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Today we have what could possibly be the greatest book title ever: Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon by Rena Rocford.
The story follows asthmatic, acne-ridden teenager Allyson Takata who's half Japanese and half Irish. And then, one day, while being attacked by kidnappers, she starts breathing fire and is told by her best friend Beth that she's also half dragon! Turns out Beth is half troll, and the world is full of such supernatural creatures called the Kin. This prompts Allyson to start thinking about the father she's never known and what kind of secrets her mother is keeping from her.
Unfortunately for her, an absent father soon becomes the least of her problems. When a classmate of theirs--who's also a unicorn--gets kidnapped, Beth gets blamed for it. If she's found guilty, she'll be executed by her unicorn caretakers. Since they can't get the police involved, Allyson and Beth take off to rescue their classmate and clear Beth's name.
But they quickly find themselves in over their heads when gryphon bikers enter the picture. Allyson discovers her father was involved with them, and some of them hold a grudge against him because of a tragedy that occurred. Nevertheless, she befriends them and begins trying to master her dragon transformation. However, they soon uncover the existence of a sinister villain known as the Magic Thief who is behind the kidnapping of many Kin, and his plans don't involve world peace. Allyson and friends set out to stop him, but that may mean she'll have to kill her father who's working for the Magic Thief. Can she muster the strength to make this sacrifice, or is there another solution that doesn't call for patricide?
Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon is a delightful story. It's refreshing to find a protagonist who isn't (at first glance) attractive. Allyson has to deal with both asthma and acne to find her inner strength and beauty. Beth is also a strong female character who can handle herself in a fight. I also like how the Kin are handled; they're all impressively strong and there aren't (as far as I can tell) any weak ones.
I strongly recommend this book if you're a fan of fantasy. This is easily one of the best stories I've read this year. It's well-written and well worth your time.
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