Book Girl Light Novel Review
If we ate stories, how would they taste?
PRODUCTION INFO
Book Girl is a light novel series written by Mizuki Nomura and illustrated by Miho Takeoka. It is a finished series at 16 light novels, and ran between April 28, 2006 and April 30, 2011. Since the light novel's debut, the franchise has spawned manga and anime adaptions. Currently, the first 8 light novels have been officially translated into English by the licensing company Yen Press.
SUMMARY
Miu Inoue is the name of a famous child author, but few people know that it's only a pen name. Konoha Inoue is actually a guy and he admires a girl named Miu. When Miu jumps off the school's roof in front of Konoha, he is traumatised. He shuts himself in his room until high school. Once he enters high school, he meets a Book Girl named Tohko; a goblin who eats stories. Tohko urges Konoha to join the school's book club, which only consists of herself. Once he joines, he finds himself writing snacks for Tohko each day as a part of club activities.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Book Girl has a simple writing style, but it's actually very dark in content. Every volume has a different title rather than a number, but if you read it as a series, then chronology is important. Each volume is based on a different famous work of literature, and there are many references to numerous other books, so Book Girl would be a great title for people who love to read. It tends to follow a pattern of dark mystery in each volume, and deals with a lot of psychology. Just be aware that this content can be disturbing when you pick up this light novel series.
MAIN CHARACTERS
Konoha Inoue entered a contest in middle school with his beloved friend Miu, for "best new author". His entry won, but he gave himself the pen name Miu Inoue. The real Miu flung herself over the school roof's gates and killed herself. Konoha witnessed the event and developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, he was constantly reminded of Miu by his pen name. The publisher of his book wanted to market "Miu Inoue" as a mysterious young female author, which unintentionally served as a harsh push over the edge for Konoha, who ended up secluding himself to his room. Konoha managed to escape his dark prison in time for high school, but now he suffers mental attacks from his trauma. When he meets Tohko, he begins writing short stories for her each day in the book club.
Tohko Amano is a mysterious goblin who eats books, known as a book girl. The genre and quality affect the taste of the story, which Tohko is very particular about. She can't taste human food, but she loves to compare the flavour of literature to different dishes, or at least how she imagines they would taste. For example, she believes that romance tastes sweet like dessert. Tohko has an average high school girl personality, despite being a goblin. She likes to boss Konoha into writing her stories, but she is kind enough to know when to stop her teasing. She is extremely knowledgeable of famous literary works, and reads all her food before eating it.
OPINIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
I really like Book Girl. It's a bit dark for my tastes, but at the same time, they are very intriguing light novels. It's also a great way to get book recommendations. The stories disturb me a little, but somehow, I can't stop readng them. Aside from great literary suggestions, Book Girl also has a certain charm that can motivate you to write, if you have that sort of hobby. The mystery aspect is well-written; despite each volume being based on a famous work, the story differs enough to possess a surprising ending and usually has a hidden edge. I had no idea how Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime would end! It was confusing at first because it seemed to be over, but there were still pages. Then there was a twist that totally made sense but was completely unexpected! If you like Book Girl, I recommend the light novel series Ero Manga Sensei, although it is a great deal ecchier than Book Girl... They are both written in the perspective of young authors who struggle, and both series have an inspirational charm for writers. I also recommend the Book Girl anime, of course, but only after reading at least a couple of the light novels.
RATING
★7/10★
