Scorched

Which came first? The dragon, the egg or the fiery destruction of life as we know it? Sixteen-year-old Trinity Foxx adores her kooky grandfather, and after the tragic death of her mother, he's the only family she has. This makes it all the more difficult to reprimand him for foolishly spending all of their limited cash on a supposed dragon egg. Before she can determine how to rescue both their home and the once-reputable West Texas museum they run from foreclosure, twin brothers with a long-standing Cain-and-Abel rivalry appear from the future. Both brothers are there to collect Trinity. Both want possession of the egg. Both want to save the world from an apocalyptic future via starkly different but equally menacing means. Whom can Trinity trust? Though the story is told in third person primarily from Trinity's perspective, there are insightful passes of the baton to each of the dueling brothers and even a dragon. Refreshingly, there is no shying away from warranted violence and gore, and Trinity's mentions of booze and boy-crazy flirtations only make her more likable and grounded in increasingly bizarre surroundings. In a book full of hits, the main misses are a dastardly villain whose creepiness could stand more page space and an ending so loose it practically forces readers to get the next book for closure. A smoking triptych of time traveling, dubious double-crossing and enough dragons to sate the hungriest of gamers and fantasy fiends. (Fantasy. 14 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-In this preapocalyptic time-travel adventure, 16-year-old Trinity Foxx has to determine which twin from the future is lying to her, and what she should do with the dragon egg her absentminded grandfather went bankrupt to purchase. That's hard to do, though, when one twin, Connor, shows her a future world destroyed by dragon fire that can be prevented if she folllows his instructions. The other twin, Caleb, tries to convince her that dragons are harmless and that the hatchling she's bonded with will help save the world. In fact, in that future, Trinity founded an organization to protect dragons from murderous humans. Trinity also struggles with her attraction to both boys, trauma from her mother's suicide two Christmases ago, and her burgeoning feelings of responsibility for the dragon she helped rescue. The fantastical elements of this novel could be more well fleshed out (and slightly more plausible, especially with regard to the Nether, supposedly the collective unconscious of all dragons), and the suspenseful climax could be paced better, but the story is exciting and original enough to whet readers' appetites for the sequel. The writing style is not overly complex, making this appropriate for a diverse range of adolescent readers. This is a light, fun, unique take on apocalypse fiction, lacking the depth of other titles but thoroughly enjoyable.-Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School, New York City

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2013
Grades 7-10 When 16-year-old Trinity Foxx's grandfather brings a dragon egg back for the family museum, he sets off a series of events that make Trinity believe she is destined to follow her mother into madness and suicide. Twin soldiers representing opposing factions from the future, Caleb the Dracken and Connor the Dragon Hunter, both show up in her world, each trying to convince her that she is the linchpin on which the future turns. The plot is highly reminiscent of the Terminator movieswhich Mancusi references tongue in cheek in several placesbut with bonus dragon bonding and the requisite teen love triangle. Flashbacks and alternating points of view from Trinity, Caleb, and Connor keep the action moving, and several twists at the end prevent the story from feeling cheesy. Each character is flawed and human, forced to deal with the enormity of the impossible decisions they must make. There is no true resolution; instead, Mancusi leaves the ending wide-open for the next book in this planned series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)