Rating: 4/5
This is a tough book to review. It is the story of a boy and his family in the months prior to the U.S. dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The family is poor and has sacrificed much for Japan despite being opposed to the war. They are malnourished and seem to encounter problems any time they have access to more food. Since the story is told through a seven year old boy, much of the horror is downplayed. But it is still there, particularly when soldiers are on stage and after the bomb drops.
The struggle of the Japanese people is front and center. Even the soldiers that volunteer for the war are affected. Gen's family is treated pretty harshly all around for speaking against the war. The only other character that is treated similarly is a Korean refugee. The tone and setting immediately made me think of the animated film Grave of the Fireflies and the novel Hiroshima. Both deal with the same subject, but those focus more on the aftermath. Since this is the first of a ten book series, Nakazawa will definitely cover that aspect.
The only thing I didn't care for in this book is the art. It fits very well with the protagonist, but it is too cartoony for my taste. It's not a make or break thing for me, but it can distract from the story being told.
Anyone interested in history, especially WWII, should check this out. But everyone should read something telling the story of this bombing. It is so much more striking to read a first hand account than to just be aware that it happened.
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