“Bradley’s Dragons is a magical journey that has a great message on handling bullying. It was an exciting adventure that my son couldn’t put down.” – Creative Child Magazine (winner of their 2020 Children’s Book Of The Year award)“A compelling cast of characters with rich backstories round out this fantastical story of a scared kid learning to stand up to bullies and be true to himself.” – … Booklife “This book is seriously awesome! 5 stars are rare for us, yet we’d give this one 7 if that were possible. Seriously, I could barely put it down – great characters, good plot lines, enough depth, and breadth to really get into it. And finally, a tale told fully that will have you biting your nails and turning pages as fast as you can.” – ReadingWithYourKids.com The first time a hunter came for him, Bradley Nash was only nine years old. That was three years ago, and he barely escaped.Now, he lives with his family in a Florida trailer park. He doesn’t remember the attack, doesn’t know anything about hunters, or dragons, or even magic. All he knows is that he suffers from a crippling fear of strangers. He sits in the back of his classes and keeps to himself, always worried that an anxiety attack may strike.As his twelfth birthday approaches, however, he discovers that dragons, magic, and hunters are all real, and that he and his family are in more danger than he could possibly have imagined. The hunters are coming and his world will never be the same.
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The plot is well paced and well crafted with great world building and interesting characters.
The concept of the plot is fascinating about the origins of the dragons, different types means different powers and I love how the author write about the hatching stage for the dragons, it’s not as easy as a literal egg.
Bradley is an interesting character to follow in this story, just like every other children he have difficulties in figuring things out on how to overcome his fears and also be the person that his family needs.
The relationship between Bradley and his parents is not as smooth as we think since they have different views on some things which causes a little conflict here and there.
His parents have an odd way on raising their kids and I really like how Bradley didn’t completely agree to every decision his parents make.
The mystery is also there with a new unknown threats coming to Bradley’s family, there’s a lot of secrets and betrayal in this standalone novel.
The ending was wrapped up nicely. I really like the final battle scene, it’s full of action and where Bradley finally find the courage he needed and become who he’s meant to be. Suffice to say, I’m really satisfied with how things turn out.
This book feels slightly repetitive since Bradley keeps repeating some questions repeatedly throughout the book.
But overall, this is a great middle grade story! It’s simple but also covers interesting topics about growing up and other great values that we can learn from a twelve year old boy. It’s very enjoyable, entertaining and recommended for those who love a middle grade fantasy adventure!
Thank you to Netgalley, Patrick Matthews and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for giving me this review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Set in a Florida trailer park, this AMAZING and fast-paced middle-grade fantasy coming-of-age adventure follows Bradley Nash, a young boy who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, especially around strangers. He doesn’t have memories of it, but the main reason is that he was attacked by an unknown man named Max when he was only nine years old. That was three years ago, and he barely escaped.
When his parents tell him their family secret, just before his twelfth birthday, he can’t believe it. But that doesn’t matter. His world has already changed forever, and he needs to spend some time reading his parent’s gift: a handwritten wooden book, titled Mastering the Gallu Draig. Unfortunately, it only has half-baked life advice, or so Bradley thinks.
I couldn’t help but root for Bradley, as he learned more about what it means to be a Nash, what’s most important to him, and how to overcome his inner fears and even outer threats. Following him on a mysterious and very magical quest was exciting, particularly because Bradley is really anxious and has to overcome it in order to help those around him.
When I was a kid, I was the total opposite of Bradley: my mum told me I was always smiling at strangers, and I loved to talk with everyone. But I know what anxiety looks and feels like. And I also have my share of panic attacks. Watching Bradly learn to cope with it made me smile a lot, especially because he’s a splendid boy and deserves everything good in the world.
Besides Bradley, I also loved to know more about his parent’s stories and family secrets. And I think the author did a superb job portraying the relationship between parents and children; and how, at a certain point in their growth, children question the image they have of their parents and the lessons they have been taught, and how similar or different they would like to become.
Though the writing style is not brilliant, I think the author is incredible at storytelling, and I love how he gives us clues about the big picture without failing to surprise us. Between Bradley’s coming-of-age story, an unexpected enemy and many secret agendas, readers don’t have the time nor the will to put the book down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Patrick Matthews for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.