Such an important graphic novel that holds themes that I haven't seen explored in this format. I would highly recommend this gn for anyone that is looking for a gn that expands their worldview.

Amazona is a powerful graphic novel about the displacement of Indigenous people from their ancestral lands in South America. In this fictional story that is based on reality, a young widow who has recently endured yet another tragedy of her child dying heads back to her home village. She leaves the city slum her family was forced into and makes the long trek back home to see how the land is being ravaged by logging companies. This was a very sobering read, but hopefully, it brings awareness to readers about how land and people's rights are being destroyed in another part of the world.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Graphic novels are my new favorite thing. When most of them deal with YA romance, I was impressed by how powerful and interesting this book was. It was heartbreaking yet I'm happy I came across this. I will recommend this if you want to try a different kind of graphic novel.

I have a little one who wants to help give voices to those that don't have one or can't be heard. This story of the destruction of the rain forest and the displacement of so many people is happening today and hit hard. I thing everyone should take a look at this story and see how we can help those that need it.

I sort of went into this book blind, which wasn't what I expected. I thought I was getting a "based on a true story" surreal-like story, and it turns out this was a very real, heartbreaking situation in the deep Amazons in Columbia. Rather dark for a children's publishing company.

In this particular story, the audience saw an account of one of the tragedies in Columbia and the continuation of hardships afterward. A woman named Andrea travels back to her native land to bury her daughter in the home she was forced out of. She also had a secondary agenda to expose the unjust of how they were executed and banned from their lands.

The story was engaging, yet it also jumped all over the place. We could still piece together the bigger picture regarding the storytelling, but I wish it were more consecutive when the protagonist was telling her story.

*I DO NOT have an official rating for this book*

Excellently illustrated and a staple of consistency in innovation and technique from this excellent graphic novelist! I can't wait to see what comes next.

This was heavy. So angry and sad. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. Impactful. Simple illustrations that really get the point across.

Tigger Warning: Child death and Sexual assault.

I found this book to be difficult to read. I actually picked it up and set it down several times. This is such an important book to read as it highlights the colonialism that continues to occur. We have an nation school in my area and voices like these are so important to give voice to. It is the story of a young Indigenous Colombian woman who is forced to move from her home and her journey to return. We hear about the result of land being taken from indigenous people in many a history book but it did not have the emotional impact of this story. It seems from history books that these situations have ended but this is far from the truth. I commend this author from bringing this story to our attention and representing the story of thousands who continue to struggle.

Amazona is a tragic fiction story inspired by true events in recent history that I honestly was not very aware of prior to reading this graphic novel. The main character, Andrea, is part of an indigenous community that lives in the Amazon rainforest of Columbia. She and her family are forced out of their homes by mining operations and relocated to the dangerous Columbian slums. Andrea negotiates her way back onto her ancestral land for a temporary visit, but her motivations are two-fold. She plans to gather evidence for her peoples’ civil rights case against the miners, but she also takes the trek to bury her infant daughter who wasn’t able to survive the harsh living conditions of refugee housing.

This is a short story but an impactful one. Canizales’ graphic depictions of the Amazon rainforest are beautiful. While the subject matter is rather dark, I’d recommend this for teen and adult readers, especially for fans of biographical graphic novels like Persepolis.

A great hit, I’m glad I requested this graphic novel.

It deals with heavy themes and the artwork is pretty. It really surprised me and it is a must read.

Amazona is a short graphic novel with an important topic. The story follows Andrea, an Indigenous (Quechua) woman from a small village in the Colombian rain forest. After her family and neighbors are run off of their land by paramilitary men working for a mining company, they live squashed together in a tiny two-room shelter in a city many miles away from their home. Andrea makes the dangerous, multi-day journey back to their land with two goals in mind: 1) bury her infant daughter on sacred ground, and 2) sneak photographs of the site that will assist their suit against the company that drove her people out of their homes.

The accompanying artwork is distinctive and beautiful, mostly grayscale with bright, accentuating pops of red/pink color. This book was obviously written with the intent of delivering a message, so the character development and story are sparse. Still, the delivery is effective, and the story as it is sheds light on the current mass displacement of Indigenous Colombians/Amazonians. The publisher lists the title as being for teens/YA in grades 9+, but honestly I felt this read as more targeted towards adults. Certainly teens could get a lot from it as well, as long as they're prepared for the heavy content (see TW), but the MC Andrea is an adult woman (apparently only 19 years old, but reads as anywhere from 20-30 imo) who is a widowed mother and the themes are not teen-specific. If I hadn't seen the publisher's categorization, I would have assumed Amazona to be an adult title. 3.5 stars

TW: displacement, homelessness, anti-indigenous racism, gun violence, death of a loved one, infant death, sexual assault

WOW. Everyone needs to read this. Full of heart, despair, and rawness, it depicts the indigenous peoples of Colombia’s tenacity to fight for their homeland. This story follows a young woman named Andrea as she journeys from being forced out of her village into a new city with unlivable conditions, and her journey back into the forest to try to save her home. The story is heartbreaking, educational, and illuminates how resilient women are, especially Andrea; She’s brave and extraordinary in the face of violence, grief, and devastation. Additionally, the art style is stunning! Mainly in black and white, hope tends to come in the form of vibrant red that bursts off the pages. I am thrilled to have read this and will recommend everyone to put this on their TBR!!

Be aware, that this story has many trigger warnings.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lerner Publishing Group for giving me this copy in exchange for my review.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy. This story was beautiful and so heartbreaking. This is an important story for everyone to read.

What a powerful little story-the art in this graphic novel was truly breathtaking. The ikea comparison in thw house, the beautiful imagery of andreas daughter, thedarkened patts for memory-just gorgeous. It was a quick read that is going to stay with me.

Armed men are forcing people out of their homes during the night. They search for help from their local government. The indifferent government finally relocates them into a very small house. There are two rooms and a bathroom without a door. Nineteen year old Andrea loses her baby. She decides to take her baby back to her village to bury her. She also plants a camera on herself to show what happened to the village. She is meant by an armed man who doesn’t want to let her in but eventually does so she can bury her baby. Where will she bury her baby? The illegal mining has destroyed the huts and the surrounding land. What will happen to her?

There are moments of great beauty. This socially conscious thriller shows the injustices in a stark and dark style.
There is racism, violence and an attempted rape. Flashbacks and backstories gives a sense of loss. The graphic novel includes “After Amonza” and a bibliography. It was an emotional and sad story to read as it reminded me about the destruction of the rainforests being destroyed illegally.

Wow, what a unique and haunting subject for a graphic novel. The illustration style is something that I have never seen before, and appreciated the unique perspective. I would have loved for this story to be multiple volumes, or one longer volume. If anything, I wanted to know more about the story and the characters. For its length, I think the author did a great job at creating a full story with multiple intertwined characters. As I know next to nothing about this topic, the "After Amazona" section was extremely beneficial at teaching me more about the struggles of these indigenous people. This is heartbreaking, and I am conflicted that I didn't know more about these humanitarian issues. Important topic to learn more about, and this book should reach more people to bring light to these issues. There are several trigger warnings that make this story unsuitable for children in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this graphic novel for my review.

This is a truly stunning masterpiece of a graphic novel. Andrea, a young displaced indigenous Colombian woman, returns to the home from which she was driven eleventh months prior. She is there to mourn her lost child and do what she can to stop the illegal mining that is casting the indigenous residents of the Amazon into exile. An emotional and thought-provoking tale, AMAZONA will quickly capture, and then break, your heart. The art is extraordinarily distinctive and expressive, capturing the horrors visited upon Andrea individually and her people collectively. I will not forget this one.

The violence towards women is a bit disturbing but realistic. I feel the story is connective, But It’s scary in a way. I also felt that the main character was strong and persistent and that the characterization was complex in a way I just couldn’t vibe with it.

I was drawn to this book by the intricate illustrations and the creative use of color. The strategic reds and the white on black give the pictures an equal edge to the words. The story is deep and pulled at my heart. My biggest complaint is that there is not more of it. It felt like it was over as it was just getting started.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. #Amazona #NetGalley

Amazona is a fictionalized account of the plight faced by many indigenous Colombians along with other indigenous people in South America. Andrea fights to keep what is sacred to her and people along with working to obtain a better future for herself and her people. The illustrations are excellent and the use of the black and white with touches of red to illustrate their power is striking. Overall it is an excellent portrayal and sheds light on a important issue.