Nippon Ichi: Cage of Eden

Hey Scholarberry readers, so Friday is officially Manga Review day for Scholarberry. Nippon Ichi means Japan #1 (As in, anything that's awesome from Japan will be post under that title). Why manga, you might ask? It's a big part of Japanese culture (and also a source to learn about Japan). Plus, it's graphic novel. With manga, the conversations are alive because of the pictures. This is why I chose to start reviewing manga on my blog.

I hope more people can enjoy reading manga and not only see it as something for middle-schooler to read.

The first manga is Cage of Eden (or Eden no Ori). You can read it for free on Mangafox.com here. It is rated MATURE because of the violence and some revealing pictures. I usually don't read ecchi manga because other than the fact that it's unrealistic (some girls in ecchi manga has breasts the size of watermelons...), it's just plain dirty and nothing else. But I was looking for "action" type of manga when I came across Cage of Eden.

Cage of Eden/Eden no Ori - Yamada Yoshinobu

Cage of Eden is made for readers who enjoys reading The Lord of The Flies by William Golding. The students in a high school in Japan goes to a school trip to Hawaii (Culture: The middle school students usually takes trip all over Japan in their last year of middle school while the high school students goes to Kyoto, Tokyo or Oosaka. The private schools often goes out of the country, to places like Hawaii and Australia). The manga started with the scenes in a plane, when the students are ready to depart from Hawaii back to Japan.

Then their plane crashed on an island that's not listed in the map...and hence began their survival time.

Ancient animals--from all the way to dinosaurs' period of time--attacked them. Danger lurks everywhere. They hope to somehow find the plane again to use the radio communicating device.

This manga shows what humans will do if they are put in certain situations. It's for fans of The Hunger Games Series, Battle Royale (it's a Japanese movie--for those who aren't familiar with it, check it out!) and The Lord of the Flies. It is an on-going series. Enjoy!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

"I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me."

My Rating: 10/10

Just like The Hunger Games, Catching Fire also gets a perfect ten! It's an amazing book! Read it!

Katniss survived her Hunger Games. So did Peeta. Now she is back at home, where so much had happened.

Gale took a bit of rebellion, and the Peace Keepers wounded him. Katniss, now living in a rich mansion along with her family, tends to his wounds.

Then comes the annual Hunger Games. This time, the Capitol decided to do the unusual; they want to bring every girl and male tribute from each Districts that had won the title of Hunger Games. Old, or young. Haymitch does not count. It is Katniss and Peeta, the champions of District 12.

I think if I spill more than this...it'll be such a spoiler to the book!

What I like about the book: The new settings and Collins' imagination of the second Hunger Games! (the actual game Katniss played in order to survive). The characters grows more and more complicated, but if we read the first book we should be able to follow Katniss' line of thoughts easily.

What I dislike about the book: THE CLIFFHANGER AT THE END. Period.

I seriously can't wait until Mockingjay comes out! Everyone who HASN'T read this book is missing out so much! If it's slow in the first chapter of The Hunger Games, keep reading! It'll be one of the best books you've ever read!

Suzanne Collins' official website

P.S: Thanks, Scholastic (again) for giving me a chance to read the book! :) I finished it in 3 hours right after The Hunger Games! I couldn't stop reading it!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"May the odds be ever in your favor!"

My Rating: 10/10

Believe me; The Hunger Games is DEFINITELY one of the best book ever written. It's sophisticated and eloquently written, fast-paced and filled with energy. You wouldn't be able to put it down!

District 12 is where Katniss Everdeen lives and it's controlled by everyone in the Capitol. With her father being buried in a mine explosion, her family is down to a depressed mother and an innocent little sister, Prim. She has to survive for her little sister. She can.

So Katniss goes to the woods, where it is forbidden and dangerous, but the ones who knows the way can hunt. She used to do that with her deceased father. Now she's all alone.

Then she met Gale, her skillful hunting partner. Life is bearable for the two of them hunt, fish and set snares around. They also trade with the baker and the people around District 12.

Then come the Hunger Games. 12 girl tributes + 12 boy tributes comes from all 12 districts to fight for media purposes, to show the game of survival as a reminder of how harsh the Rebellion was. Everyone's names are all put in to a box, just like a raffle system. People who worked and signed up for the tesserae (a food-help-system from the Capitol) longer has more slips of paper than everyone else.

Prim, Katniss' little sister, had never signed up for the tesserae, for Katniss really tries to prevent her to be taken as the girl tribute to the game. Prim only has 1 slip of paper.

Prim's name was called out.

Katniss volunteered. Nobody sane would have done that, really. Because winning this raffle is like getting your automatic ticket to death (if you're in District 12). The boy tribute turned out to be Peeta Meelark, who was the boy who saved Katniss and her family at their verge of deaths.

Can Katniss win the game? Will the odds be ever in her favor to come home safely to see Gale, Prim and her mother?

What I like about this book: WOW. I read it in one day. I even finished the second book right away. The character--Katniss Everdeen is stunning. She's strong but she's vulnerable. She is sarcastic and witty, and she is impulsive. Katniss is also charming. Of course, what I really like was the Hunger Games concept!! Amazing, Suzanne Collins!!!

I even like the Capitol, the antagonist. How this book has opened my eyes about the imperfect government system is fascinating. :D

What I dislike about the book: Nothing. I highly recommend this book to read!

Suzanne Collins' official website

P.S: Thanks Scholastic for the copy of this great book!

P.P.S:WAIT FOR MOCKINGJAY (the final book in the trilogy) TO BE AVAILABLE IN STORES!!!