Honey Blood Vol. 1 by Miko Mitsuki

Title: Honey Blood
Mangaka: Miko Mitsuki
Age Group: Teens
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1
My Rating: 3/5

Hinata Sorazono doesn't believe in vampires, despite the recent "vampire attacks" where young girls have been found dead with bite marks on their necks. Vampires are fictional after all, right?

One day she meets her new neighbour, Junya Tokinaga, a popular novelist who writes about vampire romance. As she gets to know him, she starts to realize that he's not all that he seems...

When I saw the cover of this manga, I knew I wanted to give it a shot. The pose reminded me of Black Bird. Right off the bat, I knew I was in love with Mitsuki's art. I loved the character design for Junya because he's quite the bishounen. His personality on the other hand, I wasn't a fan of. He is arrogant and intrusive, although he is supposed to be charming as well.

Hinata isn't a weak character, but she couldn't stop herself from being drawn to Junya. Towards the end of the volume, she was already smitten by him. I don't think their personalities fit each other that well. One of the questions I had while reading was why Junya was attracted and wanted to protect Hinata from the beginning. Hopefully, this is something that would be explained later on in the series.

The attacker's identity is not yet resolved in this volume. However, a new character is likely to be introduced in the second volume. So far, the only thing I truly enjoyed from Honey Blood is the art and chibi work, hence the 3/5 rating.

Review copy provided by Viz.

Short & Simple (11)

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Author: J.K. Rowling
Age Group: Children
# of Pages: 766
My Rating: 5/5

Quick Summary: It's Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts. He and the rest of the school have to deal with the horrible new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Dumbledore also has been avoiding him lately. Why is that? And what will Harry expect next from Voldemort?

Quick Thoughts: I managed to pick up the fifth novel for free from one of the public outdoor libraries in Montreal. It was perfect because this was where I left off in the Harry Potter series back in high school. It got me hooked on again instantly! I admit, some parts weren't that exciting and Harry had tons of teen angst. Overall though, it was enough for me to continuing the series!

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Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author: J.K. Rowling
Age Group: Children
# of Pages: 759
My Rating: 5/5

Quick Summary: The finale of Harry Potter! 

Quick Thoughts: The. Best. Finale. Ever.

J.K. Rowling writes beautifully and interlocks all of the details from every book together so well. By the end of the series, all the questions you ever had will be answered! So I highly recommend picking up Harry Potter because everyone of all ages can enjoy the series!

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Title: My Love Story!!
Mangaka: Kazune Kawahara & Aruko
Age Group: Teens
Series is: Ongoing with 7 volumes
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1
My Rating: 5/5

Quick Summary: Takeo Gouda looks like a scary guy and is not your typical male protagonist. When he starts developing feelings for pretty Rinko Yamato, a girl he saved from a molester on a train, he thinks she is interested in his handsome friend instead! He does everything in his power to get them together!

Quick Thoughts: I absolutely adored the first volume! It's unlike most shojo manga series I am used to because of non-typical male lead. The volume is funny and light-hearted and it works well as a stand-alone. It makes me wonder how the plot will continue as a series.