meg makes quite a few hasty or questionable decisions and readers are given the impression that her behaviour will get her in trouble.
While I do wish that some of the characters had been more fully fleshed out, I was pleasantly surprised by the way in which certain minor characters were portrayed.
Given the narrow scope of this story, I don't think that it will appeal to a lot of readers. Still, it is an interesting examination of a woman whose loneliness is assuaged by an animal who is often regarded as a threat. Mejia succeeds in making us care for Jata, without romanticising her or ascribing unrealistic attributes to her.
Poignant moments aside, The Dragon Keeper left me wanting more.

[John Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this last night. One of the first and most remarkable charms of this remarkably readable book is the author managed to make me care deeply about a cold-blooded reptile (a komodo dragon) and a near-autistic zookeeper who cared about the reptile. This is a love story in the best sense of that word, one that convinces us to care about people and animals who are all too easy to ignore, even revile. This is not the sort of book I'd have picked up on my own (and I confess I did so initially because my publisher published it, and even so it would have been easy to duck reviewing, so I do so without any sense of obligation to review). In the end I was intrigued by the premise, and once I got going, I was carried along by a story that made me wonder how this dragon could be so appealing and then wondering how not and why I'd never seen one before and wanting to go and see one and find out more about them, and so on. In the end I was sad to leave the characters behind, wanting to begin the story all over again, and to me that's the best kind of book to read, one we want to stay within.

Another wonder of this book is the way it takes the reader behinds the scenes at the zoo, the sorts of places I've always wanted to go but had no access to. As an anthropologist myself, I found the book, besides being a readable tale, a window into a culture -- zoo culture -- that I could only imagine before reading this.

[Alanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having worked at a Zoo myself, I found Mindy accurately depicted a Zoo's "behind the scene" setting. The conflict between doing what is best for the animals vs keeping an organization funded and thriving is the core struggle at every Zoo. Mindy captured this struggle effortlessly, as well as captured an authentic view on a keeper's passion, commitment, and interpersonal relationships within an organization. I hope all my Zoo friends read this and recommend it to others! Bravo Mindy Mejia!

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever known someone who related to animals better than people? I’d bet most of us have. Meg Yancy, the protagonist of The Dragon Keeper, is one of those people. Meg has what for her is the perfect job, working as a Zoo Keeper at the fictional “Zoo of America,” (part of a complex the author has imagined in between the actual Mall of America and the Minnesota River, south of the Minneapolis airport). She works with animals, whom she understands and relates well to, and is able to minimize the need for interactions with people. That changes when events force her to deal with people in order to defend her animals.

The Dragon Keeper has a story that, while classified as a thriller, where you’d expect a character to be at risk, is outside the norm, because the characters most in danger are the animals involved. Meg isn’t lacking in risks, but they aren’t of the life and limb variety. However, there is a lot more going on. A romantic sub-thread, an education about Komodo Dragons, and a subtext that speaks to preserving the environment and evolution, take this further outside of the typical thriller storyline and do so in a good way. Not only is this a fun read, but it’s not one of those books you feel like you’ve read before. Always a plus in my mind.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The strength of this book is the description and research into the care and history of the dragon. Unfortunately, the plot is highly predictable. The love scenes are a bit overdone and "school-girl" in my opinion. The main character is not at all likable to the extent that I just could not cheer for her. I'm really tired of these formulaic fiction novels - strong misunderstood woman fights the norm of what's expected of her, ditches old boyfriend, finds new boyfriend, ditches new boyfriend and is now a truly strong independent woman, who happily finds herself.

[Kristin Boldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a fantasy book! Eco lit about Komodo dragons!

I know I wrote a review for this book last fall so I don't know where it's gone. I had to re read the beginning for a class and I kept going. This is a first novel, so there are some bits and pieces that aren't perfect. But the whole is so good, IMO, that they didn't bug me.

Fair warning, it has a super unlikeable narrator. If you must like your main character, go elsewhere, but otherwise stay for acerbic, traumatized, hates people but loves lizards, zookeeper Meg Yancy.

Meg is the keeper for Jata, who lays viable eggs but hasn't encountered a dude dragon for years. This so-called virgin birth confounds everyone and puts Meg at the center of a rising cyclone that involves her boss, boyfriend, co-worker friend, local news team, her dad, the zoo's vet and some famous woman scientist. Meg is a mess, and so is her life. As she painfully pieces together how to move forward in her life, there is collateral damage aplenty. Also, some HOT angry sex.

Today I had work to do so I told myself I'd finish it later. Nope. Picked it up and read through till the satisfying and bittersweet ending. I didn't have to read the whole thing again, but I did. I didn't have to finish it, but once started I did. A compelling read with a good cast of characters, an actual real dragon (and babies!), and some big questions on the ethics of zoo's, and how animals and humans can live together, or not.

[Shoshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg is a zoo keeper in charge of the komodo dragon enclosure at the Zoo of America. Meg's life is a mess. She's got a lackluster boyfriend, a bad relationship with both her divorced parents, and a lot of regret for a previous abortion. Throughout the book Meg makes several poorly thought out decisions, but she really loves her dragon and will do anything for her. The dragon in question, Jata, has recently laid fertile eggs through parthenogenesis gaining the attention of the local media, and later the scientific community.
My biggest problem with the book is the inaccurate way in which the term evolution is tossed around by the protagonist, however the book does address this inaccuracy and its inaccurate depiction is realistic of common misconceptions of evolution. Evolution is discussed as an active power belonging to individual animals that humans can not stop (i.e., individual animals in a zoo displaying new behaviors / abilities are talked about as though they are actively evolving rather than displaying latent abilities generated through many generations of evolution and triggered by environmental factors). It was cool to see this misconception play out in the book, however it concerned me that the correct usage was only brushed on in passing.
My favorite part about the book was that it took place in Minnesota, its always cool to read a book taking place in an area your familiar with.

[Melinda Elizabeth]

The Dragon Keeper is a book about a zoo keeper and the relatoinship between her and her komodo dragon. Meg is not a people person, preferring the company of her reptile friends, and this is not really one of the character arcs that we experience trough the book. Meg continues not to be a people person, with complex, fraught relationships with her colleagues, family and boyfriend.

I think that the lack of development from Meg and the other humans in the book is a missed opportunity, as some story arcs are picked up and dropped without much concern. There was a bit of a 'jurrassic park' vibe with some of the high tech bits the vet were doing, but these tapered off halfway through the book.

There is a tension throughout the book regarding the care for Jata and what is best for her. With a mysterious cachet of eggs that defy explanation, there is additional scrutiny on the practices of the zoo team and what is right or wrong for the care of Jata and her offspring. The tension between what is good for humans and for Jata become blurred.

A short enough book that has a good pace, but lacks a little bit of development, but overall quite good.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL;DR: I really enjoyed this book, but had some trouble with the details, plot points, and one really traumatic event.

I have no idea how to review this book. It is wonderfully done and fascinating. At the beginning I was very excited to recommend it to all my zoo keeper friends and now . . . now, I'm not sure I will or not.

Let's get this out of the way first: The characters are well done. Meg, the protagonist, is well done. She is a miserable woman with a miserable worldview, deeply misanthropic and with upsettingly internalized misogynies, but she is realistically drawn. The reader understands how she got this way and why.

The Komodo dragons were wonderfully done. I loved Jata. The relationship between Jata and Meg, as well as the ways Meg mythologized and misinterpreted that relationship, was fascinating and heartbreaking to read. The attention Mejia paid to the animals was wonderful to read.

However, this book ought to come with a trigger warning. I don't know what kind really you could tag that wouldn't spoil some of the plot.

But due to an an agonistic incident that resulted in the grave injury of at least one human, the zoo decides to euthanize the Komodo dragon, Jata. Her keeper, Meg, insists on doing it herself. So you have to actually live through the brutal experience of Meg killing the being she literally loves most in the world. It is awful and not made any better at all by the fact that all the facts are so completely realistic.

Mejia clearly did a prodigious amount of research for this book. She thanks some zoo people at the end. She tried very hard to capture a lot of the politics of a zoo. However, I struggled with some things.

1. I know there are bad zoos. I know there are bad zoos. And Zoo of America (the setting of this book) is fictitious. But I found it hard to believe in a zoo that had such thin staffing in the keeper area. Their herp area (called "Reptile World") had, as far as I can tell three keepers. One each for snakes, testudines, and lizards. That is crazy. That is not enough people. It had to be that way for the plot to work as Mejia imagined it: There couldn't be another keeper as close to Jata as Meg was. It would have screwed up the relationship dynamics. But that's just not the way things work. Or, maybe, it's not the way things should work, and I've just been spoiled and have never seen a zoo where it did work that way.

2. This zoo has an (apparently) unlimited budget, but their PR team is just abysmal at their jobs. Maybe this is how some PR offices run? But at the zoo PR teams I've been affiliated with, no one would treat their keepers this way. You don't throw them to the press, especially to a TV reporter (who you know has been antagonistic!) with no prep, no training, and no spotter. You just don't. You stay with them. You practice beforehand. You role-play and prepare and brainstorm talking points. You, if necessary, physically interpose yourself between your keeper and the reporter. Everyone treated Meg like she'd done a terrible job on the interviews and press conferences when, in fact, those were the PR team's failure. They failed to prepare her, failed to support her, and failed to manage reporter expectations and access. I know that was all part of what made the plot work, but I felt that it would have been a stronger work with a more realistic zoo environment.

3. It's a necropsy. An animal autopsy is a necropsy. The vet would call it as such. Meg might not, because Jata is a person to her. But that dichotomy should have been called out, even maybe meditated on as a gauge of to whom we award the prize of "personhood."

4. I am not really sure Mejia understands what AZA does and how animal ownership works -- especially for endangered species like Komodo dragons.

5. Again with this zoo just stinking. No one calls out how much their SAMs need keeper interactions and behavioral observations to work. Also, OMG, they seem to do almost no enrichment. None at least that are mentioned. And there is no mention of training -- not even target training for Jata for a blood draw. (How did they get that blood?

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Meg!

[b (tobias forge's version)]

I read this for the komodo dragons (they're among my favorite animals and I recently visited my local zoo's new komodo habitat), and therefore got much more interpersonal drama than I might have liked. As much as it annoys me when readers complain about a protagonist being unlikeable, I really struggled with Meg's duplicity and poor decision-making, especially as it related to Jata, the komodo dragon in her care. Ruin your own and other human lives all you want, I guess, but keep it together with the animal who depends on you, and don't let the fallout distract you from your duties.

[Kristin Boldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not read this book if you crave likeable main characters! If you're good with prickly, messy ones who make terrible decisions and sabotage relationships, then come on in. This books sounds like it's fantasy and was shelved in mystery, but it's a literary coming-of-age novel with an ecological slant, about Meg, a zookeeper whose main charge is a Komodo dragon that has just, improbably, laid a clutch of eggs. Meg, a socially inept woman in her late 20's, gets along with very few people but works hard to give her zoo-bound Komodo dragon a good life. There were a few hiccups as I read, like why Meg would be allowed to do certain things, and some side characters that could've used more time onstage, but overall, this was a page-turning ecological novel with a captivatingly unruly main character, a solid page-turning plot, and an aspect to the end of the kind that I usually spot when no one else does, and this time didnt see coming. This is a solidly done (and obviously well researched) first novel.

[Audrey Ettinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific eco-fiction novel. We assigned this book to four sections of an Honors First Year Seminar on four different topics (Science and Scientists in novels and films, The Outsider in Film and Fiction, Coming of Age in a Complex World, and Protest Drama), and it worked beautifully for each of us. Great characters, interesting plotline, carefully researched scientific content. The author, Mindy Mejia, came to our campus to talk to students and to give a public reading, and she was completely delightful. It was fascinating to learn about her inspiration for this novel, her background research, and how she thought about some of the characters and plot. I look forward to reading her other novel and short fiction!

Re-read 2018, and finished after the class was over. Loved this so much that I used it again for this year’s class. This time, I really appreciated the unconventional romantic relationships (especially knowing that Mejia considers the true love relationship to be between the zookeeper and the dragon), which were particularly consistent with Rebecca Traister’s All the Single Ladies that we read excerpts of with another class section. Also loved the chance to talk about abortion with my students through the character’s’ perspectives rather than their own — a productive way to make students think more broadly about a controversial topic.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC.
Interesting story of a zoo keeper for a Komodo dragon that has become pregnant without having a male Komodo around. Of course the zoo keeper interacts better with the dragon than she does with humans.
The story was well researched and enjoyable. I did not like some of the choices the main character made but that's ok. You don't have to like everything about a character to enjoy a story.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meg is a zookeeper at the Zoo of America in Minnesota. She is the primary handler of a female Komodo Dragon that lays a clutch of eggs via parthenogenesis. This is her story.

I absolutely loved this book! I love the fact that it was set in Minnesota......my home state. I could visualize exactly where the zoo was located. The interactions between the main character and her dragon were wonderful. Nicely written and full of information. I would highly encourage others to read this book.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character was static and unlikable. I enjoy characters that aren't the "good guys", but Meg's awful attitude about life and disregard for the people around her makes this a hard book to read. There are also a lot of plot points that don't seem to happen naturally and only exist to move the plot along. This book can't decide if it wants to be about animal conservation or a bad romance triangle. Overall wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried more reading this book than any book before ... tears for a Komodo Dragon! That's how good this author is - she made me care so very much about these reptiles! I loved the book, and the very beautiful ending. If you love animals as much as I do, you'll love this book. You just can't help it. It was wonderfully moving, and one that really made me think. Thank you, Mindy Mejia, for a truly inspiring story of animal love!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartwarming book. You can't help but to connect with Meg Yancy and fall in love with her. This book is a page turner that once you start reading you can't put down. I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! Such a good plot and I really connected with the characters. The writing made me feel like a part of the zoo and a friend of the characters. It should have been longer!

[Nicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review to follow

[Dave Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I read by Mindy Mejia, and it was quite a contrast to my usual read. Meg Yancy is the zookeeper for a Komodo dragon name Jata. In the early half of the book the reader is transported back and forth in time, as chapters mostly rotate between before hatching and after hatching. The hatching refers to the emergence from eggs of three Komodo dragon babies, and since Jata never came in contact with a male Komodo dragon, the interest level in the birth of the dragons skyrockets. As it turns out, Meg is a high strung keeper who is overprotective of her reptile and her offspring. Along the way we learn of Meg's relationship with Ben, a quasi boyfriend, and then some wild passion with Antonio Rodriguez, the veterinarian. Meg's father and deceased mother along with some co-workers play important roles. There are many themes in this book in addition to the birth of three Komodo hatchlings. The Zoo of America, of course, is a business, and the business has goals that reach beyond simply protecting and raising Komodo dragons. Meg is passionate about her call, and ridiculously direct in her dealings with her boss and management of the zoo. Her needs and desires clash with the zoo business model. Antonio has different motives that relate to the application of technology to tracking the health of zoo animals, and Meg resents and fails to understand this alternative outlook. There is quite a bit to digest in this deep novel. When I began reading about Komodo dragons, I never thought I would be drawn in to such a degree.

[Penny Louks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed other books by Mindy Mejia, so I wanted to read her debut novel to get a well-rounded sense of her as a writer. The descriptions of the Komodo dragon and background knowledge showed Mejia's research skills and it was interesting to learn although reptiles are definitely not my thing by a long stretch. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much, and I even felt that the flashbacks were easy to follow which can be a bit of a tough sell. The writing flowed well, and most readers will eagerly follow the plot line through to the end. But, I did not give it full marks because although I love a challenging and flawed protagonist, Meg Yancy was lacking in some way, and I never truly embraced her as I normally would with a central character. She was portrayed as an aloof person from the beginning, but I grew to see her as selfish more than misunderstood and possibly shy. This lack of character development was a weakness, but the story line was strong. Those interested in the back workings of a zoo environment will enjoy this book immensely.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a fictional zoo in Minnesota, this story is about Meg Yancy, primary caretaker of the zoo's komodo dragon, Jata. What Meg lacks in people skills, she makes up for in devotion to Jata. When Jata lays viable eggs through a process known as parthenogenesis, Meg is suddenly thrust into the spotlight as the media and public clamor for information about this seemingly impossible "virgin birth". The story includes lots of interesting and scientific information about komodo dragons, a species I know very little about. Meg's personal demons - her antisocial behavior chief among them - also contribute significantly to how the story plays out. I didn't fall in love with Meg or Jata, but I appreciated Meg's passion for her work and the well being of her dragon(s) (Jata and her hatchlings). 3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4).

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by Mindy Meija. I found the book when looking for an available audio book at the library. I'm not sure why I chose this book, it's nothing like the books I usually read.

I found Meg really annoying! She is aware of not interacting well with others but she doesn't even try! When she almost loses her job because of something she said, she just shakes it off!

Her life is all about Jata, the Komodo dragon that she has been taking care of since she came to the zoo five years ago. When Meg lies about the new behavior of the dragon, she puts everyone at risk!


The story jumped back and forth between the time before and after Jata's eggs hatch. I definitely don't like books jumping back and forth in time! This was no mystery book where it was necessary!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read Everything You want me To Be just prior to The Dragon Keeper. And I LOVED Mindy's 2nd book (Everything You...). What a different type of book Dragon was from Everything. Completely. However different they are from each other, her style appears to stay the same which I like. I am a wild animal lover so this book about a Komodo appealed to me. I am not sure it would if you are not a wildlife enthusiast. A little slow in the beginning, there were a few twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I had compassion for a few of the characters and could relate in certain situations.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible setting (the Minnesota Zoo, if it were a cheesy tourist attraction instead of cutting-edge conservation -- I did love the concept of "Zoo of America" as one of three similarly-named imaginary attractions near the actual Mall of America), unique and engaging plot, and an incredible ability to make me care THIS MUCH about a predatory reptile and her obviously genuine bond with her keeper. Oh, Jata. Unfortunately, it did not make me care about any of the human characters, nor is it exactly a feel-good book.

[Cato · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read The Dragon Keeper, because the main character Meg is a vegetarian and it has awesome komodo dragons. Sadly it was not so much about the dragons, but more about Meg's relationship problems.
I found this book to be a very sad and sometimes boring book. Nevertheless it is a well written criticism of zoos, that is worth reading. If you are interested in animal rights and in (hetero) relationship drama, you might like this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story but the author didn't really get subtly. She screamed the parallels between Meg's life and Kata's life and the irony of Meg (and Kata) losing the answer to problems right before the problem presented itself. The biology was cool and I wish it were based on a true story in that respect (I know part of the biology is based on fact but the rest...)

A good read but probably not something I'll come back to.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for class. However, I am extremely glad that my professor made me read this. This book is moving and is entertaining and emotional from the first page to the last. She is a great author!

[Kay A Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a unique idea developed into an enjoyable book

Thank you Mindy!
I loved the premise, the characters and their development.
I would have preferred a more romantic ending, but it was a nice ending.