Rating: 
Summary: Interesting read...if you're willing to stomach the violence
Review: Battle Royale is a very fresh book; I've never read anything like it before. Takami sucessfully blends high-octane action with a deep, interesting look on the nature of authoritarian governments. The book's plot is along the lines of this: a class of 42 ninth-graders (Japanese) are unexpectedly entered into a government-run "ultimate survival" game. The students must kill each other, and the last student standing wins. There are rules of course (time-limits and "dog collars" which prevent the student from running away, etc.), but killing is the main idea of the story. Now, from what I've described, this book may just seem like a mindless, trashy action book. But it's not. It's also a story about human nature: love, hate, and the will to survive. Koushun Takami does a good job with making memorable characters. Though the typical non-Japanese reader may be a little confused by the sheer amount of unfamiliar Japanese names in the beginning, the reader really grows to "know" these students, and he/she will become attached to them. The only turn-off about this book is the violence content. There is a LOT of violence here, and Takami does not limit his descriptions about the brutal deaths. If you're not one to take a liking to reading about gruesome, horrible deaths, then I would not recommend this book. But, if you think you can handle it, then go right ahead and take a look. When I first picked up Battle Royale, I was hooked. The "different" storyline, memorable characters, and interesting morals presented made me addicted to this book. Go ahead, read this book. You won't think twice about it.
Rating: 
Summary: Alternate history + philosophical slasher = GOLD!
Review: Set in an alternate history, where the populace is ruled over by practically brainwashed secret police, and the people who don't know any better, Battle Royale takes the simple premise of a class trip, and develops it's characters so well, you can't believe it. Being a high school student, it sounds like people I know star. The geeks, the freaks, the unpopular guild, (although a little less the psychopath) and puts a Sig Sauer in their hands. The mental breakdown of some characters is further advanced by Mr. Takami's clever usage of writing out character's thoughts into the narrative. Even if the person portrayed is an exact opposite to who you may be, you understand them. It's also amazing how many teen and govermental issues are firmly addressed. Rape, suicide, teen sex, basic mischief, Rock N' Roll (Even though the Greater East Asia Republic outlaws it) you name it, it's here. Aside from descriptions of gore and politics, enough humanity shines through for this book to get it's point across. It's not "This could happen to you", it's "If this happened to you... what would you do?"
Rating:
Summary: Ridiculous, Hilarious, Corny, Entertaining
Review: Having just read "Battle Royale" last week, I can assure you that it is not the deep, thought-provoking classic novel that some Amazon reviewers have made it out to be. "Lord of the Flies" is still pretty secure atop the "commentary on human nature, using kids killing each other on islands as a microcosm of society" genre. With that said, it's still a highly entertaining read and is definitely worth your time. The novel is about a class of 42 Japanese students, randomly selected by the government to take part in an annual "program" that pits the students against each other in a fight for survival. The last survivor is the winner. He or she gets to appear on the news, and wins an autographed photo of the Dictator, the leader of this fictional Japanese fascist regime. Many have described "Battle Royale" as thought-provoking, and I suppose it is if you're younger and haven't read too many books. This book is clearly trying to make some social commentary, but it does so vaguely and in very general terms. Essentially, we "learn" that people who seem trustworthy and stand-up can turn ugly and vicious in situations where it's them or you, and that fascist dictators are a bunch of jerks who want to prevent you from living freely, loving, and listening to rock n' roll. The only thought this novel inspired in me was the thought of what I would do when faced with a situation like this; this factor alone makes the book highly entertaining. Also entertaining is the brilliant comedy found throughout the novel. A particularly intelligent student finds a computer, gets it running by hooking it up to a car battery, and tries to save himself and his classmates with his hacking skills (and if you think this is completely implausible and preposterous, just wait for the ending). Also keep your eyes out for the class clown's thoughts as he tumbles down a hill, the gay kid (i laughed for about 10 minutes straight at some of the things he says) and the snobby, rich violin player. Four stars for "Battle Royale". Its comedy (intentional or otherwise), violence, simplistic (but oddly charming) attempts at social commentary, and overall ridiculousness and implausibility make it a must if you're looking for a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: Violent Japanese Pulp Fiction
Review: I discovered this book at my local bookstore, in the Science Fiction section on the "Recommended" shelf, with a hand-written description that included the word "Disturbing." The premise of the book, according to the blurb on the back cover, looked interesting, so I bought it and proceeded to read the entire 600+ pages the next day, essentially in one sitting. Even so, I cannot justify giving this book over a 3-star rating. I read the book in one sitting because, once I got started, and got past the tedious introduction of 42 Japanese middle school students, the story carried itself and I wanted to find out the ending, which was not at all disappointing, if a bit predictable. I found the book to be an interesting commentary on Japanese culture by a Japanese author, in that the author envisioned a Japan ruled by an Orwellian authoritarian state, with a high standard of living, and a mostly docile population, capable of living with the atrocity of having numerous middle school classes selected each year for a killing game. Each such class is selected at random, moved to an undisclosed and private location, and the students in the class are forced to kill each other until only one student remains. Battle Royale is the story of one such class. The story is full of violence, but rendered pseudo-comically, and the only disturbing part to me was the writing. The writing was almost adolescent in nature, with charicaturish heroes and villans, and the author felt the need to perpetuate the tired notion of the liberating and rebellious aspects of rock-and-roll music. It almost seems as if the novel would have worked better in comic/manga format, but part of my prejudice against the writing could have to do with the fact that the book was translated into English from Japanese, and the translation may share some of the blame for the quality of the writing. On re-reading the back blurb, I realized that a part I overlooked ("Battle Royale is already a contemporary Japanese pulp classic") could explain my dissatisfaction with the book. This book is definitely pulp fiction, but an enjoyable read if you enjoy this type of material and have some time to kill.
Rating:
Summary: Good Pulp fiction; nothing more! nothing less.
Review: This is NOT a 5-star novel, as much as all the other readers may claim. I don't think they've read enough books... Perhaps the translation is not as good as it should have been, but the style of writing is still not impressive, even if the story is in some ways unique and detailed. However, you should expect this; I cannot stress enough that you are reading "pulp fiction" - an extremely violent, occasionally corny, often unbelievable, frequently adolescent, and disturbingly interesting piece of writing. It reads like comic book text, really, or the dialogue of a video game. This does not mean it's a bad novel - it's got some thought-provoking, suspenseful, and exciting parts. It also has significantly bad parts - including in plot, writing style, and general explanation of ideas. Without giving away any of the plot, that is my critique. I would never claim it to be one of the best novels ever written, even if it does suffer the disadvantage of being an English translation. Last suggestion: Do not see the movie before reading this, or it will make reading the novel much worse.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing.
Review: Telling the story of a bunch of junior high students sent to an island to slaughter each other... one begins to realize why the film version of the story was banned from sales and release in the United States. I'm surprised that the book wasn't as well. It's much more graphic and psychological than the film. That, though, is the book's strong point. For a translation from an Asian language, this book is surprisingly well-written. The narrative is strong and precise, and although the dialogue isn't that great, the blunt vocabulary create for a terrifying read. The book also delves into the psychological aspects of the story--how it affects the characters' behavior and mindset as the game begins to quicken and become more competitive. It's a strong, solid, and terrifying book. It's great, if you have the stomach to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Multi-leveled socio-political powerhouse
Review: "Battle Royale" is a gripping, intense socio-political novel in the tradition of "Brave New World" and "1984." When first hearing the subject matter, a government-sponsored game where a Jr. High School class must kill each other until only one remains, it seems sensationalistic and more action-thriller than thought-provoker. However, there is far more hear than ultra-violence and simplistic teenage slaughter. First, the writing is brilliant, combing the subtlety of classical Japanese literature with the aggression and confrontation of European/American political literature. Each of the 40 students are individuals, with unique motivations and personalities. There are no throw-away scenes or off-screen deaths, and each student's demise is made to feel intimate and important. Each life matters. Second, the issues dealt with are legion, from the conformity of Japanese schools to the insane bureaucracy and immobility of the Japanese political system. Along with this are more personal issues of loyalty, pain and loss. "Battle Royale" is a thick book, with a lot packed inside. I would imagine that those more fluent in modern Japanese politics and social issues would grasp some of the subtler messages, but there is still something here for everyone.
A minor complaint is that the students act nothing like Jr. High School students, especially not Japanese ones. Maybe this is how they would like to be, but there are a few too many "super-heroes" amongst them, a a few too few crybabies. However, as this is an alternate-reality setting, perhaps in the "Battle Royale" world kids grow up a little faster.
Rating:
Summary: Battle Royale
Review: I picked up this book after watching the movie of the same name. Being a consumer of media that promotes sensless violence, I was much impressed with the movie. I assumed, and was not mistaken, that the novel would take a deeper look into character motivations. Not unlike Heinlen (Starship Troopers), there is a political message in the book that was not translated into the movie. The story itself is both uplifting and disturbing. 42 students on an island forced to kill one another or die. Who can you trust, if everyone else's life depends on you dying? This novel has more backstabbing and strategizing than a season of survivor, but will suprise you in the end. This book is not recommended for children. Parents read this book before you let your older children read it. It does have some sexual refrences and alot of violence. Everyone else should read this book, and try to understand the political message, Think, Learn, and Speak. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: wow. buy this book. now.
Review: this book, sure it can be compared to _lord of the flies_. however, golding does not capture what it means to be an adolscent as takami does. this book is as much a modern _romeo and juliet_ as it is a violent version of "survivor". can you remember, or perhaps you are experiencing now, the emotions, the unending gush of feelings you have for a person, for a group, for a goal as a kid?....the kind of feelings that lead you to not think. to live blindly and completely. to be a youth. now. take all of those feelings, all of those feelings of longing and of hatred, and give those recipients and bestowers guns, knives, grenades and other gadgets of death. only one can survive.
Rating:
Summary: The book that kept me coming back!!!!
Review: This book is one of the best books I have ever read! The action never ever stops, and even though there are over 42 characters in the book, you will remember them all, without a doubt! This is a definite must buy for anyone who has ever read Lord of the Flies or even watches those reality tv shows. This book is action at it's best!
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