Manga Review – Promised Neverland Vol 1 by Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Manga/Fantasy
Length: 192 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Release Date: December 5, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1421597126
Stand Alone or Series: 1st volume in the Promised Neverland series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“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. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first volume in the Promised Neverland series. I borrowed this from the library.
Story (4/5): I was a bit tentative about picking this up even though I had heard good things about it. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The story picks up quickly and I was impressed with how quickly we were plunged into this dark and mysterious world.
Characters (4/5): I enjoyed Emma, Norman, and Ray but they came across as a bit over characterized. I hope they gain more depth as the series continues.
Setting (5/5): I loved this alternate world that we just get a glimpse of in this series. While most of the book takes place in the orphanage we do get little peeks into the demon run world beyond Grace Field House.
Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): Both the illustration and drawing were easy to follow and well done. No complaints about either of them.
Summary (4/5): Overall this ended up being a lot better than I expected. The story is darker than I thought it would be and introduces some fascinating mysteries very quickly. The writing style and illustration are both well done and I enjoyed them. I plan on continuing the series.
