The Promised Neverland

As many of you know, I read this series with my children. All three girls had a different response or reaction to this intricate tale and none of them quite meshed with mine. So instead of writing a traditional review for a non-traditional read, I figured I'd do a little something different. So here's what we thought of The Promised Neverland, written by Kaiu Shirai and illustrated by Posuka Demizu, a story that follows a group of orphaned children in their plan to escape from their orphanage, after learning the dark truth behind their existence and the purpose of the orphanage.

Favorite character(s):

    Protagonist

            A - Ray
            J - Emma
            M - Ray
            Me - Ray & Norman

    Antagonist

            M - Sister Krone
            A, J & Me - Lewis

Favorite Scene or Arc:

            A - when they pick up the phone at Goldy Pond. It was heartbreaking.
            J - when Mister's back story was revealed, showing his parallel to Emma, Ray and Norman. It was a very emotional scene.
            M - the fire scene with Ray was awesome!
            Me - the very beginning, when Emma and Ray snuck out to find the truth and so much was revealed while they hid under a carriage. I found this part to be gutwrenching.

Least Favorite Scene:

            A - Barbara explaining her panic attacks. It was a terrible portrayal of mental illness and left me feeling offended

            J - when Gilda tried to blow up the bunker. Girl had me so pissed!

            M - when Mama tells Ray he's being sent away. Mama seemed to always make me so angry!

            Me - the ending. I felt like the writers just gave up. It felt anticlimactic and left me wondering WTF?! All that lead up, all of that great story, and that's how it ends... 

Feelings on the world building:

            We all felt immersed in the demon world, however, the human world came off as undeveloped. It could be because not enough time was given to its development, seeing as how the entire story takes place somewhere else.

How would you summarize this story?

            A - it's not at all what you think

            J - an emotional roller coaster

            M - a wolf in sheep's clothing

            Me - it's hard to summarize without spoiling everything

Who would you recommend this series to?

            A - anyone who enjoys a good thriller

            J - anyone who hates kids because it will change their mind

            M - anyone willing to have their heart shattered into a million pieces

            Me - anyone who enjoys paranormal horror, especially those involving children who have to grow up too soon

Were you happy with the way it all ended?

            A - No. It was underdeveloped.

            J - No. It felt rushed.

            M - I haven't gotten to the end yet.

            Me - It kind of felt pointless. They went through so much together only for their ending to be lackluster and to fall flat. I believe they deserved better.

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Overall, we obviously loved this manga series. It was thrilling and engaging and based on our differing points of view, it sparked a debate in my house. We give it 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror stories full of love, hope and family!