I love graphic novels but I found this difficult to read. The layout was a bit chaotic with speech bubbles appearing to follow the Japanese conventions at some times and Western conventions at others. So it was difficult to follow the narrative. Once I had sort of worked it out I found the vignettes quite powerful but the cohesion across them was not so clear.
Had traces of a Murakami kind of story - especially Norwegian Wood - and a lot of potential but not for me, I'm afraid.

A mature look into childhood experiences and the moments and memories that come to define us as we transition into adulthood. It has a lot to say about individual experiences, but I wish there were broader lessons for a modern reader to take away from the stories being told. I thought the art was great - you get a sense of the tenderness and vulnerability of the characters. Unfortunately, none of the characters stood out to me and I found it tricky to keep track of who was who.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this manga in exchange for my honest opinion!

I have sooooooooooooo many feelings about this manga, and all of them are conflicted! On one hand, the artwork is just gorgeous, and the storyline stays engaging for the entire manga. On the other hand, this manga illustrated some truly vile and hedonistic things with little regard for the teens the story is about. If I had to use just one word to describe this book, it would be "bleak". None of the characters are promised happy endings, and while this is very true to life itself, it still leaves you feeling hollow and filled with yearning when you finish reading. For anyone that is wishing to avoid time period-based homophobia, sexual assault, animal cruelty, and somewhat sociopathic characters, avoid this manga at all costs!

Absolutely loved this book. The imagery, the issues, the fights on goodreads people are having about it haha. I honestly think this is one of the be at books I’ve ever read.

What a book!

This 90’s manga has the unique stlye of Kyoko Okazaki and is a heavy but also poetic work.

Following the paths of some high school students in Tokyo in the mid 90s, it tells about hard realities of growing up, of being an outcast as well as fitting in but still having to balance complicated feelings and dealing with hard realities. It‘s about nihilism, about the troubles of being a teenager who has to navigate in a socitey that seems to push and pull from all sides.

Despite the rawness and the crudeness of Okazakis style, „River‘s Edge“ has a very poetic way of dealing with all those hardships and with words.

It is not too graphic when it comes to violence and sex scenes, but they do play important roles and the reader should know that there‘s a reason for the manga being recommended 18+.

Overall I really enjoyed reading it and it definitely left a fleeting impression on me.

Not the polished Manga you're likely used to.
However, it's a realistic story discussing important topics, but incredibly triggering.
There is a content warning that I'd recommend checking before reading.

The story isnt a happy one, so don't go into it expecting a happy ending.
But if you're looking for something relatable and discusses bullying, abuse, mental health, and EDs, give it a try!

Publishing date:
27.06.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

The book as a meal: I am eating out, but somehow my ex found me and disturbed my meal
The book left me: Feeling pretty horrible

Negatives:
Trigger warnings galore, be warned

Positives:
Very realistic portrayal of teenage/young adult troubles
Doesn't shy away from horrible things
Interesting story

Features:
Content warnings in the millions, interesting artstyle, dislikeable characters, themes of growing up, different situations for the same age group

Why did I choose this one?
I have heard stunning things about this manga, so I thought I should dive into it.
At the time I was in a mood for more comics as well. The cover is also very eye catching to me.

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Devourable. I finished this one one sitting. I had to see what would happen next and how they would handle their current situation. The way these characters keep getting into the most avoidable trouble is outstanding to me.

What was the vibe and mood?
This had the vibe of watching a dramatic tv show. Everything went wrong, everyone got into trouble, tragedy after tragedy occurred. Almost like a car crash you can't look away from

Final ranking and star rating?
S tier, 5 stars. This is a read I know will be living rent-free in my mind for a long time. A read I think a lot of people should try out. However, it has every trigger warning under the sun, so please check which it has before diving into it. Great story with a lot of drive. Fitting artstyle. A lot of personality. Very good read. Will recommend.

This is not a cutesy manga, evident from the art style on page one, but rather nihilistic and hopeless.

The story follows the “extra-curricula“ activities of some high school students who attend a school by the edge of the river. Asides from one student who’s a model, no-one else has any aspirations or any hope/vision for their future. They smoke, have sex with each other and sometimes wander around a scrubland close to the school. No adults seem to have any influence in their lives, for good or bad. And whilst some shocking things occur in the narrative, the ending implies that nothing will change as a result of them (asides from one character moving away).

A very bleak portrayal of the 16-18 stage of life with no hope of improvement. Surely we can provide something better than this for today’s 16-18 year olds? With swearing, nudity, sex scenes, animal cruelty, death, bulimia and bullying. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The art and story didn't really do anything spectacular for me. Good, not bad, not great. Nothing special.

As with all of this year's Eisner nominees, this is a bleak story with an ending that is less conclusive than you might like. It's very well done, and I always enjoy Kyoko Okazaki's brand of darkness, but it is a <i>lot</i>, and emphatically not for all readers, as the content warning list below demonstrates:

Animal cruelty
Drug use
Disordered Eating
Self-harm
Realistic bullying
Homophobia
Mental health crisis
Not-entirely-consensual sex

Worth reading, but read with caution.

Not my favorite Kyoko Okazaki, but it still strikes a chord. The story examines the more unpleasant and isolating aspects of growing up. It doesn't shy away from sex or violence, because that's just part of life. Bleak, but not unbearable; still hopeful, yet not condescendingly so.