Not from this year but from last, “No Longer Human” better translated to be, “No Longer (Allowed to be) Human” by Ozamu Dasai has been one book that I will most likely return to over and over. I especially love Junji Ito’s ability to bring the book alive on the page with his beautiful artwork and compelling scenes. It features the story, which some believe to be loosely based on Dasai’s life, of a youngan who goes through extreme trauma in his formative years that spills into his despicable actions as a young man. Haunted by his past and horrified by his own misdeeds, he looks for redemption throughout the book, only to end up failing and continuing to commit atrocities. This book had me screaming, balling crying, and thirsty for more after closing the book. I ready “the setting sun” by Dasai this year, and it just wasn’t as good or compelling. I have “No Longer Human” on my wishlist and really hope someone gifts it to me for Yule this year.
This is my thoughts on “the Ninth Gate” by Leigh Bardugo