Going Down in Flames
by Chris Cannon
Published on June 30th 2014
by Entangled Teen
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Goodreads
Also by this author: Blackmail Boyfriend
If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.
Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.
Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.
Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.
At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone you can't have.
I received this book for free from the publisher or author in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
I really didn’t hate this one. It wasn’t bad! I did like most of it, but I just feel like there’s something missing. It’s very hard to describe what exactly. I just wanted more I think. I wanted to love this, but in the end it’s just okay for me.
Going Down in Flames is about Bryn, she’s always led a normal, quiet life until one day her whole world is turned upside down. She’s a dragon. And not just any dragon, she’s a Crossbreed between a Red and a Blue dragon, something thought to be impossible. Bryn is shipped of to the Institution, a school for dragons to learn how to use their powers and find their future. Overwhelmed by all the new traditions and rules she has to learn, Bryn also has to deal with everyone hating her. She’s an abomination and most of the other dragons are not afraid to let her know what they think. She manages to find a few good friends, but there’s still someone out there that wants more than just shout mean insults. Someone is trying to kill her.
I so wanted to love this book! I love dragons and that’s the whole reason I even requested this book. I did like that part! The whole history and stuff from the dragons in this book is so cool! It’s a great idea but I feel like it wasn’t worked out as well as it could have. I wanted to see everything fleshed out more. I wanted more details, more world-building, more character development! But for the most part, this book just felt like a very long summary. And when I was just starting to enjoy it more and getting into it, it just ended. At first I thought there was a part at the end missing. It just ended, just like that. In the middle of a chapter it just ends.
Some of the characters are a bit stereotypical, but I did like most of them! I loved Bryn’s temper and sarcasm. The humor was great in this book. I also really felt for her. In some ways, weirdly enough, I could relate to how she felt. And I really liked that. I also liked Ivy, Clint and Zavien. While the friendships did feel real and I was able to click with that, I can’t say the same for the romance in this book. I just didn’t feel it. Probably for the lack of depth I felt in this story. I hope the author works on that for the next book in the series. I don’t anything about a second book in the series on Goodreads or the author’s website and that worries me a little bit. I do hope there will be a sequel because it’s obvious the story isn’t finished yet.
Going Down In Flames was just okay for me. I wanted more details! I hope the next book will be better on that department. I do want to continue the series because I just love dragons. I’d say give this one a try and see if you can find what I’m missing here. Maybe it’s just me. If so, please let me know!
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