The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1)
Kazu Kibuishi
Graphix
Published September 29, 2015
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About The Stonekeeper
Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot—and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.
After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.
Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.
My Review
I’ve been trying to find graphic novels for my nephews, and I spotted this series at the library. They didn’t have THE STONEKEEPER, so I purchased a copy.
There are a lot of action sequences and intense scenes– which means I read this one very quickly! I really wanted to know how it all turned out. I loved the characters– both Emily and Navin, but also the three mechanical allies they meet along the way. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of the characters more. Though we don’t get to go very deeply into their relationships here, there are already some interesting dynamics at play between them. I think it’ll be really cool to see those develop more.
I also really enjoyed the art style of this graphic novel. At first, I wasn’t sure I would, since the cover art is different than some of the other graphic novels I’ve read. But as I read the story, I really appreciated the way the author presents each scene. The panels were also really easy to read, which I liked.
All in all, I think this one might be a little too scary for the reader I hoped to give it to, but I might talk to him about it anyway and see what he thinks about it. For myself, I like the series and will probably try to read more from the library. I think fans of ESTRANGED by Ethan Aldridge should check this one out.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.
Representation
Emily and Navin’s dad dies in the opening scene.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
Em finds an amulet with magic power. It speaks to her and advises her on what to do.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. Monsters with tentacles and sharp teeth attack Emily and Navin. Death of a parent.
In the prologue, Emily and her parents are in a car accident. Her dad is killed when the car slides off a cliff before he can get out.
A tentacled monster consumes Emily’s mom– she’s still alive, just trapped inside it.
Drug Content
None.
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My students love this one, but I was not a huge fan. There are 8 of them, and someone is always losing book 3 or 4. If you have trouble finding graphic novels for your nephews, let me know! I recommend them to grades 6-8 all the time!
Ugh– keeping track of eight of these books does sound tricky! They seem really popular. Thank you, yes! I will try to contact you directly for specific recs for them. 🙂 That would be amazing!
I don’t read many graphic novels, and I hardly ever read scary books. I will probably avoid this one. I appreciate knowing about it though. Thanks for the review.