num_pages: 624
description: 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.
language: English
title: Battle Royale
titlecomplete: Battle Royale
genres: Thriller, Dystopia, Japanese Literature, Novels, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Japan, Fiction
ratings_count: 72624
places: Japan
publisher: VIZ, LLC