Dragonfruit
- An Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book
- A USA TODAY bestseller
- One of NPR's 2024 "Books We Love"
- A Kirkus Best Book of 2024
- A School Library Journal Best Book of 2024
- A New York Public Library Best Book of 2024
From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology.
In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. But as with all things that offer hope when hope had gone, the tale came with a warning.
Every wish demands a price.
Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.
Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two choices: to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time—hope.
But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.
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Community Reviews
I went into this one with low expectations because the last YA fantasy book I read from Book of the Month was "What the River Knows" and I thought that book was terrible. This book is so much better! I loved the setting/atmosphere with the tropical plants, mysterious ocean, and living tattoos. I loved the main characters, and the various supporting characters felt 3-dimensional as well. The plot was suspenseful and compelling. I do have some unanswered questions and concerns about how some plot points were left at the end, but those are small. Overall I really enjoyed this, a great summer fantasy read.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child abuse, Gore, and Sexual harassment
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