Review of Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
Book One: The Stonekeeper is an Excellent Young Adult Read
Book One: The Stonekeeper by the Daisy Kutter, Flight, and Copper artist is a four-star work of children's literature in graphic novel form.
Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet, a series of as-yet-undetermined length, begins powerfully with the lovingly-illustrated The Stonekeeper. While it sips from the gene pool of Harry Potter and similar kids-in-a-fantastic-situation literature, Amulet is more easily and fairly likened to one of Kibuishi’s idols, legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, whose influence is felt in the sparsely-defined and round-faced protagonists, steam punk robotics and airborne creatures of gooey consistency.
The Stonekeeper, being Book One, is a whirlwind tour-de-force of introduction. It is an action-packed volume lined with tender moments and an eerily beautiful atmosphere. Whether entering houses lit by bioluminescent trees, floating with a giant mushroom for a parachute, or waging magically-charged battles, the book is saturated with stunning art and a sense of wonder.
Every page is expertly laid-out, beautifully lined and lushly colored. The quality of painting especially is top-notch; every newly-turned page is a highly-detailed, engrossing piece of sequential art which, while clinging to its cartoon roots with simple characters and Kibuishi's deliberately casual lettering, conveys a sense of physical texture and powerful lighting, giving every panel weight and substance.
The tale suffers the unfortunate burden of being the first in a series, and as such the ending is, while wholly satisfying for the weight of the volume and the individual through-line, ultimately inconclusive, leaving a reader to desperately scan the internet for signs of a pending sequel. Kibuishi undoubtedly has the conclusion, or more likely merely the continuation, thumbnailed and in the steamer already, but the wait will still be tedious for the many who enjoy this excellent start.
To sum Amulet up in brief, it is the tale of a girl who finds a magical world to which she is mysteriously tied by her great grandfather. The eponymous amulet comes to her (the eponymous “stonekeeper”) with a dubious promise of power, a power which would allow her to rule the strange new world in which she finds herself and, more importantly, the power to reunite her endangered family. The petulant and manipulative amulet unavoidably finds some comparison to Tolkien’s One Ring, and the series will almost certainly feature the struggle between the girl and the burdensome power of the stone as its most potent conflict.
For children and young adults, this is an instantly recommendable read. The Stonekeeper taps universally familiar themes of family, loss and even troublesome friends, and winds them into a fantastic, fast-paced adventure. The work is gripping and thrilling, and stonekeeper Emily is an understandably conflicted yet apt and moral protagonist, a fierce big sister, loving daughter, and a capable and determined leader in the dangerous times she faces.
In fact, Kibuishi provides an excellent cast overall. Emily's is a strong, stable family that, despite suffering tragic loss, is able to adjust and band together in even the most turbulent times simply because they are family, and that love is enough. Also of note is the book’s commendable if quiet stance on video and computer games, treating them not as a fattening seed of familial decay but as a regulated family activity with positive results for players.
For lovers of the comics form and readers young and old, The Stonekeeper is a promising first work whose sequels are sure to entertain with high-fantasy adventure, potent themes, and already-memorable characters. Fans of high fantasy, adventure, Harry Potter, Miyazaki, and Kibuishi’s brilliant webcomic, Copper, should all add Amulet to the top of their reading queue. It’s a quick, easy, and amazing read.
