Notice for Review Requests

I receive review requests weekly. However, my personal schedule is hectic and I no longer review actively. (I also manage another blog called The Toronto Cafe and Food Blog). I do read every request sent but I apologize in advance that I do not reply to them all.

If I do take on a request, I will forewarn that it may take some time before I can review it. I am now looking to review adult fiction and self-help books instead of young adult fiction because I have grown out of it. If you are to request a review for either adult fiction or self-help, I will more likely to give it a shot.

In the meantime, Stop, Drop, and Read! serves as an archive book review blog. When I have the time, I may post a review. Thank you for understanding.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Natsume's Book of Friends by Yuki Midorikawa

Title: Natsume's Book of Friends
Mangaka: Yuki Midorikawa
Age Group: Teens
Series is: Ongoing with 12 mangas
Volume(s) Reviewing: 9
My Rating: 4/5

No good deed goes unpunished, and this applies very much to Natsume, despite always returning names to demons from the Book of Friends. A yokai demands her ring back after Natsume returned her name, thinking he stole it. Natsume did not, but thinks he knows where it may be. Can he get it back in time to the angry yokai before she tries to get rid of him??

Natsume's Book of Friends is one of the few manga series I enjoy lately in print. I felt by this volume, the excitement has died down since I have read the first 5-6 volumes of the series. I enjoyed it nonetheless, but it seemed like the mangaka's creativity is declining. This tends to happen to a lot of run-on series, especially with those that have a new story each chapter.

Natsume is still the same up to this point, which is something I like about his character because he treats yokai with respect. However, he always gets stuck in sticky situations due to his personality. The first story in this volume has a cute, simple fluffball demon that Natsume has a soft spot for. After, you get some tribal demons that cause a ruckus. That leads to Mr. Matoba, an exorcist who wants to get rid of all the yokai in the world. He tries to get information out of Natsume regarding his grandmother but fails. This story clues in the reader that Mr. Matoba will return in future volumes and cause more trouble. Being familiar with the style and having read so many volumes of this series, the problem will likely be "toned down" in terms of shock factor.

The ninth volume of Natsume's Book of Friends is still a nice and light read. Likely though, you would start forgetting what had happened after you finished.

Review copy provided by Viz.
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