Blood on the tracks vol 1 by Shuzo Oshimi

Seiichi has a fairly normal life full of going to school and being home with his family. His father is often away at work, so he and his mother spend lots of time together. He's a dutiful son who helps his mom when he can. His cousin comes over often to play video games, but Seii doesn't quite seem like he likes hanging out with him. Seii's friends are sort of mean to him but still try to invite him to get-togethers, most of which Seii turns down. In the first week of his summer break, his extended family decides to go on a hike and get away from the city for a while. What happens on the hike irreparably changes Seii's life and flips everything on its head.

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I knew going into this book that it was supposed to be creepy and unsettling, but I probably still would have found the story creepy without the warning. For almost all of the book, everything seems perfectly normal and bland, but I was waiting for the other shoe to drop every time I turned the page. It finally happens at the end of the book, so this might completely surprise and jar some readers while entice others to continue into the next volume. I will personally want to read a few more volumes before considering it for my school library to see where the violence and creepiness leads. This first volume would be fine for high school audiences, but definitely not younger readers.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Publisher: Vertical Comics (Kodansha)
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
ISBN: 9781949980134 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Family, Horror, ​Kodansha