4.5
I almost didn't continue reading this, which is not a stellar review but it gets better. I almost DNF-ed this simply because I have been on a break from reading YA and 10% of the way in, I was still dreading the prospect of reading another young adult book. However, Jodi Meadows single-handedly pulled me out of my YA slump.

The protagonist of Before She Ignites (BSI), Mira, struggles with anxiety and a counting obsession that while OCD like, seems more like a coping mechanism than actual OCD. Counting things calms her but Mira also considers it to be her greatest shame.

What I like most about BSI is how different it is. Mira has lived nothing but a life of privilege up to this point and has to learn to be more than a mouthpiece for those in power. She isn't the prettiest, the strongest, or even the smartest girl, in fact her greatest attribute has always her obedience until it wasn't. Until she discovered a secret she couldn't go along with.

This book is also FULL of dragons. Small dragons, big dragons, you name it. Personally, I think the little dragon LaLa kind of steals the show but who doesn't love tiny dragons?

I am so excited to read As She Ascends!