Gork, the Teenage Dragon

April 17, 2017
The sorrows of adolescent dragon Gork the Terrible start when he’s hatched on Earth, the honeymoon destination of his parents, who were killed when their spaceship crashed there. He’s raised by his sentient spaceship until he’s three and then rescued by his fiendish grandfather, Dr. Terrible, and taken to the dragons’ home planet, Blegwethia. Gork, cursed with laughably tiny horns, a tendency to faint in moments of crisis, and a compassionate heart—the last of which is considered the greatest failing for a dragon—is a teenage enrollee at the WarWings Academy when he faces the ultimate challenge: win the luscious chick Runcita Floop as his queen, or become a slave for life. Gork’s amusing growing-up story unfolds in vignettes of encounters with various kooky fellow dragons and episodes of Dr. Terrible’s battles with Runcita’s father, Dean Floop. Throughout, Hudson makes generally witty and occasionally brilliant reflections on humans’ often reptilian behavior. Each time Gork’s soft heart gets him in trouble with his peers and superiors, it marks a stage in his scaly maturation, until finally he finds his true love and accepts his destiny not as a fire-belching killer but as a sensitive poet. Though the fun starts to wear thin over time, Hudson’s cleverly plotted and executed tale allows for a number of insights into the beastly adolescent behavior that can bedevil humans of all ages. Agent: Susan Golomb, Writers House.

May 1, 2017
A teenage boy dragon battles bullies, a mad scientist, and his own self-doubt in his quest to win over a girl dragon.It's hard not to love a story about a dragon with a spaceship that cribs its plot from a John Hughes movie. Hudson (Dear Mr. President, 2002) follows up his devastating short story debut with a wacky teen comedy with shades of Terry Pratchett and Tom Holt. Our narrator is Gork, a clumsy but very determined student at WarWings Military Academy on the planet Blegwethia. Our boy isn't doing so hot with his diminished horns, a power rating of "Snacklicious," and the nickname "Weak Sauce." As happens in teen comedies, it's "Crown Day," in which dragons must ask a girl to be their queen or be forever banished as a slave. Gork's intended paramour is the fierce Runcita Floop. "Me and my Queen Runcita will be laying plans for invading a planet together," Gork says. "Soon I'll be out in space on my Fertility Mission, and me and Runcita will be 'bumping scales, ' so she can lay my eggs." Unfortunately, Dean Floop has no intention of letting Gork anywhere near his daughter. Technically, Gork has some help from his grandfather Dr. Terrible, which includes a brain implant that makes him more ferocious when he recites poems, but grandpa is also malicious and kind of insane. Gork has other allies, though, in his tomboy friend Fribby (a cyborg dragon who takes no guff from Gork) and his spaceship Athenos II, a sentient being that carries secrets from Gork's childhood. If it all sounds a bit crazy, it is, in a weird and kind of wonderful way that combines immature humor with a heartfelt coming-of-age story. The hyperkinetic teen-dragon comedy-romance you never knew you wanted.

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March 1, 2017
From Sue Kaufman Prize winner Hudson, the story of a dragon named Gork, about to graduate from WarWings Military Academy but cursed with the lowest class ranking for Will To Power. Now he must persuade a female dragon to be his queen or he'll become a slave. He's got one thing going for him: a big, generous heart. Can you resist?

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018

Gork the Terrible isn't having a good day on planet Blegwethia-his grandfather half-blinded his schoolmaster last night and is in hiding, his spaceship is turning against him, and he can't find the love of his life to ask her to be his queen for EggHarvest. Despite reciting epic poetry and trying to grow his horns quickly to make himself more attractive, Gork, nicknamed Weak Sauce, is a struggling dragon who doesn't live up to his Terrible family name. His heart is too big, and he has feelings, which result in taunts from classmates. His Ferris Bueller-like one-day adventure will decide his future-finding his queen and conquering a planet or becoming enslaved to other dragons. Fantasy readers will enjoy this playful romp that pays homage to popular literature and movies. Gork is a dragon version of Andrew Smith's Austin Szerba in Grasshopper Jungle-consumed by hormones, an obsession that may become repetitive to some readers. VERDICT Give to fantasy fans who appreciate dark comedies, dorky dragons, or feel-good first romances.-Sarah Hill, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.