I thought for a change, I'd review a sci-fi style book. And being as I am a fan of the TV show Smallville, I was excited when I found out that some spin-off novels had been written. Unfortunately they are all out of print now but you can still find them here or there.
Dragon is a fast read. I bought it at BN on a Saturday, started it Sunday, and finished it Monday. That is a feat when you have two kids. Overall, it is a cute story especially for those who always wanted Clark and Lana together in the first season. As the story does take place in the first season, there is a FOTW (freak of the week) plot which is adequate. But I found the characterizations a bit off. For instance, the author has the characters saying things that the characters in Smallville would never say. For example – Clark saying pal or swell. The best was when Clark said to Lex 'As if' - like he was from the movie Clueless. The time line seems off as well because Lex is celebrating his first year in Smallville even though it is only the first season proven by the fact that Whitney is still a senior at Smallville High. Other errors include: Whitney only being two years older when he is three years older, and the Sheriff not being Ethan but Bryan Shugrue. Okay, I'm not looking for perfection here it is just a Smallville novel after all.
That said, I did enjoy the book. It just seems that this author, though he is a well-known comic author for Batman, did not know or understand Smallville well enough to capture the essence of these characters. This was the first of the Smallville novels that I read. I have since read two others and enjoyed them much more. For example: Smallville: City by Devin Grayson was very good. She understood the characters much more and crafted a believable scenario outside of the events taking place in the show. In fact, she wrote that she viewed the DVD's for season 2 many times before starting to write this book. She took the time to know the show and the characters.
If you love Smallville, go ahead and get Dragon. If you are only somewhat interested, pick up one of the others.
Happy Reading!
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