Amulet: Waverider – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Amulet: Waverider

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2024

86%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

The long-awaited finale to the Amulet saga: visually stunning, but narratively it's a bit like a plane landing in the wrong city.

Amulet: Waverider

book

2024

86%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

The long-awaited finale to the Amulet saga: visually stunning, but narratively it's a bit like a plane landing in the wrong city.

4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

If your kid has read the first eight books, they're going to read this one. There’s no stopping them. It’s the end of a nearly 20-year journey for Kazu Kibuishi, and while the landing is a bit wobbly—it feels like he tried to cram three books of plot into one—it’s still a landmark in middle-grade literature.

It's safe, it's beautiful, and it's a hell of a lot better than most of the 'brain rot' content they're consuming on YouTube. Even if they find the ending a bit 'meh,' the journey through Alledia was worth the ticket price.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 9 to 13 crowd. Younger kids might dig the art but the 'internal struggle' plot points will fly right over their heads.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The core of the story is still about family and doing the right thing, even when power is tempting. It avoids cheap cynicism but does get heavy with themes of grief and sacrifice.

Imaginative

Kazu Kibuishi's world-building is top-tier. Even if the plot gets messy, the visuals of stone-powered tech and alien landscapes are enough to jumpstart any kid's creativity.

Safe

It's a graphic novel with fantasy violence—explosions, magic duels, and some creepy shadow monsters—but nothing that'll cause nightmares for the average 9-year-old. No language or sex concerns.

Enriching

Great for reluctant readers. It tackles the idea of power and how it can corrupt you from the inside out, which is a solid ethical lesson wrapped in a space-fantasy shell.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Stunning artwork that makes every page look like a high-budget animated movie
Finally provides closure for a series kids have been following for years
Masterclass in visual storytelling for kids who prefer graphic novels over prose
Deals with big themes like resisting the 'easy' path to power

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What to Watch For

The plot is famously rushed; kids might be confused if they haven't re-read the previous books lately
Some 'scary' imagery involving the Voice and shadow creatures that might spook sensitive younger readers
The shift from fantasy to heavy sci-fi in this final volume is a bit jarring

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the Stonekeepers were so afraid of the Voice?"
"If you had that kind of power, how would you make sure you stayed a good person?"
"Did the ending feel like it fit the rest of the series, or did it feel like a totally different story?"

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