Stop me if you've heard this one: in <em>The Promised Neverland</em>, children live a happy life in an orphanage in the countryside, where they're cared for by Mother until they're adopted! ... Yeah, you know that's not how this goes, the house is absolutely a trap, and the children are being raised as food.
I can't say that I like the art; it's good at motion, but all of the proportions feel a bit off in a way I can't put my finger on, especially for the faces. But I'm so invested in the story! The children have believable plans and concerns for each other, and their reactions are fairly smart, but because they're actually written as <em>children</em>, it's very easy to believe that they're going to be outplanned or give themselves away. It's tense! I wasn't expecting it to be! And for all the characters are familiar tropes, I'm still invested!

The worldbuilding so far is fairly scant; what the characters <em>believe</em> is true is explained, but we've only got hints for what actually <em>is</em> true. Like, extrapolating what we know about Mother raises some horrible suggestions for the fate of any children that <em>don't</em> get eaten, and that's all we've got.

Basically, I don't know that it's doing anything new and interesting yet, but I found myself getting impatient that I was writing this review instead of reading the next volume, so it's doing <em>something</em> right!

[Caution warning: death of children] [This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley]

This was a great read. The art was cool and the plot was super intense. I really love the character of Emma. It starts of sweet and nice and take a very dark turn which I liked. I have heard the anime is also really good. I am definitely interested in reading more.

So I've been um-ing and ah-ing about whether to start this series as it seems to be one of those that polarises fans of manga. When I finally managed to sit down and read this one, I was pleasantly surprised.

Having been told it was a horror manga, I was expecting blood and gore when initially all I got was a seemingly normal story of an orphanage and its inhabitants. It was quite obvious though that there was something more sinister to come. When it finally gained some traction, I loved the abundance of twists and turns, while also loving the character art.

Overall it was a good manga, but I'm not sure whether I could class it as a favourite. Oh well, looks like I will just have to keep going with the series before making a decision!

The Promised Neverland delivers genuine chills. The children in Grace Field House the children receive the best of care and love from their caretaker Mother, but things are not what they appear to be. When Emma and Norman break the rules to take a stuffed animal to the most recent chid the secrets of the orphanage comes to light.
Addictive read with truly creepy imagery.

Thank you for providing me a copy of this via Netgalley.

I am sorry to say this is just not for me.

I cannot put my finger on why and do think this is a case of the problem being with my taste personally and not with the story.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an impartial review. This manga totally caught me off guard, in the best way possible. It’s set in an orphanage where everything is not as it seems. Lots of mystery and darkness. I’d you like twisty fantasy with a dark edge, this is for you.

A dark thrilling adventure with three intelligent children leading the big escape. Grace Field House is everything the orphan children, Emma, Norman and Ray, know about the world. They help the younger kids, pass all their test, and eagerly wait to be adopted. However, a dark reality is revealed and the three friends must devise a way to escape the terrible reality and free their fellow orphans. The first volume in what is to be an amazing adventure full of dark twists and big reveals.

A review copy of this manga volume was kindly provided by NetGalley and Viz Media. All my views expressed are my own, and as unbiased as I can be.

As always, I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but with this series, it will be difficult. The story follows a group of extra gifted kids at a kind of orphanage, they're waiting for the chance to be adopted so they can leave and join their forever homes. The story focuses on three specific children: Emma, Ray, and Norman. They're at the top of their group at the orphanage while each being slightly different from each other. It looks like they're prime candidates to be adopted any day now...

Unfortunately, adoption isn't quite what they think. Without going into details, the kids end up planning to escape from the orphanage, their plan to take all of the other kids with them, thus begins the core point of this first volume. The story from there is full of a few twists, inventive strategies from the kids, and completely filled with tension as they have to deal with their "mom", Isabella.

This is a great series for anyone who likes a bit of horror, a bit of comedy, and a whole lot of action. If you're into series that make you think and throw you for a loop regularly, The Promised Neverland is a series for you. I know what goes on a bit later in the series and I can give my wholehearted encouragement to read this series, at the very least this first volume. A solid 5/5!

Emma lives in an orphanage with a bunch of other children. They are like Emma's brothers and sisters. This is all they have ever known. One night as a younger orphan is leaving to be with their new family Emma and Norman head out to catch up with her and return her favorite stuffed animal. When they arrive at the gate they realize that Conny is dead, killed by aliens for food. In fact the orphanage is just a large farm for raising children to be turned over to the aliens. How will Emma get out, can she bring all the other children?

This was well written and illustrated but not for me. It was way to sinister and dark and in fact made me a little depressed to imagine this scenario playing out. The whole last half of the book is the children go around is circles about how they have to escape and how they will do it. It seemed a bit repetitive.

I was really excited to read this because I absolutely loved the anime. I just want to say, I knew what I was getting into when I picked this up because of seeing the anime first, but I envy the people who don't know! It's just brilliant.

The story is about a group of children who have lived their whole life in an orphanage, living happy lives until they are adopted by new parents, who then discover the dark truth behind their lives. It starts of cutesy, with a bit of an ominous feeling, and then it gets downright horrific. The artwork is great. It's super cute, but also really creepy and disturbing. There's a great balance bewteen the cuteness and the creepiness.

The three main characters are Emma, who is bubbly and optimistic, and really cares about her younger brothers and sisters; Norman, who is very smart and good at strategy; and Ray, who is a bit edgy (check out that fringe). Ray is my favourite, I really have a soft spot for that kind of character. This manga really makes you feel for all of the characters, and then it hurts you. It's brilliant. I'm really looking forward to reading the next volume.

This was surprisingly good and intriguing. I thought it was some sort of Peter Pan retelling but this is a dark orphan Oliver/Annie story. Set in the near future, demons are eating children and they only want the best and brightest 12 year olds. It's a light horror manga so far. Fans of The Drifting Classroom may like this though it's not nearly as grotesque.

This manga has an interesting premise, and one that I'm hoping to read more of--the story is compelling and I find myself liking Emma and her devotion to the other children in the "orphanage".

First of all trigger warnings: Child abuse, child murder, very dark themes.

But wow is it a good story. Starting off I had NO idea it would turn out like this. It's incredibly different than anything I've ever read before. Daring to even create. The characters are all in an orphanage they have never left. It's two exits are a fence leading to the forest and a gate that is always locked and forbidden to go to. They live an idyllic life, playing, eating lots of yummy food, and taking tests as a form of school work. Overall they are happy. But every now and then a child must leave to go outside to their new family. One such child is six year old Conny. She leaves her stuffed rabbit on the table so the two older kids Emma and Norman race after her to the gate to give it to her... only to find her dead in a truck. The hide and see the woman they've called Mom all these years discussing the children with demons... who want to eat them?!

From there they begin planning their escape, and Emma is not leaving without all of them coming with her. But Mom knows children were at the gate, and she is not letting a single child escape. You really have to read this if you can stand the theme it's worth it.

If you’re looking for some quick reads to add to your TBR, manga are always a great choice. They’re easy to read and have beautiful illustrations! Fans of horror and science fiction should check out The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai. This story goes from zero to 100 very quickly, and will have you rushing to get your hands on the next volume.

The Promised Neverland is also an anime series, and I watched the entire first season before picking up the manga. Both mediums tell the same story, but I found that the manga allowed me to focus more on the internal thoughts of characters.

In this series, we meet a cast of child characters who are living in an orphanage. They have one adult caretaker, who they refer to as their mother, and spend their days learning in the classroom, playing outside, and taking turns completing chores and helping out with the infants and toddlers. It’s a pretty care-free life, with the only hard and fast rule being that they can’t go past the fence in the forest. Seems fair, right? What could possibly go wrong?

One day, it’s announced that one of the younger children, Connie, has been adopted. Two of the older children, Emma and Norman, realize that Connie forgot her stuffed animal before leaving, so they chase after her and their mother to make sure that Connie brings her favourite toy to her new home. Without thinking, they go past the house’s limits, and find themselves in front of a strange gate. What happens next is absolutely horrifying, and changes the entire atmosphere of the story.

I can’t say what happens without giving too much away, but it was not at all what I expecting. Emma and Norman quickly realize that they need to leave the orphanage, and put their trust in some of the other older children for help. The rest of the story focuses on them, gathering information and laying low. However, they face more roadblocks, and their stress levels only increase from there.

As I mentioned above, The Promised Neverland is a horror manga, but it’s more psychological horror than anything else. There’s also a lot of “the fear of the unknown” and knowing who they can and can’t trust, which keeps readers (and viewers, if you decide to watch the anime), on their toes. I’m really excited to see how this series progresses, and can’t wait for more.

Thank you to the publisher, VIZ Media, for an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. The Promised Neverland was first published in 2018, and is available to purchase wherever books are sold.

this is, in muy opinion, by far one of the most promising shonen manga at the moment. I enjoyed reading it and it kept me guessing how this story could develop. i'll keep reading this shonen for sure now that started it.

Here was my Goodreads review: Another Net Galley read.
This went dark fast. At first I was trying to figure out where this story about these extra happy orphans was going. I thought I knew when they showed the kids daily testing: I was so sure it was Mecha. But . . . . . NO. That is when the darkness descended and things got interesting.
On the one hand I think, no, no, there is no way the kids will get out of this. Then I thought, is mom really evil? Maybe she just wants to survive. By the end I am still holding out hope that someway, somehow the kids and mom unite for a massive escape. The thing is that the plot leaves open massive options. Now I am hooked.
I loved the art as well. The first thing I thought was Ah? My Goddess and then Nadesico - I was still hoping for mecha. But yeah, I really liked how the characters were drawn and their personalities. Overall, good work.

Really loving this story! I was bummed that the graphics are black & white, but then I was so involved with the story that it didn't seem to matter anymore. Cannot wait for vol 2!

This is a really interesting premise for a manga. The art is really good and definitely adds to the suspense of the kids' cat and mouse game with their opponents. The cliffhanger isn't amazing, but I'm really curious to see where it goes from here.

3.5 stars

I would recommend this for someone who likes jailbreak stories for sure.

I recieved a free digital copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and given freely.

I enjoyed this one. I don't read manga much but I really love some of it,

This had a really good plt and some great characters, it's shame that this is only volume 1. It's looking like th following volumes will be really great with the writing and artistry from this series.

I love the idea of 'Mom' being one of the 'orphans' it beings a new level to story, as she's not a monster or demon she's simply trying to survive just like the kids.

I can't wait to see how she fits into the larger story 😊

Fun read! Kept my imagination going and pace was perfect for the style of writing. Illustrations were beautiful and helped push the story along! Highly recommended!