Join me for 30 Days of Horror in which we spotlight one horror book everyday until we reach Halloween!
Wow, day 9 already. My book pick for today is another classic, but very different to yesterday’s choice. I’ve gone for the book that was the inspiration behind the classic Arnie film, The Running Man, and the book that really kicked off the whole YA dystopian phenomenon, The Hunger Games.
It is of course, the Bloody Japanese epic, Battle Royale.
Available in all formats, 617 pages
Published February 26th 2003 by VIZ, LLC
Koushun Takami’s notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing.
Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan – where it then proceeded to become a runaway bestseller – Battle Royale is a Lord of the Flies for the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world.
Reader
Goodreads // Not My Review
Have you read it? What did you think?
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