Customer Reviews

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In "The Secret Garden," Frances Hodgson Burnett created Mary Lennox, a snarky, attitude-filled brat who finally got a clue.

Why am I talking about a 97-year-old classic when this review is supposed to be about Adrienne Kress' new book, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate? Go with me here. Timothy's favorite response to just about anything is, "Whatever." If Mary Lennox were dropped into the modern world, I'd bet money that "Whatever" would be hers as well.

Timothy isn't an underachieving punk. Just the opposite: he's brilliant, insightful, and bored. Adults can't deal with his intellect and attitude and he's been expelled from every single school in town. His dad is ineffectual, his mom is off pursuing a mediocre acting career. When Timothy has to accompany his dad to work because no sitter will come within a mile of him, he falls into an internship for his dad's reclusive boss.

Oh, about the dragon. And the gate. And all the possible adventures that combination conjures up. One might think Timothy--this unlikable eleven-year-old snot--makes the combination doomed to failure.

Don't be fooled. As Kress did to Alex in her first book, "Alex and the Ironic Gentleman," Timothy is thrown into danger and adventures. He has to rely on his intellect to make it through--with the dragon in tow. (Abandon hope. I'm not going to reveal it. About the dragon, that is. And that's why I can't quote my favorite line: the dragon says it, and I'd spoil the plot.) In the process, Timothy messes things up to a point where he admits he can't blame his weak father, his absentee mother, his teachers, or anyone but himself.

No, no, no. Don't groan. There are no heavy-handed Moral Lessons for Today's Youth here. (Thank you, Ms. Kress!) Instead, there are ninjas. Fish-herders. Architects who may not be what they seem. (Fish-herders and architects. I swear. What fun!) There are pirates, too, of course. Along with mysterious Chinese gambling-house owners and three black taxicabs that shouldn't be able to do everything they do. And I guessed wrong on the identity of the secret villain. I love it when books surprise me.

What makes Timothy and the Dragon's Gate stand out is Kress' ability to give us an unlikable hero and charm us into rooting for him. Timothy doesn't turn into a sweet little angel after all his adventures. He's still himself, but like Mary Lennox, he gets a clue. Kress has the knack of writing child characters who could be my next-door neighbors. Then she mixes them up with delightful fantasy and just enough danger to keep me turning the page to see how they succeed--or temporarily fail. It's not spoiling the book to reveal that it has very satisfying ending.

I'm a cynical horror writer who runs from sweetness and light like, well, like a dragon's chasing me. (I couldn't resist.) But like "Alex and the Ironic Gentleman," Timothy and the Dragon's Gate charmed me into staying up way too late to finish it. No syrup here. Instead, there's adventure, derring-do, attitude, and danger. All wrapped up in a clever and fascinating take on the reluctant hero, courage, loyalty, and--of course--dragons.

Don't miss it.

I am an 11 year-old boy. I just finished Timothy And The Dragon's Gate. It is one of the best books I have read. Timothy has been kicked out of every school in the city. His dad has probably the most boring job ever, and his mom is never around. When his dad goes on a trip, he leaves Timothy with his neighbor, Sir Bazalgette. When Mr. Shen, Sir Bazalgette's colleague, tells his story Timothy is sucked into one of the best adventures one could hope for. I like that this story is fast-paced, and the characters don't stop and stay in the same place for too long. When Timothy meets Alex and the crew from Alex And The Ironic Gentleman, his story gets even better. After Mr. Shen is abducted, Timothy and his friends must journey to China to save him. I also like that this book is funny. There is a lot of sarcasm, which I think is funny. I would recommend this book to my friends, in fact, I already have.

Timothy Freshwater, 11 years old, has been expelled from the last school in the city. He's played too many pranks and his teachers say he's "too smart for his own good." Since he's now out of school, Mr. Bore, the CEO of the company his dad works for, recruits Timothy as his intern so Timothy can teach Mr. Bore how to make people like him. In Mr. Bore's office, Timothy also meets Mr. Shen, a small Chinese man who happens to be an enslaved dragon. In order to free him so he can regain his dragon form, someone must steal a golden key from Mr. Bore and take Mr. Shen to China so he can pass through the Dragon's Gate. That someone turns out to be Timothy, but it's not as easy as he hopes because he's being pursued by a Ninja and three mysterious black taxicabs.

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate is Adrienne Kress's second children's novel, following her debut Alex and the Ironic Gentleman. Timothy and the Dragon's Gate stands alone, but Alex, the heroine of the first novel, turns up somewhere in the middle of this story.

I read one third of Timothy and the Dragon's Gate and then I called it quits. I had three problems with the book. I would have been able to get past one or two of them, but this particular triumvirate was just too much and I eventually decided that there are better ways to spend my time.

My first issue was that I disliked Timothy. He's sullen, cynical, and completely disinterested in other people. All he wants to do is watch TV. He's a brat. As far as I could tell, Timothy had no positive personality traits. Based on the blurb for the book, I was expecting Timothy to be clever, but I didn't think he was particularly clever. The author tells us he is, but I think he only seemed clever in contrast to the adults we meet.

Which brings me to my second issue: the adults in the first third of the novel, without exception, are unbelievably absurd. With parents like that, it's no wonder Timothy's so obnoxious. And Mr. Bore the CEO taking advice about personality improvement from Timothy and asking him to plan a fancy party? Right. I'm sure Adrienne Kress meant for the adults to be ludicrous -- there's a quirky feel to the novel that often works -- but this unpleasantness was just another brick in the wall for me.

Thirdly, though I usually think an intrusive narrator is fun, I didn't like this one. He's supposed to be drily humorous, but it wasn't working for me. I just didn't think these sorts of intrusions were funny: "The crazy man nodded that he understood, or maybe just nodded because he liked the sensation of nodding, and stood quickly." I listened to the audiobook version of Timothy and the Dragon's Gate, produced by Brilliance Audio and read by Christopher Lane. I could not tell if I just didn't like the intrusive narrator in audio, or if it would have come across the same way in print. I did think Christopher Lane did a great job with the character voices, though.

Again, any of these issues by itself wouldn't have kept me from continuing Timothy and the Dragon's Gate -- there were some parts that were delightfully quirky (e.g., the fish herder was hilarious) and I was interested in the female Ninja's story. I feel certain that Timothy's nasty personality would have mellowed and redeemed itself by the end of the book, too. But the journey wasn't pleasant for me and I didn't want to be around Timothy and all those stupid adults anymore, so I quit. I think I would have liked Adrienne Kress's first novel, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, better.

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate is fun and imaginative.

Adrienne Kress is very in touch with teenagers and their outlook on life in the 21st century. She beautifully blends the the sarcastic bored Timothy with Alex's optimistic enthusiasm. The adventure is non-stop and rather zany. I think the one really great message in this story is about persistence. As long as you persist you will achieve your goal. Never give up on your dreams or goals, they are who you are.

A smart, funny follow-up to Alex and the Ironic Gentleman. It's hard to find a character who is so annoying and so entertaining at the same time. It's nice to see that even while Timothy does manage to learn a little something on this trip, he doesn't magically transform into a different person. That much attitude doesn't change overnight.

I highly recommend the audio version but I will issue one warning: I had to listen to my 7-yr old say "Whatever" for weeks afterwards.

Teachers cower in his presence, his father has abandoned any sort of punishment, and his mother left town long ago. Timothy Freshwater is so smart that he doesn't know what to do with himself. A long list of expulsions taints his school record. His latest humiliation leaves him with no more school options, and Timothy is forced to follow his father around at work. The words "stay put" float in and out of Timothy's ears, and soon he bumps into a most peculiar person in Mr. Shen. Later, Mr. Shen tells Timothy a most fantastic story about a dragon trapped in human shape and forced into servant hood as punishment. Mr. Shen can only assume his true shape by passing beneath the Dragon's Gate during the 125th year of the dragon.

Timothy soon becomes Mr. Shen's keeper and pledges to return Mr. Shen to his true form. Timothy doesn't expect to encounter any difficulty and for once plans on accomplishing something in his disappointing life. How hard can it be, right? Unfortunately, the man in the Beige Suit has different plans. He dispatches his highly skilled --- and punctual --- ninja, Emily, to retrieve the key that holds Mr. Shen in servitude. Add to the mix three ominous black limousines, a less than pleasant plane ride, and a fleet of Chinese pirates, and Timothy finds himself wondering if he'll always be the failure everyone has destined him to be.

Things would not be complete, of course, without a visit from our hero from Adrienne Kress's first book, ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN. Just when Timothy is at his lowest point, Alex swoops in and saves the day --- sort of. Timothy isn't sure what to think of Alex, but faithful readers will know that Alex does not give up easily, and she accompanies Timothy on his adventure. With time running out, Timothy has to accomplish a few small items: find the dragon's gate (somewhere in China), gamble a little, and locate the missing Mr. Shen.

Kress once again narrates the story in her quirky style that sometimes tries too hard to illicit a smirk from the reader. You can't fault her, however, for being unique, and while the approach isn't necessarily fresh, it keeps the story interesting. The rapidly changing scenarios and colorful array of characters are what Kress does best, and TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE is full of them. Younger readers will appreciate the lack of lucidity among some of the adult characters and the continual growth of Timothy and Alex.

It is unclear whether or not Kress has plans to continue the series, but I have a feeling that both Alex and Timothy could pop up again. After all, when you're only 11 years old and have defeated numerable ruthless pirates, located a long-lost treasure, befriended a dragon, and started believing in yourself, you're probably ready to handle just about anything.

--- Reviewed by Ben Boche

One of my kids read this before I did. Here's my 12-year old's review, followed by my own. The 'star' rating is my own (my 12-year old rated it 5-stars):

"Overall, I liked this book because it had a lot of action, there was a lot of description, and the plot was amazing. This book is one of my favorites and definitely one of a kind. Once I started it I couldn't put it down! I think that you should read this book if you like adventure and science fiction. It is now my favorite book! Compared to the Harry Potter books, this one has the same amount of action, if not more, but a different setting and character personalities. I love the Harry Potter series, but this one I love just as much!"

My review:
It's hard to review a book aimed at the pre-teen audience, because I can't really use the same standards and comparisons I would use for 'grown-up' literature. However, the best overall observation I could make to get across my take on this work is that I often found myself thinking "Now that's how you write for my kids!" Kress seems to be very aware of her audience and makes sure their needs are met, while not talking down to them - incorporating "grown-up" language and style, but to a limited extent (almost surepticiously). At the same time, I have to say I stayed engaged in the story, and, after the first third of the book, had to finish it to find out how things turned out. It's a good fun story, it involves kids who are realistic (meaning, warts and insecurities and all). The kids exceed expectations (especially their own), but Kress doesn't try to hammer home a moral. There are lessons in there, but they are very much left for the subconcious to note.

All in all, a good fun read for any tween (or a precocious 8-year old), with a fun story, lots of action, and plenty of wise-cracks.

When we meet Timothy he has finally been kicked out of every school in London. Timothy's problem is he's just too smart for his own good, causing problems wherever he goes. This traditional premise underlies a book full of adventure (and wit), as Timothy is charged with helping a dragon. The characters are what make this book memorable and worthwhile, whether it is Timothy, a reclusive architect, a fish herder, or a billionaire thanks to his going through junk. Kress even finds a way to incorporate several of the characters from her first book, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman. There is no deep message here, but who needs depth when you can have dragons, pirates, ninjas, and a good laugh?