The Plot: When Trinity's grandfather finds what he claims to be an ancient dragon egg, Trinity think that he's crazy because there's no way dragons could have ever existed, right? Well, the reality and her childhood fairy tales suddenly become intertwined after a strange boy breaks into their museum the night the egg is show cased. After meeting Conner, who came from the future to destroy the egg and save the world, Trinity is forced to come to terms with the fact that dragons really do exist and that one day, they may destroy the earth. On top of all that, she is starting to her voices in her head, the voice of the unborn dragon that is asking her to find and protect her. This happens to mean that she's Fire Kissed, having the ability to connect with her dragon. Trinity's luck gets even better when she's kidnapped by Connor's dragon loving twin brother, Caleb, while on the run with Connor and the dragon egg. Caleb belongs with a group that wants to save the dragons and train them to fight in wars. Trinity starts to think that Connor made them sound a lot worse than they seem. But while their intention may have been good, Trinity's opinion about them quickly changes once she stumbles upon some dragons in their compound that have been scientifically experimented on.
The plot of Scorched moved at a pretty even pace. It didn't feel like any particular place dragged and it was definitely interesting. Mari Mancusi's writing style flows well and keeps the reader's attention. The world building was done excellently with the Netherworld and technology.

The Characters: Trinity made a fairly good protagonist, but she did annoy me sometimes with her decisions and lack of decisions. She could be very indecisive at times, while at other times she did stupid things that made me want to yell at her. On the other hand, I actually liked both Caleb and Connor. Both of them have a deep sense of loyalty to their cause and are willing to protect Trinity with their lives. I also switched between liking the dragons and thinking they were bad. On one side, the dragons are portrayed as gentle creatures in the Netherworld and protective of the humans, but in Connor's visions we see them as vicious beast that burn humans on sight and ravage the earth.

The Romance: At the same time, the romance between Caleb, Trinity, and Connor (yes, there is a love triangle) was not for me. Connor and Trinity's relationship was pretty much instalove (although I am team Connor,and Caleb was more infatuated with Trinity and worshiped her since she was the Fire Kissed. Their relationship just seemed awkward to me.

I haven't read many dragon books before, but overall I highly enjoyed Scorched and definitely recommend it to those who love fantasy, time travel, and dragons. I look forward to reading the sequel! ( )

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Foxx is used to her grandfather's crazy stories, so she doesn't believe that the latest treasure he brought home is a real dragon's egg. Not until their home is invaded by soldiers trying to steal it and a strange boy telling her the world as she knows it will be wiped out in a fiery dragon war - unless they work together to stop it. Meanwhile, there's a different voice whispering to Trinity, calling to her, telling her what to do…because the dragon in her egg is not ready to give up without a fight.

Scorched is the first of a three book series about Trinity who is the chosen or "Fire Kissed" as she is called in the book. Her grandfather runs a failing archeological museum and places all hope to stay open on what turns out to be a dinosaur egg that has been sent to him. Trinity has been chosen to bond with the dinosaur when it hatches. She quickly finds out that being "Fire Kissed" has put her in the middle of a war between a faction called Draken who believe that dinosaurs will save the world in the future and dinosaur hunters who believe that they will destroy the world. Twins Caleb and Conner are each members of these opposing sides, but soon learn that the war isn't as black and white as they think. Both are attracted to Trinity as she is to them, creating a complicated love triangle that I assume will continue through the next two books. Scorched started out being told from Conner's perspective and probably would have been a better story if it had continued that way. In the end, Trinity's emotional conflicts dominated and ultimately bogged down what could have been a great story. However, overall this was a good book and should continue to provide good reading through the next two books. ( )

From finding out that dragons exist, to finding out that she's basically the queen of the dragons, to finding out that her mom isn't really dead, Trinity keeps you on your toes as the chapters unveil the story. It starts off slow but quickly becomes very engaging. This book will keep you riveted throughout the story. The real question for the romantics at heart is who will Trinity choose? Connor or Caleb? Only time will tell. ( )

What is my favorite mythical creature, you ask? The answer would definitely have to be dragons. I love everything about them, from their scaly hides to their impressive wingspan. Maybe it's because of my addiction to Fantasy, but I'm a dragon fan! Needless to say, I was extremely excited to read Scorched. I already love Mari Mancusi's writing, but then adding in dragons? That's a win in my book!

The first third of the book knocked my socks off. I adored Trinity from the start, and I loved that she was so close with her grandfather. Mancusi slowly built up a story where a boy from the future, and a girl from the present were intertwined in an amazing way. Connor has been sent back to get rid of the threat that will lead to the apocalypse in his time, but once he meets Trinity he just can't shake his feelings for her. Sound slightly sweet? I'd agree! I loved Trinity and Connor during this part of the book, and the added action kept me reading on.

Then Caleb came into the picture and things changed. I can't really explain too much without spoiling things for potential readers, but the twin aspect is a little weird. Caleb is supposed to be the exact opposite of Connor but, in all honesty, they are pretty similar. I was introduced to the Draken, to the Nether, and to the way dragons were born. So much squished into one part of the book made the ending feel more than a little rushed. If only the ending had been as well done as the beginning, I would have given this a much higher rating. I enjoyed the world building, liked the characters, and of course loved the dragons. It was really the pacing that was off.

I'm willing to forgive a lot, since this is the first book in the series. Truth be told, I know for a fact I'll be back to read more of Trinity's story. I can't wait to see what happens to her, to Connor (who is my favorite by the way) and to the dragons. A bit of a slow start, but I know things will pick up. Bring on more dragons!
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