Review: Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Mark of the Dragonfly

By: Jaleigh Johnson

Pub. Date: March 25, 2014

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 400

Source: Netgalley

Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.

The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home.

The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.

Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Random House Children's Publishing and Netgalley.

I really liked this one. It was a quick read that I think will be perfect for Middle Grade students. It's not as childish, like a lot of other middle grade reads, so I think The Mark of the Dragonfly will appeal to many different pre teens and teenagers.

Orphan Piper earns a living by salvaging objects and selling them. Things are tough, but everything changes when she is trapped in a meteor storm and finds an injured girl. She takes Anna home and wants to help her. Anna doesn't remember anything about her life, but when Piper sees a tattoo on Anna'a arms she realizes that Anna is from the Dragonfly territories.  My favorite thing about this story was the friendship between Piper and Anna. It was so real. They were both so young and just trying to survive. All of the characters in the story were really fleshed out. I liked all of them!

I enjoyed the world that Johnson created. Part fantasy, part steampunk, I think all the different types of genres will appeal to many people.