Manga Monday: Island in a Puddle Volume 1

Author/Artist: Kei Sanbe
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Released: March 15, 2022
Received: NetGalley

It’s been a few months since I read some manga that had more of a crime element mixed in, so I decided to give Island in a Puddle Volume 1 by Kei Sanbe a try. However, the cover may throw you off here – as it looks super sweet.

Minato and her sister, Nagisa, may only be children, but they’re pretty good at being on their own. Their mother is out a lot. Sometimes she doesn’t come home for weeks at a time. But so far, she has always come home eventually.

On the most recent return of their mother, she took them to the local amusement park for some fun. Only to abandon them shortly after. This is the tragic backstory for what is about to happen – and Minato’s life is about to change with the strike of lightning.

Wow. I feel like Island in a Puddle Volume 1 is two stories in one. There’s a whole plot before the lightning strikes and then an entirely different one after that point. Each one is a pretty solid story, the sort of thing I would have been happy to read as a standalone.

But together? They had me reeling. The transition was admittedly a little jarring, but I think that’s the point. It raised so many questions, alongside my anxiety. Once again, readers will find themselves rooting for Mintao, but with whole new stakes on the line this time.

Thanks to Kodansha and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.