Manga Review: Case Closed, Volume 64, by Gosho Aoyama

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Sunday (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2017

Volumes: 92+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 63. 65.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can Detective Conan crack the case…while trapped in a kid’s body?

Jimmy Kudo, the son of a world-renowned mystery writer, is a high school detective who has cracked the most baffling of cases. One day while on a date with his childhood friend Rachel Moore, Jimmy observes a pair of men in black involved in some shady business. The men capture Jimmy and give him a poisonous substance to rub out their witness. But instead of killing him, it turns him into a little kid! Jimmy takes on the pseudonym Conan Edogawa and continues to solve all the difficult cases that come his way. All the while, he's looking for the men in black and the mysterious organization they're with in order to find a cure for his miniature malady.

A blind woman hires Richard Moore to find the scarred man who once saved her life. But the unknown hero isn’t the only mysterious figure lurking around—there’s a serial killer on the prowl! Then the dashing jewel thief known as the Kaito Kid vows to crack a safe built by a legendary master of traps. But when Conan sees the Kid’s message, he suspects he may be dealing with an impostor…

Review:

In this volume, we get about four different cases.

One about a diver, which of course Conan leads to the killer. There's a brief moment where he threatens one of Conan's kid friends, but no one seems to take that seriously. Then one where a blind lady who wins the lottery tries to find a boy from her childhood who saved her—this is two mysteries in one, as one guy is her childhood hero, but another is a murderer the police are after. Though this leads to the next mystery, as one of the policemen is trying to find a killer who scarred him before the time is up on the case.

The last chapter is the start of a Kaito Kid copycat case, as a fake note from him was left. This should be fun, because I'm quite a fan of him. I'm glad I have the next one and get to see him again.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Volume 1, by Aka Akasaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 2018

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

All’s fair when love is war!

Two prideful geniuses locked in battle. Who will make the first misstep and in doing so…confess their love?

Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane are two geniuses who stand atop their prestigious academy’s student council, making them the elite among elite. But it’s lonely at the top and each has fallen for the other. There’s just one huge problem standing in the way of lovey-dovey bliss—they’re both too prideful to be the first to confess their romantic feelings and thus become the “loser” in the competition of love! And so begins their daily schemes to force the other to confess first!

Review:

Given the look of the cover, and the title, I expected this to be a darker, possibly psychological, shonen series. But it's... not.

The first couple chapters are a little rough, a little rushed. But after that, it gets more into a flow.

We're quickly introduced to Kaguya and Miyuki, the student council president and vice president. They're admired and looked up to by everyone, seemingly untouchable. Miyuki is rather full of himself, and Kaguya is a bit stuck up. After a bit we meet Chika, the student council secretary, who's bubbly and a bit oblivious.

Each chapter is short and comedic, based around the competition and misunderstandings between Kaguya and Miyuki. Usually they're trying to outplay the other, to make the other confess to a weakness, the other to confess something and thus taking the higher hand themselves. Sometimes one is competing without the other even knowing it.

I will admit that it grew on me by the end of the volume. Chika is my favorite character so far, but I also like how oblivious rich Kaguya can be of the real world.

While this was not at all what I expected, I did have fun reading this volume by the end.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Teaser Tuesday[271]: A Monster Calls: A novel by Patrick Ness, Inspired by Siobhan Dowd, Illustrations by Jim Kay

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

---------------------------------------

A Monster Calls A novel by Patrick Ness, Inspired by Siobhan Dowd, Illustrations by Jim Kay

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Release Date: 2011

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor.

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting - he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.

From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd - whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself - Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

Excerpt:

“He'd never had a harder year of school or been more relieved for a summer holiday to come around than this last one.” (Paperback, pg. 68)

What are you reading?

Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Volume 10, by Kohei Horikoshi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2017

Volumes: 18+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

The League of Villains has grabbed Bakugo, and the resulting negative publicity has thrown U.A. into a huge uproar. With the public’s trust in heroes threatened, the faculty convene to figure out what to do. But Midoriya and the students of Class 1-A have plans of their own, even if their operation to rescue Bakugo could get them thrown out of school!

Review: 

The volume starts with the continued training camp attack. Bakugo is captured, and they try to save him before it's too late. The heroes are unsure what he's wanted for, but it appears that they believe Bakugo can be convinced to join the villains.

I'm actually surprised by how Bakugo handles the villains attempts to turn him. It very much seems that he would want to be a villains, and I think I might have missed an earlier volume where he said he wanted otherwise. He's very sure of his goals and desires, though, and that was interesting to see, given how villain-like he can be.

The group has a small recovery, and planning, period. And then there's a big showdown. It seems to be going well one minute, and then a big twist is thrown in; we also get to finally meet the real big bad guy. The next volume should be interesting, to see where that goes next with the cliffhanger.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Oresama Teacher, Volume 23, by Izumi Tsubaki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2018

Volumes: 25+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 22. 24.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can high school delinquent Mafuyu clean up her act and still kick some butt?!

Mafuyu is the no-nonsense, take-charge and hard-hitting leader of her high school gang. But when she gets expelled for being a delinquent, her mother, fed up with her daughter's wayward ways, sends Mafuyu to an isolated school far off in the country.

It's Mafuyu's last year of high school! With Miyabi and most of the delinquents safely graduated, Mafuyu and her friends are looking forward to a peaceful final year. But a mysterious new first-year is up to something sinister, and her schemes quickly take Mr. Saeki out of the picture. Now the fate of the whole school rests on the shoulders of the suddenly advisorless Public Morals Club!

Review:

The seniors have graduated, and now there are new first years. Some of the students are still missing the seniors, and then we meet Hanabusa's younger sister. She's calculating like him, but in a very different way, and with no attachments to anyone yet. No one really knows what she's up to yet, why she's going to this school or if she's helping their father in the bet. And then she throws a curveball at Mr. Saeki.

I didn't see this one coming, nor did anyone else, and it's still unknown what he's doing. It leaves several people with questions, and it leaves the Public Morals Club floundering for a bit. Amongst all of this, there's suddenly a new rivalry forming between Midorigaoka and Kiyama, because of an unknown student causing trouble.

The humor in this series is quite fun, but it's also nice to see a real plot line happening after a while. I like the mix of serious and comedy.

I'm excited to read the next one.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Children of the Whales, Volume 2, by Abi Umeda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: January 2018

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this post-apocalyptic fantasy, a sea of sand swallows everything but the past.

In an endless sea of sand drifts the Mud Whale, a floating island city of clay and magic. In its chambers a small community clings to survival, most dying young from the very powers that sustain them.

Review: 

I missed the first volume, so I went into this with no real idea what was happening. I'm still not sure how their powers work or who has them, though the marks that appear look really cool.

The artwork on the covers caught my attention when the series was announced, because the watercolors and designs are so pretty. Inside it's a little underwhelming in comparison, but it's still a pretty style.

This volume was mostly just okay for the first part, as all the massacring was happening. And then the council revealed their plans, and I was caught off guard. Their idea is rather awful, and I was even upset at the injustice of it all, even without a connection to the characters.

I'm unsure which characters I like at this point, if any, but I am really interested in what's happening to their island. The cliffhanger has me intrigued, and I want to see how they save it.

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: The Promised Neverland, Volume 1, by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2017

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The children of the Grace Field House orphanage have their happy lives upended when they find out they’re being raised to be fed to demons. Can they escape their fate before it’s too late?

Life at Grace Field House has been good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious foods and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems…

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing. The children of the orphanage are being raised as food for monsters, and their loving caretaker is behind it all! Emma and the others plan their escape, but can they make it out before it’s too late…?

Review:

The volume starts with everything looking good and happy, but there's a sense of ominous pervading. The narrator is hinting, but it takes a chapter to see why. Aside from the overbearing testing they do, for who know what reason (at first).

And then Emma and Norman stumble upon the reason for the orphanage, for what the kids are being prepared for. We find out that Emma, Norman, and Ray are the oldest, and possibly the smartest of the kids at the moment. Emma is active and not street smart; Norman is happy on the surface but always thinking ahead and calculating; and Ray is the quiet one, who's always reading and staying in the back. But all of them help around the house and care for everyone else.

Even from the beginning, the Mother of the house has an eerie feel—that placid smile on her face is clearly hiding something, which we discover later in the volume.

One they find out the secret, they start watching and calculating and planning, but they have to keep pretenses up or they'll be discovered.

I was hoping that they would get to discover the outside world faster, but it looks like they have quite a bit of obstacles to overcome first, plus they have high goals for getting out.

This volume was really good. It was rather unsettling, but done very well, and I want to know what happens next. I want to see what's beyond the orphanage, and what happened to their world.

Teaser Tuesday[270]: Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

---------------------------

Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Release Date: January 2018

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

Excerpt:

“Not just listen. Sean wants me to obey. They all do.” (Hardback, pg. 126)

What are you reading?

Manga Review: 7th Garden, Volume 8, by Mitsu Izumi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 3, 2018

Volumes: 8 (Hiatus)

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The high-pitched battle is on between powerful angels, sexy demons and innocent humans to dominate a world rife with political intrigue…and to win the heart of one hapless male!

Awyn Gardner will do anything to protect the beautiful mistress of the equally beautiful estate gardens he lovingly tends—even enslave himself to an also beautiful demon bent on world domination! The high-pitched battle is on between powerful angels, sexy demons and innocent people to dominate a world rife with political intrigue…and to win the heart of one hapless human man!

With Vyrde catatonic for months, it’s up to Awyn and his friends from the manor house to stem the tide of monsters continuously spawning from people bitten by the hideous flying bug-mouths. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind this plague, Angel Loki, sets in motion his technological scheme to eradicate every last gnome from the planet! Then, when a repressed memory is awakened in Awyn, he is determined to wreak vengeance upon Angel Vul and Covenanter Isaac…

Review:

 Back in the virtual world, we get to see what Awyn and the rest have been up to. The monsters have invaded the rest of the world now, and so they're slowly trying to clear them out, while waiting for Vyrde to wake up. And now we get to see what Iola and the rest are doing, given that they know they're computer programs. We also get to see what Loki has been doing, since Vyrde has been gone so long in-game.

We get a flashback to when the game was first created, an idea of what happened to Vyrde and her sister before all this. And then we're back in the present, with the physical struggle between Vyrde's good and bad sides, and how the evil one is dragging Awyn with her. It's not good.

I'm a little iffy on this series now; the whole virtual aspect makes some of it seem less important, plus it's only more confusing now. I'm just very meh at this point.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Volume 1, by Rin Mikimoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: September 2017

Volumes: 7+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A sardonic rom-com manga, Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight is perfect for fans of shojo like My Little Monster and Kare Kano.
Hinana prizes her reputation as a serious high school student, too focused on getting into college to pay attention to boys. But she's a secret fairytale romance freak, sneaking away from her studies to see A Roman Holiday and tucking pop idol magazines into her textbooks. When her celebrity crush comes to her school to film a TV episode, she has to pretend to be totally uninterested even as she desperately tries to get close to him. However, she's not the only one who's not what she appears... her dreamboat isn't just a pretty face either!

Review:

I don't know how I feel about this series.

One day, while Kaede is filming at Hinana's school, she accidentally sees a side of him that no one else has seen. It turns out that Kaede has a panty fetish. After discovering this, they end up bumping into each other a few more times. And Kaede equally discovers that Hinana is secretly a romantic, something she hides from her friends/classmates.

There's some drama regarding some borrowed shoes, and Kaede's manager. The humor is dramatic and exaggerated, and the humorous reactions are a bit annoying. I'm iffy on whether I like that or not. But at the same time, I do appreciate that they don't push off their attraction, and that they decide to try dating, even given their differences and him being famous.

I liked parts, I was iffy on others. I'm a little intrigued by the ending. And I am intrigued by the premise. I think I'm going to give it a few more tries, see if it grows on me.