Over the Wall
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Girl searches for brother in exciting fantasy graphic novel.
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What's the Story?
Anya's brother fails to return from his coming-of-age quest on the other side of an enormous wall built around an ancient city. She determines to leave home on her own, cross the wall, and find the brother whose name she can't remember anymore. On the other side of the wall, the ancient city is now populated only by demons. There she meets the helpful guide Toris, and has to face down her fears in the form of the giant Mogis to bring her brother home.
Is It Any Good?
OVER THE WALL, a graphic novel debut by Peter Wartman, is an exciting fantasy adventure kids will really enjoy. The pen-and-ink illustrations create an eerie, moody atmosphere that contrasts nicely with the engaging heroine Anya's pluck. Wartman is particularly skilled at conveying emotion without words in Anya's expressive face, which makes her easy for kids to relate to, and at economically conveying a rich, fully realized fantasy world.
There's not much text here, so kids who love lingering over the illustrations will get the most out of it. But Anya and Toris, the helpful demon, share some funny dialogue, too. The end is rather abrupt, and the reader's left feeling a bit unsatisfied. Even though the plot's resolved, a lot of questions are left to the imagination. A sequel is in the works.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why fantasies are so popular. Why do we enjoy them so much?
Do you like the illustrations? Do they tell the story clearly? What about the words? Do they help the story along, or get in the way of telling the story?
Has a friend or loved one close to you died or moved away? What things are easiest to remember about them? What things about them are harder to remember?
Book Details
- Author: Peter Wartman
- Illustrator: Peter Wartman
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Girl Role Models, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Uncivilized Books
- Publication date: August 13, 2013
- Number of pages: 100
- Available on: Paperback
- Last updated: July 14, 2015
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