The Last Green Dragon

Gus and Ev live in parallel worlds but have something in common: to keep them safe, they were both left at strangers’ doorsteps when they were babies. As a dragon hatchling, Gus was left with a pair of owls, Gordo and Eilee, with no owlets of their own, and a woman without children found Ev in a box on her doorstep. Both grow up feeling loved but know they’re different from those around them.

Gus won’t accept what his owl caregivers have told him – that his mother and aunt are dead, and he’s the last green dragon. His aunt and mother left several letters for Gus with Gordo and Eilee. The letters are written on his mother’s scales, and each is scheduled to open on one of Gus’s ‘hatch-days’. The letters express love and tell Gus what powers he has and how to prepare for the next stage of becoming a full-grown dragon. Some things are straightforward and impress Gus, like how tapping a claw against his tooth and saying ‘think ink’ turns the claw into a pen. Learning how to hold his breath underwater for 20 minutes in order to get his wings doesn’t make sense, but he has to trust his mother’s letters, especially when his mother and aunt may be depending on him. It also helps that Ev is there to cheer him on.

Ev has always felt out of place, especially when bullies tease her because of her pointy ears. They’ve made school, which she loves, unbearable. When Ev is ready, her caregiver shows her how to get to another world – the one where she was born and where Gus lives. When her caregiver dies and the librarian who keeps nagging her to stop dog-earing her library books takes custody of her, Ev runs away to Gus’s world to escape her own. Ev becomes Gus’ cheerleader and anchor, keeping his spirits up while calming him down and offering logical solutions when things seem hopeless. When Gus and Ev find out the grogs, evil troll-like creatures, are planning to sacrifice two green dragons the night of the Dragon Moon in a few days, they’re certain Gus’ mom and aunt are alive, but there isn’t much time to save them.

Gus and Ev are best friends, and almost nothing could change that. Their bond comes into question the night they try to save Gus’s mother and aunt and Gus is captured by Commander Grog. Ev learns something she doesn’t want to believe: Ev is half grog, the niece of Commander Grog, the grog who has been planning the sacrifice of the two captive green dragons for years. She was left in another world to protect her from being ‘pickled and bottled’ as a baby by her uncle and added to his collection of unusual creatures. When she learns she’s half grog and only alive because her mother took her somewhere she couldn’t be found, she feels guilty for belonging to a family that has caused Gus and his mother and aunt to suffer. When Gus learns Ev’s half grog, he can’t believe it: his best friend who risked her life to save him, his aunt, and his mother is Commander Grog’s niece. Can he be friends with someone who’s family tried to kill the last of the green dragons, even if she’s the reason they survived?

The Last Green Dragon is an engaging roller coaster of a read with plot twists that will shock and please readers. With the book touching on several difficult topics, including loss, bullying, prejudice, and the feeling of not belonging, readers will cheer on Ev and Gus as they figure out who they are, where they belong, and what really matters when considering ‘family’. Readers will empathize with Ev as she struggles to fit in at school, and they’ll root for her as she embraces the traits that made her feel out of place, recognizing they’re what make her special. Ev’s logical ways help balance out Gus’s impulsiveness. When he understandably wants to get his wings as quickly as possible, ignoring the steps his mother left for him in a letter, Ev reminds him that he should listen to his mother – she wouldn’t leave instructions for him if they weren’t important. Her cool head and thoughtfulness makes her stand apart from the better known Grogs who are impulsive and ‘brawn over brains’, and is the key to rescuing the three green dragons.

Even though he should be thankful, Gus can’t look at Ev after she’s saved him, his mother, and his aunt from being sacrificed by the Grogs that very night. Ev is hurt by Gus’s behaviour, but she also understands why he won’t acknowledge her. She’s equally repulsed by the Grog even though she’s related to them. When Ev leaves without being thanked and Gus continues to complain about how his former best friend is related to his worst enemies, his mother and aunt, and the owls who raised him, express their disappointment in his behaviour, Gus is forced to stop moping and think about his behaviour: someone who’s proven to be a true friend shouldn’t be judged by their family or background. When Gus travels to Ev’s world to grovel for forgiveness, she instantly forgives him. It’s the perfect happily ever after ending.

The Last Green Dragon is so packed with excitement readers won’t notice they’re learning important lessons about friendship, family, and becoming the person you want to be rather than the person people think you will become. A fantastic read at any age!