Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Published in 1999 by VIZ Media LLC

5 Stars

Goodreads Summary
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 Flies for 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.


Review: Lord of the Flies meets The Most Dangerous Game in Battle Royale, a complex book of betrayal and brutality.   Battle Royale is a terrifying tale of friends turned enemies, paranoia, and violence with the idea that people would abandon their morals and lifetimes of friendships to do whatever it takes to survive.


Every character is featured as the protagonist of their own narrative, which gives background and understanding to why they make the choices they do.  You get to experience their families, hobbies, and crushes.  These characters aren't strangers, they have grown up together and this familiarity really emphasises the horror of their situation.  Some use the program to enact revenge, some try to rally together only to turn on each other, and others participate in the bloodbath just for the thrill.  The reader experiences the fear of the hunted, the panic of the desperate, and the guilt or triumph of the victors.  You cheer on the people that you know are doomed from the start and feel guilty for enjoying the death of a ruthless character because in the end they are all just fighting for survival.  There is no clear cut villain, and even the heroes must still do terrible things in order to survive.  In my opinion this is the strongest aspect of the book, because an emotional connection is made to each character, only to have them murdered before your eyes. 


Another aspect of this book that makes it so monumental is the idea that this could happen today.  There is no unusual technology or terrain.  Battle Royale has a modern setting with everyday characters who have everyday abilities.  This type of government is not so far-fetched that it cannot be imagined existing today.  That these children could be forced into something so terrible and their parents could do nothing to prevent nor protest it is truly horrifying. 


Note, Battle Royale was originally written in Japanese and occasionally the translation can be difficult to understand.  Also this is a very violent book and may not be appropriate for younger or more sensitive readers.  There is also a Japanese movie of Battle Royale that is a very good interpretation of the book and one that I would highly recommend.


Overall Battle Royale is a high impact story about how desperation can change a person and bring out their true colors.