Amazona

by Canizales, Sofía Huitrón Martínez (translator)

Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman, has returned to the land she calls home. Only nineteen years old, she comes to mourn her lost child, carrying a box in her arms. And she comes with another mission. Andrea has hidden a camera upon herself. If she can capture evidence of the illegal mining that displaced her family, it will mark the first step toward reclaiming their land. This socially conscious thriller from graphic novelist Canizales examines the injustices of his home country in a stark, distinctive style.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, Fiction, Indigenous, Realistic Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[petiteghoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional take on the real events of the displacement of Indigenous Colombian peoples. We follow Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman whose family has been displaced and resultantly loses her husband and child. In mourning, she decides to return to her village to lay her child to rest and expose the truths about their village's injustices.

While this isn't something I'd typically read, I learned a lot about a topic I didn't have much experience learning about and appreciate the fact that it's in a medium so easy to consume! Canizales' art style and use of minimal color sets a realistically grim and unsettling mood, especially in scenes where our characters are in emotional or physical danger. I felt the art balanced out the very blunt and factual voice of his writing. I did feel a little uncomfortable with scenes that depicted attempted sexual violence and how offhandedly they were approached and left behind.

Overall I am glad I read this! Would probably consider this a 3.5/5 instead of a 4/5.

[Kay ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit from Netgalley? I am surprised. The themes in this book were heavy. Seeing images of the aftermath of displacement hits different versus just reading about it. I will be on the lookout for more of the authors work as well.

-

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mallorie- Bookedatfirstsight · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the radio broadcast of the World Cup as a background focus.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazona(seriously, good luck getting autocorrect to spell that right) is a heartbreaking graphic novel about Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman returning to her village almost a year after being displaced. She’s grieving her lost child—and trying to expose the injustices her community has faced at the hands of mining and energy companies.

Even though the story’s fictional, it’s rooted in very real events. The author’s note at the end lays it all out—how Indigenous communities are being pushed off their resource-rich land, and how this destruction isn’t just local. These are rainforests that help keep the planet breathing.

The art style is really striking—monochrome pencil and watercolor washes, with flashbacks done in reverse (white on black), which adds to the emotional weight. It’s a heavy but important read.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazona shows the journey of an Indigenous Amazonian woman returning to her homeland after being forced out. Canizales illustrates the pain of indigenous people so the story can be shared effectively and emotionally. The book features both environmental and indigenous cultural destruction in a way that presents the issues realistically yet still gives glimmers of hope to continue fighting back.

Though I do not think of myself as an expert in the scope of graphic novel illustrations, the illustrations here are different than others that I have seen. They are presented in predominantly greyscale with intentionally placed pieces of color.

Though I was aware of the topics discussed before I reading the novel, I felt a deeper emotional connection to the issues at hand.

Thank you NetGalley for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital ARC from Lerner Publishing Group via NetGalley. Andrea, an indigenous Colombian woman who has been chased from her land goes back to find evidence to prove the injustice she and her family are enduring. It is a daunting task.

While fictional, this story is sad, emotional and eye opening about the injustice of Indigenous people in the Amazon. It dramatically shows being run off your homeland and losing people you love. The art was powerful and the backstory of Andrea and Elkin helped drive the story forward.

[Mrs_R_Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher at TLA in April.

This is the story of a young Indigenous Colombian woman. Her family was forced out of their village by men with guns. She is now returning to her home village in the Amazonia region to bury her young daughter and try to get proof of the illegal activities that are taking place there.

There is historical information in the back that explains the history of this region and their plight to regain their homeland.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devastating and powerful.

[Emily Mitnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro muy interesante con mucha profundidad, lo que me sorprendió porque está escrito en el estilo de un libro para niños.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and thrilling read about a topic and group of people whose voices aren’t often heard in American literature. Andrea, an Indigenous Colombian woman, makes a long journey to return to the village she and and her family were run out of a year prior due to illegal miners. Now she returns not only to bury her daughter, but to find evidence of this illegal mining in an attempt to sue the miners and win back her village. This is a short story yet manages to provide sufficient background and tension. I became emotionally invested and would like to learn more about this after reading this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my fav but a great meaning.

[Maria 💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book is speaking to you to pick it up, PICK IT UP! This graphic novel has been on my TBR for the longest and I’m mad I waited this long. Addressing important topics such as the displacement of indigenous groups, encroachment of mining companies, deforestation, and disappearances and murders of indigenous people that’s continuing to happen in Colombia today. The multiple timelines made the story more interesting, revealing Andrea’s reasons to risk her life going back to her land that’s now “private property”. Loved how the spirits of the land guided Andrea whenever she found herself in trouble. But most importantly the mention of the dying indigenous language of Quechua. I read a translated copy that I wish included the Quechua dialogue just to make the novel feel more authentic and make this Peruana-Americana 🇵🇪 happy seeing the language my abuela speaks in a book 🥹

[isabel. ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thank you to both the publishing company, Lerner Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy.
This book is very impactful, beautifully illustrated and incredibly moving. What an incredibly sad but eye-opening story about the indigenous people's of Colombia and their struggle for basic rights. I hope that this graphic novel can truly succeed and help spread awareness.

I do want to mention that the font is personally not something I am fond of. It feels in some spaces oddly placed overtop of the artwork. However, the illustrations are gorgeous and the story was easy to follow and good for the Teen & YA age group as stated. I agree with the other reviewer. I would love to see this book in schools.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a necessary story. I did not know anything about indigenous people's experiences in Columbia-- the modern day violent removal of them from their land. The intersectionality between indigenous people's rights, environmentalism...

My main frustration with the text comes from my standpoint of being a teacher and so badly wanting to offer this text to my students. But I just don't know if I responsibly can. Andrea is almost raped by one of the guards in the book, but then he realizes that he actually knows her from childhood. And then he decides to help her. He sort of comes off as a good guy in the book and I just don't know how to navigate that with students reading this book independently. Moreover, it is a real possibility that my female students were sexually abused on their journey to the US so this would need a significant content warning.

That being said, the book is so important and so rare. And I think the extreme horrors that Andrea experiences are important to be shared.

In terms of languaging, I am wondering if the original Spanish version is better. An important part of the story is that Andrea speaks an indigenous language, and the guards mostly speak Spanish. but in the English version, it is all in English. There is no translanguaging. I wonder what it is like in the Spanish version.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a difficult book for me to review - not because it was bad because it most certainly is not. It is magnificent. It is so honest and raw and brutal all while being filled with love and hope and grace that I wept through much of it. It is a book that is best gone into blind - the less you know about what this book is about, the more powerful the punch it brings, and trust me, that is a very good thing. It is heartbreakingly real [it is fiction based on many true stories from the Indigenous who have been displaced again and again and again], it is filled with courage and bravery and loss and all that comes from all of those emotions.

Everyone should be reading this. People being forcibly removed from their homes is still happening and this needs to be talked about and the people responsible need to be dealt with and that starts with all of us. We need [and CAN] to make a difference. We can be brave too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Canizales, Sofia Huitron Martinez - Translator, and Lerner Publishing Group/Graphic Universe for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heavy graphic novel built around the very real displacement of indigenous peoples from their homes in the Amazon. Both the writing and the art are kind of sparse, but that's probably for the best. This has a huge emotional impact that more detailed art or poetic writing might blunt. The ending is open: we don't know what will happen to Andrea or her people, and the same is true of the more than a million real people in her shoes.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooof this was good. And so sad.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Sexual assault
Death of a child
Forced displacement

[Kevin McCloskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZONA- a graphic novel, by Canizales
Review by Kevin McCloskey 1/23/22

Translation to English by Sofía Huitrón Martínez
U.S edition, Graphic Universe, Lerner, pub date: April, 2022

The graphic novel Amazona, like Disney’s animated musical Encanto, takes place in Colombia. Two stories of refugee families forced off their land by violence could not be more different. Encanto‘s giddy Madrigal family sings about their refuge calling it a ‘casita,’ or little house. Their house is more like a casona, a mansion, so saturated in Disney-color the rainbow seems redundant.

On the other hand, Amazona is a starkly drawn graphic novel. It is mostly black graphite pencil on rough white paper. Ink washes and spots of color are used sparingly to reflect a very different take on the refugee experience.
On the other hand, Amazona is a starkly drawn graphic novel. It is mostly black graphite pencil on rough white paper. Ink washes and spots of color are used sparingly to reflect a very different take on the refugee experience.

The artist Canizales was born in Cali, Colombia. In his story an indigenous refugee family is relocated to a dilapidated casita in a Cali slum. Andrea, the young heroine, describes her new surroundings: “In the place where we live now, and forgive me if I don’t call it home, you’ll find: my sisters and brothers . . .My cousins and aunts and uncles . . .My neighbors, grandmothers, and grandfathers . . .And boys and girls who lost their own families. A total of thirty-eight people sharing a 600-square-foot space. The place is divided into two rooms with no windows, a bathroom with no door, a kitchen, and a patio.“

Canizales now lives in Majorca, Spain where he is a professor of illustration and an award-winning author/illustrator. Most of his artistic output consists of early reader picture books and bright bubbly board books. While his board books would not look out of place in a Disney store, Amazona is clearly a passion project. It is fiction, but based on real people and places. Canizales pledges a portion of the book’s profit to aid indigenous people via Resguardo Indígena Nasa de Cerro Tijeras.

The storytelling has tremendous momentum. I intended to simply glance at the review pdf that came my way, but I read it in one sitting. Canizales’s tale is an important story, not a pretty one. There is racism and violence, including an attempted rape. While the vocabulary is deceptively simple, Amazona is not a children’s book. It is a graphic novella for adults, including mature young adults.

I admit there were plot twists in Amazona that I found hard to believe. – Latin American magic realism? However, Amazona undoubtedly delivers more insight to the Colombian refugee crisis than Encanto. Hundreds of talented artists, writers and colorists are credited at the end of Encanto. Don’t get me wrong, Encanto is a great entertainment product and I appreciate full employment for artists, but it is not food for thought. Encanto was never intended to build empathy with the poorest of poor.

In contrast, one artist, Canizales, born in Cali, Colombia, created Amazona. Sure, he had editors, art directors, and in the case of the U.S. edition, a wonderful translator. Yet, Amazona is basically the act of a single focused imagination, a single hand. Amazona is an extraordinary achievement, worth the journey.

[Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Amazona by Canizales is an amazing graphic novel about indigenous resilience. The author is Colombian, and I could not find any information about whether he is indigenous or not, but since the main character is an indigenous Colombian woman, I would consider this to be an #ownvoices book. The story revolves around Andrea, whose indigenous community was kicked out of their land. Armed with a camera, she hopes to take photos that she can send to a lawyer so that they can hopefully get their land back. Will she succeed?

Overall, Amazona is simply a stunning graphic novel with an important message that everyone should hear. One highlight is the amazing artwork. The scenes in the dark jungle, when their land is being taken away, are scary and heartbreaking, and the dark colors reflect that. Another highlight is the socially conscious story. The author includes an Afterword at the end of the book where he talks about the trials that indigenous peoples have faced in Colombia. I learned a lot from this part, and from this book, that I had had no idea about. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, or if you want to learn more about indigenous peoples, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

[Jaclyn Hillis]

Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman, and her family were displaced from their village. Almost a year later, she has returned to the land to mourn her lost child. And she is also on a mission to prove the injustices her peoples have faced.

This was such a heartbreaking book about the horrors Indigenous peoples have faced at the hands of mining and energy companies. Even though it was a fictional account, these events are very real. The author’s note at the end shed light on recent events that have affected these communities.

Themes: Indigenous (Quechua) peoples of Columbia, gold mines and mining, family life

Content warnings: violence, forced displacement, racism, child death, sexual assault

While the Amazonian region of Colombia is sparsely populated, it is home to over 70 different Indigenous ethnic groups. The author, Canizales, is Columbian by birth, Majorcan (Spain) by adoption. Order this book — the author will be donating a portion of his royalties to Resguardo Indígena Nasa de Cerro Tijeras on behalf of Indigenous Women in Columbia.

Thank you NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Publication date 5/3/22!

[Rhica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read an ARC of this graphic novel by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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 recommend this book for older teens, and adults, as there are more mature themes in it not suitable for young ones.

[Kaitlyn Grantner · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. I do think the sexual assault could have been left out, or expanded upon more in regards to how the main character was feeling. It felt like a strange add-in because it was such a short piece of the story, with no commentary from our main character.

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

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Learner Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 - Rounded up to a 4

Amazona follows Andrea, a young indigenous Columbian woman, on her journey back to her homeland. After being driven out by soldiers with guns to use their land for mining, Andrea and her family flee and end up seeking asylum. After the devastating loss of her child, she treks back to bury her on sacred land. What she doesn't share is the hidden motive behind her journey - to get evidence for her lawyer.

Amazona is a chilling look at how easy it is to lose everything you own and have to start anew. My favorite part of this graphic novel were the illustrations, hands down. The use of black and white made everything that much more intense. The scenes in the darkness, also when the darkest parts of her life happen, are so unnerving because of the use of white ink/pencil on an all black background. I also liked the breakdown of what actually happened to people of these cultures since this was a fictional story based in fact. My only complaint is I wish it had been a little bit longer, some of the situations felt a bit rushed.

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an attractive and important graphic book about... "Andrea, a young indigenous Colombian woman, has returned to the part of the Amazonia region she calls home." (from the back cover). She's mourning her lost child and carrying a box with a camera to capture evidence of the illegal mining which displaced her family. If she's successful she might help reclaim her family's land.
There are about 2 million indigenous people in Colombia from 115 different native people. Colombia has about 50 million people groups. The indigenous people are often the targets of violence and forced displacement. Colombia is considered the most dangerous country in the world for human rights defenders, activists, environmentalists, and journalists. This book raises awareness of the problems of the indigenous peoples of Colombia. Canizales is a Colombian born author and illustrator who lives in Spain. I also noted that this book mentions the town of Puerto Asis which is meaningful for people at the church I attend, Hyde Park Mennonite Fellowship in Boise, since we have a sister congregation there.

[Sam Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kae · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful story about the Indigenous populations of Colombia who were displaced from their villages with such ferocity and hatred that the people only had enough time to run without much in the way of "packing and leaving". So when the frustrated, angered, saddened, and mourning Amazona decides she wants to fight back, she returns with her dead baby to bury her on native soil and in the process out the damage and upheaval left on their land by the new people in power while they sleep and live dozens to a small room.

It's a powerful reminder of the injustices in all parts of the world. The only inaccessible thing for a YA audience is that the illustrations are more offbeat, more homegrown sketching that fits the tone and mood, but it's a standard approach to art that they're used to and might turn some students off, however knowing what a significant event and ballsy main character lie within the pages, I would press anyone to read it. Moody, but well-placed.

[David Bruggink · Rating 4 out of 5]

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