Face the Dragon

by Joyce Sweeney

After skipping the ninth grade and entering high school in an accelerated program for gifted students, fourteen-year-old Eric and his best friend Paul seem to undergo a dynamic change in their relationship.

Genres: Young Adult

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Joyce Sweeney captured the attention of the YA book world when her novel Center Line was chosen as the winner of the first Delacorte Press Prize for an Outstanding First Young Adult Novel in 1984. Since that auspicious beginning she has continued to publish appealing novels for teens on a variety of topics, among them friendships, family relationships, and self-discovery. Four of those novels have been named Best Books for Young Adults, four have been Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and Booklist included Players among its Top Ten Sports Books in 2002.

Reviews

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No man but me could hope to defeat this monster. No one could try. And the dragon's treasure, his gold and everything hidden in the tower will be mine or war will sweep me to a bitter death."
So spoke Beowulf as he faced his final battle. Eric looked at this and thought everyone faces their own dragons. And you can run away leaving the dragon victorious or turn and fight. If you win, the treasures of a better life will be yours.
Eric and five other ninth graders have been accelerated into tenth grade. Each of the six has a dragon or dragons to face. Each must decide whether or not to face that dragon.
"Yet, they did what all men must do when the time comes." Beowulf stood with his shield melting, flames sweeping around him and all his friends and kinsmen fled save one. Wiglaf was no hero. Yet he stayed to help his friend and kinsman.
Eric's friend Paul seeks to defend another student from a vindictive teacher and brings that teacher's wrath down on himself. Eric and Paul had a falling out, are no longer speaking. Eric hates conflicts, is the pet of this teacher. The dragon's flames surround Paul.
I didn't like Eric. I found him jealous, spiteful, argumentative, mean at times. He is a teenage boy trying to move from child to man and not knowing how to do it. But, deep down, Eric has solid values and good insights even when he ignores the ones he needs to see. I came to respect him.
This is a thoughtful book. The range of dragons the characters must face is wide. Their actions are based in reality. It also gave me a new way of looking at Beowulf, one useful in today's world. Eric is right. All of us have dragons to face.

[Kripa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is a wonderful book to read. There are two main characters,Paul and Eric. They are put in an integrated program and they skip a few grades and end up in high school.They were best friends.But,now Eric isn't so sure.He reads about Beowulf and gains courage to prove that he's his own person and that he's not just someone who follows Paul everywhere.He doesn't want to be in Paul's shadow anymore and is questioning their friendship. I would probably recommend it to kids anywhere between the ages 10-15 who like to read realistic fiction.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how modern this book is considering it was published 17 years ago. The story is emotionally honest and the writing is quite funny at times. Although I felt Joyce Sweeney sometimes writes the boy’s point of view with a perspective that is too feminine. I had a hard time believing 14 year old boys are really obsessed with girls’ fingernails, dresses and hairstyles.

[Yingtai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gay kids should read this book. Although I hope we have even better ones now.