Publishers Weekly
08/22/2022
Five years after the dragon apocalypse wiped out most of humankind, and two years after his survivalist father’s bunker ran out of food, 12-year-old Noah is eking out a tenuous existence as part of a band of survivors in New York City. When the dragons awake from their winter hibernation a month early, while Noah’s out scavenging for nonperishables, the group relocates from their part-time hotel residence to their subway-tunnel shelter. Noah, however, secretly remains aboveground to search with his dad for Noah’s mother, who has purportedly joined a cult of dragon sympathizers. When a chance Times Square encounter with a young dragon named Asha leaves Noah inexplicably connected to her via a mental bond, the revelation suggests it may be possible for humans and dragons to coexist peacefully, but Noah’s father refuses to back down from his anti-dragon crusade. In a contemporary-feeling metropolitan adventure replete with dragon deniers and fake news, Mancusi (the Dragon Ops series) lightly sketches the society’s day-to-day realities; if the resulting world is unevenly built, it also imbues Noah’s experiences with a sense of awe, making for an entertaining, flashy novel centering family and interspecies friendship. Noah reads as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Mandy Hubbard, Emerald City Literary Agency. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
An entertaining, flashy novel centering family and interspecies friendship.”—Publishers Weekly
“This fast-paced adventure provides an inventive take on the postapocalyptic novel…New Dragon City shows that things are not always what they seem.”—Booklist
"A heartwarming, hopeful dragon-filled journey through family life and the importance of finding common ground."—Kirkus
Praise for Dragon Ops:
"Even reluctant readers are likely to find something to keep them engaged... A fun, fast-paced read for video game fans, adventurers, and fantasy readers. Highly recommended."—School Library Journal
"With this adventure, Mancusi (Geeks and the Holy Grail) employs common gaming tropes, interweaving fantasy and mundane elements to create a world that feels familiar and yet enjoyably dangerous. The concepts–rogue AIs, theme parks gone haywire–may be well visited, but Mancusi successfully delivers a sense of urgency to her entertaining tale."—Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Once and Future Geek:
"A highly imaginative twist on the legend of King Arthur, complete with time travel, programming, and fierce friendships, The Camelot Code is the perfect pick for tweens who love medieval lore and geek culture in equal measure!"—Christina Soontornvat, author of The Changelings series
"Dashes of romance, bullying, social anxiety, family stresses, commentary on middle school social structure, and bits of history and Arthurian lore all combine to create a thought-provoking adventure story... Blending elements of several genres, this story will be appealing to many different types of readers."—School Library Journal
"Parents of gamers, Austin author Mari Mancusi's newest may just lure your screenager away from the headset...It's a twisty, fast-paced adventure that melds the real-life consequences of Jumanji with a mashup of the best medieval and high-tech details."—The Austin American-Statesman
Kirkus Reviews
2022-08-17
When a young dragon saves Noah’s life, he realizes that dragons may not be as monstrous as he was taught.
It’s April in New York City, and a lot has changed in the years since dragons appeared and society collapsed. The time has come for people to go underground for the summer to avoid the dangerous beasts emerging from hibernation, but Noah’s mom has been missing for two months, and his dad isn’t going without her. Not wanting to be separated from both his parents, Noah devises a plan to get himself left behind. A chance encounter with a baby dragon named Asha sets a series of events in motion that cascade beyond Noah’s control, threatening the safety of everyone—human and dragon. Caught between parents who are as unable to see eye to eye as the humans and dragons, 12-year-old Noah is a sympathetic character with a gentle demeanor and a kind heart. His struggle to balance a desire not to disappoint either of his parents with his own developing ideas about what is right and true will resonate deeply. A nuanced exploration of the ways external influences can change us for better or worse is threaded through this story with a vividly rendered setting and a tense, high-stakes adventure at its center. Noah and his family default to White; there is some racial diversity in the supporting cast.
A heartwarming, hopeful dragon-filled journey through family life and the importance of finding common ground. (Fantasy. 8-12)
