Maoh

Gr 9 Up—Ando is not popular enough to have a lot of friends, but not weak enough to be a frequent target of bullies. Instead he watches other kids get attacked and rationalizes not helping them because he does not want to become another victim. It turns out that Ando has a long-suppressed and long-forgotten ability, a kind of "mental ventriloquism" whereby he can make other people speak his thoughts out loud. First he uses this ability to help a girl who was groped by a man on the train but was too embarrassed to admit it. Soon Ando realizes that he might have to use this ability again, against a local hero, Inukai, who leads a vigilante group that seems to have ulterior motives. Both Ando and Inukai are highly unusual characters. Ando is an unlikely hero and will repeatedly lose the sympathy of readers every time he chooses not to help a victim. And while Inukai fits the visual stereotype of many manga characters (he is androgynously beautiful), he also has a remarkable charisma that inspires bullying victims to exact a horrifying revenge on their tormentors. Osuga's artwork is dynamic and powerful, with plenty of dramatic close-ups. In the end, Ando comes to some alarming conclusions about the beautiful and enigmatic Inukai, and these conclusions will leave readers waiting impatiently for the next volume in this series.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library