The Promised Neverland Vol 5 by Kaiu Shirai

Illustrated by Posuka Demizu

The day we didn't think would come is finally here.  Ray sets fire to Grace Field House, forcing the evacuation of all the children.  Emma has decided that escaping with all the children would be far too difficult, but she has made Ray, Don, and Gilda promise that they will come back for the babies once they figure out what they're dealing with.  With tracking devices disabled, they scale the wall and take their first glimpse of the world outside their "safe" home.  The kids ingeniously figure out sliding over the chasm with coat hangers and rope.  But, the alarm is quickly sounded, and the kids have to worry about figuring out this outside world bent on destroying them.

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These kids have been preparing for this moment for the previous four volumes, and the payoff is really satisfying.  I honestly thought they would get caught and have to turn back to a charred home up until the moment they actually escaped.  Now that they're out in the world and have to survive, the incessant questioning makes perfect sense because I'm there with them asking the same questions!  The outside world is a bit scary and drawn creepily, so the age rating is starting to make a bit more sense than before.  The demons are more prevalent now, and they come with gnarly, frightening beasts.  Still, the adventure continues onto the next story arc now that they have escaped, and the pace of this volume reflects that this is no time for the children to congratulate themselves on a stunning escape.

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

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Dystopian, Horror, Demons