Durarara!!, Vol. 1 (light novel)

by Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda (Artist), Stephen Paul (Translator)

Overview

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DOWNRIGHT WEIRD. The Ikebukuro district in Tokyo is full of interesting people. A boy longing for the extraordinary. A hotheaded punk. An airheaded pseudo-stalker. An information broker who works for kicks. An underground doctor who specializes in truly desperate patients. A high school student infatuated with a monster. And a headless rider on a pitch-black motorcycle. Their story may not be a heartwarming one, but as it turns out, even weirdos like these sometimes fall in love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316304740
Publisher:	Yen Press
Publication date:	07/21/2015
Series:	Durarara!! (novel) Series , #1
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	176,889
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Suzuhito Yasuda is the artist most known for his illustrations for the Durarara!! light novel series as well as the hit new light novel series, Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

Ryohgo Narita is the author of a number of successful novel series, including the original "Durarara!!" books. His earlier series, "Baccano!" was honored with the Gold Prize at the 9th Dengeki Novel Awards.

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—This light novel (traditional prose novel with occasional manga-style illustrations) tells an unusual story that mixes fantasy with urban gang violence and features a large cast of story characters. The story takes place in the Ikebukuro district in Tokyo, where a boy named Mikado is experiencing big-city life for the first time. The action jumps between different protagonists, whose story lines sometimes intersect. There are Mikado's surprising experiences in his new school and his new city, various thugs and gang members getting into violent fights, a motorcycle rider without a head, and a head without a body. The effect of mixing these different threads together can feel confusing and disjointed at times, as readers will not always understand who is speaking or how they fit into the larger story. There are many facts that are kept from readers (such as who is narrating each portion of the story) as well as facts that are kept from different characters (gang members not knowing the real identity of their gang leader), and some teens will require extra patience to wait and see how the pieces fall into place. While most of the questions raised are answered by the end, the biggest unanswered question is what, exactly, the title means. VERDICT For fans of the manga and anime of the same name, as well as for patient readers who enjoy dark, twisted, and unique stories.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

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