Audiobook Review – The Dragon in the Bookshop by Ewa Jozefkowicz, Narrated by Harrie Dobby (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy/Contemporary Fiction
Length: 4 hours and 40 minutes
Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
Release Date: July 07, 2022
ASIN: B0B5HJJ51M
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Konrad’s dad always used to say, ‘There is a character in a book somewhere that matches you almost entirely. It’s just a matter of finding them’. Konrad never expected the ‘finding’ to involve stepping right into a story, and he never expected his dad not to be there with him.
After his dad’s death, Konrad stops speaking. Not a word at home or school as the year rolls by. But that begins to change when he meets Maya on the beach he loved to explore with Dad. She doesn’t mind his silence. It gives her a chance to be heard, because at home no one seems to notice her. When the pair go on a last visit to Konrad’s family bookshop before it’s sold, they soon get lost in the pages of Konrad’s favourite book of folk tales. Whisked back in time to quest with a dragon, they must find themselves and their voices, as well as a happy end to the story in the book and in real life.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.
Thoughts: I was looking for another shorter audiobook from the library and this one popped up in my search. This was a much better book than I was expecting (I actually didn’t have any expectations really). It is a very well done middle grade fantasy and the audiobook quality was fantastic.
Konrad hasn’t been the same since his dad died; he can’t make himself talk anymore and his mom is very worried. Then he finds a dinosaur footprint in a rock on the beach. This is something he would have shared with his dad, but he doesn’t know who to tell. Then one day he comes down to the beach to find another person there, a girl his age named Maya. Maya likes Konrad’s quietness and they enjoy the beach together. When Konrad finally decides to show her the footprint they end up at Konrad’s family bookshop to try to decipher what type of footprint it is. Strangely, one of the books they open whisks them away to their town but in the past. There they must figure out how to change an ancient folktale if they are every going to make it back home.
This was a very well done story that had a lot more depth to it than I was expecting. Konrad and Maya are both dealing with some heavy family issues. Konrad is grieving over the death of his father and his mother is struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Maya is the forgotten and ignored child in her family, she feels like she is bad at everything and would just like someone to talk to.
There was a lot I liked here. I enjoyed how Maya and Konrad journey into a folktale to help change the course of it. This is a fun idea. I also liked how their time in the past mirrored some of the struggles they were dealing with in the present. Both characters grew more into themselves as a result of what they faced in the past. All of this was very well done and very well put together.
The writing flowed well too and I was engaged in the story the whole time. I enjoyed Konrad and Maya as characters. I was surprised at how much was packed into this short story. There is not only and adventure here, but a lot of lessons in dealing with grief and learning to grow up and become comfortable in your own skin.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this short fantasy adventure story. The characters are well done and the story is unique. It’s a good story when you take it just at face value but there is also quite a bit of depth here. I was impressed with how it was put together and executed and enjoyed it. Jozefkowicz is definitely an author I will continue to watch and when I am in the mood for another magical middle grade read I will definitely checkout her other books.
