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Battle Royale: The Novel
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami
In an alternative future Japan, junior high students are forced to fight to the death! L to R (Western Style). Koushun Takami's notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan--where it then proceeded to become a runaway bestseller--Battle Royale is a Lord of the Fliesfor the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world. Made into a controversial hit movie of the same name, Battle Royale is already a contemporary Japanese pulp classic, now available for the first time in the English language. A group of high school students are taken to small isolated island and forced to fight each other until only one remains alive! If they break the rules a special collar blows their heads off. Koushun Takami's brutal, high-octane thriller is told in breathless. blow-by-blow fashion. Battle Royale is a contemporary Japanese pulp classic now available for the first time in English.
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review
Creadnorthey
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Pickpick

This is Hunger Games on steroids- and, huh, it was published before… seems very much like… huh. That said super fun read with built in action from pretty much the beginning. Nice.

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Therewillbebooks
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Scenes from our latest episode

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PuddleJumper
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Pickpick

This was a comfort re-read for me. Had a bad experience work wise this weekend and I really wanted something familiar to read

#HauntedShelf #Flerken

AnnCrystal 💕🫂💝. 2mo
Jari-chan Hope you're feeling better now 2mo
PuddleJumper @Jari-chan Thank you. I'm much better, it was just a very mean girls type encounter. Threw up a lot of old insecurities. 2mo
Jari-chan @PuddleJumper Oh no, how annoying. I'm glad to hear you're better now. Dealing with old wounds can be tiresome 🫂 2mo
27 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Pickpick

A coachload of junior high school students are kidnapped off a 'school trip', their teacher is killed, & they are taken to a deserted island. There they are told that they are this year's 'Battle Royale' & they have to kill each other until just one is left alive. The students will be given backpacks with limited supplies, there is no way off the island, & phones will not work. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Add to this, they have metal bands around their necks that if they try to remove them or they are caught in a prohibited zone, it will explode killing them instantly. The students each face a choice: should they try to band together & figure a way out, or play the game & hope to be the winner?

This is an action-packed read but somehow it doesn't seem that fast-paced.
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf I'm not sure if it is because it is a translation from the original, but it seemed a little stilted in style, but it was still very readable. There are a staggering 46 deaths in this books - most of them students. - & it's interesting to see the shifting loyalties of those who try to band together versus those who start playing the game straight away. 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf Some of it did seem a little contrived: the backpacks were supposed to have been given out randomly & yet the obvious psychopath received a machine gun whilst the others had weapons ranging from handguns, & boomerangs, to flick knives. Seems rather one-sided. Perhaps that is the point? It has been suggested that this was a precursor to 'The Hunger Games' & I can certainly see where certain elements are similar. 2mo
See All 7 Comments
OutsmartYourShelf I would say this one slightly edges it on brutality & stone-cold killing. Definitely worth reading. 4🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1142934532
Read 1st - 8th Oct 2024

#Flerken #HauntedShelf 1650 points
Words Found - crisp, ghost, dark, night, read, nibble.

#AfterDarkBingo #BodyCountBingo @puddlejumper
#RedTaylorsVersion @emilymdxn
#31by31 @catsandbooks
#TBRMonsterMash
#SupernaturalBookBingo (Crossroads)
2mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼👻🧡 2mo
Librarybelle Hooray!! 2mo
31 likes7 comments
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ladym30
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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“You have got to realize what was the feeling of the time - the horrible atmosphere of suspicion and hatred.” — George Orwell

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candc320
Battle Royale: Remastered | Koushun Takami
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The books I got during the Amazon Black Friday and Buy 2 Get 1 deals already came in! I couldn‘t resist even though I have no idea when I‘ll actually get to these…I feel like I‘ve got piles all over the house 🤣.

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kelli7990
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Bailedbailed

Here‘s my review for a book I bailed on.

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kelli7990
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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I don‘t know what to think about this book. I‘m not sure whether I want to DNF this book or not. Sometimes, I get bored when reading this book and I feel like going to sleep and then something interesting happens and suddenly, I want to keep reading. It‘s been a weird reading experience for me. I had to put this book down earlier after reading it because I started feeling bored with what was happening in the story and I felt like going to sleep.

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kelli7990
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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I just found the audiobook for Battle Royale on Scribd. I picked up where I left off in the physical copy and now, I‘m going to listen to the rest of the book instead of physically reading it. This is a different translation from my physical copy but this will help me get through it faster. If I had known that there was an audiobook, I wouldn‘t have read my physical copy.

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kelli7990
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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kelli7990
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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I decided to start this book. I‘ve had this book sitting on my bookshelf for awhile but I wasn‘t sure when I wanted to read it. This book has been compared to the Hunger Games series. I liked the Hunger Games series so I‘m interested to see if I will like this book. The storyline is similar to the Hunger Games but it‘s set in Japan.

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 20:
"The sun will rise every day, blessing every one of us with joy."

29 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 19:
"Look, there's no need to understand. What it comes down to is this. Once your opponent attacks you with a weapon, you don't hesitate. Otherwise you'll die. You can't afford to think about it."

29 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 18:
It was dangerous for her to run so recklessly, but she had to escape. That was her priority.

29 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 17:
With an explosive pop, the gun set off a small flame. Something hot grazed the top of his head. Of course he might have just imagined it. Anyway, the bullet missed him.

29 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 16:
Then his feet feel funny.
He suddenly recalled how there was a steep slope toward the field with the shrine.
I'm falling!

30 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 15:
"Let's see, you, and also you. And you. What's your coffin size? It's a tight fit, but we can offer our popular No. 8 model to you at a specially reduced price."

31 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 14:
Who was still normal and who wasn't anymore? But - maybe we're the ones who aren't being normal anymore? Maybe we're insane?
He felt like he was going crazy.

31 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 13:
The slashing sound Megumi heard sounded like a lemon being cut. It was a nice sound. The knife must have been really sharp and the lemon fresh, the way they were on television cooking shows, as in, "Today, we'll be cooking lemon salmon."
It took her a few seconds to realize what had occurred.

31 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 12:
They heard a rustling sound. They sensed someone in the bushes behind them. That was their signal: all aboard. The train is departing, so you better get on board.

32 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 11:
Fighting was the best way he could prove himself. Strength was the only standard he had, and he never felt short of it.

34 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 10:
Noriko broke into a slight grin. Shuya did his best to return the smile. They were in a horrible situation, but he felt slight relief in forming a smile.

38 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 9:
Kazushi did his best to overcome his panic. The first thing was to get out of here. That was the priority.

38 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 8:
And so his choice to reduce the numbers of "the enemy" as efficiently as possible wasn't motivated by rational thoughts but instead by a deeper, primal fear of death. There was no need to discern your allies from your enemies. Everyone had to be an enemy.

38 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 7:
Shuya licked his lips and decided it was best for him to move away from the door. He looked outside again.
That was when he noticed it.
He didn't see it the last time because he was too preoccupied with the overall view, but this time he saw something that looked like a garbage bag lying at his feet.

39 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 6:
He stood at the open door and faced the darkness. He looked back at everyone with a terrified face, but then a moment later he vanished beyond the door. Two or three footsteps turned into the pounding sound of his running, which then faded away. It sounded like he fell once, but then it sounded like he dashed off again.

40 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 5:
The motto here is. 'I'm just like the others and the others are like me.' There is nothing to be afraid of.

40 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 4:
Rage tore through his entire body so powerfully that it almost made him shake. His feelings, which had been muted by the initial shock, were beginning to surface.

40 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 3:
It was the most terrifying version of musical chairs imaginable.
But it was impossible to oppose the Program. It was impossible to protest anything the Republic of Greater East Asia did.

42 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 2:
Sakamochi continued smiling and resumed, "Your class has been elected for this year's 'Program.'"
Someone shrieked.

42 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 1:
As soon as everyone seemed awake, the man spoke up in a cheerful voice, "All right, everyone awake? I hope you all slept well!"
No one replied. Even the class clowns, Yutaka Seto and Yuka Nakagawa were speechless.

42 STUDENTS REMAINING

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jinnocentia
Battle Royale: The Novel | Koushun Takami

Chapter 0:
Decadent music is strictly prohibited.

42 STUDENTS REMAINING

review
Nessavamusic
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Pickpick

This was action packed, violent thriller about a group of 9th graders forced to kill each other off. This modern classic has influenced so many things including Hunger Games and Squid Game. Definitely worth the read, though this is very violent, so beware. 5⭐️ #bodycountbingo - bingo! #bookspinbingo #Spookathon #Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash #31in31 #trappedonanisland

TheSpineView Fantastic 2y
PuddleJumper Looking good! 2y
38 likes2 comments
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shadowspeak17
Battle Royale: Remastered | Koushun Takami
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I meant to post this last month, but apparently I forgot. Whoops!
I finished my 2021 #friendrecchallenge! I ended up liking all of the books this time, but Battle Royale was my favorite of the bunch. Kind of funny because that one was recommended with the least amount of confidence. My bf was completely unsure whether I‘d like it or not.
I‘m looking forward to seeing what my friends pick for me for 2022! 😄

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shadowspeak17
Battle Royale: Remastered | Koushun Takami
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#AugustWrapUp
Battle Royale, which I read for my friend rec challenge (3 books down, only 1 to go 😄), was my favorite this month and left me with a #bookhangover. How the Word is Passed was also great.

Total: 6
Print: 3
Ebook: 1
Audio: 2
Fiction: 3
Nonfiction: 3

#lmpbc: 1
#booked2021: 0
#friendrecchallenge: 1

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shadowspeak17
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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My friends have spoken. These are their picks for my #friendrecchallenge this year. 😄 The goal of this challenge is to get me to read more of the books that my friends recommend for me, since I‘m usually not very good about doing that. So I let each of my friends pick one book for me that they‘ve read before and would recommend, and I have to read and review it before the end of the year.

TrishB Good plan 👍🏻 4y
bthegood I love this idea👍 4y
36 likes2 comments
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JessTedrick
Battle Royale: Remastered | Koushun Takami
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Which should I start first?

TheNeverendingTBR I recently picked up this exact copy of Battle Royale, looking forward to reading it for the first time! 👌 4y
JessTedrick Nice! @TheNeverendingTBR I‘ve heard so much about it but I‘ve gotta say, it‘s 48% rating on here makes me a bit weary. 4y
5 likes2 comments
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MidnightBookGirl
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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#3Books Made into Film @OriginalCyn620 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

1. Battle Royale- the only one on the list where I watched the movie first, but led to me binge reading Japanese Horror.
2. IT- I'll always be an honorary member of the Loser's Club.
3. John Dies at the End- I love the books, but the movie was pretty good too!

OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚🎬 4y
Wordsling I want to read IT. Saw the movie, didn't like it one bit though. 4y
58 likes2 comments
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living.dead.ghoul.writes
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami

“By then she was dead. In fact, she may have been dead a while ago. Physically, several seconds ago, mentally, ages ago.”

phantomx I love Battle Royale! It had me on the edge of my seat, the story is amazing. The author created a variety of characters and the background stories are mind blowing. 5y
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AutumnRLS
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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This book is pretty chunky and a translation. May take me awhile, but I was told it fits somewhere between Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty good to me. Bonus, every Japanese translation I've read I've really enjoyed.

16 likes1 stack add
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Conservio
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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I‘ve always enjoyed “man hunting man for sport” type of books. I‘ve read The Hunger Games several times so I thought I‘d try Battle Royals. It was published in 1999. I thought it was much older. #battleroyale #murder

9 likes1 stack add
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chapters-and-pages
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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“loving someone always requires you to not love others.“

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WhatWouldJaneDo
Battle Royale: Remastered | Koushun Takami
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Mehso-so

Pretty much everything you'd expect: chosen for the "program," a 9th grade class of 42 students is placed on an isolated island and told to fight to the death, with only one left. It's a lot of students to keep track of but it's handled and paced pretty well, although the battle scenes started to drag for me towards the end. I enjoyed the dystopian world building although at times I felt the writing wasn't great (pos b/c of the translation).

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WhatWouldJaneDo
Battle Royale: Remastered | Koushun Takami
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Tempting fate tonight trying to read this doorstop in the bathtub. #bookandbubbles

marleed This photo is everything! 6y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MidnightBookGirl
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Spent the day brunching with my friends and playing Pokemon Go with my family, but I got several hours of Battle Royale listened to as well!

wtimblin Sounds like an awesome day by my standards! 6y
45 likes1 comment
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Eggbeater
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Pickpick

This book was written before The Hunger Games and I wonder how much was influenced by it. It wasn't really a YA novel, it was Stephen King level gory in some sections and there were adult topics. The action and suspense were epic and you never knew who to trust. The characters were dynamic and interesting, though hard to keep track of at first. Takako was my favorite bad ass character and you'll see why.

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Yeah, when when Hunger Games blew up all I could think of it how this did it first. The Battle Royale movie is pretty good too. 6y
MidnightBookGirl I'm so glad you liked it! 6y
Zelma It looks like a chunkster but is such a quick read. I couldn‘t put it down. 6y
59 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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MidnightBookGirl
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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I'm currently listening to On The Come Up (which is amazing) but Battle Royale is next up on deck. I'm slowly rereading my physical copy but I have a lot of other books I have to read this month and wanted to make sure I have time. Anyone else read this?

37 likes1 stack add
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Eggbeater
Battle Royale | Koushun Takami
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Closing out the first day of the #24B4Monday #readathon having read 8 hours and 42 minutes. I am right on track and enjoying ignoring my shitty life! Trying to keep track of all of the characters in Battle Royale for book club.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65

sudi nice picture 💖 6y
Naj Lovely pic 💜 Love your hair! 6y
Andrew65 Fantastic first day. 👏🙌👍 6y
See All 6 Comments
Trashcanman That's a lovely photo. 😊 6y
Eggbeater @Trashcanman Thank you! Hi George! 😄 6y
Trashcanman @Eggbeater Hi Lili, I hope today is kind to you. 6y
64 likes6 comments