From its cover to the final page, Diana: Princess of the Amazons is a pleasure to read and a joy to look at! Shannon and Dean Hale have taken the Wonder Woman mythology and, instead of trying to rewrite it (as seems to be the vogue), they have created a new story of a young Diana. It’s an excellent tale, too, full of danger, excitement, and a shocking plot twist. But it’s also instructive, teaching children that willful disobedience has consequences, and teaching adults about the importance of listening to their children.

Girls will be able to identify with Diana’s angst at being the only child on an island of mature women. Her loneliness may strike a chord, and they may see themselves when she ‘acts out’, and when she yields to peer pressure from the clay playmate she created. But they will admire her cleverness and cheer her on as she tries to rise above the mess she made and prove herself a true Amazon.

A graphic novel is only as good as its artwork and in that area first-time graphic novelist Victoria Ying excels! At every turn she captures Diana’s mood, be it happy or angry, playful or daring. Ying brings out the girl’s strength and determination as the story progresses. Battle scenes are done well, too, and those with multiple characters. And when all Tartarus breaks loose, Ying’s Amazons look exactly like the brave warriors they are. But my favorite thing about the art is the occasional reference to future Diana. As seen on the cover, Ying has depicted her wearing the colors we’re used to seeing in the current comic run and on the big screen. Also on the cover, Diana is using a lasso as a leash for her pet cheetah, when many years later she will be wielding the Lasso of Truth while fighting her archenemy, Cheetah.

There are only a couple of nits to pick. The Amazons were renowned in ancient times (and in DC mythology) for their skills at horseback riding, but here the Hales and Ying have chosen to depict them on kangaroo-back. Watching the warriors hop into battle just doesn’t have the same impact as if they had charged in on horses. And, though it may have been corrected in the final release, in the advanced copy Diana tells her friend to watch for a yellow scarf outside her window; on the next page the signal is made with a red scarf instead.

This is a terrific graphic novel for Wonder Woman fans of any age. The Hales have written a consistently entertaining story, with a smart, impulsive, and passionate young protagonist, and Ying has drawn her and the whole of Themyscira beautifully!

-- Jennifer Michelle

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I would like to thank Netgalley and DC Comics for providing me with an advance reader’s copy of Diana: Princess of the Amazons in exchange for an honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Shannon Hale and Dean Hale have brought their work to the Marvel universe in previous prose novels. It’s wonderful to see now them bring their talent to a DC character, and Wonder Woman is an exciting choice.
Shannon has, of course, been a notable author in the world of graphic novels with relevant and real-world narratives. Here, this strength brings a sense of rounding to a fantasy character. The book is humorous, lively, and attractive in its design and appearance.

Diana: Princess of the Amazons is engaging and I would gladly read it as an adult fan of this medium (and these authors), as well as share it with younger readers. It's another title in a line-up of youth-oriented graphic novels that resituate classic characters. (Later this month, see Green Lantern: Legacy).

Bravo.

Honestly, if you wanted to find an author who could tell a story of Diana of Themyscira's youthful adventures, you could hardly do better than Shannon Hale. Hale's Princess in Black series, the charming adventures of a young princess who leads a secret life as a superhero, was one of the first chapter books we shared with our daughter. We absolutely loved them. DC chose well.

Hale's take on Diana shows us the lonely life of an only child in a society of adults. Everyone has a role to play on the Paradise Islands, but Diana has none. She's free to be a child, which would probably be a lot more fun if there were other kids to run around with. Diana finds a solution in the familiar story of her own origin: why not make a friend and hope the gods will animate it?

Her plan works, and soon Diana has a companion. Only her new friend is may not be a positive influence, and Diana must decide how to handle her new friend's behavior.

I was so excited about this book that I immediately handed it off to my 10 year old to get her thoughts on the volume. She devoured it in a single sitting. Her review

<blockquote>Diana: Princess of the Amazons is a fun book that people of all ages will enjoy! This book is very beautiful, and scenic book with an amazing twist at the end. *****</blockquote>

I concur wholeheartedly. Victoria Ying's illustrations are bold and beautiful, the story is relatable, and it's a wonderful story for young readers. (It doesn't feel much like a comic book superhero story. It feels more like a telling of a classic Greek myth, which is right up the alley of my Percy Jackson-obsessed tween.)

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in order to facilitate this review.

Shannon Hale and Diana, Princess of the Amazons? How could that combo go wrong?

And true enough, this was a delightful telling of what Diana as a child must have gone through, with everyone being older than she, and her not being able to do the things she wanted to do.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/diane-princess-of-amazons.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5496" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/diane-princess.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5497" />

The characters were all believable, well, as believable as a bunch of amazons could be, and a child created from clay.

It makes me want to read more stories about this version of Diana.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Thanks netgalley and the publishers for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

This book stars 11 year old Diana who is living the most ideal childhood on Themyscira, but she feels so alone because she is literally the only child on the whole island. She feels like she’s out of place and just can’t seem to measure up to all the other Amazonian warriors. So she makes a friend for herself out of clay and a wish, but the friend doesn’t end up being anything like Diana had in mind.

We all know the story of Wonder Woman by now, but this is a super cute middle grade friendly version of her story. I think this is great for kids who love Wonder Woman and want to read about her, but parents will appreciate that it’s not so dark as adult DC comics tend to be. It has themes of finding yourself and valuing your own self worth, which is something a lot of middle grade readers need.

The artwork in this was absolutely adorable too! It’s bold and vibrant colors are sure to keep kids flipping the pages to see what adventures happen next.

I loved it so much! I am long past the age of young Diana in this but it was so relatable that if I could go back I'd give a copy of this to my younger self.
It's great on so many levels, from giving more to fans of Wonder Woman to younger readers looking for a fun adventure with a character that many will see themselves in.
And as for the illustrations: where can I get a poster? Not only beautifully done but a perfect fit overall.

I generally love anything the Hales write. But this wasn't one of them. The plot was very simple and predictable. I found myself disliking the way young Diana was portrayed as a stupid, selfish child. By the time she learned her valuable life lesson and changed, I just didn't care. Very disappointing.

I think this is a fun entry point into Wonder Woman for younger readers. Also has some great moral lessons and very cute illustrations.

Was very excited to read another Hale graphic novel. This book is coming at the perfect time for my library. The kids are reading everything they can get their hands on that deals with mythology. This book is the whole package. Can't wait to get it into the hands of my readers!

A fantastic addition to the Wonder Woman titles with great cover appeal for the middle grade set. Diana feels neglected and unappreciated by all the Amazons and crafts her own playmate from discarded clay and sand and names her Mona. Diana gets a big surprise when her playmate comes to life. Will having a friend help Diana to grow and reach her goals? Some great reminders about our relationships with family and friends along with some young super hero action. Will appeal to kids who have loved the Princess In Black series and graphic novels like "Real Friends."

Thank you to DC Comics and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y’all. This book! It’s SO. CUTE.

It’s not a secret that I love Wonder Woman. The 2017 movie was the most empowering and wonderful movie I’ve ever seen. I’m PUMPED for the sequel. And Diana, Princess of the Amazons, is the perfect middle grade graphic novel to get all those little Amazonian Princesses (and Princes and other royals) in your life excited about girl power and friendship and belonging.

Diana, in this version of our favorite butt-kicking superhero, is not yet at the confidence and strength of the adult Diana. She’s eleven and unsure of her place on Themyscira among all the adults who know their strengths and where they fit into in society. Diana is lonely, without anyone her age to play with, and without someone who understands how she feels. She gets pushed to the side as all the busy adults in her life get to work.

So when Diana gets the idea from her own birth story to make her own friend, she makes Mona, a girl made of sand and Diana’s wishes. And for the first time ever, Diana has a friend. They talk all night and play in the woods, they explore and pull pranks.

Then things start to get worse. Mona gets Diana into trouble. Big trouble. The monsters behind the protected gate are released and it’s up to Diana to save her home.

Focusing on the idea of belonging, and discovering when a friendship goes bad, Diana, Princess of the Amazons, was an incredibly wonderful read. Fans of The Okay Witch and The Witch Boy will love it!

The best word I have to describe this book is okay.

The Illustration
- I really liked the illustrations in this one. They were full of color and really cute to read!

I think the story is where I found the biggest disconnect with this graphic novel, especially with the character Mona and how Diana's feelings were dealt with.

How Diana Feels
It was kind of frustrating and a little sad that Diana felt really left out and that no one noticed or did anything to remedy it or help her deal with her feelings. Doing that would have helped avoid one of the man conflicts in the story and would have explored how to deal with feeling left out in a constructive way.

Mona
Mona just seemed off from the very beginning and a bad influence. We do find out why later on in the story but it just felt really off to me until the reveal made it make sense. Also, like how did no one notice her?? Somebody had to have noticed weird sounds or something right?

The Target Audience
- I think one of the other reasons this didn't quite connect was the fact that this seems to be targeted towards a young audience. Being an adult, I think I was questioning a few elements of the story that a younger audience might not necessarily do, such as Mona's character and why Diana or someone else didn't help her with feeling left out.

This was a cute story, but I think I felt such disconnect because I was reading it as an older audience vs. being in the younger target audience

I received an advanced copy of Diana: Princess of The Amazons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Diana: Princess of the Amazons is a fun junior graphic novel that tells a story about the important of staying true to yourself and knowing your own worth. It can be tough for Diana to feel like she fits in on Paradise Island, because she is the only child around. She struggles to get attention from her mother and the other adults, but all seem too busy to pay her any mind. Diana becomes desperate for a friend, so she decides to try and make one from clay, the way her mother made her years earlier. When her sculpted companion comes to life, Diana is delighted! But the type of games her new friend likes to play seem to leave people upset or hurt, and soon Diana isn’t sure if she should try to please her friend, or do what she knows is right.

Shannon and Dean Hale have made an easy-to-read and enjoyable graphic novel in Diana: Princess of The Amazons! I breezed through it in less than a day, and really enjoyed following Diana’s adventures! Victoria Ying’s art finds the perfect balance between cartoon and reality to convey the mood of the story!

You can get your copy of Diana: Princess of the Amazons from DC Comics on January 7th!

My Recommendation-
Diana: Princess of the Amazons, is a perfect novel to introduce young readers to superheroes! With a positive message and fun, youthful characters to relate to, I am certain this book will delight any child! As a young adult fan of Wonder Woman, I also enjoyed reading this book, because it took a part of Diana’s story that is rarely seen and explored it! It very much captured what I would think life as the only child on an island of warriors would be like!

The Hales and Wonder Woman? Yes, yes, yes. Diana: Princess of the Amazons is a very quick read but, unlike a few of the other DC Zoom titles, didn't leave me feeling incomplete. Victoria Ying's art is just lovely and a perfect match to the story. I can't wait to put this in the hands of children!

Ooh, I was juked in this book, and I'm almost never juked by a comic book these days. That was delightful.

It's Diana's story. She's only eleven in this one, and definitely not yet Wonder Woman. She's still on Themyscira with all the other Aunty Amazons, and, her Mom is busy and is not paying much attention to her now that she's semi-self sufficient at 11. And, so, she winds up seeing if she, like her Mom before her, can make a clay statue that will come alive and be her friend.

It works, and Mona is 'born'. But, who is Mona exactly. It seems straightforward at the beginning, but, as they become faster and faster friends, well, Mona starts asking Diana to do things that maybe they shouldn't be doing, which culminates in a humongous battle because of something that Diana Really Really Really shouldn't have done.

It was fun to read about young Diana who was still learning how to be the future Wonder Woman.

Oh, and there was a line in there said by Hippolyta, "Philippus, love", which, although subtle, I'm going to take to mean that they are a couple, and no one can convince me otherwise. Woo!

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to DC Entertainment.

This was super cute. The story was a bit simple but still had a good message and a few twists and turns that will excite young readers. The artwork captures the tone of the story well. It's perfect to introduce young Wonder Woman fans to graphic novels.

I received an electronic copy from DC Entertainment through NetGalley.
Graphic novel
Readers get a first hand view of a piece of Diana's childhood. Like any child, she feels neglected and ignored at times. Her mom is busy and everyone else is caught in their roles and routines. So, she creates a clay young girl to see if she can bring it to life as her mother did. This "works," and they enjoy adventures together. Slowly the tone of the adventures changes and Diana goes against what she knows is right to play with her new friend. This culminates in opening the door to Tartarus and allowing monsters to escape. Her friend's real identity is revealed, and Diana has to make decisions on her own to do what is right.
The strong, detailed illustrations bring the Amazon's world to life. Readers will be drawn in to see how Wonder Woman grew up. The dialogue is easy to follow and offers moments for readers to think about their own actions and relate to the situations. Middle graders will see a character who experiences many of the same emotions as they themselves are.

This was honestly SO ADORABLE. I really loved the story and the art style. I liked getting to see a younger Diana and how she would have felt, being the only child in a world full of adults who have lived for hundreds of years. I liked seeing the conflict in her and how she chose the right path, even as such a young girl. This was just so pretty and adorable and I adored it <3

Diana, Princess of the Amazons is a graphic novel that my students will love! I'm glad we don't have to wait long for its release. In this story, Diana is 11, and the only kid on her island. She loves the other Amazons but also doubts whether she truly is an Amazon. Feeling lonely, she shapes a friend out of clay, hoping it will magically come to life. When it does, she is thrilled to have a playmate - but soon her friend begins to pressure her to play mean-spirited tricks and the reader suspects that something about this friend is not right.
Although this book is about pre-Wonder Woman Diana, kids can relate to the loneliness, peer pressure, and guilt after getting pulled into dangerous behavior.
The illustrations are gorgeous and portray the characters' emotions so well. This will be a preorder for me, for sure!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

Fantastic art and a heart-filled and interesting story that should delight middle grade readers. This story captures the feelings of growing up and seeming out of place, where everything is too young or too old for you, through the lens of an exciting Wonder Woman adventure! I hope DC continues to make beautiful, funny graphic novels for all ages.