GEORGE GOODWIN, DRAGON SLAYER

In this trilogy opener set in West Virginia, a boy clings to his late father’s dreams.

Months after the accident that killed 11 miners including his father, 12-year-old George sneaks back into the cursed Hellerman Brothers’ Mine to find proof of the diamonds his dad believed could save their dying town. Deep underground, George hears otherworldly noises and finds diamonds, a herd of sheep, and an angry Dawn Grady, the only miner to survive the disaster, which left her with facial disfigurement and fury toward George’s dad, whom she blames for what happened. Along with his best friends, foolhardy but loyal Skunks and whip-smart preacher’s kid Artie, George goes camping with the Scouts, seizing the chance to revisit the mine. Fellow Scout Clementine and her pageant queen sister, Flo, join them. The kids discover the mine’s ancient secrets—and new truths—racing to escape life-threatening dangers. Unclear action sequences, a jumbled plot, and a callback-heavy narrative style make the story hard to follow. Most characters read white. Artie, whose family are the only Black people in town, feels two-dimensional. Skunks is “part Cherokee,” and the book draws upon the Cherokee legend of the terrifying serpent Uktena, but there’s little cultural texture to support this element of the story. Dawn’s portrayal unfortunately evokes ableist tropes. Black-and-white spot art by Nickolls that adorns chapter headers resembles Scouting badges. Some readers will note occasional Biblical references but understanding them isn’t necessary for following the story.

Disappointing.