DRAGON’S BAIT by Vivian Vande Velde

Fifteen-year-old Alys is not a witch. But that doesn’t matter–the villagers think she is and have staked her out on a hillside as a sacrifice to the local dragon.
It’s late, it’s cold, and it’s raining, and Alys can think of only one thing–revenge. But first she’s got to escape, and even if she does, how can one girl possibly take on an entire town alone?
Then the dragon arrives–a dragon that could quite possibly be the perfect ally… .
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/372807.Dragon_s_Bait

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Finally I have found a book with a dragon I really like.
Although it’s a YA fantasy, and probably one that’s geared at an even younger audience than many of the contemporary YA books, it’s an absolute delight to read even for adults.
The themes of this book are revenge and responsibility and the wonderful thing is that the author doesn’t spell out every message hidden in this little gem of a book. Like the heroine, the readers have to come to their own conclusions.
Neither the heroine nor the dragon are morally pure to begin with nor are they by the end of the book. But both are changed by each other’s company.

The dragon in this book can change into (a very handsome) human form, so the monstrous aspect of the dragon is secondary. What makes him alien is his personality. He doesn’t adhere to human morality and his motivation is mysterious at best. His character really conveys a feeling that dragons are truly otherworldly creatures.

The interactions between the heroine and the dragon are delightful. There is bickering, there is jealousy and there is romance but it is very subtle.

Furthermore the book avoids all my personal YA pet peeves: no neverending self-indulgent introspection of the heroine, no over explaining of everybody’s motivations, no first person narrator and no fucking love triangle.

My only criticism: It’s too short. Otherwise it’s perfect.