Rating: 
Summary: Touching and engaging
Review: "Dragons in the Waters" is a good book. It has a mystery buried in it and you can easily start to like the characters. Madeleine has always been a very good writer and I appreciate her gift of comforting a person through her writing. "Dragons in the Waters" is about a young boy, Simon; a mysterious cousin; and an ancestor of Simon's that has a mystifying past. The book tells of Simon's adventures on a ship called the Orion, where he meets the O'Keefe family. At first things seem quite simple, but the plot quickly thickens and pulls you into the story. A good book to be read by young adults or to be read to younger children and many adults may like it, as well. If you like Madeleine's writing and her other books, I doubt you'll be disappointed with this story.
Rating:
Summary: Touching and engaging
Review: "Dragons in the Waters" is a good book. It has a mystery buried in it and you can easily start to like the characters. Madeleine has always been a very good writer and I appreciate her gift of comforting a person through her writing. "Dragons in the Waters" is about a young boy, Simon; a mysterious cousin; and an ancestor of Simon's that has a mystifying past. The book tells of Simon's adventures on a ship called the Orion, where he meets the O'Keefe family. At first things seem quite simple, but the plot quickly thickens and pulls you into the story. A good book to be read by young adults or to be read to younger children and many adults may like it, as well. If you like Madeleine's writing and her other books, I doubt you'll be disappointed with this story.
Rating: 
Summary: A little help??
Review: ...disappointment with this book. I, too, came to this book with anticipation based on L'Engle's more well-known novels. It was a pleasant enough read but didn't engage me and left me thinking, "That's it?" If this was her only book, L'Engel would not be recognized as the masterful author her other books reveal her to be. Not a waste of time, but not the best read either.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Among Her Best
Review: ...disappointment with this book. I, too, came to this book with anticipation based on L'Engle's more well-known novels. It was a pleasant enough read but didn't engage me and left me thinking, "That's it?" If this was her only book, L'Engel would not be recognized as the masterful author her other books reveal her to be. Not a waste of time, but not the best read either.
Rating:
Summary: Not one of L'Engle's best
Review: Although 'Dragons in the Waters' was not one of Madeleine L'Engles best books, I still enjoyed it greatly. The connections between the present Simon and the past Simon are extremely intresting to read about.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Mystery
Review: Despite the high hopes I had when I started this book (due to my high regard of L'Engles other books - A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, etc), I was sorely disappointed in this book. THe plot was a little above average, but it just didn't hold my attention. Additionally, L'Engles attempts to write in Southern dialect for the main character's dialogue failed miserably and came off "hokey" and unrealistic.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing - not one of L'Engle's best
Review: Despite the high hopes I had when I started this book (due to my high regard of L'Engles other books - A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, etc), I was sorely disappointed in this book. THe plot was a little above average, but it just didn't hold my attention. Additionally, L'Engles attempts to write in Southern dialect for the main character's dialogue failed miserably and came off "hokey" and unrealistic.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic read for all ages!
Review: I "re-met" the O'Keefe's while searching for books for a neice. What a treasure! Expecting to find books aimed for an adolescent (the age I was when last I spent time with the Murray's and O'Keefe's), I was charmed and entranced by the story of Simon, Poly and Charles and their adventure together. The book is well written and thought-out, with exceptional character development. Each has a complete and interesting history that takes the reader right in; a history that's not dependant upon having kept up with the series (which I have not). I felt perfectly familiar with all of the characters based upon what I was reading and not what I'd read 20 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, setting and treatment of the subject matter, and wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure, be they first-time or long-time readers of Ms. L'Engle's.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic read for all ages!
Review: I "re-met" the O'Keefe's while searching for books for a neice. What a treasure! Expecting to find books aimed for an adolescent (the age I was when last I spent time with the Murray's and O'Keefe's), I was charmed and entranced by the story of Simon, Poly and Charles and their adventure together. The book is well written and thought-out, with exceptional character development. Each has a complete and interesting history that takes the reader right in; a history that's not dependant upon having kept up with the series (which I have not). I felt perfectly familiar with all of the characters based upon what I was reading and not what I'd read 20 years ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, setting and treatment of the subject matter, and wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure, be they first-time or long-time readers of Ms. L'Engle's.
Rating:
Summary: No dragon, no fire, decent story.
Review: I didn't find any of the characters in this story really came to life. L'Engle told us what they were like, but didn't really show us, it seemed to me, so they remained undeveloped. The basic plot is interesting, though as developed it tends to morander and jump, meander and jump. A young teenage boy, an orphan who lives with his old grandmother, is taken by a long-lost cousin on a voyage to Venezuala, where his ancestor lived with a mysterious tribe of healers, and his Indian lover. L'Engle manages to combine the "noble savage" tradition with a bit of "capitalist exploitation," without stereotyping too much on either side. One of L'Engle's strengths is her interest in science and the ecology of village life. The story goes at cruise-ship velocity at sea -- slowly, I mean -- and it would be helpful if the characters all wore name-cards, to keep them straight. All the elements for a good story are present, but fail somehow through lack of vivifying detail. Still, L'Engle does tend to see things differently, and that makes the story fairly interesting.
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