Graphic Novel Review - Explorer: The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Size: 128 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1419700095
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars


This is a graphic novel collection of seven different stories, all of them featuring a mysterious box of some type. It was a high quality book with some excellent stories.

My favorites were: The Keeper’s Treasure (about a boy searching a mysterious labyrinth for a mystery box), The Solider’s Daughter (a girl set on avenging her father finds a box that makes her rethink things), and The Escape Option (a boy is pulled into a mysterious box and given a choice about the future of our planet).

Overall all of the stories are pretty decent and are appropriate for children. The collection is aimed at middle grade and older. I definitely recommend this for fans of fantasy graphic novels. It’s something that readers of all ages can enjoy. Read below for brief descriptions/thoughts on all the included stories.

- Under the Floorboards by Emily Carroll (4/5 stars)
About a secret wax friend that comes out of a mysterious box and goes terribly wrong. Loved the drawing style and the irony of the story.

- Spring Cleaning by Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier (3/5 stars)
A kid finds a box in his closet that a bunch of mysterious people are dying to get their hands on. Very cartoony illustration with heavy lines.

- The Keeper’s Treasure by Jason Caffoe (5/5 stars)
Loved the illustration on this one, very reminiscent of Kibuishi’s Amulet series which makes sense because Caffoe does some of the color and background for Kibuishi. This one is about a boy braving a labyrinth to discover a secret box. Loved the irony and humor, excellent story.

- The Butter Thief by Rad Sechrist (4/5 stars)
The illustration in this story has a very asian/manga feel to it. I enjoyed the limited colors used and the style. The story is about a girl who gets turned into a spirit and has to figure out how to get turned back. Again lots of irony and very cute and funny.

- The Soldier’s Daughter by Stuart Livingston with Stephanie Ramirez (5/5 stars)
The illustration and color in this story is awesome. This is a very classic fantasy story. A girl finds out her father is dead and leaves to avenge him. On the way she discovers a secret box that makes her reconsider her goals.

- Whatzit by Johane Matte and Saymone Phanekham (3/5 stars)
Very sci-fi and humorous little story. The illustration is very classic cartoony in style. A young apprentice is tasked with keeping the boxes that contain the universe sorted in preparation for landing. When a mysterious box ends up in his keeping all sorts of shenanigans ensue.

- The Escape Option by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)
The absolutely beautiful and stunning backgrounds and colors that are Kibuishi’s hallmark illustrate this story. In this story a boy gets sucked into a mysterious box and told the earth is on the path of destruction. He is given a choice that will change the outcome...or not. Ironic and very well done. I enjoyed this one a lot.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Early Graphic Novel Review - Prince of Elves (Amulet, Book 5) by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Size: 208 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: September 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0545208895
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Amulet series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. I have absolutely loved the Amulet series but Kibuishi and was sooo excited to get this book to read early.

This book focuses more on Max than on Emily. Emily and crew are preparing to defend Cielis in the coming war with the Elves. In this book we learn more history about how the war with the Elves started. We also learn a ton about Max's history and about exactly what the Amulets are.

I loved this book; the drawings were spectacular and the story is absolutely excellent. I am constantly in awe of Kibuishi’s artistic ability; the drawings are just absolutely awesome and match the tone of the story so well.

This is the book where we get to hear Max’s back story and find out why Max is serving the Elf King. This does an excellent job of generating sympathy for Max. It helps as readers understand his position and how he got there and makes the story even more interesting.

The story continues to have a steampunk feel to it as well. Both sides of the war are preparing awesome new weapon-like entities that will truly make it a battle of epic proportions.

Emily also gains more understanding as to exactly what the Amulet is and where it comes from. This was interesting to finally have some insight on.

Additionally there is a nice map in the back of the book which gives us a better idea of where all of these events are taking place spatially.

Overall an absolutely beautiful and epic addition to this series. I enjoyed the spectacular illustration and the way the story is broadened even more in preparation for the final war between Cielis and the Elves. This series is highly recommended to readers middle grade and older who enjoy fantasy stories.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Graphic Novel Review - The Last Council (Amulet #4) by Kazu Kibuishi (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Size: 224 pages

Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: September 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0545208871
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Amulet series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Amulet series by Kibuishi.  I love this series and this book added even more to the story.

Emily and her friends travel to Cielis to hopefully get help from the Council to fight the Elf King.  Things don't go as planned and Emily is thrown into a contest against other Stonekeepers to see who is worthy of a seat on the council.  During this the Elf King's son is thrown into jail, and Emily's shipmates are left wandering the strangely empty town of Cielis.

This installment didn't progress the story as far as other installments have, mainly because our group of characters gets split up for the majority of the story.  We also don't get to spend much time with the characters we know and love (much of the story follows Emily and she is separated from everyone else); but we do meet some interesting new characters.

Emily meets a few other Stonekeepers, so it was interesting to see how the other Stonekeepers wield their Stones.  Emily also seems to have come to an uneasy balance with her Stone and is starting to trust its advice more than she used to.  The plot takes some unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing and wondering how everything will pan out in the end.

Miskit and Cogsley have some interesting adventures of their own and acquire an adorable new little dragon friend.  Can't wait to see what their new little dragon friend turns into over time!

The illustration is colorful, beautiful and wonderful...as it has been for all of the books in this series.  I love the artwork in these books, they are just so wonderful to look at.  There is still a little bit of a steampunk element in this book, but not as much as in previous books.

Overall another wonderful installment in this series.  Beautiful artwork, great characters, a fascinating world, and a story that keeps getting better and better.  The story doesn't progress as much in this installment as it has in previous ones; mainly because the characters are split up for the majority of the story.  I still really enjoyed reading this and can't wait to see what happens next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- Fantasy Reading Challenge
- Graphic Novels Challenge List

Graphic Novel Review - The Cloud Searchers (Amulet, Book 3) by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 208 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: September 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0545208857
Stand Alone or Series: Book 3 in the Amulet series
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 5/5 star


This was the third book in the Amulet series by Kibuishi.  It was an excellent installment in the series; the beautiful artwork and fantastic storyline make it a pleasure to read and very engaging.

Emily, Nevin, and crew set out to find the forgotten city of Cielis in hopes of finding the other Stonekeepers and saving the land from the evil Elf King's rule.  Trellis, the Elf King's son, joins the team after being declared a traitor by his father.

This was a wonderful read.  The story deepens even more in this installment.  A lot is learned about the history of the world and about how the Elf King came to power.  Like the previous books there is a lot of adventure.  When the characters set off in an airship to find the lost city of Cielis they are attacked by Wyvern's and have to battle a furious storm. 

This installment is paced wonderfully, introduces the readers to new wonders, and progresses the story quickly leaving it at a good point.  The artwork is just..well..it is absolutely spectacular.  There is so much beauty and magic in the artwork that goes with the story; together they are just absolutely magical and wondrous.

Overall an excellent installment.  Fans of the first two books will love this one.  The artwork is spectacular, the story deepens as we learn more history, and I just can't wait to see what happens next.

 

Graphic Novel Review - The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2) by Kazu Kibuishi (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Size:  224 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: September 1, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0439846837
Stand Alone or Series: Book 2 in Amulet series
Source: Borrowed from library
Rating: 5/5 stars

This was a great addition to the Amulet series.  Fans of the first book will love this one.

Emily and Navin have rescued their mother but she is dying from deadly poison.  Now Emily and Nevin have to travel with the strange crew they found in the house to the city of Kanalis.  There they will find more intriguing characters, hopefully find an answer to their mother's illness, and also find that more is afoot than just their small problems.

This was a wonderful graphic novel.  The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking and the storyline grows a lot in this book.  You find that Emily and her family are part of a much larger story and have important roles that may determine the fate of this world.

The characters actually go through a lot of development.  You see Nevin starting to grow and really take shape at the things he is good at.  Emily has further battles with the Amulet which she learns and grows from.  There are some wonderful new character additions; of which Leon Redbeard is the most delightful and interesting.

Overall I just loved this book.  It is beautiful, has an engaging story, great characters, and an interesting plot that just keeps growing in complexity.  This was just a perfect book and I can't wait to read the next one in the series, The Cloud Searchers.  Strongly recommend this series for anyone middle grade and older who loves reading about adventure and fantasy.  This series is just magical.

Graphic Novel Review - The Stonekeeper (Amulet, Book 1) by Kazu Kibuishi (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Children's/Middle Grade
Genre: Graphic Novel/Fantasy
Size: 192 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Release Date: January 1, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0439846813
Stand Alone or Series: 1st in Amulet series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars


I picked this up at the library as I was perusing through graphic novels appropriate for kids.  This one looked neat, had great artwork, and didn't seem too complicated for a young child.  We ended up not reading it together because it got a bit too scary for my son, but I read it on my own and really enjoyed it!

Emily and Navin are moving into their mother's old childhood house; after the death of their father in a car accident their mother can't afford their old house and they are being forced to move.  In this house Emily finds a mysterious Amulet.  There are also dark things in this house and Emily, Navin, and their mom accidentally find themselves thrust into a paralell world.  When their mother is captured by a monster it is up to Emily and Navin to save her; the Amulet proves itself to be a great tool...but it also seems to have motives of its own.

I tried reading this graphic novel with my four year old son and he was enchanted by the drawings and the story; unfortunately with parents getting hurt/killed and monsters creeping through dark house it just got too scary for him.  He is very into some of the Leap Frog Tag books that are graphic novels and so I thought this would be a neat book for him; but I would recommend this to kids in the 7 or older age range.  It's just a bit too scary for younger kids and some of the concepts underlying the story flew right over my son's head.

The art in this graphic novel is well done; the characters are a bit sketchier than I am used to seeing but the color is done really well and the environments are beautiful.  The story is definitely of the dark fantasy variety.  You have creepy houses, mysterious monsters, and kids fighting to survive.

I enjoyed the fantasy and adventure elements; kids journeying to another world and questing to save their mother.  I also enjoyed the added complexity of the Amulet and how it seemed to have a personality of its own.  Emily and Nevin are great characters; they each have their own strengths and bring good things to the story.  Emily has a lot of adolescent issues she is working through; she feels displaced and abandoned because of the move and her father dying.  The story gets increasingly complex and has enough subtle undertones to keep me interested as an adult.  The pace was wonderful, there were no slow parts here.

This book ties up the main story but starts up another story that will continue on in the next book.  I thought the drawing of the characters could have been a bit better but was very impressed by the backgrounds.  There are some creative ideas here and some we have seen before.

Overall I really enjoyed this graphic novel.  I will definitely be reading the next one.  I think this would be appropriate for ages 7 and up; it is a bit too scary for younger kids.  Reading this book has made me take a look at other of Kibuishi's works; I would like to read his Flight series at some point too.  Fans of adventure and fantasy will find a lot here to love.  This book had a dark fairy tale quality to it that keeps the reader engaged and wondering.