The Golden Twine

The Golden Twine is the first graphic novel in the Cat’s Cradle trilogy that introduces young readers to Suri, a monster tamer in training who goes on the adventure of a lifetime. First published in 2012, this new edition was completely reimagined and redrawn by the author-illustrator, Jo Rioux.

When readers first meet Suri, she is an orphan living in a traveling merchant camp, telling monster stories to local children for a fee. When one young boy questions her monster taming abilities, she offers to show the children what she can do by taming a monster that mysteriously showed up at the camp one day in a wagon that moved by itself.

After being scared off her mission by the camp leader Leon, Suri befriends a young boy at the market. She regales him with tales of monsters, but then he mysteriously runs away, inadvertently dropping a ball of golden twine. Intrigued, Suri grabs the ball of twine and fashions an amulet out of it, an amulet which gives her magical superpowers.

Unbeknownst to Suri, the young boy is actually a Caitsith, an evil cat monster that can shapeshift into a human. When the boy returns to Suri’s camp to retrieve his golden twine, he brings along his evil family with him. A chase ensues, and Suri is eventually captured and taken to their cabin where they intend to eat her. When all hope is lost, Suri is eventually saved by the giant monster in the mysterious wagon that she previously had tried to tame. However, the monster really isn’t as evil as she believed. In fact, he's a giant dog named Byron who, along with his impish owner Caglio, befriends Suri.

During all the confusion, the traveling merchants decide to decamp and move on to another village, leaving Suri behind. When Suri realizes she has been abandoned, she, Caglio and Byron decide to travel to the Monster’s Cradle to find a home for Byron among the local giants. As they depart, the evil Caitsith family betray their whereabouts to a prince who is on the hunt for a monster of his own, setting up book two of the trilogy.

A fun, fast-paced read, The Golden Twine is a great choice for lovers of action-based fantasy graphic novels. Suri is a loveable character, one combining strength, intelligence and a love of adventure that makes her very relatable. And with monsters galore, young readers will be transported into a world of myth and fantasy that is extremely enchanting.

Jo Rioux’s illustrations also pack a punch. The dark, earthy tones she uses throughout really set the stage for Suri’s adventures. Although dark and atmospheric, the story is not scary and can be enjoyed by even the youngest of booklovers.

Thoroughly enjoyable, The Golden Twine is a magical adventure for middle grade readers.