Blog Tour: The Mark of the Dragonfly | Jaleigh Johnson | Review

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The Mark of the Dragonfly
Author: Jaleigh Johnson
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Released: March 25th 2014
Review Source: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Fans of The City of Ember will love The Mark of the Dragonfly, an adventure story set in a magical world that is both exciting and dangerous.

Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.

The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home.

The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

[STAR] "This magnetic middle-grade debut...[is] a page-turner that defies easy categorization and ought to have broad appeal."-Publishers Weekly, starred

[STAR] "Heart, brains, and courage find a home in a steampunk fantasy worthy of a nod from Baum."-Kirkus Reviews, starred

The Mark of the Dragonfly was a wonderful, adventurous read from start to finish. We follow Piper; she comes from a small scrapper town in the Merrow Territories. Survival here means trading items salvaged after the meteor storms. Piper must survive on her own following the death of her father. Her advantage is that she has a magic touch when it comes to machines. She can repair just about anything, so she can barter her services also.

Following one of these meteor storms Piper happens upon a beautiful young girl. Her caravan has wrecked and has been destroyed by the storm. The girl is unconscious and more important she wears the mark of the Dragonfly Territories, tattooed on her arm.

Piper begins a journey to get this young girl, Anna, back home. There is one small problem. Anna doesn’t remember much of anything when she wakes up. No details about herself or where she comes from. Her tattoo gives Piper the lead she needs and together they set out on an adventure like no other.

Piper and Anna are forced to sneak onto the 401 train to get back to the Dragonfly Territories. They hope that someone will see Anna and give an ending to the mystery surrounding her. The train itself is amazing and its passengers are most entertaining. The train is also guarded by a mysterious green-eyed boy named Gee. There is trouble following the girls. They must learn to trust the people on this train, and harder for Piper, she must learn to trust Gee, who is their best hope for getting Anna home safely.

This story was just so much fun to read and it did not disappoint at all. This will be an absolute joy for readers of any age. The Mark of the Dragonfly is a great way to introduce the fantasy genre to our younger readers with all of its amazing details, characters and adventure around every turn. This is the first book that I have read from Jaleigh Johnson and I will be recommending this book to fellow readers young and old.

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JALEIGH JOHNSON is a lifelong reader, gamer, and moviegoer. She loves nothing better than to escape into fictional worlds and take part in fantastic adventures. She lives and writes in the wilds of the Midwest, but you can visit her online

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