This book is amazing. I loved the boarding school type setting and the friendship and close bond that the girls have formed. I thought the beginning of the story was strange and the things the girls were being taught and how everyone seemed to just accept it. But then slowly they begin to question things and then all hell breaks loose. The twist towards the end made my jaw drop, i was definitely not expecting the story to go that way. I just have to read the next book in this series to see what happens next.

I highly recommend this book.

BAKEMONOGATARI, Part 1: Monster Tale - N...

I watched the anime adaptation before reading the book. My experiences with watching the anime and reading the books are very different. Even though both stories are the same, I find myself preferring the anime adaptation of these two stories in this first book than the actual book itself. The anime has a striking visual style and exciting animation that helps keep my interest. While reading the source material, I find my attention drifting off the pages for a while. I enjoy both stories, but the ongoing random conversations between several characters, at times tedious rather than amusing. It doesn't help. There are times that I have a hard time distinguishing the narrator and Hitagi because they sound similar at specific points in the book.

Anyway, despite its flaws, I thought it was entertaining and check out the future volumes of this series.

I saw the movie years ago, and I enjoyed it very much. I didn't realize the film was based on the book until earlier this year. I decided to check out the book because since I enjoyed the movie, I will most likely enjoy the book.

I was thrown off by the choice of the narrator of this story. I expected the narrator to be Kahu, not one of Kahu's uncle. But, the narrator grew on me as I continued to read the book. Even though the story was short, I thought the pacing was just right. The story doesn't wander around aimlessly. I thought the story's straightforward approach is refreshing after reading and watching stories that cram too much stuff in one story. Though I do wish to learn more about Kahu's life and personality. I enjoyed Granny Flower's character because she was sweet and sassy.   

Unfortunately, my memories of the film are fuzzy, so I can't comment on how the movie and book differ from each other. 

Also, the book is hard to find, which is a huge bummer. I bought a used copy from an eBay seller since I couldn't find it at bookstores like Barnes and Noble. If you come across this book somewhere and sometime, I recommend checking it out because it's a short and satisfying story.  

I'm finally started reading this book. I'm 63% done with it.