Erased vol 2 by Kei Sanbe

This series is impossible to summarize and review without spoiling, so if you don't mind, feel free to read on.

Satoru succeeds in saving Hinazuki from disappearing on what he calls X day, but she instead disappears the day after.  He discovers she is missing when his mom, a news reporter, is asked to keep the disappearance secret again, just like when he was twelve the first time.  Before he can do anything about all of this, his revival is over, and he is pulled back to when he is twenty-nine.  The police are searching for him as the main suspect in the murder he was trying to stop in volume one. Airi, his coworker, gives him a place to stay for the night, but this pulls her in to the real murderer's crosshairs.  Just as Satoru is backed into a corner, Revival happens again, and he is taken back to two days before X-day.  This time, he's come up with a very different plan to save Hinazuki.  

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So far, this series has managed to keep me on my toes.  I have no idea who the murderer is in any realm, but I'm rooting for Satoru to come up on top and save everyone.  Aside from the revival moments, this story is rooted in reality, and has some moments that could be very disturbing to viewers.  This volume, in particular, has scenes of child abuse and a partially obscured dead body of a child.  Sanbe treats both subjects with gravity and respect despite the awfulness of the subject matter.  

I rated the previous title as OK for middle school, but because of the depiction of a murdered child, this title would be better suited for high school audiences.

​Sara’s Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Surrealism, Mystery, Fantasy, School Age