Death Note: Boredom (Death Note, #1)
by Tsugumi Ohba,
Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Reading Grade: Young
Adult (Japanese manga)
Publishing Type:
traditional
Publication Date:
October 10, 2005
Source: Amazon store
Age Rating: 14+
Light
Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he's bored out of
his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death
Note, a
notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name
is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the
power of the Death
Note to rid
the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the
authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer.
With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or
his life?
My Review
Death
Note has
to be one of the most brilliant stories ever conceived in human
history. It's one of those that makes you wonder, 'why
didn't I think of that?'
I have already had the pleasure of reading this entire manga series,
and I've seen the anime adaptation a few times—it just NEVER gets
old. I'll read this manga till I'm old and gray (which is already
happening!). And, yes, it is a comic book, but it could have so
easily been a novel series. It is also being adapted into a Hollywood
film.
This journey takes you
to places you'll never expect to go. In the first volume, the story
is very easy to follow, as the pieces need to be set on the board.
But, once this thing gets going, it's the mental chess match of a
lifetime. As for urban fantasy, you can't get much better than a
magical notebook that kills the people whose names are written in it,
no matter where they are in the world, and, all happening in modern
Tokyo, Japan. Lots of police and detectives and criminals galore.
Kinda evil lookin', ain't he?
Light Yagami is a
serial killer-in-the-making, and this does take a long time develop
throughout the story. He really is the only human being who could run
from the greatest detective in the world, L, and not get caught
immediately. This story is the battle of the big minds, and it's just
getting started. Still, it is riveting, to say the least, even in
volume 1. L will do something to ensnare Light, who is dubbed 'Kira,'
and then Light will counter with something brilliant of his own. It
is cat-and-mouse, Tom and Jerry, but between two geniuses who don't
drop anvils on each others heads.
The dynamic between
these foes, as I already know, continues to grow in size and scope to
proportions you cannot anticipate. Just know this story is a major
thrill ride and you won't want to stop it anytime soon. I've already
read it before and I can't put it down! It is addictive, so be sure
you have easy access to the rest of the volumes because you will not
be able to stop after finishing only Volume 1.
Recommended
for everyone who loves psychological thrillers, mostly realistic
urban fantasy, and cat-and-mouse chases. Even if you don't love any
of these things, you still might like Death
Note. It is THAT good.
My score: 5 out of
5 stars.
* This goes toward my 2011 Spooktacular October Paranormal Reading Challenge!
Wow, this does sound great. Very exciting. I'll definitely have to check this out.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to start reading manga; this sounds like a fascinating story. Wonder if my library has it...
ReplyDelete@Alison & BJ: Yes, you both ought to get on reading this one. I'll keep reviewing each of the 12 volumes. And, I bet most libraries would have at least some of them.
ReplyDeleteI know you recommended it to me earlier, but reading your review just makes me want to read it even more! It sounds like a very addicting, entertaining series. I'm going to pick it up on my next library trip. :)
ReplyDelete@Alyssa: Definitely do so! It's so very awesome...
ReplyDelete