At first glance this has the feeling of a children’s picture book but soon reveals itself to be more of a graphic novella. The perspective, which offers a peek into the world of people violently displaced from their homes in the Amazon rainforest, is fascinating and I dare say, important. Canizales does a great job of placing you into the shoes of the people he writes about. The book is primarily in black and white, with splashes of color used judiciously to heighten the emotions. The illustrations are frequently spellbinding and adeptly capture the humanity of each character.
The story follows a young woman as she returns to her ancestral homeland for reasons I won’t disclose (to avoid spoilers). It moves at a quick pace and though the events it depicts are sometimes quite tragic, one finishes it not with a sense of despondency but greater empathy and hope. I hope this book gets a wider audience. Thanks for NetGalley for a review copy

Amazona is an absolutely heartbreaking and gorgeous graphic novel exploring indigenous exploitation and a search for redemption. The art is so emotionally evocative, you can see and feel the pain and determination of the main character. The story is heartbreaking, but accessible, and I think would be a wonderful addition to any person or organization's shelf.

A haunting tale following a young indigenous mother seeking justice for the crimes committed against her people and her land.

A beautifully illustrated story with an impactful and eye opening truth of the struggles that come with resistance.

Through beautiful art, Canizales attempts to show how the daily struggle that Indigenous Colombians, Amazonians, have to go through as they are forcefully pushed off their ancestral lands by people who seek profit at the cost of human lives and dignity. The author takes interviews and dialogue from interviews from real people who have been affected by this (as seen in a scene explaining what their housing conditions are after they have been forcefully evicted); there is also a bibliography at the end that shows what sources the author consulted in writing this book. But beautiful art and ties to reality notwithstanding, there were several things I did not like about this book.

The protagonist of the book is 19 year old Andrea who returns to her village to bury her daughter, but also to collect evidence that can be used in a lawsuit. The very first lines of the book are
“No, I’m not a white woman.
No, I’m not half-clothed in pieces of a flag.
No, I don’t care about looking sexy while trying to save the world.”
This put down of women in other countries for what forms their protest take, just to make Andrea stand out more, or to make her fight more serious did not sit well with me. As a matter of fact, female nudity has been a form of protest from antiquity till today, because we know that women’s bodies are often policed. Women’s bodies are the grounds for battle time and time again. This rings even more true if we consider that as Andrea tries to access her now-barricaded village, she must first show the guards the body of her deceased baby. Even after she gains access, she is assaulted by one of the guards, and he tries to shoot her after she resists and her camera falls out. This could have been a place for further interrogation (the high number of sexual assault on indigenous women seems to be an open secret), Canizales has her sit and talk with this guard, going on some trip down memory lane. The treatment of sexual assault as trivial in an attempt to humanise the guard (Cholo) is quite grating. This happens a second time, when the second guard discovers that Cholo has let Andrea into a room containing evidence. But this time, Cholo saves her. It is a cruel joke to have your assaulter become your saviour in the space of an hour, or even less.

This book might have worked better if the protagonist was male, or if the author cared enough about Andrea as a character: in the end, she comes across as a simple tool for the author to get his message across. But even characters who are mouthpieces can be fleshed out.

Amazona is a worthy addition to the growing collection of stories about people being displaced around the world. The author lays out a terrifying picture of the conditions indigenous people in Colombia are forced into after their land is stolen from them at gunpoint. Andrea, the protagonist, demonstrates the utmost bravery in making a daunting journey back to her ancestral lands to gather evidence for the tribe's lawyer. No matter the trial she faces, she continues on guided by the protection of her ancestors and the spirit of the jaguar.

While not a real person, Andrea is based on real people and Amazona on real events. The author clearly has strong feelings about what has happened and pulls no punches in their writing. I appreciate that there is still room for personal reflection and an opportunity for redemption when Andrea comes across someone from her youth. He is in a position to kill her but has a recollection of his first encounter with Andrea that gives him pause. It felt as though this moment created a space in which all of us can find hope for a better future - one that does not forcibly remove people from their homes.

This graphic novel is short, but tells a strong story of the effects violence that indigenous people face as their homes continue to be taken from them by those looking to make a profit. Amazona tells the story of a young indigenous woman named Andrea to returns to her village near the Amazon Rain Forest after being displaced due to illegal mining operations to bury her infant daughter. Some of the strongest parts of the artwork are the black background during violent events (such as Andrea’s displacement and her daughter’s death) to contrast the white backgrounds during the present day story and positive(ish) flashbacks. With shorter stories there’s often a desire for more, of feeling like there isn’t enough, but this wasn’t the case here. That isn’t the case here. Although there isn’t a happily either after ending—there’s not a “set” ending of what happens next (partly because in real life it’s hard to know what’s next for displaced indigenous people in these situations) but it leaves in a place of hope and empowerment, and I think that’s so important.

Intense but hopeful, a story of an Indigenous woman's fight to reclaim her community's homeland. Great use of color, very emotive.

What an amazing graphic novel! The illustrations are beautiful and the story is heart breaking! This is a story that needs to be told. A must purchase title for all graphic novel collections!

The story of an indigenous Columbian woman and her village, chased from their land for gold mining profits and forced into a cramped house with over 30 people. Desperate to find proof of their stolen land, Andrea travels back to their destroyed village to bury her daughter and search for evidence. Able to sway one of the guards, she searches for any clues throughout the burned down homes. We are provided with the backstory of both Andrea and the guard, who knew each other from childhood. Peppered with dark themes; violence, attempted rape, abuse, and murder.

It felt like the story was building up to something, but ultimately wrapped up too fast without a solid conclusion.

This graphic novel for adults is heavy and sad, dealing with the violent displacement of indigenous communities in Colombia, not way in the past, but *right now*.

It was a fast read, but it definitely hit heavy and deep. Content warnings abound. No wonder it won the Spanish award for the best graphic novel about a social issue the year it came out.

This graphic novel is excellent, and the author and artist Canizales, is a Columbian native.
The story follows Andrea, an indigenous woman who was forced to leave her tribal ancestral home after men come to drive them out to start a mine.
A year and a half later, Andrea is making the journey back to her village to bury her baby daughter who passed away after she fled. Andrea has another secret motive as well, to document what has happened to her village. Nobody outside Columbia knows how many tribes have been dislocated in the same way her community was, so she returns to bury her daughter with the ancestors, and see what is left of her home.
This story is true, and it hurts my heart to learn the devastation of the Amazon rainforest, and the horrific details of what happens to innocent people who would live in peace, save the greed of others.
Definitely worth reading, and learning more about the exploitation and degradation of of the lands and peoples of the Columbian Amazon.
I would recommend this to older teens and adults since there are some very mature themes,.

A quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed! A young woman from Columbia sought justice for what was done to her people, her home, and her land. It was a heavy read that was engaging and taught me more about what people (especially women) have had to deal with in some of the South American countries. Definitely recommend.

Amazona was beautifully written and illustrated, and told a heartbreaking, dark, and yet somewhat hopeful story. Short but powerful, this was a great graphic novel. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

*reviewed from uncorrected eARC*
publisher-suggested age range: 14-18, grades 10-12

displaced Indigenous woman from Amazonia region (now living in overly cramped refugee housing in Colombia) returns to her ancestral land with the body of her dead infant daughter and is determined to reclaim their land.

fast-paced story with informative backmatter about displaced Amazonian people and suggested reading for learning more.

A very powerful graphic novel about important but not well-known crimes against indigenous peoples in Colombia. It was a fast read, but a lot of extreme emotions were portrayed through the art. The story was deep and meaningful. It was also very educational. I'm glad I picked up this ARC.

I did enjoy this however I’m not as into it as I’d hoped. It is an overall enjoyable experience and I can see why others enjoyed it.

Amazona is a graphic novella that is a quick, but heavy read. The issues and displacement and violence that indigenous people face in Columbia is showcased in a harsh spotlight. Andrea, the main character, is experiencing a horrific loss of her child, her home, her privacy and her culture is being threatened. The flow is a little disjointed at times, but there’s a lot of well told story that is based on a very real situation happening in Columbia. In the back, there’s a bit of an explanation of what the real struggles are and I always like when authors add these notes with further details.

I would recommend this graphic novel for mature young adults or adults. There are very strong trigger warnings to consider like attempted rape, violence, and discussions that can be explored like racism, sexual harassment, and poverty.

I received this book via PDF from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

'Amazona' is great! Through the eyes of a young indigenous woman seeking justice for the crimes against her people and land, Canizales creates a touching and haunting tale. The social themes depicted in 'Amazona' not only reflect the reality in Colombia but also in other countries in the region (like Brazil, my native country), which makes this book incredibly important. Although I loved the story, I wish the issue of sexual assault had been dealt with a little differently, particularly since it is narrated in first-person from a young woman's perspective. With that said, I hope 'Amazona' is read widely and helps raise international awareness about ongoing issues in Colombia and South America.

Amazona was a really beautiful book. The book covers a heavy topic and manages to include a lot of information in the pictures and writing. Canizales masterfully handles the topics in this book, both the principal story about Indigenous Colombians being forced from their land, and the main character’s journey. I’m so glad stories like this are being shared I can’t wait for Amazona to come out!

A beautiful use of the graphic novel medium.
Although a fictionalized story this is a story that needs to be told and heard.