2016 RI Teen Book Award nominee
The Story of Owen is exactly what the title says it is, the story of a young man named Owen growing up in Canada with many of the problems of any young adult, trouble with math and with girls. There is one large twist to Owen's world though: he is also the Dragon Slayer of Trondheim because in this alternative universe, dragons are attracted to carbon emissions. In a not-very-thinly-veiled allusion to industrial greed, the author tells the story of a familiar sounding recent history: World War II, the Persian Gulf War, and the Industrial Revolution especially in terms of the automobile industry. Using a young music student as a narrator, Johnston's addition of the dragons to this history makes for a very interesting read. While not my favorite of the RITBA this year as I tended to agree with the NY Times Book Review, I think this book will definitely appeal to students who like fantasy and good story telling.
The Story of Owen is exactly what the title says it is, the story of a young man named Owen growing up in Canada with many of the problems of any young adult, trouble with math and with girls. There is one large twist to Owen's world though: he is also the Dragon Slayer of Trondheim because in this alternative universe, dragons are attracted to carbon emissions. In a not-very-thinly-veiled allusion to industrial greed, the author tells the story of a familiar sounding recent history: World War II, the Persian Gulf War, and the Industrial Revolution especially in terms of the automobile industry. Using a young music student as a narrator, Johnston's addition of the dragons to this history makes for a very interesting read. While not my favorite of the RITBA this year as I tended to agree with the NY Times Book Review, I think this book will definitely appeal to students who like fantasy and good story telling.
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