Title: The Promised Neverland
Author: Kaiu Shirai
Illustrated by: Posuka Demizu
Pages: 189
Name of the series: The Promised Neverland
Book nr: 1
Published: 2017
Publisher: VIZ Media
The original title: 約束のネバーランド (Yakusoku No Neverland)
Genre: Fantasy, dystopian, horror, manga
ISBN: 9781421597126
Translated by: Satsuki Yamashita
My rating: 6/6
Emma lives in an orphanage with many kids, and their ‘Mom’ who takes care of them. The children have never been outside the walls of the orphanage, and dream of what it’s like to be adopted and be able to see the rest of the world. They love their mother, and their everyday life is filled with tasty food, time to play in the garden, and daily IQ tests.
There are parts of their lives that seem odd – but the children are used to it. They all have a number on their necks, wear white clothes, and are tested for how smart they are. Emma, Norman, and Ray are the oldest and most intelligent of the kids there. They have not yet been adopted but are aware that they will be before turning 12 years old.
The children live happy lives, unaware of what happens behind the gate of the orphanage. But one day Emma, Norman, and Ray discover the actual world and meaning of their existence. Knowing what they now know, their lives will never be the same again. The only thing they can do is run away. But how can they do so when their mother always knows where they are?
Their happy, peaceful reality turns into a brutal, deadly, and gruesome fate. Is there any hope for the children at the Grace Field House orphanage?
I always try to know as little as possible about a book before reading it. I like to be surprised by the books, instead of having premade expectations when starting to read. When I started reading “The Promised Neverland” I had no idea what I could expect. I thought this would be a cute fantasy tale about some kids discovering a fantasy world of wonders.
I was almost right – But still completely wrong😂
I did not at all expect this manga to be a horror book and was taken entirely by surprise. The characters of this manga are adorable, and the illustrations are marvelous. Reading it, I could never predict what would happen next, and I love it when books are unpredictable but still flow so naturally. This is absolutely a manga worth checking out! The lore, the characters, the plot, and the illustrations are all breathtaking.
If you like manga/comics, horror, and/or dystopian fantasy stories, you should check out “The Promised Neverland”.
Have a pleasant time reading!
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