“After school nightmare Vol. 1”, by Setona Mizushiro

Mizushiro, Setona. After School Nightmare. [S.l.]: Go! Comi, 2007. Print.

I found this on a list of the American Library Association’s website, of “best graphic novels of 2008”.  I probably should have noticed and been warned by the fact that there are about a hundred books listed – surely not that many “Best” were published in 2008?  I thought the premise of this one – about a high school student who has a male upper body and female lower body – was interesting.

The book, however, was confusing and disturbing.  I thought I might recommend it either to my son (who is 13) or on my general ‘fiction for boys’ lists, but it’s too gratuitously violent for me to want to recommend.  As one Amazon reviewer noted, “I recommend this book to people who like manga that deals with love, drama and secerts. ”  I need a little more than that in a story to keep me interested.

It’s quite possible, though, that I will remember this story in a year or two and wonder about the next volume.  That’s why these records exist!