Parents' Guide to The Griff

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Common Sense Media Review

Michael Berry By Michael Berry , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Stereotypes, muddled story sink alien-invader graphic novel.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

After an ancient beacon leads a gigantic alien spaceship to Earth, griffin-like dragons destroy the planet's defensive infrastructures and wipe out most of the human population. Two survivors, a skater-punk, and a sexy Goth game designer, travel from New York to Orlando, where they team up with a killer whale trainer and a buff commando-type. This unlikely quartet struggles to unveil the secret behind the invasion and find a ray of hope for humanity.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The choreography of the action sequences rarely makes sense, the dialogue sounds strained, and the characters are one-note stereotypes. Christopher Moore is an accomplished satirical novelist (Bite Me, Lamb, The Stupidest Angel), but he and his collaborator, screenwriter-director Ian Corson, display no facility for comics scripting in this muddled, unfunny, annoying graphic novel.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what life might be like after a major catastrophe. What supplies would be required after a disaster, such as an earthquake or tsunami?

  • How does the book portray the use of guns and other weapons? Are they the most important factor in the war against the griff?

  • How is telling an action-filled story in a graphic novel different from one told in conventional chapters? Which one do you like better?

Book Details

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