Kentucky Komodo Dragons

American Chillers #27

by Johnathan Rand

While hiking in the forest of Paducah, Kentucky, Jason Bradford and his sister, Jillian, spot a lizard in a tree. However, this is a species of lizard they've never seen before. It's nearly two feet long... and vicious!

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Christopher Wright is the author of dozens of horror fiction books for children and young adults. He writes under the pseudonyms Johnathan Rand and Christopher Knight. Almost all of Wright's books (save American Chillers) take place in his home state of Michigan.

Reviews

[Alejandro Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this one purely because I wanted to get it out of the way and not neglect on my shelf for eternity. Shocked to say this one had some banger ideas at play even if I didn’t love this one. First off, the actual threat here is casual/natural and I think it’s decently refreshing even if dull—until later, of course. There’s a period of this book where you’re led to believe a character met a grisly fate, which was un-shockingly not true, and it was neat to see for kids horror, and there’s a heroic moment that comes from it which I quite liked. There’s some solid tense bits in here, an okay resolution, and… oh yeah: the big reveal. I gravitate to Sci Fi/Aliens heavily and this did not disappoint lol. Truthfully, the reveal is where my highest praises come from, and without spoiling it, it’s got some nice body horror, offers a unique explanation that I quite liked, and some of the best scenes in this whole entry. But as always, these ‘Chillers have some writing issues. Mr. Wright isn’t on his A-Game and a lot of the book is straight up repetitive, bland, and the writing itself falls flat, and there’s even a few horrendous typos here and there (no biggie but damn). I swear, one of these will knock it out of the park—but that remains to be found. There’s a lot of fat within this one that could’ve been cut, and there’s a pointless scene near the end that could’ve been cut entirely involving two random ass kids. I get it was a bridge to a plot beat but there could’ve been a quicker/better method to get to it. The plot isn’t all-too fantastic, the mother is a bit stupid early on, and the climax felt rushed, almost non-existent. Overall, 6.5/10. It’s fine, nothing rave worthy sadly. Somehow the second best American Chillers book, and fourth best for the franchise. Night of the Giant Everything ass scaling on the cover smh.

[Melissa Ganka-Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a parochial school librarian, I struggle to find appropriate books for my thrill seekers. This is the first title of this series that I tried reading. I'm sure there are several in this series that would not be appropriate for my readers, but this one was great. Very sci-fi/ twilight zone. Suspenseful but not horror. I plan to add a few of these titles to my library shelf.

[Max Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to the library and picked up a stale old copy of Kentucky Komodo Dragons.

The book was so old that it literally crumbled into dust when I touched it, making my hands old and stale too.

That's why I like my fresh new copies. 😎

Come on Rand, give us book 45. You've only been working on it for the past 22 years.

[Wolverinefactor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reveal was silly and took me out of it. Oh well

[Justin]

This book was a fantastic book i read this book because it was a american thriller book and it looked very interesting and i started reading it and started off with a kick and it was my second favorite book through the hole school year it had suspense action horror and adventure it was about a brother and his sister and they wanted to go into the woulds with there friend Sara and she was scared at first but then she said OK they all started walking through the woods and they heard the leaves move and they got scared they thought it was nothing and then they saw something very very far from them it looked like a very small lizard then it started coming towards them and they saw it getting bigger and bigger and it was a giant Komodo dragon it tried to attack there friend Sara and it grabbed her shirt and ripped part of her shirt and the brother and sister thought that the giant Komodo dragon ate there friend Sara. That's just the beginning of the story more komodo dragons show up and start to lay eggs in the woods and make more Komodos but the kids find a way to stop them and make them even smaller and they meet a scientist and they hope she can stop the invasion of komodo dragons from destroying Kentucky and they think there friend Sara is alive but there not sure of it so they have to go back into the woods with even more komodo dragons but now the Komodos are hungry and want to eat more of the people and they have to stop the dragons from eating the people. There are tons of dragons now and they don't think they can stop them so the start to us there self as bait. And that's the end of the review and that's why this is one of my favorite books.

[Gina Hedge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the comotion that happend in this book.I love the suspens that Jonathon Rand Put in and after each and every chapter.I thought that at the end all the peaces (chapters) come together at the end and make a really good ending.

[Dakota Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

super good couldn't put it down

[Anne Hedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast-paced and exciting. Couldn't put it down.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild, crazy and full of adventure. Very creative and imaginative.

[Lily]

;)