Member Reviews

I thought that this book handles the "help I'm in a strange place" theme very well, introducing new characters and creatures into a wonderous but dangerous world. Can't wait for book 2.

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Her mother is gone. Since it's her birthday she wishes her back but her father tells her it's a useless wish. But he has a special gift for her: her mother's old music box. It's made of glass and it's magical. Just how magical she doesn't know yet.

Europe Comics and Net Galley let me read this book for review. It has been published so you can grab a copy now.

She sees a mini girl in the globe who is asking for her help. She finds she can shrink and enter their world. Once there she tries to help them save their mother. (It's a good thing her mother had been a nurse.) She manages to save her, they bust the contraband maker in the attic, and it's time to return to her world.

I wonder if her mother is living in that world? Everyone there knows her...

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While I really enjoyed the art style, I found I just couldn't get invested in this graphic novel. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend it, I just felt kind of indifferent about it.

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It was the first time in a while that I read a graphic novel and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot. It is a quick read and takes no time to actually finish it. The story is so adorable I mean a world inside a glass globe. I dig that. Anyone can read it and really enjoy it since it's fun, quirky and really interesting. What really attracted me the most are the illustrations. They are just so detailed and make the story even better. I feel like reading this book was like a break from my extensive reading plans and it actually pulled me out of a reading slump too. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read something quick but at the same time interesting. I'll give it to my little sister in order to read it right away.

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I really liked this Graphic Novel. The illustrations are wonderful and made me want to run to buy a copy, just so I can look at it in my hands.
The idea is very cool and I was very curious to know what will happen in the next volumes. Seeing the new world that the author created was very cool, since there were different and interesting races. Though aimed at a younger audience, it still managed to please me to the last page.

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Amazing art work! It's a short, lovely and cute fun story about a little girl called Nola. She is 8 years old and on her birthday she gets a present from his father: a music box which used to belong to her mother. Nola discovers a whole new world inside it named: Pandorient, a world full of stranger creatures, magical powers and loads of mystery. Somehow Nola is transported to this world and she needs to help her new friends to solve a mystery.
I loved the experience to read this graphic novel, it's short but incredibly well written and as I said the artwork is gorgeous!

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This was such an enjoyable middle-grade graphic novel. The story follows Nola, who has recently lost her mother, and she receives a music box that is linked to another world. The music box belonged to her mother, so when Nola enters the world and gets mistaken for her, it draws the two together. This is a cute story of a young girl trying to become close to her late mother, while making friendships and going on adventures in a strange new world. The art style was perfect, it really captured the fantasy elements. The story itself is very good and I hope to read more about Nola and this world within her music box.

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Nola is an eight-year-old girl pining for the loss of her mother. When she's given a gift that used to belong to her mom, she's quickly thrown into a world she never knew existed and learns more about her mother than she ever realized.

The cover drew me to this quickly and the art inside lived up to it. It was beautiful not only in the art but in the story as well. It touches on grief and loss, moving on, growing up, and it does it in a way that's so well done and seamless almost.

I'd definitely recommend to especially the younger audiences.

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Such a lovely story, the art is so beautiful!
Since is a short story I won't go into details, mainly to say that the concept of the story is very interesting, I hope that I can lear more about the world that it was created and about the characters in the future.

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The world of Pandorient is a feast for the eyes. I devoured this volume like a feast, savoring each beautiful illustration and the complexed emotions captured in each character. It's a fun graphic novel but also thrilling and a little sad in places. I truely, deeply enjoyed every part of the storyline and the way all the characters were introduced as well as the way new species were characterized and interacted with one another, humanoid and anthromorphic animals alike. So much beauty in one small music box. I can't wait to see another volume of this .

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Alot of people told me about the talent of Gije. That's why, when I saw that this book was available on Netgalley, I could not help but requesting it. And I don't regret it!

The drawings are just mind-blowing! I loved all the colours, that made the universe even more beautiful!
Nola received a gift from her mother for her birthday:a kind of snow globe. She discover that this is not an ordinary box when she notices a young girl waving in it. Here begin's Nola's journey.
The story line is not that original, and that's why I give the music box 4 out of 5 stars, but it was well-written!

I am really curious to read the next volumes!

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What started out as a cute, Alice in Wonderland premise turned completely creepy. . . then turned cute again. There’s an adorable little redhead. . . and then there’s two.
Her face when she says mom cured every owwie. . . heartfelt and sad.
Her little wave at the giant octopus. . . too much.
I’m not saying it’s better written, but I like this plot better than Alice: the three plucky kids working together to save a life.
The artwork is more vibrant than a lot I’ve seen recently, particularly the oranges.
4.5 pushed up to 5/5

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Did not finish. One would think these children could get some adult anywhere to help them.

The art style, on the other hand, reminded me of a Disney movie. Colorful and whimsical. The premise of the story is interesting (girl gets sucked into a music box and appears in a magical world), but with the three kids trying to help the sick mom ... I don't know. One of the adults they run into would have definitely gone back home with them to make sure she got proper care. Didn't ring true for me.

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The Music Box is a graphic fantasy novel about a girl named Nola who inherits something magical. This allows her to enter a world different from her own. She meets friends and has interesting adventures. I thought the artwork was excellent, the storytelling engaging, and the story itself very good. This was a fast-paced read and would be a great gift for a reluctant reader, and for those young readers who enjoy graphic novels. Highly recommended.

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Nola was given a music box for her 8th birthday. It was her late mothers, when she turns the key, she is transported into another strange universe called Pandorient
where she finds the last open hearts. She helps her new friends save their mom from a sickness. There’s something more about Nola’s mom. Can her new friends help her find out what happened to her mom? Pandorient maybe the key! This graphic novel is fun and action packed. The illustrations are beautiful I love the creative characters in this world like the herbalist. Nola is a fun brave character. This is a fun adventure for any kid. Boy’s and Girls would equally love this. I can’t wait for the next one!

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This is just a well drawn, mystery/fantasy/coming of age story about a sad little girl, Nola, who recently lost her mother. For her 8th birthday, her father gives her a music box that belonged to her mother when she was a young girl.

Nola is transported to the world of Pandorient (within the music box) and the people there seem to be familiar with Nola's mother. Her new friend Andrea needs Nola to help save Andrea's mother and figure out what is making her sick. Part mystery, part adventure, Nola must rely on the tips she picked up from her mom in order to help these friends.

For elementary and tween readers, the fast paced story, attractive illustrations and a precocious main character will pull readers in.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

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The Music Box is the first in a comic series about a world inside a music box Nola receives for her birthday. The story was interesting, but to me, there wasn't enough detail to keep me engaged. Nola spent a bunch of time in a magical fantasy world, but by the time she left, I felt that I didn't really know anything more about this place than I did before.

I understand that this is just the first story, and I'm sure the world will be described in more detail later, but the lack of detail made it hard to get into. The concept is cool, and the illustrations are amazing, I just want more backstory.

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

Author: Carbone
Publisher: Europe Comics
Publication Date: January 2018

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¡Que bella portada!

Introductory book to the Pandorient fantasy land - inside a music box.

In Nola eighth birthday her father gives a music box , memento from her deceased mother. When she winds it up, she discovers to her surprise a small figure, another girl apparently asking for help.

Inside, she discover another very diferent world, full of fantasy beings, strange and maybe dangerous. And... her mother seems to hide many secrets as well. What in the world is this world, and why is Nola's mother hiding it? (a sort of Superman botle of Kandor)

Beautiful colorful art. Potential friends Neighbors, delinquents, police and hard laws, forbidden relationships. Many more stories to explore, apart from this strange world.

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El dibujo me recuerda singularmente a los del dibujante Oskar en Mampato. Sobre todo cuando dibujo a la madre de los niños. Es claro y con personajes fantasticos, y da indicios de cosas más oscuras con la policia, y con los constantes llamados de atención de que Pandorien es un mundo peligroso sobre todo para alguien del mundo 'hexagonal'. No es una historia demasiado compleja, es para lectores jovenes , y como es introductorio cumple con dejar el gusto de querer saber más de este mundo y porque esta dentro de la caja y que cosas más aguardan allí.

Bonita fantasia, me gustaria seguir leyendo otra entrega.

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I believe that the illustrations of this book are marvellous, and I want to congratulate their author, because it is the focus on ‘’The music box’’. I have read this book very fast, since it only has 66 pages. However, I think that the fact of being short is the main reason why this book could be so much better. The story lacks many details about the world inside the box, for example who is in control, what are those many creatures and what powers they have. Even the fact that the main character is pushed inside to help another girl’s mom is a bit strange. She could ask more about how is it possible to have a world inside that box. Even the fact that the girl’s mom is poisoned with a strange drug could be more explained… like why that fox was trying to produce the drug.

The end is also a bit ‘’fast’’, because she is home and sleeping like if nothing has happened and the dad says that they are going to be safe. I don’t know if it makes sense, but it could be more explained. Nevertheless, I liked the illustrations a lot! I think that they are very pretty and well done.

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There are many things about this story that make for an amazing reading experience. The story is easy to follow and understand, making the story accessible to most children who try to read it. Additionally, the art of the story really contributes; how colorful it is makes it feel magical and ethereal. One can really lose themselves in the story and begin to imagine they are following Nola on her adventure.

What stood out to me the most about this story was how it is essentially a story of a child dealing with the grief of a loss of a parent. The death of Nola's mother is still fresh on her mind, with her still frequently dealing with her feelings about it. While the overall story of Nola going into this magical world may be simply enchanting for younger children, adults reading this story will be able to see how Nola uses this world to deal with her grief and ensure herself "everything will be okay". It is a brilliant take on a child's coping mechanism and one that both children and adults alike who have lost a parent will be able to relate to. I would have liked to see this explored a little more before the "main story" of the magic box even occurred; however, for a children's book, the pacing is perfect.

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