I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was my first time reading this author and I’m not disappointed. This book is beautifully written and full of emotions. It’s a story that needs to be told and it’s written from the point of view of the characters who are going through all the pain and hardships in their lives since they were very very young. A story that sometimes is full of hope and sometimes so heartbreaking.

The author manages to keep us interested in what’s happening to the MC as the world around her changes. That’s very important because it keeps us invested in the story.

I love the fact that at the end of the book there’s a list of organizations for us to have a clear understanding of the situation in Japan which is the main theme of the story.

I love the illustrations and the way the book is designed.

What kept this book from getting a five star rating for me is the fact that it could benefit from a slower pace for us to grasp when some of the changes occurred. Like for example, when time goes by and they grew up, or when they went into a flashback. Sometimes I got a little lost and had to re-read to make sense of it all.

I can’t wait to read the second part of the story and for it to develop and see where the author takes us. I’m hoping for a sense of belonging, for some hope and even a love interest somewhere along the way.

If you like reading contemporary stories full of emotions and realistic characters who will make your heart break when they are in need of a hug, then this one is for you.

Grab a copy!!
It’ll be released on November 12.

There's a fine line between emotional manipulation and a genuinely moving story. Rie Aruga generally lands on the right side of that line, but the Perfect World creator's newest work, Sheltering Eaves, is a little less clear with that distinction. Set in a group home for children in what we'd call “the system,” Sheltering Eaves is remarkably unsubtle, with lines musing why parents hurt or abandon their children and the culpability those children feel hitting with the force of a sledgehammer. Is it necessary for the story to develop in a way that makes sense? Maybe; it's a bit too early to really tell. But the bigger question is whether or not it's written this way assuming readers who grew up outside of the foster care system will never be able to understand what the protagonists are going through.

It might be clearer if the plot got a bit further off the ground in this volume. The story follows two kids at a medium-sized group home, Yoru and Tenjaku. Both were abused by their biological parents, albeit in different ways; Yoru emotionally and Tenjaku physically. We enter the story with Yoru at age ten, when she enters the home and becomes the target of another boy there, Yudai. Tenjaku stands up for Yoru, and the two form a close bond, one that's still there but interestingly tense when the story proper gets going, in their second year of high school. It's not fully clear whether their feelings have morphed into something more romantic or not, although one of the other boys plainly has a crush on Yoru. But both teens are trying to work through their impending exit from the foster care system, which will occur when they turn eighteen, no matter what.

It's all very heavy-handed, but there's still a very human core to the book. Yoru and Tenjaku have both lived through abandonment and abuse, and that makes the thought of being kicked out of the only stable home they've ever known alarming, if not downright terrifying. For Yoru, at least, leaving Tenjaku is the scariest part, but she also doesn't seem to feel like she has the right to say that, even to find out if he maybe feels the same. She muses a lot about how weird it is that the group home calls itself “her home” but is preparing to kick her out for the crime of turning eighteen, and it's painfully obvious that she feels that's a more egregious abandonment than anything her mother did. Yoru is desperate for a stability she's never known, and she wants Tenjaku to be that for her. But that's a lot to put on a teenage boy, and she knows it. As she says, she's always just one drop of water away from a flood washing everything away.

Sheltering Eaves is a lot in its first volume, and I don't see that changing. Aruga proved with Perfect World that she can dish out the angst and still bring things to a happy conclusion, so I do trust her as a creator. But the question is whether or not it will be worth the emotional turmoil to get to that point. I think this deserves at least one more volume to find out, but with the caveat that this could cross the fine line between emotionally manipulative and genuine.

The premise is so interesting... It's common for manga to have stories that are very similar to each other, but I've never seen one that takes place in a foster home. Definitely hooked, can't wait to read the sequel.

This was a lovely romance and I enjoyed the unique setting of the foster home. I'm looking forward to following this series and I would love to see more down-to-earth shojo manga like this one.

A touching story of two kids growing up in a home together is an interesting premise. I really like how its starting. You really feel for the kids. I really really want to know what happens next. The reason I only give 4 stars is it feeling like some details are missing. Maybe its on purpose?

I would like to thank Netgalley for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

I am so excited for when this is published!! I love the story, and it is right up with all the other mangas I love. This is heartwarming and also I can tell will make you cry as the series goes on.

Yoru and Tenjaku met when they were 10 years old at a children's home. Both abandoned and abused by their parents, they quickly became friends and started to really on each other. Now 16 years old, they deal with the anxiety of soon aging out of the system and making a life for themselves. But the return of Tenjaku's father might create a ripple effect on their future.

This volume covers difficult topics, including child abuse and abandonment. It's not a happy story, and that's why the reader can't help but hope and cheer for a happy ending for both Yoru and Tenjaku.

As much as I live breathe and love manga I just couldn't get into this story for some reason. Maybe it's that I can't relate to the story

Sheltering Eves is about a pair of soon to be adults living in a children's home struggling with the abandonment by their parents. The narrative follows late teen Yoru, who has a mutual devotional relationship with fellow orphan Tenjaku, a boy with burn scars on his back, jumping from the present back to their past as children and how their lives are emotionally intertwined. Facing the prospect of being kicked out when they turn 18, Tenjaku is working a part time job and saving up, while Yoru mostly frets about needing to start to make similar choices.

A great deal of the drama comes from memories of their trauma, abandonments, and later, the reappearance of parents into their lives. It's some heavy set-up that crowds the volume a little bit, and the storytelling feels entirely earnest in a way that could either be refreshing or grating, depending on your point of view.

Yoru and Tenjaku live in a Japanese children's home, a safer place to be than the abusive homes they grew up in. From the beginning, the two have been close, but now that they're nearing adulthood, soon, they might have to separate. Their story thus far has been soft and sweet despite their heavier pasts, and it clearly shows the the author's research and passion for these group homes and their children. Overall, it does make the reader more invested and willing to read the next volume in the series.

⭐⭐⭐
Rep: Teenagers that grew up in a children's home in Japan, Insomnia due to anxiety
CW: Child Abandonment, Child Abuse

👩🏻‍👩🏻‍👧🏻‍👦🏻Found family
😴Insomnia Rep
❤️‍🩹Teenagers living in a children's home
💛Childhood best friends

What I Liked

1) This book gave a great insight into the care system in Japan and how it affects the children that grow up in it.

2) You can truly see how passionate the author is about the topic and how well researched this book is to give teenagers in the care system a relatable manga and to give other readers a better understanding of what they go through.

3) Yoru hanging onto the one good memory she can find to try and outweigh the bad was so well shown

4) I loved how this manga showed one of the children going to extreme measures to try and get attention from their parents in the hope they can go home. It truly showed how devastating the system is and how even when a child was in a bad situation, they still want to get back to their family.

5) I loved the discussions of how brutal the system can be by saying that they're family but then kicking them out at 18 and I think it brings up an important conversation of how we can support adults that were in the system.

6) I didn't know seasonal foster care existed and I loved learning about it

What I Disliked

1) I didn't really connect with the romance element of this story especially due to Tenjaku's anger issues (I do understand that it is due to his trauma but I hate when the guy in a romance is violent even when it's on the love interest's behalf)

2) If you already know quite a lot about children's homes, some of the explanations can be a bit much but if you don't know much about the topic I think this manga is a great introduction

Favourite Quotes

1) 'The day I arrived they said it was my "new home" and my "new family" but what kind of home and family do you suddenly have to leave once you reach the age of eighteen'

2)'Every day was miserable and soul-crushing. I never want to live like that again. But I still hang onto that one tiny memory.'

Sheltering Eaves is Rie Aruga's story of two kids (who become teens) in a home for children who've been abandoned or taken away from their parents due to abuse or neglect, learning to live with others and learn to support each other in their situations until they are old enough to move off on their own.

We as readers know this'll likely be a romance between Tenjaku and Yoru and that's fine, sometimes a little fictional codependency is just fine, and they really do care for each other even living with others for a long time. They're 16 now but I'm interested to see if this manga goes past having to live on their own and deal with other people outside of the home and each other?

Anyway I actually really liked this and I'll be looking forward to volume 2!

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

Vol 1 of this has me absolutely hooked. Following two kids in a group home and seeing their bond grow stronger each chapter was heartwarming. To know that even after facing trauma there is a way out is inspiring to others who have been in similar situations. I can’t wait to see where vol 2 takes these characters!

Yoru gets placed in a children's home when her mom can no longer care for her. At first she's shy, but slowly she settles into her new normal when she meets a boy named Tenjaku. Now they're both in high school and Yoru has had feelings for him all along, but does she dare to act on them?

"Why was I born into this world? Should I have been born at all?"

As someone who has experience with parental emotional neglect I related quite a bit to these children. How it affects your self esteem. How there's an inner conflict of still loving and longing for an abusive and/or neglectful parent. Aruga masterfully captures all these subtleties in this first volume of Sheltering Eaves.

"People say she's a horrible parent." "But I still hang on to that one tiny memory. That 1% of happiness I remember is what keeps me going."

Aruga exposes the reality of the Japanse foster system, and shows us what life is like for these children. Sheltering Eaves also shines a light on other issues Japanese society is plagued by like the lack of adequate mental health care and the pervasive culture of latchkey kids.

This was a very well done first volume, and I am looking forward to continuing this series in the future. I would recommend this manga to people who like more serious stories with sporadic wholesome moments. It feels somewhat akin to Kotarou Lives Alone meets Fruits Basket.

Thank you Kodansha Comics and Rie Aruga for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing a copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Sheltering Eaves tells the story of Yoru and Tenjaku, two teenagers in the foster care system, as their friendship and what I imagined will be a slow burn romance starts to develop.

The story explores themes of love, healing, trust and personal struggles with emotional depth. It is almost bittersweet.

I am really intrigued to see how this story will develop and how the characters will progress. One of the stronger first volumes of a manga series I have read recently.

Thanks a lot for adding this title to your available ARCs!

I was half curious, and half hesitant going into this volume, as you have to read and see for yourself whether the artist's approach to this sensitive topic is careful or not. I knew about their more popular work Perfect World, but hadn't read it so I had no prior knowledge about their style and attitude.

I was simply surprised! You can clearly understand the research and attention to detail done when making Sheltering Eaves. Kids' reactions towards certain actions or events or behavior all made sense and I loved the way the artist highlighted how the kids constantly find themselves in awkward or uncomfortable positions. I'm definitely interested in reading more ~

A beautiful story of two young characters who have lived through many hardships. It's a very emotional story with lots of heavy and triggering moments but i'm definitely interested in the development and what's going to happen next!!

Good start to a series, loved the art style. It has a good introduction to the characters and they back stories. It will be interesting to see where they end up going.

This was a lovely read and one that I am excited to share with our patrons. We're always looking for fun titles that will be easily shared with our teen customers.

A Tale of Love and Healing

Sheltering Eaves by Rie Aruga instantly drawns their readers into a delicate, emotional story that combines romance with the complexity of personal struggle. The protagonist, Asuka, a young woman facing challenges in life, meets Saku, a man with a mysterious past, and their connection is as tender as it is transformative.

This first installment offers a beautifully crafted narrative that balances heartfelt moments with deeper themes of trust, healing, and personal growth. Rie Aruga's art shines in her ability to portray raw emotions and the quiet but powerful dynamics of relationships. The characters feel real, and the story resonates with authenticity, creating an intimate experience that is both touching and compelling.

Fans of slow-burn romances with emotional depth will find Sheltering Eaves to be a touching beginning, leaving them eager for the next chapter in Asuka and Saku's journey.