My copy's cover boasts that this story is "now a major DreamWorks Animation film." That's a lie. There is a DreamWorks movie with the same title, and even the main characters have the same names, but it's not the same story. At all. 
 That was rather unexpected. 
 But not unwelcome. The movie was a wonderful story about a friendship between a boy and a dragon that sort of crammed in a thing about a Big Bad to be defeated at the end because I guess the screenwriters felt that they needed a grandiose climax but couldn't be arsed to write a second draft in which the two plots actually make sense together. 
 Whereas in the book, there is a Big Bad, but it's better integrated into the story. And, perhaps more importantly, it actually makes sense. 
 Unfortunately, I just wasn't feeling the book. The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless in the movie tugged my heartstrings in all the right ways. But in the book, the two don't really seem to have much chemistry together. 
 It didn't help that the only human female in the whole book was the main character's mother. I get it, "boys don't want to read about girls", but what do you think teaches them that? Sure, the movie crammed in your normal Stock Strong Female Love Interest #3, but at least she was there. It was a start. 
 I also had trouble with the narration. For whatever reason, I just couldn't find the rhythm of the text, and I kept stuttering and stumbling over myself while trying to read it out loud. The writing just didn't have any poetry in it. 
 There's a whole lot of your typical boy media "gross-out" stuff, like references to snot and belching and such. I can imagine those being a hit for some kids, but mine couldn't care less. I can see how this book might hit a lot of a kid's interests and become a family favourite, but it just wasn't working for us. Maybe in a few years...