Scan barcode
suprconman99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Some things, such as the generally misogynist and homophobic attitudes of even the “good” characters, have not aged particularly well. Whether these were intentional commentary on conservative Japanese culture or an attempt to realistically inhabit the mind of a teenage Japanese boy in the mid-to-late ‘90s, or a reflection of the author’s own unexamined biases, I don’t know. I doubt it’s the latter, though, as the author seems like a self-aware, reflective, and thoughtful enough fellow in the afterword of the ‘09 translation I read. Also, I just generally try to be charitable and extend the benefit of the doubt where possible. The characterization is also pretty shallow for the most part, although to be fair we’re dealing with a roster of like 40 characters.
All in all, this book mostly lived up to the hype by the end (aided in part by virtue of its stronger-than-expected closing chapters, beginning with the final chase/fight sequence on the island). I’d recommend to anyone looking for some thrilling genre fiction. It’s a big ol’ tome but the pacing will have the pages flying by once the action gets going.
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Blood, Death, Violence, and Gore
Minor: Misogyny and Homophobia
parchmentdreams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Suicide, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicidal thoughts
seventhcr0w's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Gore, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Torture, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content, Stalking, Homophobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
perthalus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I’ve seen the film adapt more than once before, and reading the original book provided so many pieces of context and extra character bits that made reading it entirely worth it. Koushun Takami absolutely nails the action. Even knowing what happens doesn’t remove from the intensity and suspense provided by each encounter, and god, what a premise.
I especially love Kazuo Kiriyama’s gang, though I wish Kazuo himself got a little more background towards the end, but that may just be my bias talking. And I also love Shogo Kawada because… I don’t know, I just love him, okay? 🫶🏻 Now that I think about it, there isn’t a character I don’t really like, maybe besides Shinji, though even he has his moments. But Mitsuko, Kazuo, Shogo, Shuya, Hiroki, Chigusa, and Noriko are all characters I absolutely love.
I will say that the action can ride the edge between believable and ridiculous, especially when characters do somersaults mid-fight. And on top of that, Shinji’s computer jargon and his exposition on pre-established information made his chapters a little repetitive, but other than that I can’t pick out any glaring problems with the book or it’s story.
Overall, it’s a book that is still incredibly entertaining, shocking, and politically powerful as it was when it was first released, and it only made my appreciation grow for the story and the film adaptation.
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Death, Gore, Violence, Suicide, Misogyny, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Bullying, Cursing, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
Minor: Suicide, Trafficking, Classism, and Homophobia
virgilsinferno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse
Minor: Homophobia
gine's review against another edition
5.0
I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you like gore and Hunger Games you’d probably enjoy this book. It’s a dark and fast paced book even with 620 something pages. We follow Shuya and his classmates of Shiroiwa Junior High School, ninth grade class B. On their way to a school trip, that turns out to be something else. Where they are left on an island to battle out and fight to survive. Definitely not a book for someone squeamish, as there is a lot of graphic death and lots of gore. But as a avid gore fan and thriller fan I highly recommend this book.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Gun violence
and_the_ocean_burned's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Blood, Gun violence, Suicide, Stalking, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, and Death
readbyella_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
livlivlivliv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Homophobia
nannahnannah's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
At this point, it's almost useless to describe what Battle Royale is about, but we have a successful fascist government sending high school kids into a death match every other year or so (last one standing wins). Why? You'll have to read to find out. Unlike The Hunger Games, Battle Royale takes you a little bit into every students' PoV, which is a little unnerving but also very satisfying in its own horrific way.
It's very very similar to The Hunger Games, but that's not really what I want to talk about here (that's a discussion for another day..., Plus that statement should really be flipped, to be honest).
This book is filled with interesting characters, but the two main characters, Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nagakawa fall flat in comparison. They're pretty 2-dimensional and lackluster, almost there for contrast maybe. Shuya's character, in particular, gets pretty annoying, saying the same line "I trust you" over and over to the same guy, as if he's changed his mind off-scene sometime.
Anyway, plot-wise, the book kept me on the edge of my seat and never really lagged. Except for the homophobia and total shitty shock factor for when it came to rape I enjoyed it (unfortunately these are really important Exceptions ...).
I know one could argue the homophobia was in-book homophobia (aka the villain saying the American Empire is awful for its "drugs, crime, and h*mosexuals"), but then you have characters audiences are supposed to sympathize with calling gay characters "annoying q*eers", among other slurs. Besides this, the only two characters who weren't straight were part of the "bad student gangs" and were definitely the villains of the story.
Anyway, I'm still glad I finally got to read this.
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Rape and Homophobia
Minor: Ableism