Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of How to Twist a Dragon's Tale (How to Train Your Dragon, Bk 5)

How to Twist a Dragon's Tale (How to Train Your Dragon, Bk 5)
GeniusJen avatar reviewed on + 5322 more book reviews


Reviewed by Natalie Tsang for TeensReadToo.com

The summer has been unnaturally warm at the Isle of Berk, but despite persistent Omens of Doom, the worst of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III's worries is to not make a complete fool of himself during the Pirate Training Program. Throw in Toothless, Hiccup's disobedient dragon who has a knack for trouble, and his evil cousin, Snotface Snoutlout, and you have a recipe for almost certain disaster.

However, things change from embarrassingly to deadly in a snap. During a Reindeer Herding Lesson, the entire class nearly perishes in a freak forest fire. It turns out that the volcano is becoming active and thousands of vicious dragons called Exterminators are hatching from the heat.

Hiccup and his best friend, Fishlegs, don't look like hero material. They are both eleven years old and the scrawniest boys in their Viking class. But through some luck and clever sleuthing, they uncover why the volcano is erupting and how to stop it.

Once again, it all boils down to Hiccup to throw together a quest and save the day.

Cressida Cowell's fifth story in THE HEROIC MISADVENTURES OF HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK III, HOW TO TWIST A DRAGON'S TALE, is a hilarious and fun read. Her Vikings, while unhygienic and violent, sing in perfect harmony. Almost every page is illustrated with black and white drawings or pithy song lyrics.

This book is an odd combination of the strange and the familiar. Readers will encounter dragons of all kinds, a bit of magic, a few bullies, and the seriously weird but typical antics of parents.