Parents' Guide to Isle of the Lost: The Graphic Novel

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Common Sense Media Review

Mary Eisenhart By Mary Eisenhart , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

Disney villain-kids tale gets fast-paced graphic revamp.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

Years ago, all the villains of the Disney world were exiled to THE ISLE OF THE LOST, enclosed with a magic bubble to keep them away from the good people of Auradon. With dark surroundings and worse parental role models, Mal (daughter of Maleficent), Jay (son of Jafar), Carlos (son of Cruella de Vil), and Evie (daughter of Evil Queen) are fine with being bad. It's expected. But somehow they're never as evil, thieving, self-absorbed, or vain as their parents want them to be, either. Mal's mean trick on Evie launches a series of events that could help restore evil to world domination, and also win their parents' approval.

Is It Any Good?

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

This addition to Disney's villain-kids franchise may be the best yet, with spare, cut-to-the-chase dialogue, vivid, engaging art, and not a lot of padding or nonsense on the side. The transition to the graphic novel genre is a natural for The Isle of the Lost, and this book is a great intro for first-timers to the series and loads of fun for longtime fans. More volumes are sure to come.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Isle of the Lost: The Graphic Novel fits in to the Descendants series. How is this format well-suited to the storytelling? What do you think of creating new characters and stories based on old ones?

  • Why are quests such a popular theme in storytelling? How does making villains the main characters, as Isle of the Lost does, affect the nature of the quest?

  • Do you know any kids who have to deal with a bad situation at home -- maybe not villain parents, but something heavy going on? How does it affect them?

Book Details

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