Manga Review: Ao Haru Ride, Volume 6, by Io Sakisaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 13.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The popular shojo manga series that was adapted into the Blue Spring Ride anime!

Futaba Yoshioka thought all boys were loud and obnoxious until she met Kou Tanaka in junior high. But as soon as she realized she really liked him, he had already moved away because of family issues. Now, in high school, Kou has reappeared, but is he still the same boy she fell in love with?

Futaba Yoshioka has encountered her first love again in high school, but he seems different from the boy she once knew. Futuba feels as though the distance between her and Kou has grown since he and Yui have started keeping in touch. Then something unexpected happens between Futaba and Kou at the school festival.

Review:

It's the school festival; Kou is working at a crossdressing maid/butler cafe, and Kikuchi is performing with his band. While Kou is struggling with his feelings of obligation toward this other girl, Kikuchi is attemping to move in on Futaba.

It's a little hard to feel bad for Kou in this, and yet it's complicated. It's not helped by the fact that Kikuchi is a really good guy; he's adorable and fun, and I like him a lot.

In the background, Kominato is working for Murao's attention. I find this dynamic interesting, especially since Kou's brothers personality is a bit of a mystery outside of his relationship with Kou. He acts differently with students, and with Kominato and Murao in particular. I'm curious where that's going to go.

This is getting a bit drama heavy, and yet I'm still very into it. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes next.

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

Manga Review: Hatsu*Haru, Volume 6, by Shizuki Fujiwara

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2019

Volumes: 13.

Spoilers?: Yes.

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Volume: 1. 5. 7.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Summer break has been full of endings and new beginnings for Kai and Riko both. Suwa's wedding saw the conclusion of Riko's long-held first love, but only time will tell if its departure leaves room in her heart for another. Can Kai safely navigate dating when love is involved, or will his uncalculated swing in the dark throw everything off course?

Review:

And finally the main couple becomes a thing. Though there's some conflicted communication here, since Riko immediately goes away for the summer, and Kai thinks they're dating now.

I really liked how Riko reacted here—not slapping Kai, but after that. Kai was sure he was going to be rejected, and he wasn't going to run away from it for long. But all of this made Riko rethink their relationship and how Kai has been there for her. It was really sweet.

There is surely more drama to come here, especially when we see their first date, but we also get to focus on the side characters a bit more here. Firstly, Takaya and Ayumi's fake relationship. We discover what's in Takaya's past, what his dark secret is. I'm not a big fan of his past relationship drama, but I like how Ayumi was there to help him when he needed it, and to try to help him move on. I really like their relationship, honestly. I enjoy their dynamic.

This is a really fun shojo series. It feels a little old-shojo but also fresh. It's really a fun read.

Manga Review: Love at Fourteen, Volume 7, by Fuka Mizutani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 9+

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

As Class 2-B makes landfall in Kyoto, everyone's talking about who's going to confess to whom. Amidst the mayhem, Kanata is shocked to realize that despite their developing romance, Kazuki's never actually told her how he feels about her! There's love in the air, but for Kanata and Kazuki, will this momentous confession--if it ever comes--just be too little, too late?

Review:

There's some light plot in the beginning of the volume, as the classes get together for group projects, and our characters decide to research the schools seven wonders. They're mostly either doubters or scaredy-cats, though, it seems. Throughout this, Kanata and Kazuki are still just trying to find time alone together, and Nagai is trying not to be affected by the teacher.

This leads into it being time to decide on their next step in the future. They have to decide on what school to apply for, or whether they want to work or do something else. Kanata and Kazuki don't communicate it at first, but we all know they hope to stay together. There are several unrequited crushes that struggle with deciding where to go for themselves, or to find out where their crush is going. We get a little bit of development with the minor characters during this, but in the latter half of the volume, we meet a new character that ruffles Nagai a bit.

Meeting this new character has me excited, honestly. I absolutely love the diversity in this series, and getting to see so many characters with such a range of interests and sexualities. This new one appears to be pan or bi, and I appreciate that. He also seems like fun, so I'm excited by that.

This is a really well done series. It shows a good range, even though it's a school romance. It's thoughtful and pretty and diverse. I hope to read the next one soon.

Manga Review: The Promised Neverland, Volume 12, by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: Light.

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Volume: 1. 11. 13.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The children of the Grace Field House orphanage must escape a macabre fate before it’s too late.

Life at Grace Field House is 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 food and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems…

Review:

The plot is moving along rather quickly. We finish one battle, and then the group moves onto another step forward.

They're living rather nicely in the underground hide-out, waiting on a phone call, while continuing to research, and even going out on undercover missions to get more answers. Emma gets an interesting piece of the puzzle in this volume.

But then everything gets thrown through a curve, as they're discovered.

This might be leading to a real sad ending for some, but it also causes a big problem for the rest of them. They were safe there—where else could they go? They've been getting along really well and they know how to handle themselves in the world, too, but that doesn't mean it's not incredibly dangerous and there's too many of them to be out there in the open for long.

I think the releases of this series have slowed down? I'm not okay with this, and might actually be forced to resort to buying the single chapters, as I'm pretty sure they're available that way online. It's already hard to avoid spoilers when I go on twitter, I don't need to fall even more behind.

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

Novel Review: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Tor Teen (Macmillan)

Release Date: January 2019

Spoilers?: No.

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

Excerpt.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart.

They say your destiny is carved in stone. But some destinies are meant to be broken.

The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.

A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

The Cover:

I think the cover is cute. The font is nice and the image is pretty. Not super eye-catching, but also not very embarrassing. It shows the characters well, I think.

Review:

Jesse and Scarlet were best friends, and they've lived across the street from each other forever, but now they're not. Now that Jesse is dealing with the death of his grandmother and what options he has with the land he's kind of inheriting, and graduation is looming, suddenly Scarlet and him are in each others lives again. Scarlet is attempting to gain some freedom from her controlling father, but there's a lot in her way from doing that. And then there's the weird psychic in town giving them these odd messages and hints.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Scarlet is dealing with a really bad family situation, and Jesse is dealing with a no-family kind of situation. They know each other, and they know the land, and yet they don't really anymore, it feels like to them.

This book was really just okay. I liked how it wrapped up, and the steps that Scarlet took definitely felt hard and important and realistic. It didn't wrap that situation up in a neat bow, which is realistic to me, however sad it also is. And I also think that Jesse's situation wrapped up in a way that made sense.

It just didn't connect with me as much as I hoped it would. The chemistry wasn't quite there for me. And, honestly, when a magical element is used, I really want more of it. If there's psychic leanings hinted at or talked about, I want them to be real. Not a kind of realistic possibility of a real thing.

Manga Review: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 19, by Mizuho Kusanagi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2019

Volumes: 30+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 18. 20.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A red-haired princess loses her family and her kingdom… Now she must rise and fight for her throne!

Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!

While preparing to set up camp in the forest, Sinha comes across a stone statue of a dragon. When the statue’s mouth starts to close down on Ao, Sinha slices it open and unintentionally releases an ominous spirit! How will Yona and her friends fight the ensuing havoc?

Review:

We get a history on the Blue Dragons in this volume—why there isn't a village for them, kind of, and what happened to the previous ones. What led to where we met Sinha in the beginning.

It could be considered a creepy story, in a certain light, I think. But overall it ends up being rather sad.

And then on to a new plot with a terribly rude cliffhanger. In the meantime, Hak and Yona are ever-so-slowly heating up. And Yona is getting closer to danger.

This has truly become one of my favorite series, and I can't wait for the next one.

Manga Review: An Incurable Case of Love, Volume 1, by Maki Enjoji

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nurse Nanase has striven to once again meet the prince of her dreams, so how is it he’s become such an aggravating doctor?!

After witnessing a handsome and charming young doctor saving a stranger’s life five years ago, Nanase Sakura trained to become a nurse. But when she meets the doctor again and they start working together, she finds Kairi Tendo to be nothing like the man she imagined him to be!

Review:

I'm a fan of Maki Enjoji, so I was excited for more to be licensed. I'm definitely going to be following this one, and I hope we get more from her and more josei in general.

Sakura thought she found her prince charming five years ago, when Tendo stepped in to save a mans life. Now that she's finally become a nurse and is given the chance to work with him, she's discovered that he's terribly rude in real life.

She immediately gets a different impression of him when she gets to work with him, but thankfully she's also found a passion in being a nurse. And he's also a good doctor, so she has to prove that she can be competent in her job, as well, and decide whether she wants to work in his department.

I found the hospital aspect of the story interesting, and I don't mind it—I have watched some medical dramas. I think some story lines were a little rushed, or maybe forced, more than went smoothly, in this volume. And even their relationship wasn't quite hitting me, I'm not sure if it was the chemistry or the characters.

This volume was just okay to me, which is a little disappointing. I hope that it gets better, as I really want to like it more.

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

Manga Review: Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Volume 5, by Yu Tomofuji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 2019

Volumes: 11+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 4. 6.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Having successfully entertained the true Duke Galoa, Sariphi has triumphed in the trials concocted to test her capacity to be Queen. However, her success has infuriated Chancellor Anubis. As Sariphi searches for a book alone in the library, Anubis approaches her...but what is the history between the King and his Chancellor, whose family has served the royal line for generations?

Review:

Anubis' hate for Sarifi comes to a head in this volume, and is finally somewhat explained. We get to see how he got this position, and what lead him to this point. Getting to see the King as a little beast is super adorable, and also explains some of where he's coming from. Quite a bit makes sense now, really, and we see now why him and Sarifi are such a great match.

We discover a back story for the kingdom, a past king and queen who were mixed race, which is a sentiment that I appreciate. And then the second half of the volume is taken up with the King's time of the month—his time to be human.

I really love the main couple in this series, and while this is a bit of a slow progress, it is steady, and it's taking time to flesh out all of the details. I'm really enjoying it.

Manga Review: Children of the Whales, Volume 10, by Abi Umeda

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 15+

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this postapocalyptic 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, cut off from its own history by the shadows of the past.

The promised land of Amonlogia has turned out to be a nightmare for the people of the Mud Whale. Suou and the Unmarked are being held hostage, and in order to save them, Ouni and Chakuro agree to serve the duke as soldiers. Orca’s forces and an inevitable bloody battle draw ever closer, but the duke has a far darker mission in mind for Ouni—one that will rock the very foundations of Amonlogia!

Review:

This volume lost me a little.

The mud whale inhabitants are still trying to save Suou and the others on the island, while Suou and the others are being threatened and hurt, and Rochalizo is being a weak boi against his cruel father. And then there's Ouni, who's kind of accepted his role and is finally willing to fight with the mud whale people to win this battle.

There's a lot happening in this volume. There's the mud whale debate and rescue mission happening, there's the struggle between Suou and Rochilizo and Rocholizo's father, and then there's a couple of side battle of wills happening at the same time. Lykos, for instance, is off on her own.

This battle is turning out bigger than I expected, and I think going to be uglier than I thought, too.

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

Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Volume 21, by Kohei Horikoshi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: October 2019

Volumes: 25+

Spoilers?: No.

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

Volume: 1. 20. 22.

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?

Class 1-A’s joint battle training with Class B continues! Class 1-A get the first win in the best-of-five series of all-out Quirk battles, but after some feedback from the teachers, the students square off again for a second round, and real rivalries form.

Review:

After that cliffhanger, things kind of start looking up. It's a hard slope, though.

It's a big moment for Endeavor in the beginning of this volume, and equally for his family. I really like Todoroki, so I like where this went, how it affected him and their relationship.

We find out some interesting information regarding the villains and the adult heroes in this volume. I'm still a bit wary of Hawk.

After that, the story goes straight into a new test for our main characters. They're split into teams and given a goal, fighting each other as if they're heroes against villains. It's an interesting set up and challenge for each of them. Admittedly, it's also a little long and winding at times, but that might just be because I'm not a huge fan of all of these characters. The fights do get a little intense at times, and I'm intrigued to see where it goes next with Yaoyorozu. Plus, we haven't seen Todoroki or Deku yet.

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