The Graphic Library
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Me
  • Other Resources
    • Research

Fruits Basket Vol 1 by Natsuki Takaya

9/11/2020

0 Comments

 
Cover of Fruits Basket vol 1
Tohru is a hardworking, charismatic high school student trying to get by and work her way to college.  She's had her share of tragedy, as she lost her mother recently, and she was squeezed out of her grandfather's house while he does renovations.  At the onset of our story, she is living in a tent on seemingly uninhabited land.  Here, she is discovered by the Sohma family, whose land she has been living on.  They invite her into their home in exchange for her domestic skills, which they are severely lacking.  Here, Tohru finds out their secret -- that they are all members of the Chinese zodiac, and they turn into their animal forms if embraced by a member of the opposite sex.  But, the longer Tohru stays, the more she discovers that this might not be the only secret the Sohmas have.

Tohru isn't your typical shōjo heroine.  She is bubbly and carefree on the outside, but she has suffered greatly in her short life, and has had to persevere to become the person she is today.  Her depth is revealed slowly throughout this first volume, as she imparts wisdom beyond her years to the members of the Sohma family who are experiencing some of their own struggles.  I also really enjoyed Tohru's friends, especially Hanajima and her strange ability to sense the energy of others.  The personalities of the Sohmas are wonderfully related to the animals they house.  Kyo is the cat, tricked into being left out of the Zodiac in the original myth, and he is every bit a moody, lovable kitty who simultaneously needs people and can't stand to be around them.  

This collector's edition combines several of the original volumes into one.  This series was originally published from 1998 to 2006, and it still resonates with today's audiences.  This is one of the more popular series in my library currently.

Yen press rates this for Teen.  As there is a lot of romance in this series, and the characters are mostly older teens, this rating seems appropriate.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12


Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: June 28, 2016​
ISBN: 9780316360166 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: Middle School, Suitability: High School, Manga, Romance, Magic, School Life, Yen Press
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I've been reading manga and comicbooks for years. Now, I write reviews and other helpful things for School Librarians, teachers, parents, and students.

    Read More

    Search this site


    Picture
    Ko-fi icon

    Never miss a review! Subscribe and get the best delivered to your inbox.

    * indicates required

    Ratings, Audience, and Subject Tags

    All
    Abrams ComicsArts
    Action Adventure
    Adaptations
    Animals
    Autobiography
    Biography
    BOOM! Studios
    Comicbooks
    CSLA 2021
    Culinary
    Dark Horse
    DC Comics
    Dead Reckoning
    Del Rey
    Demons
    Disabilities
    Dungeon
    Dystopian
    Ecchi
    Family
    Fantasy
    Farming
    First Second
    Folklore
    Friendship
    Graphic Fiction
    Graphic Nonfiction
    Graphic Universe
    Greenwillow Books
    Grief
    HarperAlley
    Hill And Wang
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Horror
    Humanoids
    Humor
    IDW
    Image Comics
    Isekai
    Iyashikei
    J Novel Club
    J-Novel Club
    Kodansha
    LGBTQ+
    Mad Cave
    Magic
    Magical Girl
    Manga
    Manhwa
    Marvel
    Mecha
    Megascope
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Music
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Native American
    OEL Manga
    One Peace Books
    Oni Press
    Paranormal
    Penguin
    Race Relations
    Rating: 10/10
    Rating: 3/10
    Rating: 4/10
    Rating: 5/10
    Rating: 6/10
    Rating: 7/10
    Rating: 8/10
    Rating: 9/10
    Realistic Fiction
    RH Graphic
    Romance
    Saturday AM
    School Life
    Science
    Science Fiction
    SelfMadeHero
    Seven Seas
    Skybound Comet
    Slice Of Life
    Sports
    Square Enix
    Steampunk
    Suitability: Adult
    Suitability: Elementary School
    Suitability: High School
    Suitability: Middle School
    Superheroes
    Supernatural
    Surrealism
    Survival
    Suspense
    Ten Speed Press
    Theater
    TokyoPop
    Top Shelf
    Udon Entertainment
    Video Games
    VIZ Media
    War
    Western
    Yen Press

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

Picture

​© 2022 Sara Smith

Picture
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Me
  • Other Resources
    • Research