A review by kit_moonstar
The Story of Owen by Emily Kate Johnston

4.0

 This is a books that does a lot of things differently, and it works well.  It's definitely different than a lot of things I've read in the fantasy genre which really makes it stand out.   I'm not sure if I like it so much because of that unique or because it is really good, but I really enjoyed it.  Most fantasy books like these are set in cities, and it was neat to have one set in a rural area instead, complete with both its challenges and benefits.  As someone who went to high school in a rural area, a lot of it felt very true to me.  I also appreciated that the teens really did feel a lot like teenagers.  At times the narrative jumps around in order to give the reader bits and pieces of the world.  This actually works really well and doesn't interrupt the momentum of the story, in part because all of the chapter are short.  That also really helps the pace of the book.  It's a quick read.  But what I really love are the characters and the world building. 

 

All of the characters are fantastic but there are a couple that really stand out for me.  Siobhan, the narrator and pov character is one of them.  Siobhan very much feels like the kind of teenage girl that I was in high school.  She has her thing that she's passionate about (music in this case), and most other things are something of an afterthought.  I really love the way music is talked about thought about in this book.  This isn't a path that she had intended to walk, but once she's caught up in it, she has a practical approach and sense of humor about her that really makes the story fun.  Owen is an interesting study in contrasts.  He's pretty mature for his age, but then he's grown up knowing that he's going to be a dragonslayer and what that responsibility looks like.  At the same time, he's very much a teenage boy.  I'm sure there are people who will find his character a little bland, but when slaying dragons is your day to day job, I can understand why you might not crave too much excitement in your off time.  Sadie, one of their classmates, wants to become a dragon slayer as well, and both her friendship with Siobhan and her nascent romance with Owen help move the story along as well as bring in more of the community, since both Siobhan and Owen are kind of isolated from their peers. 

 

Friendship is a big part of this story, and it's nice to really see that take center stage.  There's barely any hint of romance, and there's no question ever that Owen and Siobhan are just friends.  Siobhan friendships with Sadie and Emily also are important, and in a smaller way showcases just how important community is, which is a bit of a recurring theme in the book.  Lottie and Hannah get a special mention too.  I love the fact that they're a lesbian couple is barely touched upon, and it's just accepted as fact that they're heroes and authority figures.  I also like how it's shown that sometimes the way to radical change of an institution can take time and small efforts and sacrifice.  And that sometimes you might not live to see the changes you want to make, but that you have to still make steps toward them.  The characters are what really make this story work I think.  Overall, this was a really fun read and a pretty unique one.  Four out of five stars.