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R.O.D. Read or Die #1
R.O.D. Read or Die 1
Two cool librarians have superpowers, including the power to control paper. Rated for young adults.
215 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 28, 2022
This is my review of the whole Read or Die series.
I've been trying to get into reading manga more, and I really wanted to like Read or Die, I really did. I almost didn't want to think about it so I could enjoy it more. However if I enjoyed it more the review wouldn't be nearly as heartfelt. The manga wants to be a lot of things; a school story, a spy story, an X-Men-ish 'we have powers that no one understands' preachfest, an action-comedy, and a dash of wanting to appreciate great literature without referencing any of it. Sure I liked the Misery quip at the beginning, and the story has a nice synopsis going for it, but it's not consistently clever or cohesive enough to be considered great or even a full story at times.
The story has a promising premise without a doubt. Yomiko is a bubbly teacher-turned agent with an ability to control paper and but not her feelings about her troubled past. From the get go, it announces that Yomiko is in a world where greater organizations like the London library suits following her around are pulling the strings and requesting that she helps them find rare books for, some reason. There's also old dirt on the bibliophiles like Yomiko; her former boyfriend Donnie and his best friend Ridley that is seemingly covered up by the organization as well. Along the way Yomiko meets an author and tries to save a group of students, and her interactions with all the characters, stereotypical or otherwise, were pretty sweet and geneuine. I also liked the psychological effects Yumiko experienced from supposedly killing Donnie, and there were some sad and sweet moments along the way even if the manga doesn't fully resolve them or make use of their full potential.
With me so far? Good, because that's all I got too. The rest of the story is so convoluted and all the character and story subplots and arcs introduced previously get lost in the shuffle very VERY quickly. Fighting between two groups of students comes out of nowhere and gets resolved somehow. A giant paper dragon-worm flies out of the ground as part of an ancient library of books that the London library wants to find the book of truth, again, for some unexplained reason. The library also weaves in and out of fight scenes for some reason and while they are seemingly pulling the strings, they just end up being there to give the illusion of story amid all the fighting. Ridley eventually shows up out of nowhere announcing that he's Yomiko's rival and the books then feel the need to take a big info dump and tell us all about his experience, which when digging deeper doesn't even make sense. Who are Donnie and Ridley and how did they get their powers? Why does the library want the book of truth? Why is it so important to begin with? Why does Yomiko fight for the students and why does she try so hard at all of this in general? The manga posed so many unanswered questions and threw up so many red herrings that I started to get bogged down with more questions than the suspense that the story tries to build and they started to drag my enjoyment of the story down very very quickly. On top of that, so few of them get unanswered that I felt cheated with the ending I got.
The action and occasional panel furthers my confusion as well. The art is drawn well for sure, but during the action sequences a boom or bang along with a beam of light or a flying character will be so huge and dramatic that it almost took me out of the experience and came across as more obnoxious than intense. This when paired with the confusing story that ties itself in knots comes across as half baked. Being a bibliophile myself, I really wanted to enjoy Read or Die, and I'm aware that the anime has quite a bit of praise, but if you were to read the manga first, I would recommend passing it up.
I've been trying to get into reading manga more, and I really wanted to like Read or Die, I really did. I almost didn't want to think about it so I could enjoy it more. However if I enjoyed it more the review wouldn't be nearly as heartfelt. The manga wants to be a lot of things; a school story, a spy story, an X-Men-ish 'we have powers that no one understands' preachfest, an action-comedy, and a dash of wanting to appreciate great literature without referencing any of it. Sure I liked the Misery quip at the beginning, and the story has a nice synopsis going for it, but it's not consistently clever or cohesive enough to be considered great or even a full story at times.
The story has a promising premise without a doubt. Yomiko is a bubbly teacher-turned agent with an ability to control paper and but not her feelings about her troubled past. From the get go, it announces that Yomiko is in a world where greater organizations like the London library suits following her around are pulling the strings and requesting that she helps them find rare books for, some reason. There's also old dirt on the bibliophiles like Yomiko; her former boyfriend Donnie and his best friend Ridley that is seemingly covered up by the organization as well. Along the way Yomiko meets an author and tries to save a group of students, and her interactions with all the characters, stereotypical or otherwise, were pretty sweet and geneuine. I also liked the psychological effects Yumiko experienced from supposedly killing Donnie, and there were some sad and sweet moments along the way even if the manga doesn't fully resolve them or make use of their full potential.
With me so far? Good, because that's all I got too. The rest of the story is so convoluted and all the character and story subplots and arcs introduced previously get lost in the shuffle very VERY quickly. Fighting between two groups of students comes out of nowhere and gets resolved somehow. A giant paper dragon-worm flies out of the ground as part of an ancient library of books that the London library wants to find the book of truth, again, for some unexplained reason. The library also weaves in and out of fight scenes for some reason and while they are seemingly pulling the strings, they just end up being there to give the illusion of story amid all the fighting. Ridley eventually shows up out of nowhere announcing that he's Yomiko's rival and the books then feel the need to take a big info dump and tell us all about his experience, which when digging deeper doesn't even make sense. Who are Donnie and Ridley and how did they get their powers? Why does the library want the book of truth? Why is it so important to begin with? Why does Yomiko fight for the students and why does she try so hard at all of this in general? The manga posed so many unanswered questions and threw up so many red herrings that I started to get bogged down with more questions than the suspense that the story tries to build and they started to drag my enjoyment of the story down very very quickly. On top of that, so few of them get unanswered that I felt cheated with the ending I got.
The action and occasional panel furthers my confusion as well. The art is drawn well for sure, but during the action sequences a boom or bang along with a beam of light or a flying character will be so huge and dramatic that it almost took me out of the experience and came across as more obnoxious than intense. This when paired with the confusing story that ties itself in knots comes across as half baked. Being a bibliophile myself, I really wanted to enjoy Read or Die, and I'm aware that the anime has quite a bit of praise, but if you were to read the manga first, I would recommend passing it up.
June 15, 2010
As a preface : I have never rated a manga so low.
Silly (and not in that cute way), horrible translations - or bad writing, not sure which, and a homo eroticism that could've been good had the writing not gotten in the way.
Less about awesome Paper skills and more about silly fan girl's performing weird fan-boy services.
Silly (and not in that cute way), horrible translations - or bad writing, not sure which, and a homo eroticism that could've been good had the writing not gotten in the way.
Less about awesome Paper skills and more about silly fan girl's performing weird fan-boy services.
dnf
February 20, 2019Too weird and quirky for me to take seriously while also not being funny enough to make me laugh.
December 5, 2024
10/10 would inhale book during politically and socially unstable times again
March 4, 2019
I love the title of this series, and I would easily award it 5 stars for the concept. It's not unusual to see manga that use the manga industry itself as part of the plot (Bakuman being one of the more obvious examples), but a series that focuses on books in general is far less common in my experience.
Yomiko Readman is "The Paper," an agent of "The Library of England," and can manipulate paper into pretty much any shape and texture. And naturally, she's obsessed with books. Heck yeah!
So I really want to give this 5 stars . . .
But there's a bit too much fanservice (i.e. panty shots, exaggerated anatomy, sex-related humor, etc.) for my personal taste, and the main villain Yomiko has to fight near the end of this volume is super creepy to the point of being gross. Let's just say he takes the obsessive fan archetype to new depths (though I suspect there are worse out there somewhere in the realms of fiction).
I love the bookishness of this series, and I'm intrigued enough by the world that is built up in the first volume that I'm still planning to finish the other volumes in spite of my reservations about some of the earthier artistic choices.
Recommended to obsessive book lovers who can put up with the occasional 13-year-old-boy humor and a seriously disgusting villain.
Yomiko Readman is "The Paper," an agent of "The Library of England," and can manipulate paper into pretty much any shape and texture. And naturally, she's obsessed with books. Heck yeah!
So I really want to give this 5 stars . . .
But there's a bit too much fanservice (i.e. panty shots, exaggerated anatomy, sex-related humor, etc.) for my personal taste, and the main villain Yomiko has to fight near the end of this volume is super creepy to the point of being gross. Let's just say he takes the obsessive fan archetype to new depths (though I suspect there are worse out there somewhere in the realms of fiction).
I love the bookishness of this series, and I'm intrigued enough by the world that is built up in the first volume that I'm still planning to finish the other volumes in spite of my reservations about some of the earthier artistic choices.
Recommended to obsessive book lovers who can put up with the occasional 13-year-old-boy humor and a seriously disgusting villain.
August 20, 2019
Great premise ruined by too much fanservicey bits. Sigh. Yomiko’s paper-controlling powers and the whole saving books premise were great. I did not need all of the not-subtle-at-all fanservice. Also, like...if you have a really creepy perv villain dude, portray him as such??? It was too much like he was included for someone to, ah, enjoy reading about rather than Oh gosh this guy is disgusting let’s defeat him! The latter is fine, the former NO.
Also just...make the two girl MCs like each other and be cute, stop queer-baiting and using the idea for fanservice. They don’t, you know, do anything on page but it is super obvious they’re meant to be liking each other, and instead of being cute and innocent it is cringy and just ‘off’ to me. Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus are cute. Madoka and Homura are cute. THIS WAS NOT CUTE harrumph
Maybe later volumes aren’t so much like this because the initial premise really was good. As is I’ll give 2 stars and that is for the premise only. I do not like the execution one bit.
Also just...make the two girl MCs like each other and be cute, stop queer-baiting and using the idea for fanservice. They don’t, you know, do anything on page but it is super obvious they’re meant to be liking each other, and instead of being cute and innocent it is cringy and just ‘off’ to me. Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus are cute. Madoka and Homura are cute. THIS WAS NOT CUTE harrumph
Maybe later volumes aren’t so much like this because the initial premise really was good. As is I’ll give 2 stars and that is for the premise only. I do not like the execution one bit.
May 27, 2011
If there is one character that I was born to love, it is Yomiko Readman. Also known as "The Paper," Yomiko uses her ability to control paper and her rabid bibliomania to save the world from evil. Nothing can be sexier. I have read Read or Dream, watched Read or Dream: The TV, and watched Read or Die, the movie. Finally, I'm reading the manga, and it's just wonderful fun. Anything that extols the inherent virtues of books is worth a look.
December 31, 2018
Dreadful. First of all, I don't agree with the YA rating. I'd say it's for pervy middle aged men with a taste for underage girls. It's a fun romp until an obsessed fan (an adult man) abducts and attempts to rape a high schooler. The high schooler is an accomplished novelist and he says he will rape her "on a bed of her own books." Then there's the sequence where the heroine tries on several too-small outfits, including a school uniform. There's also queer baiting. And finally, the art is subpar and difficult to interpret at times. I've been told that the second series, Read Or Dream, and the movie, are much better - but I have no intention of spending time to find out. If you like manga for younger people, my recommendation is read literally ANYTHING ELSE by legendary author Rumiko Takahashi, rather than this.
June 19, 2021
I've watched the OVA (original video animation) of this series, and I remember enjoying it. I picked up volume 1 of the manga from the local library and was deeply unimpressed. I love the concept behind it: Yomiko Readman is a paper master (she can control the weight and density and shape of paper) and use it as a weapon; she also gets sexually aroused from reading. The execution needs some work; the villain just isn't plausible and the author Yomiko is assigned to guard (a teenager) is annoying at best. Yomiko is just...there. She is fairly likable, though. There was nothing in this first volume that would make me seek out any of the other three volumes in the series.
January 22, 2021
Book lovers’ wet dream, sorta. Yomiko Readman is a hardcore bibliophile. Loves to read books by piles. More than that, she’s the paper-master of ultimate origami. And she works for the Library of England, and a substitute teacher for a high school. She also has a crush on the writer of romance, not to mention very protective against psycho fan boys and stalkers who coveted the writer’s soul. The story is wildly inventive. Maybe not too innovative, but that’s just a start. Be looking forward to the next installment.
May 10, 2024
Previously first saw pieces of the anime as a teen, then with my boyfriend learned about the manga. He acquired the manga and we watched the series as well as the OVA. Excellent! He read through the manga's and handed them over to me. I enjoyed the first volume! It was very enjoyable, entertaining, and as a bookworm, I so relate and giggle at the book shenanigan's with Yomiko. Mr. Joker's personality here is also enjoyable. I recommend others check out the series, if possible!
October 18, 2017
Another rating: 7/10
October 23, 2018
Interesting and full of action, but not great on story or art.
February 28, 2019
Bit meh!
October 28, 2019
This is an amazing series about a bibliophile with complete control over paper. Comedy, action, and catching the feels. My favorite manga series so far!
July 19, 2020
I'm sad. It had such a cool premise, but too much awkward content for me to enjoy.
August 3, 2022
Yikes. This had potential, instead it was cringe.
March 4, 2023
Most people won't like this as much as I do. I love the art and anyone who loves books gets my support.
October 6, 2024
2.5 stars
Basically devoid of substance. Lots of unnecessary fan service, lots of action scenes. There is some promise in the premise, but it goes nowhere so far.
Basically devoid of substance. Lots of unnecessary fan service, lots of action scenes. There is some promise in the premise, but it goes nowhere so far.
January 26, 2017
I'm so glad I found this series! I loved the Anime, and I'm already in love with the Manga!
January 10, 2022
The nostalgia I have for the movie (which I watched in high school) is pretty much what got me through this? There wasn't as much paper magic as I was hoping for, and I was often confused by the action. I did like Fire Inc, and was glad to know that The Paper having sexually charged scenes with the villain's Dragon is true to the manga. But mostly it's pretty pervy fanservice (the clothes scene???) and the as the villain's motivation was icky.
May 24, 2008
"many people love books but few are loved by books"
I normally don't do manga (except back when i was typing/word processing~or whatever the hell you call it~up our teen book reviews a few years back and i had to leaf few a couple of them to try and figure out what a couple of the kids were trying to say but that is an entirely other subject...), but i heard about this series and thought i would give it a shot.
Apparently the R.O.D. (Read or Die~now there's the ultimate ultimatum for you) started out as a nine volume series of "light novels" (which, i guess is the Japanese version of the young adult novel) by Hideyuki Kurata; which then spun off into the four volume manga series that i read (and a related manga series Read or Dream); three direct-to-video anime; and then a anime T.V. series. I think i saw it mentioned on one of my list-serves and it seemed somewhat appealing.
Yomiko Readman is a bibliophile ("a bibliophile is an alchemist of the soul"~or so says Yomiko) and oh, so much more. She is a "paper master" or The Paper (someone who is able to change paper into any type of weapon {or escape device~a sort of biblioMacGiver} she happens to need for whatever occasion she finds herself in~"paper would do anything for her") and a special agent for the British Library (or, actually, The Last Literatured Line of the UK). I found the plot a little hard to follow (and yes, i do know about the whole back to front, right to left thing, thank you very much), or maybe Kurata didn't lay it out clearly enough for me, or maybe i'm expecting more story than i should, or maybe i'm just stupid... whatever.
Anyway, Volume 1, introduces Yomiko, her boss "Joker", and some mysterious higher-up known as "The Gentleman". We also have the requisite number of interesting villains; little-girl-manga-style women in various costumes and stages of undress, as well as intimations of girl-on-girl action. There is also some back-story given for Yomiko's apprenticeship. I found Kurata to be quite witty, and there were some wonderful literary jokes thrown into the mix.
I normally don't do manga (except back when i was typing/word processing~or whatever the hell you call it~up our teen book reviews a few years back and i had to leaf few a couple of them to try and figure out what a couple of the kids were trying to say but that is an entirely other subject...), but i heard about this series and thought i would give it a shot.
Apparently the R.O.D. (Read or Die~now there's the ultimate ultimatum for you) started out as a nine volume series of "light novels" (which, i guess is the Japanese version of the young adult novel) by Hideyuki Kurata; which then spun off into the four volume manga series that i read (and a related manga series Read or Dream); three direct-to-video anime; and then a anime T.V. series. I think i saw it mentioned on one of my list-serves and it seemed somewhat appealing.
Yomiko Readman is a bibliophile ("a bibliophile is an alchemist of the soul"~or so says Yomiko) and oh, so much more. She is a "paper master" or The Paper (someone who is able to change paper into any type of weapon {or escape device~a sort of biblioMacGiver} she happens to need for whatever occasion she finds herself in~"paper would do anything for her") and a special agent for the British Library (or, actually, The Last Literatured Line of the UK). I found the plot a little hard to follow (and yes, i do know about the whole back to front, right to left thing, thank you very much), or maybe Kurata didn't lay it out clearly enough for me, or maybe i'm expecting more story than i should, or maybe i'm just stupid... whatever.
Anyway, Volume 1, introduces Yomiko, her boss "Joker", and some mysterious higher-up known as "The Gentleman". We also have the requisite number of interesting villains; little-girl-manga-style women in various costumes and stages of undress, as well as intimations of girl-on-girl action. There is also some back-story given for Yomiko's apprenticeship. I found Kurata to be quite witty, and there were some wonderful literary jokes thrown into the mix.
September 15, 2009
Hideyuki Kurata, Read or Die vol. 1: Mr. Woo's Woes (ViZ, 2000)
It's a no-brainer that a manga series called Read or Die (changed after four volumes to Read or Dream) would catch the eye of a voracious reader like yours truly. It proved to be kind of hard to track down, however, and I've finally gotten my hands on the first volume of the series almost three years after I first heard about it. And honestly, I'm not entirely sure what to say about it. There are so many things about this first volume that I loved, and so many that...well, I didn't love.
Based on an original anime, Read or Die is the story of Yumiko Readman, a papermaster (think of Musica the silverclaimer in Rave Master, but with paper). She mainly works for the Library of England tracking down stolen volumes with a handler known only as Joker, but she does have some autonomy as well. She gets herself hired at a Japanese high school attended one of her favorite authors, sixteen-year-old Nenene Sumiregawa. The two of them do not exactly get off to the greatest of beginnings, but all that changes when the two of them find out that Sumiregawa has a very dangerous stalker. Worse yet, the stalker's sidekick is a master of the only thing potentially deadly to a papermaster...
There is a particular style of manga I've encountered a handful of times that drives me nuts. It attempts a sort of impressionism, giving you about half the information you need to put together a coherent story from the images you've seen. Guys, it's not cool. It's really, really annoying. And the first half of this book is loaded with it. Also, some of Yumiko's mannerisms are liable to get on your nerves almost immediately. (“I'm a big fan!”) On the other hand, the sexual undertones are just plain hot (and really, that's harder to do than it sounds in animation), and once the story actually gets on track, it's pretty darned good. I'm hoping the first half of this volume is an aberration, and it'll pick up in volume 2. ***
It's a no-brainer that a manga series called Read or Die (changed after four volumes to Read or Dream) would catch the eye of a voracious reader like yours truly. It proved to be kind of hard to track down, however, and I've finally gotten my hands on the first volume of the series almost three years after I first heard about it. And honestly, I'm not entirely sure what to say about it. There are so many things about this first volume that I loved, and so many that...well, I didn't love.
Based on an original anime, Read or Die is the story of Yumiko Readman, a papermaster (think of Musica the silverclaimer in Rave Master, but with paper). She mainly works for the Library of England tracking down stolen volumes with a handler known only as Joker, but she does have some autonomy as well. She gets herself hired at a Japanese high school attended one of her favorite authors, sixteen-year-old Nenene Sumiregawa. The two of them do not exactly get off to the greatest of beginnings, but all that changes when the two of them find out that Sumiregawa has a very dangerous stalker. Worse yet, the stalker's sidekick is a master of the only thing potentially deadly to a papermaster...
There is a particular style of manga I've encountered a handful of times that drives me nuts. It attempts a sort of impressionism, giving you about half the information you need to put together a coherent story from the images you've seen. Guys, it's not cool. It's really, really annoying. And the first half of this book is loaded with it. Also, some of Yumiko's mannerisms are liable to get on your nerves almost immediately. (“I'm a big fan!”) On the other hand, the sexual undertones are just plain hot (and really, that's harder to do than it sounds in animation), and once the story actually gets on track, it's pretty darned good. I'm hoping the first half of this volume is an aberration, and it'll pick up in volume 2. ***
March 28, 2012
Yomiko Readman is a heroine like no other. Working for a top-secret organization, she uses her abilities to manipulate paper to astonishing effect. She also happens to be a be-spectacled bibliophile with a mania for secondhand bookstores. How could a reader like myself resist? Yomiko employs all five of her senses to appraise books. It’s almost embarrassing to watch as she drools over a choice tome, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “book LOVER”. In spite of the fact that she’s a bookworm, this manga is far from dull. The story starts quietly enough with talk about summoning a “paper”. Then it takes off and hits the ground running. Perhaps overcompensating for such a sedentary activity as book reading, the artist Shutaro Yamada has Yomiko bouncing with such manic intensity from one book-related experience to another that it can make the reader a little dizzy to follow her. Supervillains, two-fisted book writers, crazed fans and a steamy girl crush—all in the first few book. Read or die, indeed.
July 19, 2009
A classmate of mine is writing a paper on libraries and librarians in pop culture. She mentioned this series to me, so I figured I'd check it out. I wasn't terribly impressed with this manga version. The series is extremely action-oriented, and translating action into excessive onomatopoeia just doesn't do it for me. I was actually starting to hate the book when I decided to watch the second anime series based on R.O.D. -- (the TV) -- wow! Totally impressed. So then I watched the original. Also good. So then I decided to give this book another shot. I don't know if it was the new familiarity I had with the characters, but this time around, the book was... not great, but better. I wasn't too crazy about the hyper-sexualization of the main character and her orgasmic love of books. I guess it's part of the manga tradition? Will not read further, but will probably continue watching the anime versions on the internet.
February 12, 2013
11 February 2013
Rating: * * 1/2
I was so excited when I picked this up and read the synopsis. The premise of R.O.D. Read or Die 1 sounds like a match made in heaven for any fellow bibliophile and manga fanatic. Unfortunately, the shallow writing makes this story come off as a bibliomaniac's crazy wet dream instead.
The lead character, Yomiko Readman aka "The Paper," is the saving grace of this volume. Anyone who loves books will be able to relate to her and find her endearing. She absolutely kicked ass with her uniquely fascinating paper superpowers. However, I felt her over-sexualization didn't fit her character and it tainted her innocence.
I am all for hot sexy in manga... if it's appropriate. Having Yomiko's love for books border on eroticism was a tad much. I wish this had been a better introductory volume to the series because it sounds so promising. It was entertaining, but not captivating enough to continue on.
Rating: * * 1/2
I was so excited when I picked this up and read the synopsis. The premise of R.O.D. Read or Die 1 sounds like a match made in heaven for any fellow bibliophile and manga fanatic. Unfortunately, the shallow writing makes this story come off as a bibliomaniac's crazy wet dream instead.
The lead character, Yomiko Readman aka "The Paper," is the saving grace of this volume. Anyone who loves books will be able to relate to her and find her endearing. She absolutely kicked ass with her uniquely fascinating paper superpowers. However, I felt her over-sexualization didn't fit her character and it tainted her innocence.
I am all for hot sexy in manga... if it's appropriate. Having Yomiko's love for books border on eroticism was a tad much. I wish this had been a better introductory volume to the series because it sounds so promising. It was entertaining, but not captivating enough to continue on.
November 16, 2007
I LOVED it! The main character is not a librarian, however she loves books so much that she’s almost a slave to them. When she finds an extremely rare book, she goes into throes of passion. She uses her five senses (even taste) in order to become fully aware of the book. Somehow the books and paper can almost sense her utter dependency upon books and they allow her to manipulate paper in order to defend herself and in some cases kill. A government agency finds out about her abilities and puts her to work as one of their agents. At one point, she is given the task of protecting her favorite author, a teenager who types two books at once and doesn’t seem to care about her adoring fans.
All I have to say is… BRILLIANT! It’s a fun and unique read. Some of the plot is silly, but it doesn’t take itself to seriously.
All I have to say is… BRILLIANT! It’s a fun and unique read. Some of the plot is silly, but it doesn’t take itself to seriously.
January 7, 2009
Meet Yomiko Readman, a young woman of mixed Japanese/British ancestry, who is the most intense bibliophile you'll ever see. Her intense relationship with literature goes to the point where she seems to nearly have an orgasm from being allowed to authenticate a rare first edition tome.
Good thing Yomiko works for a prestigious organization: The British Library! But behind the unassuming exterior of both Miss Readman and The British Library are some rather special facts; the Library is a secret organization dedicated to the welfare of the British Nation, and Miss Readman is in fact, a Paper-Master! Born with the ability to psionically control paper in all it's myriad forms, Miss Readman is one of the British Library's most formidable (if naive) agents; The Paper!
A good read for bibliomaniacs and manga lovers everywhere.
Good thing Yomiko works for a prestigious organization: The British Library! But behind the unassuming exterior of both Miss Readman and The British Library are some rather special facts; the Library is a secret organization dedicated to the welfare of the British Nation, and Miss Readman is in fact, a Paper-Master! Born with the ability to psionically control paper in all it's myriad forms, Miss Readman is one of the British Library's most formidable (if naive) agents; The Paper!
A good read for bibliomaniacs and manga lovers everywhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2009
I LOVED it! The main character is not a librarian, however she loves books so much that she’s almost a slave to them. When she finds an extremely rare book, she goes into throes of passion. She uses her five senses (even taste) in order to become fully aware of the book. Somehow the books and paper can almost sense her utter dependency upon books and they allow her to manipulate paper in order to defend herself and in some cases kill. A government agency finds out about her abilities and puts her to work as one of their agents. At one point, she is given the task of protecting her favorite author, a teenager who types two books at once and doesn’t seem to care about her adoring fans.
All I have to say is… BRILLIANT! It’s a fun and unique read. Some of the plot is silly, but it doesn’t take itself to seriously.
All I have to say is… BRILLIANT! It’s a fun and unique read. Some of the plot is silly, but it doesn’t take itself to seriously.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews