saramarie08's review against another edition
5.0
Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
Dr. Tenma is a gifted neurosurgeon working at a hospital in Germany. He immigrated because he was impressed by the hospital’s research, and planned to spend much time researching for himself. Tenma’s Chief of Surgery believes that hospitals should be all about research, making money, and preserving their own reputation, so much so that Tenma inadvertently has a patient die because he was attending to a more prestigious patient. When the next major call pits a little boy up against the Mayor, Tenma disobeys the direct order to save the Mayor first, and saves the little boy. Years later, this decision has drastic consequences for Tenma’s life, including him being a suspected serial killer!
Like with Urasawa’s other series, the summaries barely scratch the surface of what all is included in the story. Tenma is a wonderful main character, often stuck between many difficult decisions, and he compels readers to keep devouring this series. Urakawa also likes to introduce bits of storylines that come together much later and make way more sense, and there are several such payoffs within this first volume. This would be great for murder-mystery fans who like suspenseful plots and villains who are likely to induce a case of the "heeby-geebies".
Urasawa's illustrations in this story are a textbook example of his style. There are lots of thick, dark lines, extremely expressive facial expressions, and some very lush backgrounds. There are many scenes of operations in this story, including fully exposed brains, so don't hand this to a reader who might be squeamish about human organs.
Since its original printing in the 90s, VIZ has collected Monster into 2-in-1 volumes that began its run in 2014. The series is published under the moniker, "The Perfect Edition."
Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12
Dr. Tenma is a gifted neurosurgeon working at a hospital in Germany. He immigrated because he was impressed by the hospital’s research, and planned to spend much time researching for himself. Tenma’s Chief of Surgery believes that hospitals should be all about research, making money, and preserving their own reputation, so much so that Tenma inadvertently has a patient die because he was attending to a more prestigious patient. When the next major call pits a little boy up against the Mayor, Tenma disobeys the direct order to save the Mayor first, and saves the little boy. Years later, this decision has drastic consequences for Tenma’s life, including him being a suspected serial killer!
Like with Urasawa’s other series, the summaries barely scratch the surface of what all is included in the story. Tenma is a wonderful main character, often stuck between many difficult decisions, and he compels readers to keep devouring this series. Urakawa also likes to introduce bits of storylines that come together much later and make way more sense, and there are several such payoffs within this first volume. This would be great for murder-mystery fans who like suspenseful plots and villains who are likely to induce a case of the "heeby-geebies".
Urasawa's illustrations in this story are a textbook example of his style. There are lots of thick, dark lines, extremely expressive facial expressions, and some very lush backgrounds. There are many scenes of operations in this story, including fully exposed brains, so don't hand this to a reader who might be squeamish about human organs.
Since its original printing in the 90s, VIZ has collected Monster into 2-in-1 volumes that began its run in 2014. The series is published under the moniker, "The Perfect Edition."
Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12
sara_thebook_inspector's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
vishvrangi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jessica_ponnapalli's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
crystal1978's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
blackcatchroniclesx's review against another edition
If a manga can't grip me in 34 pages then it ain't for me
dredadonx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5, 10/10....shiiieeettttt 3000/10! I have a deep admiration for this book because it was enthralling, captivating, and had me at the edge of my seat anticipating what is going to happen next. The artwork is very unique, and you can tell its a work that is akin to Naoki Urosawa. I loved Dr. Tenma's character and how passionate he is towards his patients, which makes him such a loveable character.
His decision to prioritize a child vs a high ranking official led to unprecedented events at the hospital, and this is where the story gets really interesting.
His decision to prioritize a child vs a high ranking official led to unprecedented events at the hospital, and this is where the story gets really interesting.
missparkbom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0