How To Train Your Dragon (Book Review)

Wartihog put up his hand. "What happens if we can't read, sir?"

"Stop boasting, Wartihog!" boomed Gobber. "Get some idiot to read it for you."

How To Train Your Dragon

Genre: Fantasy
Author: Cressida Cowell
Content: lots of belching, farting, and general Viking disgustingness.
Main character: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the Hope and Heir of the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans (I just find the silent H really funny, okay? xD)

Brief Overview
Hiccup, the Chief's son, decides he no longer wants to be the laughingstock of the tribe. When he captures a Common Dragon to train (and a very small one at that), however, that goal becomes much harder to achieve. But then a Sea Dragon is found sleeping on their beach. And it seems Hiccup is the only one who can move it.

Placement in the Series
Book 1 of 12

What I Thought

^ Me after I got past like the first chapter and the story started to grow on me.

My biggest problem with this book, I think, is that the movie ruined me for it. The DreamWorks film is so great that I was trying to play it in my mind while I was reading, and you just can't do that. They aren't trying to kill the dragons, they start out trying to train them (though Hiccup comes up with a better way of doing that). There are quite a few differences between the two, and really, Hiccup's the only thing that's similar between the stories. Oh, and Stoick. He's pretty much the same. But minus the fabulous Scottish accent.

Characters
Hiccup - He's the most accurate thing in the movie, I've come to find out. Although, he isn't shunned like he kind of is in the movie. Everyone deals with him because they fear Stoick's temper, but the other 'initiates' aren't super nice to him. Like, Snotlout's a full-on bully. Ugh, I hated it.

^ seriously, this quote is so accurate for him in the first chapter.

Toothless - He's tiny. Like, really tiny. No Nightfury's here. Plus, he can speak with Hiccup because Hiccup can speak Dragonese, which means he can make snarky and sarcastic comments at every possible moment. And also complain. A lot. But it all turns out okay in the end, I guess.

Fishlegs - This scrawny, nerdy Viking is pretty much Hiccup's only friend. He's a big wimp, and honestly annoyed me in the first few chapters (Hiccup gives him his dragon, which works out because then he grabs Toothless, but anyway). He grew on me a bit, but I still love Fishlegs in the movie so much more.

^ precious innocent son

Snotlout - Bully. Jerk. Honestly, if it wasn't for the giant dragons I'd think he was the villain. In the book, his dad is Stoick's younger brother, and apparently Snotlout has made it clear to Hiccup that when they're grown he intends to kill Hiccup and become Chief. Which is why he decides to capture a Monstrous Nightmare even though it's not technically allowed. So. There's that lovely mark on their relationship. But he grows to respect Hiccup when, you know, he saves all their sorry hides.

^ accurate Snotlout quote is accurate

Stoick - Not as much of a jerk as I initially thought. Maybe it's because his wife is still alive. Idk. He's big, he's mean, and everyone fears his temper. But he stands behind his son, even when he doesn't come home with a Monstrous Nightmare, and even when he failed Initiation (although there is the incident of banishing him... and then un-banishing him).

^ accurate for him post-Thorsday celebration


Will I keep reading?
Yes. The whole reason I got it is because my brother (who is obsessed with these books/movies) checked out every. single. book in the series from the library and was like 'You should read these while I have them.' And because I'd had the intention of reading them for a long time, I decided to hunker down and do it. And I flew through this one. Seriously, it went so fast. So yes, I will continue to the second one soon.

Overall rating
3.5 Viking war cries out of 5

My question is: Are you a member of the HTTYD fandom? And are you a true fan (read the books and seen the movies)??

(And no, so far, Astrid is not in the first book (I can't say anything about the later ones, but...). And Tuffnut was present... but he was one of the Elders. I don't even know.)

~ Mia