Dancing with Dragons

Thank you to NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Dancing with Dragons was a beautiful story, exploring many themes from young tragedy to the challenging plights of those who look different or grew up differently from the ‘majority’ of society. Heartbreaking at times and absolutely beautifully written, I encourage anyone wanting a more meaningful read to pick this up - it will take focus but be well worth it.

From the author Jenni Ogden, “Dancing With Dragons” is another wonderful read from her.
This story is about a teen girl, Gaia, raised off grid in Australia. Learning to dance classic ballet with her older brother from her mother who was once an American ballet dancer. Her father, an Australian farmer, taught her the love of the land and reef. This story is about her most memorable day spent snorkeling on the reef watching the courtship of seadragons only to have it become the most tragic day filled with pain and deep loss that sets the course for the rest of her future.
If you want a good read with commentaries about racism, friendship, resolution, forgiveness, and taking a stand when something matters this would be the book to read.
*** I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found Dancing with Dragons filled with both hope and tragedy. It's an exploration of resilience and an enjoyable book. Well done.

This book takes place in 1970, in the western Australian Coral coast. It is mostly about a teen girl Gaia who was taught ballet, by her mom, a professional ballet dancer. Her dad, a farmer, taught her to love the land and sea and respect for the environment. Gaia, loves snorkeling and one day she sees the dance of a pair of delicate sea dragons. She loves them. The same day a tragedy strikes and her life which changes everything.

She leaves and returns 2 years later to live off the land. She forms a friend ship with the aboriginal couple who are caretakers of the farmer next door who is a racist. She is dancing on the beach and meets their nephew Jarrah who is 11 yrs and disabled. They are two lonely people who form a lifetime bond.

The book has many issues including, forgiveness, friendship, tragedy, and love. But, the challenge is to face the world when you look and are brought up different than those who are deemed , normal.

I totally enjoyed this book it is written so well and easy to follow right thru to the end. Give it a read!

Another sweeping southern hemisphere tale from Jenni Ogden. Spanning years in the life of Gaia who along with her brother Bron lives on the Coral Coast of Australia. where their mother a former principal in the American Ballet theatre schools them intensively in the art of the dance. One fateful night, their lives forever change which sets Gaia on an entirely different and difficult path.

Alone on her isolated property for some years her only friends are Mary and Eddie, an Aboriginal couple who work on the neighboring property and the beautifully coloured Seadragons she befriends while snorkeling.

One fateful day, Jarrah, Mary’s 11-year-old orphaned nephew sees Gaia dancing on the beach is both captivated and enchanted. A friendship between two lonely souls blossoms.

A story of dance, struggle and ultimately survival.

This was a very interesting book to read and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read it through NetGalley. I have read one of Jenni's books before and really enjoyed it.
I enjoyed the story of. Gaia and her family, although the circumstances were quite harrowing at times. Gaia was such a strong resilient girl with lots going for her, not to mention her dancing prowess, and the loss of her family at such a tender age was very sad. She does well to return to her home, despite most it being burnt to the ground. Her subsequent relationship with neighbours Eddie and Mary and their nephew Jarrah was lovely to follow as was her love affair with Seamus. I could imagine the setting very well and the coral and fish sightings were a delight.
A gentle story in lots of ways but also a hard one at times, as Gaia had to overcome so much, so early on. I did find the ending a surprise!

3.5/4*

I was drawn to this initially by the cover, it's so eye-catching! And then was sold by the comparison to Crawdad's. I'm sometimes dubious of comparisons to popular books but it felt warranted here as the scenes of nature did not disappoint. I really felt like I was there, the author did a fantastic job at transporting the reader to Australia and exploring ocean life. That was definitely the best part of the book for me.

This is the story of Gaia and her brother Bron who have been brought up in a small farm by the sea in Western Australia. Their mother is a former ballet dancer and she teaches her children to dance from a young age.
Gaia loves nature and sea creatures and is enthralled one day when she sees a pair of sea dragons performing their matting dance.
I really enjoyed this book it has many interesting characters and charming descriptions of the wildlife in this area.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dancing with Dragons by Jenni Ogden captures the magic of the coral reefs of Australia and the emotional journey of a young woman overcoming a trauma. Gaia undergoes years of recovery and uses her training as a ballet dancer as therapy. She is able to persevere with the help of neighbors, an unlikely friendship with a young boy, and Rita Roo, a baby kangaroo.

I recommend this novel for readers who loved Where the Crawdads Sing. Gaia is alone in the world, secluded along the Australian coast, and overcomes loneliness, trauma, and many obstacles along her journey to finding who she is. It’s a beautiful novel about friendship, love, and courage.

Thank you Sea Dragon Press and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had a great concept and I was hooked with the compelling story. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and glad I got to read this. Jenni Ogden has a great writing style and left me wanting more from them.

I loved Dancing with Dragons. This was the first book I've read by Jenni Ogden, and I will be reading more of her books. From the title I thought the book would be about fantasy and dragons, but when I saw the sea dragon on the cover I was all in. I have always had an affinity for seahorses and sea dragons. I scuba dive and snorkel and have observed many Caribbean seahorses, but never an Australian sea dragon. The descriptive prose made the shore and the sea dragons come to life for me. I loved the intersecting themes of conservation, family, personal loss, and romance. I thought the character development, especially of Gaia and Jarrah, was well done. I feel that any romance was incidental and was not a main theme. I loved the book and give it 5 stars.

What a beautiful story! I love both dance and marine life being part of this story as these are two things I really enjoy in my own life. I really enjoyed the characters and the friendship in this story. So beautifully written!

“She could never quite decide which she loved best; swimming over the reef flats in the late afternoon light or in that perfect hour after dawn.”

Dancing with Dragons is a well written, beautiful story! The story starts off with Gaia and her family living in Australia on a farm by the sea. Gaia’s mother, a professional ballet dancer, teaches Gaia ballet. A tragic event uproots Gaia’s life.
The imagery in this book describing the ocean life was amazing. I felt like I was right there snorkeling with Gaia. A story about tragedy, friendship, and forgiveness. I highly recommend putting this book on your TBR list!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐4.5

'𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨''

For the first, approximately, 40% of this book I thought this was just a book with a sad start but just a nice story. Nothing special just a nice story, but, I am very pleased to say, how wrong I was.
Gaia was in a house fire when she was fourteen, which killed her parents, herself and brother, Bron, we're able to escape but Gaia suffered horrific burns. She moves back to the family land and builds a life for herself.
She befriends the Aboriginal neighbours eleven year old nephew and teaches him how to dance and snorkel to see the beautiful reef and all the sea life, including the seadragons who dance before mating.
The story covers some hard topics such as disability, racism and abandonment but is done in a beautiful way.
I will definitely be thinking about this story for a while and definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for the ARC of this book

Gorgeous cover and a beautiful story. This relatively short book packs a lot of weight. It covers bigotry, violence, family drama, and disability…all wrapped up in a setting you can practically see, hear, smell and taste. Without becoming wordy or slowing the plot, the author has made the reef setting so vivid and lush that it becomes another main character. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, this is a lovely story of hope and joy.

An emotional roller coaster of a ride through mystic oceans deep. We follow our heroine as she navigates life, tragedy, deceit, hope, and adventure. I loved the unique setting and descriptions of the story. The main character is sympathetic and endearing, and her story draws you in from the first word on the page.

Dancing with Dragons by Jenni Ogden tells the story of Gaia, a young girl growing up on a remote farm in Western Australia in the late 1970’s. Gaia is learning ballet along with her older brother, Bron, taught by their mother who was once a principal ballerina in New York. A tragic accident leaves Gaia living on the farm alone and isolated. But Gaia finds solace in nature and the ocean and ends up fighting to keep her land out of the clutches of developers. Jenni Ogden once again weaves an incredible story of triumph through tribulation with a complicated, independent, fierce heroine. I so enjoyed getting to know and rooting for Gaia.

A very enjoyable book that i won’t hesitate to recommend to others. Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

I recently read Dancing with Dragons by Jenni Ogden and it is one I would definitely recommend!

Set in the 1970s in rural Western Australia, this coming of age story juxtaposes the mesmerizing beauty of ballet with the ethereal beauty of the sea dragons who live in the coral reef. The story begins with Gaia and her brother Bron, who are homeschooled and study the art of ballet under the tutelage of their mother, a former professional dancer, followed by experiential learning about their environment by snorkeling in the reef. Everything changes with a catastrophic fire leaves Gaia with serious burns covering much of her body, no home and an orphan. Gaia is determined to get back to her land as soon as she has recovered and is old enough to return on her own. Despite being self-conscious about her scars, Gaia eventually begins to dance again and her love of the land she grew up in continues to grow as she tries to make it on her own.

I loved watching this story unfold, and learning more about Australian culture and natural physical beauty, especially the wildlife. As a former dancer myself, I of course enjoyed the dance elements of the story, and seeing it from this particular time and place in history. I also really appreciated the way that the author slowly unpacked some of the more mysterious or unexpected background information, as it felt realistic that as Gaia grew up more pieces of the story would become known to her. As a reader you are learning along with Gaia about the secrets of the past. The author started with a disclaimer about the Indigenous peoples of Australia and their connection to the land, and I thought that was so important and relevant, but I also loved that the author included some of the negative stereotypes and racism that these Indigenous people faced and still face today.

There were many moments throughout the story that reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing, so if you liked that one, I would definitely recommend checking this one out. Dancing with Dragons is being published in July so add this one to your TBR! Thanks to @netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to read and review this breathtaking story!

I truly appreciate when I come across a story that is just a simple, yet deep, story of life. Oh, I love me some thrillers or stories with heartbreaking angst. However, when I just need to recharge, I need a story like this one about people just trying to make it through life, honoring their true selves, while trying to inflict as little damage on the world and others as they do. This was truly beautiful. And I learned about Seadragons and reef life which is not usually something I would be drawn to. I'd say this one is a resounding success all around.

Thank you to Sea Dragon Press, Jenni Ogden and Netgalley for sharing a advance copy of this beautiful book.

4/5 ✨

I enjoyed reading this book (with probably one of the best covers ever), although it took me a while to complete it because of the way it starts. Gaia's resilience in the story after enduring so many struggles makes me think about the wonderful sea dragons she loves, those delicate and fragile creatures surviving and thriving in hostile environment for all these years. I also love the friendship she shares with people like Jarrah, Eddie, Mary and Seamus. Initially, I was little turned off with Jarrah's fascination of Gaia from a distance at the beginning, but the love they both have for each other is truly one of a kind. This book also explores topics like racism, family drama, disability. Even though the prose isn't spectacular by any means, I really loved reading the parts where Gaia and her friends were exploring the coral reefs. It felt like I was right there, next to Gaia and Jarrah, snorkeling, getting captivated by the sight of those beautiful sea dragons and other sea life. This book also reminded me of "When the Crawdads Sing", which is one of my favorite reads. I can't wait to check out the author's other works. I also noticed a historical inaccuracy with the release of the certain movie in this book which I'm not sure whether it's there because it's an ARC.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I want a sequel. I fell in love with Gaia and Jarrah, and I need to know the rest of their story.

A well written story telling of one girls journey, after a family tragedy, how she became whole again, with the help of her local environment, nature and it's all encompassing healing benefits. Wonderful descriptive writing, about weedy sea dragons, as well as beautiful description of coral reefs, and all it holds, on the coast of WA. How one persons perseverance can preserve, what would have been lost, to all. How our indigenous know the land, sea and all those who live, work. A great story, well worth reading. Especially as one can imagine being in the water, or on the sand. Loved it makes me want to go there and experience the serenity, and nature at its best, especially whale sharks .

Dancing with Dragons is set in Australia, opening with a sister and brother who live off-grid with their parents in a lush, beautiful , untouched oceanside setting called Goshawk Gardens. The two teens, Gaia and Bron, aspire to perform in a ballet company someday, and practice daily under the supervision of their mother. Each day after practice, they scramble for the beach where they snorkel in the shallow waters, marveling at the warm warm, the coral reefs, colorful fish, and especially a pair of sea dragons, whose mating ritual is beautiful to watch.
The entire family is respectful of their environment and protective of all the creatures with whom they co-exist.

A fire of suspicious cause destroys their home, and almost, their family. As Gaia recovers, she returns to Goshawk Gardens and lives in the barn alone, assisted by the Aboriginal caretakers of a nearby property, Mary and Eddie. Their nephew, Jarrah, who visits from an orphanage, watches Gaia dance alone on the beach, and wishes for that freedom of expression, since his activity is limited by a club foot. Gaia teaches Jarrah to snorkel and marvel at underwater life, and teaches him to dance, and teaches dancing to the children at his orphanage as well.

Gaia’s idyllic, but lonely life, is disrupted by a series of distractions - a handsome Irishman, Seamus, who also dances, a drunken neighbor, Dave, who threatens Gaia’s safety, and developers who want to buy Gaia’s land and build a vacation settlement that Gaia knows will threaten the ecosystem.

The author beautifully described the southern Australian coastline, and the reader can visualize the peaceful blue waves lapping the shore, and the carefree teens snorkeling and marveling at the colorful underwater life. The reader also senses the need to preserve such natural beauty. The character development is done well; as a reader, I could visualize the delicate beauty, but also the inner strength of Gaia, and the persistence of the Aboriginal boy, Jarrah, as he broke through racial and personal barriers by becoming Gaia’s friend. Dave Mason, the alcoholic neighbor, sweet Mary and Eddie trying to make a life despite racial discrimination, and carefree Seamus, were all descriptively brought to life.

Of course from the title, the sea dragons, and saving them, and their environment is the key point of the book. We only have one world. It’s full of natural beauty - delicate creatures, beautiful plants, oceans, forests, and all of us are interdependent species. Destroying one thing destroys so much more. The author did a beautiful job of pointing out the need to protect our oceans, and forests and wildlife in order to save us all. And she did so by telling a very readable story of joy, loss, fear, determination, acceptance, and love.

As disclosure, I was sent an ARC of Jenni Ogden’s Dancing with Dragons by Netgalley. . I enjoyed the read. It made me think more seriously about preserving the environment. The opinions and review are my unbiased thoughts. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is an amazing read set in Australia. You can almost feel the heat of the place. Gaia spends her life next to the ocean, she is a ballet dancer but due to a fire that killed her parents she is scarred for life. Jarrah is a young aboriginal boy who loves to watch her dance every day, and the two become friends. Gaia swims every day and is fascinated by dragon fish. Mason is a drunken neighbour who wants to sell the bay to create a holiday park. Gaia finally has to take action for the first time in her life and contacts a lawyer to make sure the bay can be protected from development Mason has to be dealt with as he becomes violent and deranged.
This novel covers environmental concerns as well as the renewal of life for both the landscape and Gaia herself. The story is beautifully told and well worth reading.

This book normally wouldn’t be my thing but as someone who loves the ocean, I decided to give it a try. It really surprised me. From tragedy comes hope as we follow Gaia through her life. The themes of loss and loneliness, connection and courage are felt throughout. Where this book shines is its vivid ocean imagery. I look forward to reading more by Jenni Odgen!

Such a unique story. I gave it 4 stars and I loved it so much. I recommend everyone to read this book asap If you can. So so good.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

This was a beautiful book, a story of survival, of finding your passion and building connections with people around you and nature.

This books follows Gaia as she returns to her family home that has been destroyed in a fire. She lost both her parents and suffered severe burns herself leaving her with serious scarring. She moves into the barn and sells fruit to survive, practicing ballet on the beach and snorkelling with the super rare sea dragons that live only in Australia. Gaia hides from people as much as she can due to their horrified reactions to her scarring, her main company coming from her aboriginal neighbours. Her life is changed when their eleven year old nephew comes to visit and they become friends.

Gaia rebuilds her life, forming new friendships but deals with the prejudice and violence of others. She is forced to take action when the greed of others threatens the survival of the endangered sea dragons. Leading her on a mission to protect the reef. I love a conservation/environmental story so this was an instant win. I enjoyed seeing Gaia work with her new found family to battle against the callousness and greed of people who would destroy the land, ocean and its inhabitants.

I had some issues with some of the dialogue. There were a few points that I found a little uncomfortable or clunky. However this didn’t detract too much from what was a wonderful story. I would also check trigger warnings for this one as there is abusive behaviour in a number of ways.

What a beautiful story! Margot was a well known ballet dancer, and she trained her 2 children to be ballet dancers- Gaia and her older brother Bron short for Oberon. They love to watch the dance of the Seadragons around mating time. Sadly, there's a tragic fire that take the lives of their parents, and Bron with some scars on his legs. But the fire causes Gaia deep third degree burns and disfiguring scars. This story is about how Gaia learns to deal with her problems and ordeals, makes new friends, and perhaps even finds love. Will Gaia ever get to be the Ballerina that her mother was? It's a touching tale and highly recommend it, with memorable characters, and a wonderful.story.

This was a very strong book from a debut author that drew me from the first page with intriguing title and an original concept. With a distinct allegorical presence, I was drawn into Gaia's story and felt both the wonder of her life with her family and then the pain and isolation of her time growing up as she reconnected with the land and the original people who lived on jt. With a strong inclusion of the Aboriginal world view and experience through Jurrah and his extended family, this made me ask different questions then i had expected while further developing the story's scope. If you want to read a story that will have you wondering how much one lone girl can experience, and delight in the power of her will to live and rejoice in nature while fighting to protect herself and that world, then this is a book you do not want to miss. This is a story of resilience, love, acceptance of self and others, and the intense identification of Place that grows from tryly being one with Nature. This was different then what I had expected, but it was a strong Coming of Age Story that will speak to readers who enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing. One of the strengths of this story is that is will speak to both male and female readers of any age and it will highlight the wonderfully rich interconnectedness of everyone not just with those people them but with nature and the Spirit of the Earth itself.

Thank you New Galley and Sea Dragon Press for the Advance Copy I Read

This is a beautiful story of a Brother and Sister living on the Australian coast. Gaia and her Brother hold onto their dream of being dancers as they were taught by their talented Mother a dancer. After a terrible family tragedy Gaia returns to the family land to live in the barn off grid and start her life anew. The author has written a well crafted story of a independent girl who is a survivor and holds onto her dreams. You will love the ocean conservation theme and the beautiful way the author incorporates the characters love of the ocean and sea creatures.

I was mesmerized by this book and read it cover to cover. Its a lovely story of courage, starting over and love for the ocean. I call this book "the perfect summer read.." The setting of the Australian coast is atmospheric and perfectly done by the author. The reader is captivated by the writing and you can picture the coastal setting as you read. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and to the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

Beautifully written , this is the kind of story that stays with you long after you have finished. Some tough topics handled but with underlying hope and courage. There is something magical about the back drop of Australia’s coral reef and the amazing creatures that inhabit it. This has been captured by the Author, particularly well. First time I have read this Author, but will definitely put more of her novels on my reading list.

Thank you to the Author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read, review and give my honest opinion of an ARC.

Wow … such a beautiful book in so many ways, especially when describing the sea dragons. I knew so little about them previously and now i’m so interested in learning even more. So much happens in this book and it is such an adventure to read, tugging at heart strings on multiple levels. The book touches on so many issues including death, ballet, helping disadvantaged children, conservation and so much more … and is told in such a captivating way that the story of Gaia and her friends and family will stay with me for a long time. Some sections did remind me a little of When the Crawdads sing but it is so nice having this book set in Australia.

Today I went swimming in my local pool and as I looked out my goggles at the bottom of the pool, I wished that I could be at Gaia’s beach seeing instead the turtles, fish and amazing sea dragons.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced review copy. On storygraph my rating is 4.5/5 - I wish we had more flexibility across platforms to give more accurate reviews.

Beautifully written book! This book will enchant you from the first page to the last. The story is set on the coast of Australia. The writer captures the beauty of the coast and ocean with such vitality. The story begins with a tragedy but evolves to emboldening growth, bravery and forgiveness. The characters are written with such complexity. As well as the education of the coral reef and the beautiful weedy sea dragons. This a must read that comes out July 16th. Thank you to Net Galley for this advance read!

🌅Beautiful sea life imagery🐠

I think this Jennie Ogden novel of a solitary Australian teen and her love for nature and dance is geared to a YA readership; nevertheless, the story of young Gaia and her independent spirit in the face of so much hurt, loss and adversity was good and it passed along some useful knowledge about the rare creatures inhabiting the Western Australia coast and affected by human and climate impact on the planet's ecosystem.

The author paints beautiful pictures with her descriptions of the reef and Gaia's beloved sea creatures. I found the early parts of the novel the most compelling as Gaia suffers so and only begins healing when she is able to return to the family homestead. The thought of a teenager taking on the running of the family farm and a campaign to save her local pristine reef from developers almost single-handed and with little in the way of finances or experience of the wider world was inspiring. Her small cohort of friends, both human and animal, gave this a bit of a Snow White vibe with neighbor Dave acting as the proverbial wicked queen. I especially like her friend Jarrah and how Ogden worked him into Gaia's life. I did think, though, that the way all of the obstacles and problems in Gaia's life were so tidily resolved in the course of the story seemed a bit too fortuitous and unrealistic.

Thanks to Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thank you for allowing me to review this excellent book. I found the story very moving as it explores loss, trauma, friendships and new beginnings. It was an emotional read. The characters are very well written and their experiences feel completely honest in their portrayal, especially Gaia. Jarrah, is such a lovely boy, who I wanted to give a big hug to and offer a home.
I am impressed by Jenni Ogden and will definitely read more of her work.

This book was so beautifully written. Thank you NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for allowing me to read this book. What an amazing story connecting nature and people. I loved the friendships in this book. I also really enjoyed Gaia’s journey as she overcomes tragedy and finds herself and her place in the world. I adore the friendships she makes and Jarrah holds a special place in my head for his beautiful connection to Gaia. It was a slow easy going read that I very much enjoyed and would recommend to others.

This book was positively magical. It was raw, tender, loving and had beautiful emotion dancing through it's pages. A story of overcoming trauma, facing adversity and pure love in friends and family. I adored Gaia, she is one strong amazing individual so full of life who leaves you with a smile on your face. And the setting was gorgeous. The author described it so well that I could feel the sand in between my toes. I loved everything a out this book.

It is on sale July 16, 2024, make sure you visit your local bookstore for a copy!

Thank you to the author Jenni Ogden, the publisher Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley for letting me enjoy the delight of this ARC.

In the past few days, I've enjoyed swimming with seahorses living in the Australian coral reef while following the life struggles of the young protagonist of this novel.

"Dancing with Dragons" is a well-crafted novel that tells the story of a girl whose family (mother, father, and brother) is torn away by a fire that devastates their home, leaving her with deep scars as a painful reminder. The passion for dancing that Gaia's mother instilled in her since childhood now seems overshadowed by the prejudices she faces due to the marks that mar her body. People can be particularly cruel when confronted with someone who appears "different."
During that initial period where life proves its harshness by forcing her to live in a barn and sell vegetables to survive, Gaia realizes that her existence cannot be reduced to mere survival. Everything changes when the eleven-year-old son of neighboring Aboriginals starts laying the first stones of their friendship. The result is a true rebirth.

I find Jenni Ogden's novel captivating, filled with magic, and carrying an important message confined within its pages. The writing style is fluid and enchanting, allowing readers to immerse themselves page after page in a world of personal redemption (where Gaia's tragedy dominates and her subsequent need to react) and the necessity of preserving the coral reef's nature (here, allowing those small marine creatures to survive despite severe threats). This blend of personal and environmental storylines ensures the narrative remains engaging and never predictable or dull, holding the reader's attention throughout.
However, I must note a minor critique: in a couple of instances, the narration became clumsy and the events predictable, although everything resolved for the better and the story delivered numerous positive emotions, making the reading slightly less captivating for a few pages.
At the same time, I initially believed I had a young adult story in my hands, but some themes are treated in ways not entirely suitable for that audience, although it cannot be considered a story strictly for adults either. This left me somewhat perplexed by the end of the book.

Having said that, I still recommend reading this story, both for its exploration of the protagonist's tragic experience and its advocacy for preserving the local biodiversity—a theme I deeply care about and recognize as increasingly relevant.
A detailed review will be posted on my blog (https://medium.com/@inabookhole) on July 18, 2024. Additionally, at least a couple of posts will appear on my Instagram profile (@inabookhole) during July. The review is already available on my Goodreads profile.

3.5/4

Dancing With Dragons has a nice story with an environmental edge to it.

Gaia and her family live off-grid on the Coral Coast of Western Australia. Her father runs a market garden business and her mother is a retired ballet dancer - which is what she wants for both Gaia and brother Bron. Gaia loves the dancing but she also loves the creatures of the coast being particularly fascinated with a pair of rare weedy seadragons who have taken up residence where she snorkels.

However tragedy strikes and Gaia is left to deal with the consequences alone. With help from Aboriginal neighbours Mary and Eddie she rebuilds her life and makes friends with Jarrah, Mary's 11 year old relative. But is further heartache round the corner and where is her brother? Can Gaia make a good life for herself while following her passions?

This is a nice story, a little predictable at times but it definitely draws the plight of the aboriginal population along with the environmental factors that endanger the corals and coasts to the fore. It does also deal with quite a lot of difficult personal issues - sexual and physical abuse, recovery from burns and alcohol abuse.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Sea Dragon Press for the advance review copy.

Dancing With Dragons, by Jenni Ogden, is not what I anticipated just from looking at the colorful cover. There is much more depth to this novel than the cover art implies.  Though it is a book of tragedy and heartbreak, it is also a lesson in hope. It is worth your time reading it. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Dancing with Dragons is a beautiful and beautifully written story about trauma, grief, resilience, and the healing power of friendship and dance. This is a story of love - first love, love of home, and love of other creatures. Set in Australia, the descriptions of the land and especially the ocean, the reefs, the fish, and, of course, the sea dragons are vivid and stunning. The characters, and there are many, are all well-drawn with distinct personalities and compelling backstories making it easy to care for them. It is the kind of story, easy to pick up and hard to put down but, at the same time, one you want to read slowly, to capture the beauty of the prose and to spend more time with the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sea Dragon Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to ready this beautiful book.
Jenni Ogden deeply captures Gaia’s journey from tragedy, grief and being alone to healing, survival and re-birth. How Life can certainly change in a moment in this story really was impressed upon my heart.
I love how the characters, each and every one, are introduced and developed in this book. Reading this story and being totally engrossed in it was like being part of a beautifully choreographed dance, sweeping me up and into the story, carrying me with it from the beginning all the way through. Hope and healing are found after tragedy and loss, and that is a message we all need to remember in this life.
It has a very "Where the Crawdads Sing" feel to it, which I truly loved. I hope this book will one day be on the big screen for all to enjoy.
In the meantime, this is a must read and a book that will be talked about through the ages!

This book was not what I expected, but I loved it all the same. I want to preface my review with saying please strongly consider the content warnings, as a lot of heavy topics are covered.

Gaia is a young girl growing up in the 1970’s in Western Australia, spending much of her early years learning ballet from her mother. Tragedy strikes in a devastating house fire that leaves her orphaned with severe, disfiguring 3rd degree burns over much of her body. The book takes us on Gaia’s journey of struggle and survival against all odds, and her eventual path to healing, acceptance, and love. Her journey is fostered through Gaia’s passion for ballet and its connection to the dance of endangered sea dragons.

Dancing with Dragons is beautifully written, although it felt clunky at times. The imagery transported me to the coral reefs alongside Gaia, while focusing on the very real issues endangering the reefs and the species that call it home. In this way it was very educational without feeling like a college lecture, and gave me a renewed passion for the importance of environmental conservation. Through Gaia’s found family, the book also brings attention to the racism and prejudices that Aboriginal people of Australia faced, and still face, today.

Overall, this was a beautiful read that I’ll be thinking about for a while. If you’re a fan of Where the Crawdads Sing, this is a must-read!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Sea Dragon Press for the gifted ARC!

This was a good read. I am not one for fantasy usually, but I am glad I read this one. During the beginning of the book, it felt like forever to get the plot going. however, once the plot was hit, it moved along so fast. My favorite part was the ending, i loved it.

This book was absolutely fascinating! I've learned so much about sea dragons and ballet and scarring. Gaia is dealing with the death of her parents as well as her burn scars from the fire that killed them, and her brother's disappearance. She moves to a place on the beach and befriends an Aborigine child to whom she teaches both ballet and the love of her reef.

So many wonderful characters wind through the story. I wish there were a sequel. And come to think of it, that's my only problem with the book--there;s not a wholly satisfying ending. Gaia was offered all these interesting possibilities near the end, so...did she take the dance internship? Or study marine biology? And did she really reject having her scars removed (who would do that in real life)? What became of Seamus? Did Bron get a happy ending?

Please expand the epilogue at least!

Dancing With Dragons by Jenny Ogden is about Jaea, she lives off the grid and in the bush with her brother and her parents. They are homeschooled and all their life their mother has taught them ballet with dreams of them eventually going off to ballet school and possibly having a dancing career. On the night the tragedy happened it was the same day she saw the Seadragons a kind of seahorse that is colorful and is thin as a weed and she couldn’t have been more excited but when she woke to hear her parents arguing with the neighbor Dave and was there to watch the tragedy unfold something she would luckaly not remember. she also didn’t remember being burned on the right side of her body nor how she a scape the fire. Once she is released from the hospital she goes back to goshawk farm Her brother has left on a containership and she wonders if she’ll ever see him again. With the help of the indigenous caretakers of her neighbors farm Mary and Eddie she starts to carve a life for herself and doesn’t wander far from her home especially since everyone stares at her.
When Mary’s 11-year-old nephew Jera comes to visit she will find a soulmate and a dance partner but he will also be the key to her life expanding. Through him she meets shamus a 22-year-old Irish boy in the middle of a jaunt around Australia but meeting her stops him in his tracks and they slowly start a tentative romance. Through it all Jaea wonders if she’ll see her brother again and most importantly what happened the night of the fire. The neighbor Dave says he saved her but is that the truth? This book was OK for the most part but throughout reading the book I noticed if I thought oh if that happens that would be so great and that would be exactly what happened. Having said that about 60% in the book really starts revving up secrets or exposed as well as her not so nice neighbor Dave’s real personality something she only previously glances at but now gets a full on look,He is racist a drunk with many other not so endearing qualities. The book did hold my attention as I am an optimist and love a happy ending in speaking of the ending I was kind of let down with this epilogue. The book also left me with lots of questions but because asking them would’ve just ruined the plot for me I just let it go. I do believe though if you’re also an optimist in love happy endings with great happy developments you’ll definitely mostly enjoyed this book I certainly did it was certainly better than I thought it was going to be it is also a book I absolutely recommend. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.#SeadragonPress, #NetGalley, #JennieOgden, #DancingWithDragons,

1977. Gaia Christie - aspiring dancer, keen snorkeller, child of a ballerina and a market gardener - is just 14 when she loses her family and home in a devastating fire. Two years later, after rehab and grafts she returns to the property in remote Western Australia, determined to start again with whatever remains. She finds the old barn-cum-ballet-studio still intact, and with the help of her Aboriginal neighbours, Mary and Eddie, set about carving a life for herself.

Despire her burn scars, she dances on the beach and swims across the reefs, searching for weedy sea dragons; small moments that conenct her to her life Before.

At first reclusive, Gaia's world becomes warmer and richer as she befriends Mary and Eddie's nephew Jarrah and then his friends - Seamus, Maisie, and others - and begins to open herself up to the wider world and new experiences. And through it all, she dances, and searches for sea dragons.

The one dark spot in Gaia's idyllic life is her other neighbour, Dave Mason. Drunk and lecherous, Dave is no good, and disaster strikes when he tries to pressure Gaia into selling her land to developers.

This was a captivating read. Filled with gorgeous descriptions of the West Australian reefs and an idyllic life off grid, this is a slow-moving coming of age story for Gaia with a cinematic feel. Some readers may find the writing style and speech patterns of some characters offputting, but to me it worked.

Content warning: the book does contain depictions of trauma, abuse, sexual assault, racism, death. One animal dies near the end.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~

I LOVED this book. I felt that Gaia was a strong female main character. Conservation and the environment are so important to me and I also loved Gaia's coming of age story. She was such a likeable character. I am a little torn about the ending being so open, but that is real life. Bravo!

Reviewed on Instagram and Goodreads also.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sea Dragon Press and the author for an e-ARC for my honest review.

Gaia and her brother, Bron, lives off the grid with their parents on the Coral Coast of Western Australia. They spend their days helping out in their father’s garden, dancing ballet in the barn with their mother and snorkeling together over the reef - watching the sea dragons dance.

On the very first day we meet 14 year old Gaia, she loses her parents in a horrible house fire and she spends months in recovery while her brother takes off, thinking he’s the reason for the fire. Gaia ends up with massive scarrings, gives up on her dancing career and just want to be on her own where no one can see her. When she turns 16, she goes back to her family’s property and starts a new beginning far away from other people. Her only friends are her neighbors, a lovely Aboriginal couple, and the cute animals around her. One day the neighbor’s nephew, Jarrah, comes to visit and that turns out to be life changing for both of them 🤍

Dancing with Dragons is a slow-paced coming of age about a young girl who loses everything, fights to survive and finds the courage to trust, love and live again. It touches upon found family and how this love and friendship can change your life completely. It follows the journey of a young girl turning into a young woman who finds herself, stands up for herself and her beliefs and sees herself in another perspective.

The book is also about family secrets, dancing, first love, forgiveness, acceptance, hope, racism, joy and fear, but mostly it’s about friendship and love 🤍 There’s a few episodes that might trigger some individuals and it could be an idea to put in trigger warnings at the very beginning.

The book is a tribute to our reefs and wildlife and a main part of it centers around marine conservation which has never been more important than now 🌱

I will be honest. This book didn’t even come close to what I pictured it would be about from when I read the blurb, but I really enjoyed it 😊 I especially liked how it let me be a part of Gaia’s thoughts and feelings on her journey towards finding her place in the world, and how her beautiful friendship with Jarrah unfolded 🫶🏼

I think it will be great for book clubs due to the many themes, different personas and the story itself.

I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about living off the grid, marine and wildlife conservation and coming of age 🤍

Dancing with Dragons’ is another fabulous story by Jenni Ogden! Thank you to NetGalley, Sea Dragon Press and the author for an e-ARC for my honest review.

We follow young Gaia, who survived a house fire where both of her parents died. After recuperating in hospital for 2 years, she returned to her parent’s property. She set up house in the barn where her mother had trained her and her brother in ballet before the tragedy. She forms a close friendship with her neighbour’s 11 year-old orphaned nephew, Jarrah. I loved learning about the seadragons on the coral reef in Western Australia that they strove to protect.
I highly recommend this book. Looking forward to reading more by Jenni Ogden.

I very much enjoyed Dancing with Dragons. Why? My heart went out to the wonderful Australian flora and fauna, the very brave Gaia and Jarrah the 11 year old orphan and nephew of the Aboriginal couple – Mary and Eddie living near by to Gaia. It is very much a story of found family, not only with humans but the creatures that find a connection to Gaia.

Gaia has had some terrible experiences that have left her scarred in body and to some extent in mind. She is courageous but shy of others because of her scars. She lives alone but builds a warm friendship with Mary and Eddie and then on to Mary’s nephew Jarrah. And mentioning Jarrah, I loved each time he took centre stage in the book. He is miles away in a children’s home but loves coming to stay with Mary and Eddie, and he forms close bonds with Gaia. He is fascinated by the world she shares with him below the water’s surface. And quite frankly so is the reader. Gaia has a passion for her environment that is so inspiring.

There is a strong theme of care for the environment in this book. Gaia also has found family with a kangaroo she has hand reared and seeing Rita Roo around was really special. Plus there is Gos a hawk that Gaia has reared as well. She also watches over the two beautiful sea dragons that come to do their mating dance in a section of the reef. I loved these aspects of the book. The beautiful sea dragon can be seen on the cover of the book. Their dance is so graceful. ( You can see this on You Tube). Gaia is also a dancer and I imagine her dancing to be as graceful as the sea dragons.

The plot moves along really well, I found myself sinking into this world each time I picked up the book. A lot happens – you have to read the book to find out. There is tension caused by big and small events. Some horrible things happen, some very heart warming things happen.

The one bit I was unhappy with was the Epilogue. This is set almost twenty years down the track from the main part of the story. I am a reader who likes the t’s crossed and the i’s dotted. The epilogue doesn’t do that. I was left wanting to know what happened in those intervening years, I could tell all was well but I was saying to myself ” but what happened to ….? That said it was still beautifully done.

EXCERPT: His throat pulsing so hard he could hardly breathe through his snorkel, he led Gaia through the glowing sea, past the big brain coral, around the hard coral bommie where the pink and blue and green parrot fish chomped noisily at the algae stuck to it, past the clumps of orange anemones where the clown fish darted out, trying to frighten him off, over the heart-shaped white sandy oasis decorated by a single blue starfish, just like the very first one he'd seen before he could even float, and over a garden of seagrass. A turtle swam past and Jarrah didn't veer from his path. In two seconds more he saw the patch of browny-red seaweeds waving him over. Please let them still be there.
His eyes aching with looking he saw the bright yellow circle first, vibrating like a live thing, the sea-dragon's haughty head with its long nose sticking out of it. He twisted his head back towards Gaia, his hand fluttering the sign to stop in the water, then his finger pointing down. She was beside him, hanging in the dapples where the sun kissed the sea, her hair floating against his cheek, her hand finding his and gripping it so hard it made him want to cry and laugh and sing. And then there were two, circling and bowing and dancing together, their seaweedy fronds weaving intime to the music that was playing in his head.

ABOUT 'DANCING WITH DRAGONS': It is the late 1970s and teenagers Gaia and her brother Bron live with their parents on their isolated property on Western Australia’s Coral Coast. Intensively trained for a career as a professional ballet dancer by her mother, once a Principal Dancer in the American Ballet Theatre, Gaia also loves snorkeling over the coral reef that borders their small market garden. Then comes a day that changes her life forever: she discovers a rare pair of dramatically colored seadragons, their courtship dance over the coral spellbinding, and that night she loses her entire family and her dancing dream. Two years later she returns to the abandoned property, determined to live off the land. For years her only friends are the wild animals of the bush and reef, and Mary and Eddie, an Aboriginal couple who work for the racist farmer on the neighboring property — until one morning Jarrah, Mary’s 11-year-old orphaned nephew, is entranced when he sees Gaia dancing on the beach. As an unlikely friendship between these two lonely and scarred people deepens, they discover that when you lose everything the only way to survive is to open your heart.

MY THOUGHTS: Beautiful, lyrical and evocative writing with a heartfelt ecological message.

Set in the late 1970s, Dancing with Dragons extols the healing power of both friendship and nature in conjunction with a story of overcoming personal tragedy and fighting a big development corporation to save an ecological treasure. There is an astounding emotional depth to Ogden's writing that kept me enthralled and entranced.

Gaia's journey from a traumatised teenager through to confident young woman who gives back to society is not an easy one, but her determination to help a young aboriginal boy with a physical deformity achieve his full potential and his love for her is a saving grace for both of them.

This is not the first book I have read set on Western Australia's beautiful Coral Coast, but it is the one that has given me the best sense and descriptions of the area and the amazing marine and wildlife. Before reading Dancing with Dragons, I had never heard of seadragons. After watching videos of them, I want to see them in their natural habitat and am now more determined than ever to spend some time in this area.

Ogden vividly and lyrically described the natural beauty and the ecological dangers it faces. She writes of Gaia's traumas with a raw brutality that is tempered by the beauty of dance, the setting and the friends Gaia makes along the way.

Dancing with Dragons is a rewarding story of grief, friendship, resilience and hope.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#DancingwithDragonsJenniOgden #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Reading and writing fiction is my passion, along with walking, swimming, reading and sleeping on beaches. Husband John and I live off-grid on spectacular Great Barrier Island, 100 kms off the coast of New Zealand, a perfect place to write, and we often spend time in Australia, preferably close to a coral reef.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sea Dragon Press via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Dancing with Dragons by Jenni Ogden for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This coming of age story about a young girl, Gaia, is also a desperate call to conserve our planet. Dancing With Dragons also explores several other themes and poses a host of difficult choices for young Gaia, which add to the tension. I found myself being pulled in different directions – as is she.
Central to the conservation story are the magical seadragons—colourful, shy, rare coral reef inhabitants.
Gaia and her family live a secluded life on the coast of Western Australia in an area untouched by development or pollution. A pair of seadragons live in the seaweed of the coral reef, right on their doorstep. This is Gaia’s and her brother Bron’s happy place – until tragedy strikes.
A couple of years later, Gaia is drawn back to this place of her birth. Living a lonely life, with only an older aboriginal couple and their young nephew as friends, Gaia immerses herself in her garden, the coral reef and ballet, a legacy of her famous ballerina mother. She lives in tune with her environment. When it is threatened, Gaia is determined to protect it.
This is a quick, interesting read. I hadn’t heard about seadragons, and found them fascinating; so much so that I googled these magical creatures to watch their dances. I was also drawn into Gaia’s story. Young Gaia has a wonderful sense of what is right. She uses her talents – gardening and dancing – to help others, and better their lives. She’s then faced with the chance for external self-improvement, fame and fortune – which way will she go? Will she choose to protect her little piece of paradise, or realise her mother’s dream of dancing on the world’s stages? Will she turn down her first chance at love? Will she carry on helping others, or focus on herself?
All in all, I found this quite an emotional read.

I stopped to read the synopsis of this book because the cover was so alluring! Then, I stayed for the story if friendship and what creates devotion. I am also enamored by the Australian landscape, waterways and people! I was moved, touched and utterly motivated to be a better human, I am so happy I read “Dancing with Dragons” by Jenni Ogden. I loved the beauty it moved in me:
Thank you #NetGalley #JennyOgden #SeaDragonPress for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Stunning!

Starkly beautiful story set on the Western Australian coastline, four hours drive north of Perth.
It’s 1977 and Gaia and her brother Bron are having dance lessons with their mother in the studio.
Gaia’s mother Margot had been a famous ballet dancer with the American Ballet Theatre company in New York. She’d married an Australian and they’d settled back here at Goshawk Gardens.
Gaia and Bron had been trained by their mother in dance from a young age. Their mother’s long term vision was that eventually Gaia and Bron would go back to the States to take up dancing careers.
Theirs was an idyllic life spent off grid, on a pristine bay, growing enough food for themselves and to sell. Their nearest neighbours were on an adjoining plot of land.
Gaia had been out snorkelling when she’d spotted two sea dragons involved in their courtship dance. It was stunning. Gaia was overcome by the beauty of it.
That all faded when tragedy struck, Gaia was badly burned, her parents dead and her brother Bron disappeared
Then came the hard part. At sixteen Gaia returns from Perth to survive on their land, living in the old barn.
Her journey will encompass struggling to be with people, fighting to save the reef from developers, and fighting to save herself.
Ogden has crafted a beautiful novel, poetic in voice, and anguished in the injustices.
I adore the cover, bright yet serene, almost mystical.

A Sea Dragon Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

A new author to me, [author:Jenni Ogden|227694] brings Australia and its wildlife in an extraordinary way. With good character development and plot, a very good read. Gaia is unforgettable, surviving her childhood burns, loss of her parents and brother, and her wonderful friendship with Jarrah. Recommended.

Dancing With Dragons by Jenni Ogden was kind of a lovely book and it is tough to identify the theme. One is protecting the earth, or at least one small part of it. Another is resilience, the resilience of a young woman partially disfigured by fire who refused further medical care, preferring to live in her small world in Western Australia where people didn’t stare. Another is a small aboriginal boy who falls in love when he sees a fairy dancing on the beach and she changes his life. Gaia had to jump out of the second story window when the fire reached her brother’s room. She had seen it start and she ran to warn him. He jumped, too, but was burned less and had made a wider jump so had not broken bones. He left Australia without ever seeing her. He felt guilty, wrongly. She was sent to a children’s home where she lived for several years as her parents had died in the fire. Then, she went home. The house was gone, but the barn was still there, with the mirrors and ballet barre her mother had installed. She had wanted them both to be dancers like she had been. Gaia covered the mirror and cleaned the barn, weeded what was left of the garden and started a life. She had friends: Mary and Eddie, a Abo couple who took care of Dave’s place. He was the neighbor who spent a lot of time drunk. It hadn’t been that way before the fire. His wife left. She’s tired of the drink.

Mary and Eddie had a great-nephew called Jarrah, who was an orphan but came to visit them on school holidays. What great characters all four of these folks turned out to be. Ogden did them justice. Jarrah watched her dance and they became friends. She showed him the weedy sea dragons after she’d taught him how to snorkel. They both vowed to keep them safe and kept that vow for their lives. Life changed for both of them. Jarrah grew older, which is a big deal for an eleven year old; Gaia did also. She lived in town for a while, taught at Jarrah’s school. Things happened for her, but eventually she came home. Eventually he did, too. What a good book. Intricate plot. Excellent characters. Wonderful descriptions of the water and life in general, in a place I’ll never see. Thanks Jenni Ogden!

I was invited to read Dancing With Dragons by Sea Dragon Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #SeaDragonPress #JenniOgden #DancingWithDragons

I really enjoyed this book! It was different than a lot of what I typically read, but I found the characters and the storyline compelling and vibrant.

The book Dancing with Dragons blends marine science and dance in a beautiful way. Set in Australia (somewhere I have never been) I was immersed in the descriptions of the family life of our main character, and her love of ballet but also of the reef that she has grown up with. Her loss and heartbreak caused by a traumatic event (spoilers) are told in such a way that the reader is both given context to move forward with the plot while still leaving room for more clues to be discovered throughout the rest of the story.