Bloody Monday

Gr 9 Up—Takagi Fujimaru is a high school student with a secret double life as the Falcon, an infamous hacker who is known for exposing injustice. After Falcon outs a teacher who has been sexually harassing students, the man is replaced by a young, charming, and attractive woman who may not be all she purports to be. She takes a special interest in Fujimaru—does she know more than she's letting on? Meanwhile, Japan's secret intelligence department has retrieved a file from a deceased operative that has information about a virus that a terrorist organization plans to release on the public. The Falcon is enlisted to help, but doing so will put him, his family, and his friends in danger. This first volume starts strong and fast, and does a fine job of introducing the characters and their personalities without slowing down the plot. There is drama, emotion, and humor—though the humor falls a little too heavily on the risqué side in a way that doesn't fit in with the story. There are plenty of underwear and breast jokes to keep the attention of male readers, but they run the risk of putting off girls, which is a shame because the story lends itself to a wide audience. Nevertheless, Bloody Monday shows lots of promise, and with only four volumes out since February, it gives librarians an opportunity to invest in a new series that's sure to be popular.—Jason M. Poole, Webster Public Library, NY