The Drifting Classroom Vol. 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk.
Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Sixth grader Sho has a fight with his mother that ends with his vow to never come home and her screaming her agreement. Then, a strange earthquake shakes the city during which Sho's entire elementary school vanishes leaving a gaping hole for parents and authorities to puzzle over. Meanwhile, the terrified faculty are trying to preserve order and prevent their young students from panicing when they find themselves surrounded by a wasteland. Sho and his friends must come to terms with this situation very quicky if they want to survive.The Drifting Classroom is indeed a true horror story, made especially so by viewing through the eyes of a child. With only a handful of adults who are just as, if not more, panic-stricken than the children they have to oversee, the situation gets a very desperate air about it. With two deaths and a member of the faculty harming his own son to use a different fear to quiet the children, this story is off to a strong start. While it is rated Mature for US audiences I do wonder what the age of the Japanese target audience is with such a young cast and protagonist. Not that that truly matters for Kazuo Umezu has created a tale that will scare any age of reader. My mind has already seized onto the story and is racing along with the characters' minds. And with a new problem thrown in at the end which provides an unbearable cliff-hanger, I find myself amazed at the pacing of the story and impatiently waiting for October to get here so I can grab up volume two and see what happens next! Written: July 30, 2006
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