You know how you went through changes at puberty? Jennifer did too. Only hers changed her into a dragon. She's a little pissed off that her parents neglected to mention this side of her genetic heritage and can you blame her? One of the things that attracts me to certain YA series is how realistic the teenager is. Jennifer is realistic. She hates being a dragon, hates that her parents kept this a secret from her, hates that she has to keep secrets from her friends, worries that her life will never be the same. It's High Teenaged Drama. Eventually as she learns about the weredragons and their hereditary enemies the werearachnids and the beaststalkers who hunt them both and as she makes new friends she starts to adjust. ( )

This is another of those books I have eyed for years but never got around to read. When I spotted it on the library's webpage, I downloaded it on a whim. I was in the mood for a something short, and something that wasn't romance. This one fit my needs. I couldn't put it down. The voice were smooth, with a touch of humor. The worldbuilding felt solid, the secondary characters were interesting. But what made the story for me was Jennifer. Her struggles to adjust to her new life felt real, how when she was almost adjusted to it, something happened that caused a throwback. I liked how Jennifer acted like a teenager, not an small adult. Yes, she made mistakes, some big, some small. But she is also loyal to her friends, and loves her parents.

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I initially put this on hold at the library without realizing it was young adult. I'm not sure how; but I did. It's a good read for YA fantasy. ( )

I'm of mixed feelings on this book - on one end, we get a girl who actually acts her age - 14. She's into boys (kind of), into friends, has caring involved parents, she gets into snits. She isn't a loner and she is a very likable person. But where I find the book lacking is just how easy things are - Jennifer is able to pick up things very quickly, has all sorts of abilities that are outside the norm.

Then, there is the writing. At points, it is very clumsy. But, at the same time, the arguments with her parents feel real, more real than others of the sort. The world also feels clumsy, like the author was trying to do something new, so instead of werewolves, you get spiders. I found it very difficult to get my mind wrapped around the different creatures - it felt very contrived. I think this is a wonderful book for younger kids, maybe ten or eleven. There is some death, some crude language involving bullying, some minor talk about sex (ends in "EW") but for the most part, it is a book that is missing the heavy handed sexuality of paranormal teen fantasy that is currently in fashion. ( )

I LOVE this book. I started reading this series (Jennifer Scales) when at the library the first book fell on my head. It didn't make any sense because the series was on one of the lower shelves, and I am too tall for it to have fallen on accident. But that stroke of luck led me to read the whole series in 2 days, while fitting in school, basketball, and other activitys. These books have not only inspired me, but taught me alot about writing. ( )