Monday, February 01, 2016

Reviewing the Mail: Week of 1/30

Sometimes people send me free books -- I know; I can hardly believe it myself -- and I list them here every Monday. (I review books here as well, though nothing like as consistently as that.)

This week, I have one book, a manga volume from the fine folks at Vertical. It was officially published about two weeks ago, so you should be able to find it at the book purveyor of your choice.

That book is A Girl on the Shore, the new story -- complete in one volume, like a novel or a "graphic novel," and unlike what we usually think of as manga on this side of the Pacific -- from Inio Asano, creator of Nijigahara Holograph and Solanin. (Both of those links are to my reviews, here on Antick Musings.) Asano is a real talent, coming off two excellent books, so I'm looking forward to this one -- even if it looks to be more of a genre exercise, the story of a young summer love in the year before high school. (That's a very traditional time for such stories in Japan, since the three high school years are proverbially crammed with activities and any kid with home of becoming someone has no time for anything but work once high school starts.) I don't know if Shore will go creepy like Holograph or slice-of-life like Solanin -- or even head off in a new direction -- but I'm ready to see what Asano has for us this time.

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