Written by multi-award-winning author, Karen Foxlee, Dragon Skin is a story that is a must-read for many. “Surprising, Unique, Beautiful, I’m in love with this book”, quoted by Katrina Nannestad is also a brilliant way to describe this book. Dragon Skin takes you on a journey like no other book has before, delving into topics like domestic abuse, and living in the life of being abused. Not only that, Dragon Skin is an epic for all nature and animal lovers. So, Let’s delve deeper into this book, and find out why it’s truly one of the best.
Pip isn’t a normal girl living in the Australian Outback. She skipped school to explore, always was thinking about Mika, her old friend (we’ll talk about that later), and most importantly, she didn’t want to go to her own home. Not because she was adopted, but because of one person – Matt. Pip’s day tragically left them some time ago, and Pip’s mom wanted someone who could act as a ‘father figure’ to Pip. So, she chose Matt. But Matt wasn’t an excellent father figure. He was terrible. Whenever Matt came home from the pub or his job, he would demand that Pip go to her room and sleep so he could have some “time” with her mother. But most of the time, PIp heard arguing or found Matt drunk on the sofa the next morning. Another thing that makes Pip extraordinary is that she reminisces about her old friend Mika. Mika came to Pip’s school and the two instantly bonded. They loved nature, exploring and animals, and Pip’s life was good for once. However, disaster struck and Mika left, just a couple of months later. Pep was devastated. And then, while she was remembering Mika at the nearby waterhole she saw it. At first, it looks like a scrap or snakeskin. But then, some sunlight caught it and it sparkled. Pip was sure it was a dragon. Throughout this book, Pip tries to save the miniature dragon and return it to its home. More importantly, she needs to escape the violence and wrath her mum and her face every day. So can Pip do both of the tasks or will she be stuck miserably forever?
Main characters
The main character in this book is Pip. Pip, who is the protagonist, is (as I have explained before) a shy girl, who loves nature and exploring. She is also very determined as she believes that Pip and her mum can escape the current situation they are in. She is also excellent at finding excuses and that helps her when people question her about the dragon. Overall, she is a great protagonist.
How do I feel about this book?
I have mixed feelings about this book. Firstly, when Pip reminisces about Mika, I feel sad, as it always hurts a lot to lose a dear friend, and Pip doesn’t have any other friends. When Pip finds the dragon, I feel hope, because the dragon is small and therefore struggling to live. However, Pip gives hope as she picks the dragon up and nurtures it. Finally, when Pip hears her mother and Matt fighting, I feel scared, as anything could happen – Pip’s mom could get a bad injury, or anything else could happen.
This book is written in the format where every second chapter, Pip reminisces about Mika and it shows over the chapters how the friendship began and how it ended.
I would recommend this book for children aged 11 and up. The only reason for this is due to the mentions of domestic violence. This book is suited for people who love suspense, animals, and novel books. I would rate it 4.7/5 stars.