After her father’s death, Emily Hayes’s mother moves the family out to the country for a new start. While exploring, Emily finds a mysterious necklace that seems to call to her. When a strange creature takes their mother, Emily and her brother Navin find themselves in a different world and embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

This is the first book in Kazu Kibuishi’s epic graphic novel series Amulet, and it kicks the saga off in a big way. The cast is big, but the characters feel real, and Kibuishi’s illustrations are full of feeling and life. This is one of the most unique fantasy series I’ve ever read, with likely the richest and most diverse world of any children’s graphic novels. The book is packed with action and thrills, and Emily and Navin make for great heroes. They’re clever and capable, and you’ll love rooting for them and watching them solve their problems for themselves. My only complaint is that the book is over too fast! The excitement is almost non-stop from start to finish in this book, and it’s only the first volume. If you can, borrow the second and third books as well, because once you start this series you won’t want to stop. Amulet is a great pick for fans of the Bone series. If you like this book, I recommend Kazu Kibuishi’s work in the Flight and Explorer anthologies, and his comic strip Copper, which is available in a collected book.