Review of The All Puff No Flames Dragon

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Christell Lindeque
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Review of The All Puff No Flames Dragon

Post by Christell Lindeque »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The All Puff No Flames Dragon" by Molly Dee.]
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2 out of 5 stars
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Molly Dee's The All Puff No Flames Dragon is a children's novel about a princess and a dragon. Blue's relatives have always made fun of him for the fact that he can't breathe fire, so he went away from his home to avoid them. A princess named Amethyst had piqued his interest, and he found himself at her palace. They became good friends and went on incredible adventures behind their parents' backs, until their parents found out and told them to settle down with their own species. How will they react? Will they listen to their parents?

The story is written in such a way that youngsters will comprehend it, but I think it will have to be read over the course of several days due to its length. A kid will probably enjoy the different coloured pages that represent each chapter. The artwork is really detailed and full of colour. A child's attention will be held by the vibrant drawings.

I appreciate that this book shows kids that being themselves is important and acceptable. The artwork was beautiful, and I eagerly anticipated more like it. I don't think kids under the age of eight should read this book because of how long it is, what happens in it, how some of the characters act, and the level of detail in a fight scene. The story's premise interested me, but I can't help but think it might benefit from the touch of an editor.

One thing I didn't like was how the author swapped points of view without making it obvious. I had to go back a few times to be sure the perspective had changed to Amethyst's, which broke up the flow of the book for me. Especially considering the manner in which the author introduced Amethyst. It wasn't only the typos that bothered me; the plot itself lacked momentum. The novel didn't flow very well since the author kept switching between reporting what had been stated and when characters spoke in dialogue. There were also numerous opportunities to break up longer sentences into several shorter ones. The behaviour and growth of the characters bothered me. It's just my opinion, but I think the characters and the plot might have benefited from additional work.

The many issues I have with this book are why I'm only giving it 2 out of 5 stars. The story and the artwork were the highlights for me, but I can't say that I'd suggest it until some changes have been made. Another star was taken off because I discovered a lot of mistakes and don't think the book was edited professionally.

If I were to recommend this to one particular group of people, it would be children between the ages of 8 and 12 who are particularly fond of mythical creatures like dragons and princesses.

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The All Puff No Flames Dragon
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Terry Kimble
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Post by Terry Kimble »

As a reviewer myself, I appreciate your honest opinion in this review. As reviewers we want to love every book we open and it is difficult (at least for me) to reveal the reasons when we are let down. It sounds like this could be a wonderful book if it goes through a round of professional editing. I'm always on the lookout for books for my granddaughters. Thank you for this thorough review! :tiphat:
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Wonder Kunene
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Post by Wonder Kunene »

I love how you have articulated the errors and omissions in the book. Those are essential aspects determining the success of a book. I would love to have this book for my little boy, subjected to professional editing and corrections.
Very impressive review.
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