I feel like this book must be for someone, but I don't think that someone was me. I adore books about dragons, I love space, robots are awesome, and I read a lot of fantasy. On paper, this book should have been perfect.

The writing style is very conversational and that conversation is being led by a teenage boy. I imagine this could be very appealing to a specific audience that can relate to that type of dialogue. There is a lot of repetition, story time-skips, and so much emphasis on all the luscious lady dragons that the narrator wants for his Queen. I'm not a teenage boy, so most of the thought process happening for the narrator felt immature and annoying, but I realize that might work for some people!

Some things I enjoyed:
The world felt very fleshed out and like there was so much more potential for learning more.
I felt like the overall message and moral was lovely (despite also being pretty unsubtly telegraphed)

Silly and childish story, plot and characters. Think this would be better as a much shorter children's book. Lost interest and quit about half way thru.

Sorry, you lost me on page 4 when the author (Gabe Hudson) referred to J. R. R. Tolkien as a nutjob. I understand that Gork, the narrator, is supposed to be a teenager, but his immaturity (as evidenced by actions and language choice) was unappealing. Other reviewers have called GORK, THE TEENAGE DRAGON “strange,” “madcap,” “quirky,” “bizarre,” and “funny.” Sounds like if you are a Douglas Adams fan, this might be for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book, but unfortunately this it was not my cup of tea. I normally like fantasy stories, but this one failed to really interest me past the 20% mark. Perhaps the whole dragons in space thing was a little too much for me. 

Pretty cover though.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, everything from the cover to the summary screamed that this was a book for me. The idea of a book from the perspective of a dragon so different than what fantasy normally perceives dragons (which is definitely commented on, how dare you Mr. Tolkien) was so intriguing to me, even more so because said dragon is a teenager. A teenager on a quest to find his queen.

Gork, or Weak Sauce, his nickname, is adorable. He’s a total dork, but the type that tries so hard to hide his true nature, even when he’s perfect just the way he is. However, I’d probably try to hide the fact that I cry or faint if I was a dragon too. I’d prefer not to be eaten. Hudson’s writing style is super casual and funny. There were times when certain jokes were stretched a little too thin for my liking and drew attention away from the plot, but it was still very entertaining.

True to this story being told from a teen’s perspective, Gork makes terrible decisions and is willfully blind to what he really wants. I found his day quest hilarious at times though.

I could have done without as much “dragon slang” through the entire book, but having been a teenager and having a close friend who is a teenager and sometimes extremely hard to understand let alone keep up with, I totally understood why slang was used so much.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review Gork, the Teenage Dragon by Gabe Hudson.  This book is humorous and representative of teen angst through the portrayal of Gork. A silly dragon version of finding love, learning about family and growing up. A coming of age story with a sci-fi and fantasy twist. 4 stars.

I tried so very hard to get into this book but I just do not think it was for me. Thank you so much for the opportunity, though!

I am a huge dragon fan so when my request to read this was approved I was very excited.  Who wouldn't want to read about advanced dragons with spaceships in space?  I was not disappointed.  

I was drawn into the story from the very beginning when Gork talks about how "if you happen to be a man-creature here on Earth, I have read your books and stories about my species, and they are wrong."  It goes on to talk about the biggest offender of misrepresentation, Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien and his portrayal of Smaug.  Gork then goes on to tell the reader that he will talk about what it's really like. 

The story is told from the perspective of our main character, a lovable teenage dragon named Gork, and what life is really like for his species and his journey to find his true love. The whole story takes place over one day in the life of our main character, but with many flashbacks.  Gork is a member of the WarWings Military Academy.  While there he is given the nickname 'Weak Sauce' because Gork is weaker and smaller than the other dragons at school.  He also has a heart that is too big and horns that are too small.

This book was funny, charming, and adorable.  It felt like an 80s classic high school movie, but with dragons in space.  If you like dragons, or are a fan of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy this YA novel is for you.

I had trouble getting into this novel. I don't know if it was because the point of view was through a dragon. It was just hard to picture the main character as a dragon and a not a human.

If you think this books sounds weird, you're right - it was pretty weird! And towards the end it got really weird, and also pretty gruesome. To be honest, I think I liked it better once I had finished than I did while I was reading - I spent quite a bit of time thinking "what am I even reading" and then my first thought when I finished was "that was GOOOOOOD!"

It was funny - there were bits that made me laugh out loud, and bits that I read out to my partner because I thought they were so funny. I also really liked the resolution and the message at the end.

I'm not really sure if I have a good read-alike, but it reminded me a bit of reading Magnus Chase, although would probably be suitable for a bit older audience. It had a similar young, male, kind of annoying, self-depricating protagonist.

Overall, a fun but weird read - a good one for the teenage reader in your life (maybe especially boys?)
I gave it 3/5 stars.

I requested this title to read with my young teenage son. I got through the first chapter, but did not think the language and liberal use of swear words were appropriate for his age so I did not continue reading this with him. Sorry, it just didn't work for me.

I wanted to like this book. The cover was interesting and had me expecting a punk-rock dragon. Unfortunately that did not happen. 

Gork, the Teenage Dragon, although an interesting and definitely worth-while concept to attempt, became annoying and irritating by the second chapter. Gork's voice as a narrator feels all over the place. Sometimes he sounds like an old-school noir detective, other times he takes on this bard-esque tone reminiscent of mediviel tales, but none of them sounded like a teenager. It was as though he was trying to take on one-too many personas as his own but doesn't have an original voice. 

The grammar needs fixing, big time. The images, although interesting and unique, become repetitive. Many lines begin with "so" and "then" and continue with that to the point of getting annoying. I have just finished up a Master's level Creative writing workshop and this story reads like my classmate's incomplete (and unedited) pieces. If the story were polished up I would consider rereading.

I loved it! Must read for dragon lovers who are into more well unique kind of dragon! <3 
Please see my blog for the full review.

Gabe Hudson’s fantasy novel “ Gork, The Teenage Dragon” was a fun, amusing and clever read. Written from the dragon’s perspective on what is a dragon and how he came to find his huge heart’s true love on his path to fulfill his mother’s prophecy for him. 
Lots of time was built on building the world of dragons as the superior race, conquerors of planets, and on the trials and tribulations of attending school on his home world where will of power is what can make or break your successes.
Gork’s will of power while on his mission to find his queen was never very high and so his success of the gaining the female dragon of his dreams, though he tries his best, was doomed to failure but does end up earning the best female love for him. The ending of the story was a good choice and a life lesson.

Gork or Weak Sauce as his peers like to call him has one day to get a female dragon to agree to have his eggs or he becomes a slave...for life. Up against Jocks, Nerds, Mutants, and Robots he has to combat his gigantic heart, the insecurities he feels about his 2-inch horns and his occasional problem with fainting. Will he get the girl and conquer earth?

#1 - Okay I am a huge lover of dragons... yes i said dragons!
And there are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many dragons in this!! A whole world of dragons that are set on world domination (not quite what I was thinking...) and their first step to that is to find the right woman or man to rule in terror with (this was quite cute!) I loved how he incorporated lizard things like the threat display and the way lizards open their mouths and look like they are screaming when threatened. And we don't just have leathery dragons but also robot dragons!

#2 - I love me a strong narrative POV!
Let me say right off that Gork has personality. MEGA personality! It is all about him and just like that self centered friend you love but only talks about the things she loves you have to take this guy in small doses. You cannot rush through or consume this kind of narrative. It is overwhelming and powerful. FOR ME, it was too powerful... when I read I really enjoy putting myself in the shoes of the character. We may not agree but I want to understand. That is not possible with Gork. Now for those that love Saturday Night Live and to fall back into a world that makes fun of itself where nothing is sacred - THIS BOOK IS FOR THEM!! Gork definitely has heart. That ending...wow! Couldn't have been more satisfying... it is a nice end for this narrative and the dual nature of Gork. I can't say that I didn't see that pairing from the very beginning but it wasn't any less happy for me!

#3 - I love the world with all the mad science and steampunk aspects merging machines with organic material!
I was hoping for a different villain... I wasn't surprised by it but geeze man why does it always have to be family that keeps us back... Dr. Terrible sure is some crazy inventive dragons but he needs a lot of work on his bedside manner. I loved the evolution switching machine and all the craziness it is... but hands down ATHENOS Gork's ship and Dr. Terrible's creation is the best to me! I loved the twist on the robots take over trope! Fribby the robot dragon with the organic womb and Gork's best friend who would help him out of all kinds of scraps and kept Gork from falling into line with his grandpa's thinking (and being a jerk). She was just super great!

Okay so confession time... I did not read every page of this book, so I will slot it under DNF but I read the first 31% and the last 10% and skimmed much of the middle. I feel like if I had read the book straight through I would have rated it one because I would have been so frustrated by the taste issues that i wouldn't have been able to rate it without prejudicing myself.

The hijinks are outrageous and just too extreme for my tastes. The digressions into side thoughts about his relationships with the characters involved or the events that have happened off screen were just taking me out of the story. If you like any thing that I suggested in the above list I believe you will LOVE this book!! I can APPRECIATE the techniques involved and I admit I should never have requested this book as a book centered on comedy for comedy's sake is not for me nor will it ever be.

BOTTOM LINE: Not for me but could be for you if you LOVE comedy fantasy...

On the younger side of YA, but it had a dragon narrator and was laugh out loud funny at times

This is quite possibly the worst book I have ever read. It was like reading an English assignment, written by a ten year old with a potty mouth, whose friends had dared him to write "my green scaley ass" in it as many times as he could. I don't even know what to say it was so terrible. The writing was juvenile and amateur. I also think the schizoid references need to be removed. This was a DNF after six chapters. I usually give review books 30%, but at 13% I could not read anymore.

So glad to see Gabe Hudson back on the writing scene. I read Dear Mr. President it seems like ages ago and I have kept an eye out for him ever since. I was thrilled to see Gork was on its way and I was not disappointed. Not exactly the same content as his first work, Gork is still a super fun read and the writing is still true Gabe Hudson. I loved it and really hope 10 years does not go by before we see his next book hit the shelves. Thanks for the ride!

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Note: As I re-read this before it goes up, I thought I should stress something: this is a fun book and I think people will enjoy it. The problem is, it takes more words to describe the stuff I wasn't crazy about than it does to describe the stuff I liked. I chuckled, I grinned, I was happy for Gork's successes (happier for his best-friend Fribby's successes -- but they usually coincided) -- as rare as they were. Don't let the length of the "bleh" bits here distract you -- Hudson just provoked some thoughts.

There were parts of this that were delightful, parts of it that were problematic, parts that were just okay. There were also too many parts, but we'll get to that in a bit.

Our protagonist and unlikely hero is Gork -- a dragon with pretty strong feelings toward Tolkein and the author of Beowulf for the depiction of dragons -- he's sort of a wimp, his horns aren't that big (pretty small, really), he's not that fierce (but he wants to be), and he tends to faint at inopportune times and frequently. Nevertheless, he's about to finish his last year at the War Academy and head off to terrorize and conquer a planet of his own, all he needs to do is get someone to agree to be his queen and they'll head off. We meet him on the day he's supposed to do just that. Now, think back to high school -- does this seem like a guy who's going to be getting a lot of dates? Not really -- and when your high school is full of dragons intent on learning how to be the nastiest, fiercest, most terrifying conquerors any planet has ever seen, well -- Gork's odds are even worse.

Naturally, because this is a high school story, our puny geek has set his eyes on the most popular, gorgeous and dangerous girl in school. The question really isn't "Will Gork and his band of friends be able to convince her to be is queen?" It's, "Will Gork survive the day?" And oddsmakers around the school, put his chance at that at 1%.

This is clearly from the word "go" a comic novel -- we're supposed to laugh at the madness, mayhem and murdering -- and it's easy to do on the whole. It's a crazy world Hudson's created for these dragons to go around in, and most of the characters are amusing. I'm not convinced it works that well as a novel as a whole -- as a series of goofy episodes that eventually lead to a big showdown with the nastiest dragon around, it's all right. (I'm not sure that distinction makes sense to anyone).

I like the idea of spacefaring dragons, dragons that have fully embraced technologies that we can't think of (or we have thought of, just haven't done that much with yet) -- robotics, nanobots, and more. Although the "mind-swap" device doesn't really swap minds it . . . well, it's hard to sum up, but it felt like it belonged more to a Hanna-Barbera show than a SF novel. Basically, this is a Science Fiction wonderland populated with dragons instead of highly developed humans, Grays, Vulcans or Wookies. Still, being that takes away some of the X-factor that makes people fascinated with dragons. Dragons are already pretty cool, you don't need to give them gizmos and machines that go "ping" -- if anything that detracts from them. Still...a dragon in a spaceship is a pretty cool visual.

There's a moral code that the dragons here live by, or aspire to anyway. It glorifies treachery, destruction, brutality, and so on. Grades of F are to be aspired to, As are to be lamented. That sort of thing -- but societies can't exist like the way Hudson depicts, and honestly, his society doesn't function the way he says it does (the fact that there are actual friendships depicted, not just uneasy alliances is proof enough against that). You can't have characters shocked by betrayal in a world where there are classes on betrayal. It's the moments of loyalty and help that should be shocking, and not trusted by anyone. But no one works that way in this book. This is not a problem unique to Hudson's work, I've run into it before -- usually, in works like this, where the twisted ethics are played for laughs and we're not supposed to be getting as analytical about them as I am. So, ignore everything I just said.

There were just a couple too many zigs and zags to the plot -- a few less challenges, a few less pages, and I think this would've worked a bit better. I'm not necessarily saying that I can point to something and say, "That right there -- yeah, we didn't need that," it just dragged a bit here and there. I tend to be more patient than most of the target audience for this book, so I worry about their reaction.

Speaking of target audience -- I'm not sure what it is. The humor and emotional depth says MG to me, but the Gork's fixation on mating and the things that attracts him to potential mates (he's pretty shallow, I should warn you) are more YA. I'm not sure it matters all that much, it's just one of those things that ran through the back of my mind during the slow parts.

I got a bit ramble-y there, sorry about that. I clearly am not sure what to make of this book -- I enjoyed it, and I bet many will, too. But it has it's problems -- my best advice is, don't think about it -- just enjoy the antics. Gork's a good guy and is fun to hang out with.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.

The writing seemed very juvenile. And while it was interesting to see from a dragon's point of view, I did not fall in love with the main character.