Pillage #1 by Obert Skye

My name is Beck, and following my mother's death, I now live atop a huge hill in my uncle's mansion. He won't leave the domed room above the sixth floor, and everyone says he's crazy. The staff has treated me nicely, but I can't say the same at school. The school bully and his buddies targeted me during lunch, but something bizarre happened. Vines wrapped around them and carried them right out the window. Plants seem to listen to me! Even though I was told to stay out of the woods in back of the manor, I discovered eight black rocks behind a giant wall. Who knew these rocks could cause such disaster? The history of the black rocks tells the story of greed, insanity, dragons, and destruction!

In the end, I enjoyed this book and am curious about what might unfold in the sequel. The plot in the first half of Pillage seemed to meander around the estate. Beck was bullied, spent much of his time alone, and explored the six floors of the mansion and the surrounding grounds. Having the plants step in when they were needed became interesting, but this angle was slow to develop. However, the second half of the book was great. The uncle's mystery was revealed, another character was secretly plotting for riches, and the uncontrollable dragons were hatched. Beck's character was troubled but had good intentions, and he didn't understand the power he possessed. Even the dragon-hatching was an accident. Once he found out he had control over plants, he realized the possible consequences. He was slow to develop close friendships, but it looks like he'll have a couple when the next book begins. I recommend you give this one a try.