Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed Battle Royale. I initially heard of it because of claims that Suzanne Collins ripped it off when she wrote The Hunger Games. I don't think that's true, but I am glad that my attention was drawn to Battle Royale.
I love the way Koushun Takami wrote his story, giving every character a voice, a life and often a detailed death. At first this storytelling technique lulls the reader into a false sense of security, thinking "Surely if we are seeing the story from this character's perspective they are safe!", but no, that isn't the case.
By writing his novel this way Koushun Takami invites his readers to discover what his characters valued in life: what about their world are they sad to be leaving behind, what are their final thoughts and how does this relate to the battle royale and this society as a whole.
It is jarring how the Takami creates a juxtaposition of death and love. Most characters, in the midst of this death race, are most concerned to know who their friends had crushes on or to find their own crushes and declare their feelings before it's too late. Their lives didn't end when they awoke on the island, they are not only fighting to the death but fighting to claim every ounce of life they have left before their lives come to a jarring and violent end.
This book, unlike other dystopians, seems less about a critique on societal structure or a woeful prophecy of things to come, and more about life, what people care about, what people can be driven to do and what is ultimately important in the face of death.
I love the way Koushun Takami wrote his story, giving every character a voice, a life and often a detailed death. At first this storytelling technique lulls the reader into a false sense of security, thinking "Surely if we are seeing the story from this character's perspective they are safe!", but no, that isn't the case.
By writing his novel this way Koushun Takami invites his readers to discover what his characters valued in life: what about their world are they sad to be leaving behind, what are their final thoughts and how does this relate to the battle royale and this society as a whole.
It is jarring how the Takami creates a juxtaposition of death and love. Most characters, in the midst of this death race, are most concerned to know who their friends had crushes on or to find their own crushes and declare their feelings before it's too late. Their lives didn't end when they awoke on the island, they are not only fighting to the death but fighting to claim every ounce of life they have left before their lives come to a jarring and violent end.
This book, unlike other dystopians, seems less about a critique on societal structure or a woeful prophecy of things to come, and more about life, what people care about, what people can be driven to do and what is ultimately important in the face of death.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked this, but i think the manga is better (4 stars). Both follow the same plot, with some variations but esencialy the same, however the manga has more backstory of all characters you meet and it's more thought provocking.
Yes, it's about fear, despair, rage, the darkest side of humanity, but it's also about hope, love, friendship, loyalty, kindness... Because in all the chaos there's an eye of the storm, there is light in the darkest places, you only have to look for it. It's about staying true to ourselves, to our beliefs, and our hability to feel empathy. And that is beautiful.
But before you dive into this check for trigger warnings, it's really violent and some scenes just makes your skin crawl.
The book is a lot less violent and more contained than the manga, some things are only hinted at in the book, but in the manga you see every horrible thing that happens.
Trigger warnings: blood, gore, violence, rape, suicide, automutilation, bad language... (Basicaly every awful thing that you can think of happens)
Yes, it's about fear, despair, rage, the darkest side of humanity, but it's also about hope, love, friendship, loyalty, kindness... Because in all the chaos there's an eye of the storm, there is light in the darkest places, you only have to look for it. It's about staying true to ourselves, to our beliefs, and our hability to feel empathy. And that is beautiful.
But before you dive into this check for trigger warnings, it's really violent and some scenes just makes your skin crawl.
The book is a lot less violent and more contained than the manga, some things are only hinted at in the book, but in the manga you see every horrible thing that happens.
Trigger warnings: blood, gore, violence, rape, suicide, automutilation, bad language... (Basicaly every awful thing that you can think of happens)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated