A Silent Voice Vol. 1 by Yoshitoki Oima
	Reviewed by Arhaam Shahid September 13, 2024 Grade 8

Your Rating: ★★★★★

Book Tags: Manga, Bullying, Redemption, Mental Health, Forgiveness, Young Adult, Emotional Journey

Plot Summary: The Silent Voice (Vol. 1), also known as A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi), by Yoshitoki Oima, is one of the first manga in a series of seven that goes back a few years in time to place down the events that will influence the other 6. It revolves around two elementary school students, a boy named Shoya Ishida, a reckless kid, who only wants to fight against boredom, and a new transfer student named Shouko Nishyimiya, who is deaf. Throughout the manga Shoya and the rest of his class bully Shouko for her disability until she transfers to another school, resulting in many emotional moments throughout. Shoya is left behind to face the consequences. His classmates turn on him, making him the scapegoat for the bullying that many of them also participated in. As a result, Shoya becomes isolated and deeply regrets his actions. By the end of this edition, the plot is taken back to the present day where Shoya seeks forgiveness from Shouko for what he did in their elementary years. The story begins to explore themes of guilt, redemption, bullying, and the challenges of communication and forgiveness.

Personal Review: Yoshitoki Oima’s art in A Silent Voice is really powerful and does a great job showing the emotions of the characters. The portrayal of Shoko's deafness is handled with sensitivity, highlighting the challenges she faces while also giving her a strong and resilient character. What makes A Silent Voice stand out is that it doesn’t hesitate to show how bullying affects both the person being bullied and the bully. Shoya’s journey from being a bully to trying to make up for what he did is compelling and makes you think about how your actions can affect others. It doesn't matter if you're a fan of manga or not, this book will reel you in. The author really gives a deep understanding of the characters and makes you feel close to the characters. While reading this manga you can get a strong understanding of how the characters feel, think, and why they do what they do. I think this book does an amazing job of setting up and giving insight into what comes next in the series, and I am excited to read the next editions too. This book will send you on a roller coaster of feelings and emotions whilst dealing with its heavy topics. The author is bold and doesn't refrain from detailing anything that could take place in a bullying situation, which may not sit right with some readers. Overall, I would recommend this book, but it's not for younger kids or people who may be sensitive to depictions of bullying and suicide. But if you are comfortable with these topics, I see no reason why you shouldn’t read A Silent Voice. A Silent Voice No. 1 is a powerful and thought-provoking read that tackles difficult topics with sensitivity and insight. It’s a story about understanding, forgiveness, and the importance of communication, making it a must-read for anyone interested in exploring complex human relationships.

Similar Reads:

Your Lie in April by Naoshi Arakawa is a manga about music, trauma, and healing, centered around a young pianist and a vibrant violinist who changes his life. Orange by Ichigo Takano is a story involving time travel, friendship, and dealing with regret as a group of friends tries to prevent a tragedy. My Little Monster by Robico is a romantic comedy manga that also deals with themes of personal growth and social awkwardness. These books and manga share themes of personal growth, emotional depth, and the exploration of relationships, much like A Silent Voice.

	Bleach Volume 6: The Death Trilogy Overture by Tite Kubo
	Reviewed by Anonymous July 1, 2024 Grade 8

Your Rating: ☆★★★★

Book Tags: Manga, Anime, Shonen Jump

Plot Summary: Karin is helping out an injured person that's laying down, so she calls her dad to help her out, just to discover the injured person left. So, then her dad assumes that she made up that story to get his attention, so she angrily punches him. Then Orihime and Chad wake up in an unknown room when Kisuke appears and starts to tell them about the soul society, soul reapers and later on, the Quincy. The Quincy were an overpowered clan that overhunted the Hollows, therefore not letting them reach the Soul Society. This was a big problem because then there has to be an equal number of souls between the world and the Soul Society. Therefore, the Quincy were causing the collapse of the universe, and had to be eliminated. Ichigo and the last Quincy, Uryu, notice a large crack in the sky and see hollows gathering there, so they decide to investigate, but get ambushed by the hollows. And a bigger than big hollow appears out of the crack, called Menos Grande and is somewhat of a mythical creature. Ichigo tries his best to defeat Menos Grande.

Personal Review: After reading the fourth installment of the Bleach manga series, I am starting to love reading Bleach. The characters are so interesting and funny. It would definitely be a crazy world if we lived in the Bleach fictional world. I loved the part where Ichigo sliced Menos Grande in half, because it really displayed how advanced he is as a Soul Reaper despite not being as experienced, as he has only been one for less than a month. Another part I liked was that Uryu uses a bow instead of a sword, because you don’t really see archery that much anymore. The arrows used as ammunition for the bow have a ring for easy handling and the bow looks abnormal and doesn't look like one. In the beginning, Chad and Orihime were in a mysterious room with Kisuke so now I wonder if Chad and Orihime are going to become Soul Reapers.

Similar Reads: One Piece, Demon Slayer, Kaiju No. 8.

	Bleach Volume 5: Right Arm of the Giant by Tite Kubo
	Reviewed by Anonymous July 5, 2024 Grade 8

Your Rating: ☆★★★★

Book Tags: Manga, Anime, Shonen Jump

Plot Summary: We meet a new character named Uryû Ishida that derives from an extinct race named the Quincy, and he is the last of the Quincy. The Quincy were a race that over hunted the hollows and which would cause imbalance and the collapse of the universe, so the soul reapers exterminated the Quincy race in order to prevent the collapse of the universe. Uryû challenges Ichigo to a competition based on how many hollows they can kill within 24 hours. They start off the competition by using hollow bait to attract the hollows to kill, regardless of the danger they’ve put on civilians. Because of this decision, hollows can be spotted everywhere around the area. Orihime and Chad discover that they can see hollows and they get attacked by them, and discover something....

Personal Review: I really love reading Bleach because of its interesting plot and characters. My favorite character is Kisuke because he looks powerful but chill. One part I liked was how Orihime and Tatsuki became friends. Orihime was being bullied in school because of her hair so Tatsuki stood up to the bullies and beat them up, from there they became best friends. Tatsuki then swore to always protect Orihime from anything. This is an example of true friendship. I wonder how powerful the Quincies really were and if they could become more powerful than the soul reapers. In my opinion I think that Uryû has potential to become a powerful character, considering that the Quincy were wiped out for over hunting thus we can assume that they were powerful. Also Uryû has a bow that seems overpowered as it kills hollows in one shot. I wonder if Uryû will compare to Ichigo? 

Similar Reads: One Piece, Demon Slayer, Kaiju No.8. 

	They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
	Reviewed by Anonymous  December 21, 2022

Your Rating: ★★★★★

Book Tags: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Biography, Comics, Historical, World War 2, War, Biography Memoir

Plot Summary: When George Takei was four years old, his entire family was forced from their home into an uncertain future due to the war. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered every person of Japanese descent on the west coast to be rounded up and sent to one of the ten "relocation centers". People were held there for years under armed guard hundreds or even thousands of miles from home.

Personal Review: Having only learned about the Japanese internment camps on U.S. soil very briefly in school this was a great way to learn more from a first-hand account. I could not imagine being so young and having my whole life uprooted for an uncertain amount of time. I can't even fathom how difficult it must have been for the adults in the situation even more so. It must have been so hard to have your life completely changed in such a way. I liked the art style and the way the story is told; I think this is a great read.

Similar Reads: Displacement By: Kiku Hughes; Almost American Girl By: Robin Ha; American Born Chinese By: Gene Luen Yang

	Drama by Raina Telgemeier
	Reviewed by Anonymous December 21, 2022

Your Rating: ★★★★★

Book Tags: Comic books, Theater, Middle School, Graphic Novel, LGBTQ+, Drama

Plot Summary: We follow Callie as she navigates middle school. Callie loves theater and wanted to try out for her school's production of "Moon Over Mississippi" but she can't sing so she works as a set designer for the drama department stage crew. She's determined to create her best work but runs into obstacles like lack of funds. Of course, there is drama onstage and offstage once actors are chosen. Then suddenly, two cute brothers enter the picture and things get even crazier.

Personal Review: I think this is a super cute book and so easy to get lost in. The art style is cute and made me want to draw my own comics! I loved the characters and it really does feel very realistic when it comes to school drama. I think overall it is a fun read and without spoiling too much, yes there is a lot of drama.

Similar Reads: The Prince and the Dressmaker By: Jen Wang; Cheer up! Love and Pompoms  By: Crystal Frasier with Val Wise (Illustrator), Oscar O. Jupiter (Illustrator); New Kid By Jerry Craft; Roller Girl By: Victoria Jamieson

	Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
	Reviewed by Anonymous December 21, 2022

Your Rating: ★★★★★

Book Tags: Graphic Novels, Contemporary, LGBT, LGBTQ+, Comics, Romance

Plot Summary: This story follows a year 10 boy named Charlie Spring who goes to an all-boys school called Truham Grammar School. He was unfortunately bullied during year 9 for being gay but thankfully in year 10, he was finally left alone. The other main character is Nick Nelson who is in year 11 and on the school's rugby team. He's heard of Charlie but never spoken to him before. When they are seated next to each other in a class, they quickly become friends, Charlie soon starts to fall for Nick, even though he is convinced he doesn't have a chance...

Personal Review: This was such a cute read and I loved it so much. I burned through it quickly and am so excited to read the other books in the series as well. I liked the art style and the characters a lot. I can't wait to binge the other books as soon as possible. I love how they become friends and you can kind of see how they both grapple with their strengthening feelings. It's a great start to the series.

Similar Reads: The Princess and the Dressmaker By: Jen Wang; Meet Cute Diary By: Emery Lee; What if it's us By: Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera; Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms By: Crystal Grasier with Val Wise (illustrator, Oscar O. Jupiter (illustrator)