The government in Asia has developed into a powerful totalitarian power that keeps it's citizens in check through fear and the prosperity that it enjoys. One if it's many devices is the use of The Program to instill the fear necessary in the lives of the youth of The Republic. A class of 3rd year Junior students is chosen every year from each prefecture and forced to battle to the death, leaving a single winner. Only one is allowed to win and the government has it rigged so that no other outcomes are possible. This book tackles the issues of these kids having to fight each other and how they react, treat each other and ultimately survive.

You probably need a protensity to violence to handle this one. It's pretty gory and isn't shy in any way about how it handles these children. Sex, violence, and language is as raw and natural as your liable to read in any genre. It holds more than the gruesome destruction of a bunch of 15 year olds, but the life lessons; trust, love, loyalty, revenge, and a scathing commentary on the waywardness of both government and pain of surviving as a youth into today's world.

Watch the movie again. I bought the manga too. Oddly enough, all three mediums utilize different mannerisms regarding how they construct the Program. If you're fortunate enough to get an import of the film Battle Royale (It's been banned for American release, but you can still import it.) you'll see a very well depicted representation of the same story.

Oddly enough, I was rather fulfilled with this one. Everyone dies at the end, including those you want to root for, but the ending is quite satisfying, and as a novel, it presents one of those stories in which everyone should die.

Can't say I know anything about him. This is his first publication in english, and it's in translation at that, so I couldn't tell you much more than that.

It's a great foray into the world of youth. Everything you could possibly think of is presented here, all under the guise of a gorey bloodfest. Uptights may be bothered and may want to steer clear (It was almost banned in Japan), but I think it's an amazing novel, full of just about everything.

The book's in translation, so you have to look past the rather simplistic writing style of the translator. The real treat lies in the actual story. As such, I won't rate the Writing style.

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Created Aug 11, 2003 at 10:29pm • Submit your own review...