Rating: 
Summary: Untitled (Battle Royale is beyond words!!!)
Review: Being an active high school student, I don't have much time to sit and read as much as I'd like to. This makes it crucial to my well being that the books I choose to read in the summer actually turn out to be interesting and well written. Battle Royale has ruined my life, at least for the rest of the summer, because I read that first and now no book will live up to its high quality.I won't lie; this book makes you think. For some, this factor is a deterent. However, if you're like me, it only makes you love the book more. At points of enormous climax (yes, there were more than a few) I couldn't help but turn to my boyfriend and start hitting him for reccomending such a sad or tragic book that made me feel for the charactors as much as this one did. My agony never lasted long though, because the story continues with a steady flow that is hard to come by. Alright, I'm no good at reviews. You saw I gave it 5 stars. All I can do is say that this book affects you.
Rating:
Summary: Utter Brilliance
Review: Wow! I was totally amazed when I read this book. It is my new favorite book of all time. It's about a class of students in Japan who are taken to an island and they are to kill their classmates till only one is left. At first some of the students are reluctent to kill their friends, but soon into to the game, some students panic and kill who ever they come across and others just want to live.
Rating:
Summary: BR Rocks!
Review: Battle Royale is the best book I have ever read! Your in for a big ending Twist, and if you love blood and goor and some cusing Than you will love this book! I Give it 2 thumbs up, and more if I had more! ^_^ (Sorry for some bad spelling!)
Rating:
Summary: 'Could you kill your best friend?'
Review: 'Could you kill your best friend?' This was the theme for the first BR. When I say FIRST BR, that is because, for those who enjoyed the first and don't know, there is a second BR coming out. The theme for BR2 is: 'This time its war!' Now moving to the book. I am the kind of person that naturally likes the novel better than the movie and this book was just that. The movie was good but the book was MUCH MUCH better. I learned about BR through a friend. We are both in 8th grade and we came attracted to this story because it involved students around our age group. My friend and I fell in love with BR but she loved it by watching the movie, not reading the novel. After the movie, she read the book and realize how much better the novel was. I had the privilege of reading the novel first and expected alot from the movie. It IS very gorey, scary, maybe even too much for students around our age. But it also had a delicious thrill. I love novels that can scare me, pain my mind with sorrow, and make me cry with bittersweet romance. This novel had all that and more. It's not a mystery that all around the country, people of different age groups all come to respect this one novel. My friends and I think it is worthy of some recognition, thus, we have many sites about BR to share it with the world. I recommend this book to anyone who delights in a good book and anyone who likes to be swept over by waves of fear, sorrow, relief and love. Many people, including me, have read and enjoyed it. So enjoy it too! ^_^
Rating:
Summary: A nice surprise my students led me to!
Review: I am a high school teacher who noticed a book some of my students were reading when they finished their work in class. I picked up a copy of Battle Royale and got quite a surprise. After some reflection, I think it's the best book I've read in years. But it's probably not for everyone. Battle Royale is very violent. The violence, however, is an integral part of the impact of the book. As someone who works with and cares about young people, my growing sense of outrage at the cruelties being inflicted on the characters propelled me through the book. Also, the romances portrayed in the book are generally immature, but they fit the characters ages. While the book seems to be leading one to a rather dim view of human nature, the plot twist at the end is actually hopeful. I was impressed enough by the book to go to eBay (BR is not available on DVD in the States as I write this) and buy a copy of the DVD from Hong Kong. I was a bit disappointed by the movie, but probably my hopes were too high. If you've only seen the movie, by all means read the book. All in all, BR is a nice, fast read, and it is surprisingly thought provoking. The book sticks with you. Thanks to Mohammad and Chris for pointing this book out to me.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced, well crafted novel
Review: This was a well written novel which had me hooked from the moment I picked it up. The premise is dark, but Takami pulls it off and creates a totalitarian world that is truly frightening. You identify with the young protagonist, and his two friends, and some of the children you actually fear more than the adults. Some have mentioned that the English translation isn't as accurate, or as good as the original Japanese. Now I don't know about anyone else, but personally I can't read Japanese. I'm glad to be able to read this excellent novel in English, and even if the translation isn't always "spot on" or the way others might like it, it certainly doesn't matter to me. I'm happy for the opportunity to be able to read it. Definitely take the time to read this book. It's well worth the time. An excellent addition to the speculative fiction genre.
Rating: 
Summary: To kill, or not to kill? That is the question
Review: Battle Royale is the story of Shiroiwa Junior High School's class B third year students and their internal and external struggle to survive. Having been both a fan of the movie and manga (comic book) of the same name, I stepped into this book with high expectations - after all, this is the ONE that started it all. Overall, the book is a facinating, truthfully gory, strikingly innocent tale about students who are in that stage of life where you are not an adult, nor a child. Because several reviews point out the good qualities, I will touch up on the bad points - One of my (very few) gripes lies within the writing style. The book begins in a narrative, dips into third person limited point of view, and bounces back into narrative, all within the same page. The book also doesn't begin to get interesting until about page 100 or so, when the actual Battle Royale begins. The manga and movie outshine the novel here - the manga begins with a bang, and the movie has the advantage of actors to portray their fear and anger. While the book is simple and understated in its descriptions, the movie and manga have the visual element - you see a jr. high school student kill his best friend out of paranoia and fear - you see the class 'fat kid' slowly crumble to insanity before meeting his doom. The book simply states the facts, without any descriptions, and simply relies on stereotypes and later characters' words to give life to the departed. Of course, this is a minor complaint out of the whole - if Takami-sensei took the time to talk about all 42 students, this book would be about a billion pages long! However, the pacing and suspense is gripping. You wonder who will survive in the end, who will betray who, and deceptions run as wild as a soap opera without the blatent cheesiness and predictability. Battle Royale is a blood-soaked diamond in the rough. But -Oh! - how it shines!
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: One of the best books I've read in the last 10 years! This story of a group of junior high students deposited on an island and told that only the one survivor will be allowed to leave alive, is simply amazing. The book moves along quickly (read all 600+ pages in about 6 hours) because it is almost impossible to put down... each chapter leaves you wanting to move on to the next. The whole time I was reading the novel, I couldn't help thinking, "How is this going to end?". I didn't think there was any way this book could give a satisfying ending. Well, I was wrong. The ending is really incredible and may in fact be the best part of this book. Another concern heading into the book was how I was going to keep all the characters straight. It's not difficult at all and you really care for (or hate) the major characters. And even the secondary characters have great scenes that allow you to relate to them, even if they only have a few pages devoted to them. Don't pass this book up. You won't regret reading it!
Rating:
Summary: The Rules Are SImple...There Are None.
Review: This book disturbed me more than Lord of the Flies. It was more eerie and sinister than 1984.
Imagine yourself at the prime of your youth, enjoying a class field trip...only to find out that you've been abducted and brought to an island stronghold to participate in The Program, a government euphamism for a wholesale slaughter.
Don't worry. Your parents have been told not to expect you home for dinner. The Program is no state secret. Everyone knows. It's supposed to be for the public good. Every year, fifty junior high classes are chosen, and they are sent to a secret place, where they are fitted with collars that monitor their health, location, and record their every word, and if you try to take them off, your head blows up.
You and fourty of your classmates are given very simple instructions. You are to pick up a bag as you exit the room. In it, you'll find a map, a compass, a watch, a bottle of water, a roll, and a weapon.
The last man standing gets to leave the island alive.
And just to make sure you don't get any ideas about rebelling, certain spots on the island, including the government's base, are forbidden. Going there will cause your collar to explode. And should you decide not to kill, be advised, there's a twenty-four hour time-limit. If no-one dies within that time, all of your collars explode at once.
No hope of escape. No chance of being rescued. You, and fourty people you thought you knew, left at each other's mercy.
Prejudices and arguments that seemed trivial now fuel paranoia and hatred. Loyalties are tested. Fears are exploited.
This book is not for the timid.
Rating:
Summary: Survivor Meets Lord Of The Flies
Review: I always thought the ultimate dystopian society is tbe a fascist government that controls every aspect of its citizens.
Oppressing every thought and every movement. How wrong I've been.
The ultimate dystopian society is that which seeks to destroy its future. An every societies future is in its children.
With so much in the news of Columbine and school shootings, Battle Royale has upped the ante with its vision of teenage violence.
What a better way to control society than with seeding fear and mistrust within its children. With such a notion planted, there would be no way for the future adults to overthrow the dictatorship that exists. The story takes place in an isolationist Japan. The government controls everything. Music, news, clothing, you name it.
Prefecture Class B is on a class trip when the entire class is drugged and knocked out. They awake in a school house on a deserted island off the coast of Okinawa. They're greeted with soldiers surrounding the room and a sadistic Mr. Kitano as they're instructor for this years Battle Royale. What is Battle Royale?
At random, an entire junior high school class is abducted and taken away to a secret location (usually an island).
They have explosive collars placed around their necks and given a knapsack containing the following:
3 days of water
3 days of food (government issue bread)
A map of the island
flashlight
random weapon. Its interesting the weapons they are given. Some are given guns, knives, bullet proof vests, clubs and kitchen utensils.
Students are pulled one person at a time at two minute intervals and given a pack and told to leave the school grounds. The rules are simple. Kill your fellow student.
Last student standing is the winner. After 3 days if no student is standing then the explosive collars are activated and all remaining students are killed.
Every 6 hours certain zones on the island are forbidden. Crossing into these zones will cause the collars to detonate.
So, the question running through every student's mind is, can I kill my fellow classmate to survive? Can I kill my best friend? My secret crush? Should I take my chances and play the game, or perhaps band together with my fellow students and find a way to escape?
The student portrayals are right on the money. All 42 students are portrayed with all their ambitions, hang ups, crushes and
personalities. I could identify with every student in the class, because we're either were one of those students at one time or went to school with them. The class clown. The nerdy loner. The class jock. The prettiest girl. They are all here and the author almost makes you care about these people. They are all by no means 2-dimensional. Every chapter ends with a body count of the remaining class members. Starting from 42 class members remaining the body count goes down from chapter to chapter and the tension increases from chapter to chapter. Who wins? You'll be surprised at the twist ending which completely comes out of left field. The entire book is a page turner, but its the last 30 pages that you'll have a difficult time putting the book down until the very end. This is a first time novel for the author Koushun Takami. Overall a job well done, and I look forward to his future work.
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