There’s just something chilling about Yukito Ayatsuji’s original story, brought to life with the art of Hiro Kiyohara. The tale pulls you in with the mention of a curse on a middle school class—specifically, third year class 3—and you’re enveloped by the sheer mystery of it. And when the main character—and, therefore, the reader—Koichi Sakakibara learn the origins and gravity of the curse, we’re taken for a ride on how it can be stopped.

Not since Doubt (and, to an extend, the first two volumes of its sequel, Judge) has a manga held so tightly to my attention that I couldn’t wait to finish it while all the time not wanting it to end.

Yen Press collects four volumes in one single book, leaving the reader no time to recover until the very end. Yukito Ayastsuji’s mastery of storytelling (yeah yeah, I know it’s translated) is incredible. And Hiro Kiyohara’s ability to breathe life into the horror novel is anything but sub-par.

 

About the book (from Yen Press):

In the spring of 1998, Koichi Sakakibara transfers into Class 3-3 at Yomiyama North Middle School. But little does he know…his new class has a horrible secret. When he takes his seat in class for the first day of school, Koichi is unsettled by his fearful classmates. Despite this atmosphere and warnings from fellow students, Koichi is drawn to the beautiful, distant Mei Misaki, another classmate. But the closer he tries to get to her, the more mysterious she and their class become. And when a fellow student dies a disturbing death—the first of a long chain of deaths—Koichi seeks to learn the truth behind the curse of Class 3-3. But can he get answers before the curse kills him?

Another
original story by Yukito Ayatsuji
art by Hiro Kiyohara
Yen Press (October 2013)
ISBN: 978-0316245913

Another is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. A Kindle and Nook also exists. The original Yukito Ayatsuji horror novel is available in two volumes for Kindle (vol. 1/vol. 2)  and Nook (vol 1./vol. 2), as well.