Adolescent challenges are a ubiquitous rite of passage from which no child seems immune. And yet relatively recent manga sensation Wayama r three titles published in her native Japan have each won major lauds nages to charmingly defuse some of the most potentially volatile situations, with captivating protagonists and expressive artistry. The first half of her stateside debut, smoothly translated by Harvey, belongs to Hayashi, who's chosen by a classmate as "someone cute" during a field day scavenger hunt: the label sticks and rightfully so. He's always his own self, finding satisfaction in regularly "doing something meaningless" because he can. He's also an artist, works in his family's Chinese restaurant, reads extensively, is kind to strangers, and surreptitiously distracts bullies. The second half stars an entertainingly mismatched duo: classmates Nikaidou and Medaka, the former a social pariah believed to have supernatural powers, and the latter determined to not befriend en at least interact. Medaka's mention of manga horror legend Junji Ito proves to be an ideal connector. Wayama's self-insertion at book's end of a burdensome middle-school memory adds bittersweet resonance.

Gr 9 Up This stand-alone volume contains several different story lines following characters who are loosely connected to one another. We see them attending their high school and generally going about their lives. The chapters tend to borrow one character from the previous chapter to tell a semi-related story in the next chapter. Some of the stories are adorable and endearing, while others can be spooky or even heartbreaking. This loose association may leave readers wondering what the overall message or theme of the book is, but this may just be a set of fun stories with no discernible deeper meaning. Wayama does touch upon some major themes of adolescence, such as acceptance, bullying, and friendship, among others, but that seems to be the main reason these stories were collected. The illustrations are sparsely detailed, but each of the main characters in the story is pleasantly designed and unique. VERDICT Consider for purchase where slice-of-life manga are popular, but this title most likely won't have much appeal to readers of popular shonen manga series. Sara Smith, Sanger H.S., Sanger, CA