4 stars
An entertaining read about fighting the dragons in your life, both real and metaphorical, and living up to your dreams of becoming a knight.
There are a lot of exciting changes happening in Imogene’s life. After being homeschooled, she starts middle school and becomes a squire-in-training at the Renaissance Faire where her parents work. While she’s always seen herself as becoming a knight, after a series of missteps, Imogene struggles to find her place in her own story.
I love the way Imogene tries out different identities tied to the Ren Faire. At first she thinks she’s the knight, but when things don’t go as planned, she copes by trying out the traits of the dragon, the hermit, and the princess. An interesting way to demonstrate Imogene’s feelings as she navigates her new environment.
I also love Jamieson’s art style. A nice blend of realistic and cartoony. The emotions of her characters come across nicely, which helped propel the story.
The only issue I had with this one was Imogene’s parents’ handling of her mistakes. Instead of talking through the issues and supporting her through a difficult time, they give her the silent treatment. This was never really addressed aside from making Imogene feel ostracized. Imogene makes some mistakes and while her parents are understandably upset, making your child feel you are ignoring them and feel unwelcome in your presence is not helpful. It felt especially contradictory after her mother was so supportive and open at the start of the book.
Still, this is only a minor section of the story. The rest of it I really enjoyed. Nicely captures the magic of Ren Faires. Deals with many relatable issues including attending a new school, the pressure to fit in, making new friends, tension with siblings and parents, hurting friends’ feelings, and handling bullies and frenemies.
At the end, there is a preview of When Stars Are Scattered, which is a fantastic read based on the life of Omar Mohamed.