Pillage #2: Choke by Obert Skye

My name is Kate, and my parents have forbidden me from speaking to Beck. Of course, he did cause dragons to devastate half the town, and he did destroy the shack used for our school's shop classes. But he's kind of cute, and things are never dull around him. A very pale man in a hooded robe told him that he must care for the last black stone and allow the queen dragon to be born. That doesn't sound like a good idea considering what happened last time. Beck's never been known for following good ideas, so he's hidden the stone in an abandoned cave in the mountain behind his manor. It seems like a matter of time before a dragon will be born, only to grow and pillage the surrounding lands.

You should probably read Pillage first, since events from it are referenced many times. It's very similar to the first book in that the plot builds up to the dragon being born and then all heck breaking loose. The Pillage family is cursed, and their obsession with dragons is more evident in this book. It's hard to tell if some of Beck's poor choices arise from his rebellious personality or influences from the curse. Beck's father behaves strangely, especially considering he was just united with his son, as he left Beck to deal with problems on his own. I was a little surprised when Wyatt didn't play a bigger role in this book. The last book ended with the bully becoming one of Beck's two friends, so it didn't make sense when Wyatt was absent as the plot progressed. It became an issue with the characters. If you enjoyed Pillage, you'll definitely like Choke.