Official Review: Dragon Country by Melissa Robbins
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 19:20
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dragon Country" by Melissa Robbins.]
Do we really know what happens outside University lecture halls? Are religious universities safe havens for our students in contrast to secular universities? Dragon Country by Melissa Robbins answers those questions in the form of a story. The setting of this book is cast in Coram Deo University (CDU), New England. Ashley has been accepted to pursue her undergraduate degree in that University, which she describes as being "the smallest college that she had ever seen with her own eyes".
Ash, as her best friend - Jenny - called her, is the oldest student in CDU. She doubts whether her acceptance into this institution is justified. She does not have any other friend besides Jenny, with whom she can explore the pleasures of campus life. However, something about Jenny, a final year student, does not add up. Ash cannot understand why most students in their college throw weird glances at them, whenever she and Jenny are walking together along the college corridors. She realizes that her friendship is about to ruin the peace of mind that she had cherished for a long time now. Will she give up her friendship with Jenny for her own sake? What does she have to sacrifice if this friendship continues?
The thing I liked most about this book is its creative plot. Written for a young adult audience, Robbins created a plot that would resonate with young minds. Her frequent plot deviation and creation of other sub-plots in the book blends well with a youthful mind. Notably, for a novel featuring sexual perversion, drug and substance abuse, friendship and betrayal, alcohol addiction and intellectual discussions, I felt that the thematic concerns were fully addressed without negatively affecting the steady development of the plot.
The author's characterization is also commendable. She was able to create all-rounded characters, who assisted the protagonist in the main plot development without shifting attention to themselves. Their appropriateness is evident in every scene they feature in and each dialogue that the characters engage in. I, therefore, was able to forge an immediate bond with them from the beginning of the story up to the end.
The two major points of view that this story is told from is equally commendable. I found it relevant for the author to allow the narration of the story to shift from Ash to Jenny, while each of them spoke from the first-person point of view. These perspectives gave the book a holistic impression because I was able to understand what a character felt and thought about other characters.
There is nothing else that I did not like about this amazing work, apart from the glaring errors that characterize the book and which detracted from my reading experience. I found more than ten grammatical mistakes, which essentially proves that the book was not professionally edited. I unfortunately have to rate this interesting book three out of four stars. I recommend it to young adults who would like to have a glimpse of what comes with being in the university. Puritan parents may also enjoy demystifying any myths that they had about the advantages of enrolling their kids to religious institutions in contrast to secular institutions.
******
Dragon Country
View: on Bookshelves
Do we really know what happens outside University lecture halls? Are religious universities safe havens for our students in contrast to secular universities? Dragon Country by Melissa Robbins answers those questions in the form of a story. The setting of this book is cast in Coram Deo University (CDU), New England. Ashley has been accepted to pursue her undergraduate degree in that University, which she describes as being "the smallest college that she had ever seen with her own eyes".
Ash, as her best friend - Jenny - called her, is the oldest student in CDU. She doubts whether her acceptance into this institution is justified. She does not have any other friend besides Jenny, with whom she can explore the pleasures of campus life. However, something about Jenny, a final year student, does not add up. Ash cannot understand why most students in their college throw weird glances at them, whenever she and Jenny are walking together along the college corridors. She realizes that her friendship is about to ruin the peace of mind that she had cherished for a long time now. Will she give up her friendship with Jenny for her own sake? What does she have to sacrifice if this friendship continues?
The thing I liked most about this book is its creative plot. Written for a young adult audience, Robbins created a plot that would resonate with young minds. Her frequent plot deviation and creation of other sub-plots in the book blends well with a youthful mind. Notably, for a novel featuring sexual perversion, drug and substance abuse, friendship and betrayal, alcohol addiction and intellectual discussions, I felt that the thematic concerns were fully addressed without negatively affecting the steady development of the plot.
The author's characterization is also commendable. She was able to create all-rounded characters, who assisted the protagonist in the main plot development without shifting attention to themselves. Their appropriateness is evident in every scene they feature in and each dialogue that the characters engage in. I, therefore, was able to forge an immediate bond with them from the beginning of the story up to the end.
The two major points of view that this story is told from is equally commendable. I found it relevant for the author to allow the narration of the story to shift from Ash to Jenny, while each of them spoke from the first-person point of view. These perspectives gave the book a holistic impression because I was able to understand what a character felt and thought about other characters.
There is nothing else that I did not like about this amazing work, apart from the glaring errors that characterize the book and which detracted from my reading experience. I found more than ten grammatical mistakes, which essentially proves that the book was not professionally edited. I unfortunately have to rate this interesting book three out of four stars. I recommend it to young adults who would like to have a glimpse of what comes with being in the university. Puritan parents may also enjoy demystifying any myths that they had about the advantages of enrolling their kids to religious institutions in contrast to secular institutions.
******
Dragon Country
View: on Bookshelves