Dragonfly

Rating:
Summary: This is a Great Book
Review: Dragonfly is the fun fantasy you have been looking for. I won't go into the plot details many of the other reviewers have, but I will say read this one. Even though our hero is a 11 year old girl this is an adult level book and has some good horror bite to it. Frederic Durbin writes like the masters of the old classics and has a timless feel to his work. Jason Van Hollander's illustrations are fantastic and I always look foward
to books that showcase his talent. Like many other of the reviewers it took me some time to finally pick up the book and read it, and boy was I missing out. I can't wait for Frederic Durbin to give us his next book and mabey it will conitune the adventures of Dragonfly had hinted to in the book. At closing READ THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: A fine cross between Bradbury and Lovecraft
Review: Durbin evokes elements of classic horror and weird tales while using a prose style reminiscent of Ray Bradbury.

The protagonist is an 11-year-old girl who descends into a nightmare world beneath her home. The underworld that she encounters is every bit as weird and unsettling as Lovecraft's Dreamlands.

While sometimes billed as a children's book, I feel that the work is too disturbing for someone the age of the protagonist. And the prose, while beautiful may prove cumbersome to younger readers.

Once you get into the second chapter or so, the plot is compelling. The only reason that I did not give this book its fifth star is because the first chapter did not pull me in. I had purchased the book from the SFBC (apologies to Amazon) and I had picked it up two or three times only to put it back down after reading the first chapter. But now that I have finished it, I highly recommend it to anyone in their late teens and older.

I also have a personal bias for Durbin's work because he and I happen share the same literary neighborhood of contemporary fantasy, a subgenre of fantasy too often eschewed by publishers in exchange for yet another mindless Tolkein-derivative "trilogy" of 16 books.

Rating:
Summary: Read it with the lights ON!
Review: I had to give up my habit of reading late into the night with only one lamp on for this one! REALLY SCARY!

Fred writes with such decription and detail that you can't help but be drawn in to the cursed Hallowe'en Town and all its bizarre splendor. Dragonfly herself is a heroine that one can really relate to. You feel her pity, her fear, her wonder and amazement at being a part of a new and strange world. I enjoyed her humanity when she reveals her own envy of others' roles in the saga.

If you enjoy fantastic worlds with fantastic adventures, give this book a try!

Rating:
Summary: Rich detail makes the events feel true
Review: I have not read such long, involved and confusing sentences since I tried to read "The Last Days of Pompeii." Here is an example of the first two sentence of the book: "Bad thing were starting to happen again in Uncle Henry's basement. These were things that had happened before, when the wind swung round, when the trees all felt the blood rush to their leaves after the exertion of August and the idling of September; when the chuckle-dark harvest moon shaped pumpkins in its own image, brought its secret wine flush to the scarcrows' cheeks; when the rich bounties of the land lay plump for the taking and the light left them alone for longer and longer at a time." The entire book is written in this manner. Don't waste your money on this one.

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: I picked this up on a whim. It is really great. If your waiting for the next Harry Potter, read this while you wait. Nice that it is a heroine who has all the adventures. Hopefully there will be more adventures with Mothkin, Harry and Dragonfly.

Rating:
Summary: Dragonfly Is Awesome!
Review: I recieved an autographed copy of Dragonfly by Frederic S. Durbin for my 13th birthday from an aunt. I have read it many times since. This book is awesome for anyone who enjoys an adventure with a twist of fantasy. There is the usual plot: Girl trying to save world, then the love story, heroes, adventure, friends, enemies, strangers, mysterious gypsies and more.... I totally advise anyone to read this great book!

Rating:
Summary: A pleasant surprise
Review: I was a bit hesitant to plunge into this book, fearing yet another child-enters-into-a-faerie-land-and-saves-the-day scenario. But, hey, I'm a print junkie, so that hesitation was extremely brief. But even that slight pause was too long. This book is great. Unlike other mystical realms, the world our heroine Bridget Anne (or Dragonfly, as she's called) enters is dark and dangerous. As the tale progressed, I realized that Mr. Durbin might not be above killing off the good guys. But if the story wasn't a squeaky-clean fairy tale, it wasn't a dismal, souless slaughter-fest, either. There is love and hope and faith amidst the suffering and death. In the battle between good and evil, both sides take some hits.

In addition to an interesting plot, the reader is also treated to a number of fine touches. Mr. Durbin's description of October in the first chapter resonated so well with me, I had to wonder if he had read my mind. (Probably not. I can't write that good.) I loved the characters, as well. They weren't your stereotypical fantasy folk, but seemed like real down-to-earth folk facing a fantastic and dangerous new world. The appearance of a couple of Dragonfly's relatives at the climax was a special treat.

All in all, I was left wondering if Mr. Durbin has written anything else. If not, I guess I'll just have to settle for rereading this one again.

Rating:
Summary: Not for young children
Review: I'm a dreamer, like Dragonfly, and so are my daughters, and I'll give this book to them to read when they are older. It was a very scary book. And the prose would be difficult reading for a third grader, and maybe even a fifth grader. I like Mr. Durbin's style -- the writing is beautiful. His detailed descriptions of the world in the basement and the people of the basement are what makes it such a scary and beautiful story.

This is a good book for people who like scary books, and for people who believe that there really are scary things in this world but we can have the power to live with scary things.

Rating:
Summary: Rich detail makes the events feel true
Review: This was not a quick read for me. Some web sites list "Dragonfly" as a children's book, a categorization that surprises me. It was deep and there are some disturbing evildoers. Sometimes I had to stop and get back to reality for a while before I could pick it up again. I haven't read many horror or "scary fantasy" books (my own category for this). I can't say how typical of the genre this book is, but I think "Dragonfly" reaches beyond the frightening journey. Childhood fears that you thought were all behind you come back in "Dragonfly" as very real obstacles for the heroes. I found that I identified very closely with the characters that Frederic Durbin has written about. They are very real.

All descriptions are lush with detail that makes you feel as though you know exactly what Dragonfly, the heroine, is going through. The book is written from her adult perspective, remembering events from her childhood. She lives with Uncle Henry who runs a funeral home. One seemingly normal October day when she's 10, strange sounds start rising from the basement. Uncle Henry calls on Mothkin, his unusual friend (priest or plumber?), for help. You see the affection Uncle Henry has for his niece as he tries to protect her. She, however, is impulsive and curious, and not willing to be protected.

The book goes on to describe what is happening in that basement, and the adventure gets wilder and more frightening. The suspense builds as you read on and you start wondering about the permanence of the basement world. Will our heroes ever be able to leave, or will this be a new way of life? What about the others who populate the gloomy place?

By the end of the book, you'll feel as though you have met all these people and had an intense experience together. Not an easy feeling when it comes to the villains, but the heroes are quite heroic yet human (well, a few are feline). My favorite new friends are Willie, his grandma (Clara), and all his cats.