Audrey Gleason Reviews *Amulet Book 2*

Amulet 2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse
Kazu Kibuishi
Drawn by Kazu Kibuishi
Colors and Backgrounds by Kazu Kibuishi, Amy Kim Kibuishi, Anthony Go Wu, and Jason Caffoe
Publisher: Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
Published: September 2009

A continuation from the first book of Amulet: The Stonekeeper, the second in the series, The Stonekeeper’s Curse, places the reader in the dangerous world of Alledia, ruled by malicious elves, where hope can only be found in a twelve-year-old girl, Emily. The graphic novel offers a nice mix of a well-developed storyline and artfully drawn characters.

The Stonekeeper’s Curse is comprised of the viewpoints of the young heroine Emily the Stonekeeper, as well as that of her younger brother, Navin. While both siblings have guidance along their separate, but intertwined journeys, the two adolescents take matters into their own hands and accomplish a great deal individually with help from newly-introduced friends and old allies from the previous book.

Emily and Navin run into elves, cursed townspeople that turn into animals, and wise, old, talking trees. Each of these characters has their distinctive culture, bring a uniquely fictionalized diversity to the story. When Emily and Navin have to part ways, the reader may see how each manages the difficulties of a particular situation the siblings are thrown into and watch the heroes grow. All the while, Emily and Navin struggle with internal conflict of confidence, acceptance of self, and uncertainty of where they may end up.

The intertwined journeys lead Emily and Navin to answers they are looking for, and answers they never knew the question to. The storyline is complex enough to keep the reader’s attention and moves with a cohesive fluidity, making this a possible consideration of being one of the “best of the best” in young adult literature.

As the second book in the Amulet series, it lacks a bit in the variety of subjects and genres. This could be due to how much guidance is seen given to Emily and Navin. Even the evil Trellis has a type of guide, Luger, in his journey to destroy Emily and gain the power of the amulet for himself. All the guidance that is given to the characters has one wondering if the heroes and villain can take credit for all their work.

Unfortunately, if the reader has yet to read the book’s predecessor, The Stonekeeper, they might find themselves lost for a while. The Stonekeeper’s Curse does not introduce main and assisting characters that were previously in the first book. The audience is expected to already be familiar with their backgrounds, and what roles they exactly play. Though, the graphic novel does hint to what happened in the previous story, the reader is left to put all the puzzle pieces together by themselves; which makes the reading of it that much more frustrating.

Overall The Stonekeeper’s Curse has a good entertainment value that young adult readers can appreciate. Emily’s gripping adventure will engage readers who will not only have their fill of a well-written work that captivates real human emotion, all the while entertaining with detailed pictures that is beautifully done through brilliant colors, and an eye for capturing the essence of each character’s feeling.

Any young adult that likes fantasy and adventure will have an enjoyable time reading The Stonekeeper’s Curse. As a warning though, the reader should read the Amulet series in sequential order, so that the story comes across entirely.

Patricia Hoban Reviews *Amulet Book 3*

Title: Amulet: Book Three The Cloud Searchers
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Artist/s: Kazu Kibuishi
Publisher: Scholastic, Graphix
Publication Date: 2010

This graphic novel is the third book in a series of four. It may seem at first like a long read, but once one starts reading one really cannot put it down. The story is a continuation of the adventures of Emily and her friends, however, in this book the Elf King’s son, Trellis, and his companion, Luger, have joined Emily and company on their search for Cielis, the lost city. Many believe that Cielis was destroyed when the Elf nation attacked the Guardian Council, however, others believe that the Guardian Council moved the city in order to protect it. As the reader reads one learns why Trellis has asked for Emily’s help to defeat his father, and to one’s surprise it is because of the stones. The stones play a large role in the story as well. At first one may think that it is only a source of power for the stone keepers, but the story of the stones runs much deeper. As the journey continues, there are many elements who wish to stop the travelers, the Elf King and his “hunter”, Gabilan, who was sent to finish the job of killing the stone keeper Emily, as well as Trellis for “treason” in not completing his task of killing Emily.

The journey takes the travelers into the Golbez Cycle, a terrible storm, in which they encounter not only bad weather but horrible flying creatures called Wyverns. Once through the threat of the Wyverns and past other terrible natural weather elements, the travelers reach the beacon that will help them find the lost city. One last encounter with Gabilan tests the strength of Emily. Then it is off to the lost city of Cielis, where the Guardian Council is choosing their successors before they all die off.

Although the story is not told in the point of view of the protagonist, Emily, it does have the essence of a third person, omniscient voice. The readers are not given just one point of view but the point of view from different characters and even their thought process is clear, even through the illustrations you can gain an idea of what is happening in their mind, almost as if one were taking a walk through their thoughts. This story does fall under certain aspects of the “Best of the Best” because although Emily has not completely harnessed the power of being a stone keeper, when needed she acts to battle an enemy or protect a loved one using the training she has gained and is able to take credit for her accomplishments. Although it does take training to help her control her powers, in the end it is only her that can manipulate those powers with her feelings and thoughts.

Another aspect that the story falls under with is it is very fast-paced. The story has the feeling of moving very quickly to get to the climax, the climax being the finding of the lost city and the battle with Gabilan at the beacon. There is definitely different cultures and ethnicities in this story. Although it is a futuristic tale and deals with magic, one does meet all the different characters who are humans, animals, elves and even robots. Even though they are all different they all come together. This story is definitely filled with optimism. Emily has doubts in herself but knows that it is up to her in the end. Not only is it a journey to find the lost city but it is also a journey for Emily to find herself in a way, to find who she is as a stone keeper. Even as a graphic novel this story does deal with emotions that young adults deal with on a daily basis. Emily is in a constant struggle within of what should she do, who should she be, and definitely what she is going to do about it. She knows she has to do what is right, but she struggles with the fact that she must also protect her family.

I do not feel that this story lacks much as far as being categorized in the “Best of the Best” when it comes to YA literature. The story may have been a little easier to follow if was told from Emily’s point of view so that the readers could gain a better idea of what was going on in her mind and what was happening through her eyes. However, it would have been a completely different story at that point, maybe a different series. There is never really a point within this story per se where Emily begins to answer the question of “What am I going to do about it?” This could be because it is part of a series of books and that change may come within the fourth book. Other than that it does carry all the elements to be considered the “Best of the Best.”

I honestly feel that this story, no the series, meets and fits the criteria for young adult literature. Considering that the story is fast paced, optimistic, contains characters that have the different characteristics of YA literature and so many other aspects, I feel that this would be a good book for young adults to read. There are many instances in life where young adults deal with answering the epic questions, “Who am I and what am I going to do about it?” and this book also addresses at least one of those questions. I’m sure the fourth book addresses the other. Not only does it deal with things that fall into the “best of the best” but it is not a difficult read at all and the illustrations help to guide the reader and draw them in.

I have to agree with one of the reviews of this book from Jeff Smith, “Five-no three pages into Amulet and you’ll be hooked,” (Back cover). Now granted this may have been about the first book, but after reading this book I know I definitely want to get the others and read them.
I would definitely recommend this book too anyone who loves futuristic anime type stories and books.

The story is a tale of adventure, friendship and so much more. Honestly, I would recommend this story to anyone. It is kind of like watching a movie that ends only to carry on into a second one (kind of like the last Harry Potter movie). Once the reader reaches the end one wants to know what happens next. The hook is definitely there and it draws the reader in. It is a book that one can’t put down once they’ve started.

C.C. Almodovar Reviews *Amulet Book 1*

Review of Amulet: Book One The Stonekeeper
Title: Amulet: Book One The Stonekeeper
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Artist: Kazu Kibuishi
Publisher:GRAPHIX
Publication Date: 2008

“Szrak, Hweeee, Squawk, Krnch, and Szzt,” are just a few of the exciting words that are in this thrilling and adventurous first installment of Kazu Kibuishi’s book Amulet. Amulet is a graphic novel centered around a young girl named Emily and her little brother Navin. This story is very action packed. In the prologue, Emily’s family is driving to pick up Navin, Emily’s younger brother, when her father swerves to miss a broken down car and drives off the road. The car flips over and nearly falls off of a cliff. Emily and her mother, Karen, are the only ones to get out before the car slides off of the cliff with Emily’s father still inside, killing him when the car crashes at the bottom of the cliff.

The story begins with the family moving in to a new town and moving into an old family house to try to ease their financial needs. The first night in their new house, they hear a strange noise in the basement. Karen goes down to check it out and is abducted by a creature to a different land. Emily and Navin follow right behind her and start their journey to get her back. Emily finds a special amulet which has secret powers. She must learn how to use it and control it in order to help their journey. They make new friends along the way which help them on their journey to rescue their mother. Amulet is an exciting story. The fluid illustrations in addition to the text make it very easy to read. The illustration panels read almost like an action film using different angles to show movement rather than just being static. The quality of this book is superb and the story just draws the reader in and makes them want to continue reading the later volumes to find out what happens to Emily and Navin.

Amulet possesses some characteristics of young adult literature and also contains some of the “Best of the best” ideas. This story is centered on two pre-teens, Emily and Navin. It follows them on their journey into a new land in order to search for their mother. Many readers could identify with the story’s main character, Emily. She is an adventurous girl whom loves her family deeply. She has already lost one parent and will do whatever she can to protect her mother and brother. A “Best of the best” quality represented in the book is that Emily takes responsibility and gets credit for her actions. When she learns about the amulet and its powers, she has to accept them. She is given the responsibility of taking care of the amulet and controlling its power.

Another “Best of the best” quality is that the story is quickly paced, but it is not simple. The story has a good amount of action which makes it a fast-paced story and Amulet deals with a few serious topics. It deals with a death of a parent and also the kidnapping of the other. Emily and Navin are left alone in an unfamiliar land to rescue their mother. The language in the story is also very easy to understand and the dialogue is not very lengthy, which contributes to the fast paced story.

Another “Best” quality is that the story is optimistic. Emily and Navin’s father is dead and their mother has been kidnapped. Instead of crying at home they are taking action and try to rescue her. Whatever Emily is feeling she does not let it get to her. She wants to get her mother back and will do whatever it takes. Emily and Navin come close to rescuing her a few times but their attempts get foiled at the last minute. They, however, do not give up and try to come up with a different way of approaching the rescue. Amulet has a silver lining and even though this is the first book in the series, the readers can see that Emily is beginning to change from a little girl to a young responsible woman. These elements of young adult literature are use to help create an original story that can be both relatable and entertaining to you adult readers.

Amulet contains many elements of young adult literature; however, it does not contain them all. The story does not include different ethnicities and cultures, which is a “Best if the best” quality. Emily and Navin go into a new mysterious land that is somehow in their basement. They do not know where they are or what kind of different creatures they see. The story shares a little information about the new world but is very limited. The story also is focused on the main characters and their journey. This book is used to set up the story and it does not show or mention different ethnicities or cultures of our world. For readers who are not into fantasy, this book may be difficult for them to get into because it is not relatable in that way. Another “Best of the best” characteristic which is limited is the variety of genres and subjects that are relatable. The story deals with death of a parent and with the kidnapping of the other and how Emily is coping with them. These topics are family oriented and show readers that it is important to care for family. This story does not touch on other important topics to young adult readers such as drinking, dealing with the opposite sex, school, and puberty. This may limit the relatable content to its readers and have less of a connection to them.

This graphic novel is very interesting and entertaining, and I would recommend young adult people to read this book. It is very entertaining and is action-packed, which makes the reading flow easily and quickly. Since this is a series book, it will interest the readers to continue with the story and find out what happens to Emily, Navin, and their mother Karen. Like some quest-type stories, this book is optimistic and has a silver lining. You can see that Emily is slowly changing from a little girl to a young adult. She is becoming more responsible and taking credit for her actions. Even though this book does not have other topics that are in young adult books such as dating and puberty, this is still a very entertaining book. The title Amulet does not provide a lot of information to go off of but the prologue gives an abundance of information and illustrates the situation the family is in at the beginning of the story.

I would recommend this book to young adults both in middle school and high school. This book is easy to read without being boring. The story sucks the reader in within the first couple of pages and leaves you wanting more. I believe the easy flow will also help young adults read cover to cover. This is a quest or journey story, and I believe it can appeal to many people.

I believe even adults would enjoy this book and the Amulet series. It may not change the lives of people but it is very entertaining and can be a great escape from the real world.

Reflections on Kazu Kibuishi's _Copper_: "I Treat the Letters Like Images"

Copper represents my first serious, sit-down experience with the work of talented Kazu Kibuishi. I've thumbed through his Flight volumes enough to put them on my wish lists, but I've not yet devoured them as is my hope for future days.

That said, Copper is a delightful introduction to his talents. The stories, mostly one-pagers with a few recurring vignettes across the collected shorts which were originally published on the web, are reminiscent of Winsor McKay's Little Nemo in Slumberland, as most of them are adventures based in the imaginations of Copper and his dog pal Fred.

The beautiful and flashy page layouts and proclivity for some of the capers to be dreams in disguise also pair the text with McCay's classic. Indeed, if there is one web comic turned collection that I'd love to see reprinted at the gigantic size of some of the Sunday supplements, it'd be Copper.

To understand the two main characters, consider folks from another classic series, Peanuts. Copper, described as curious, and Fred, mentioned as fearful, are really two sides of the same coin, which makes their time together that much more enjoyable for readers as the duo play off of one another with ease. Think about what you'd get if Charlie Brown kept his neuroses but gained Snoopy's activity (agency?) and sense of adventure, while Snoopy added to his own anxieties by taking on some of Chuck's (angst?) from time to time.

A stickler for thoughts about process as well as product, I was thrilled to see Kibuishi share his "making of" process for Copper after the collection ended. Regarding lettering, he said something that I've heard other comics artists say before but that I feel is important to consider:

"I prefer to hand letter my pages because I like to have control over the composition of every image in the drawing stage.....I treat the letters like images." Letters as just other images to be considered in the overall composition. Yes, yes, yes! Graphein in the 21st century, folks!!

In comics, the difference between the written word and the drawn image, or, shall we say, the written image and the drawn word, can be negligible. And, perhaps that's the best way to see them at all times.

Imagetext is in the text is the image is the text is the textual, afterall!

I've got a revew copy of Kibuishi's Amulet in my office. After having so much fun with Copper, I may have to move it to the top of my pile.