Happiness Recommended
Grade 10 Up—Left alone after his grandfather's death, Yukiharu is surprised to find out that he has six younger brothers, all abandoned by his deadbeat parents. He moves into their dilapidated home only to be shocked at their poverty and bitterness toward him—and even more surprised to find out that a neighbor, Makoto, has a long-standing crush on him. As the eldest, Yukiharu must now try to raise his brothers on his own while trying to navigate a growing relationship with Makoto. When local thugs decide to take revenge on one of the brothers for his bullying, Makoto, Yukiharu, and the rest of the boys must band together to protect one of their own. With its elegantly rendered characters, Himawari's winsome artwork should please fans of thebishonen("beautiful boy") style. Likewise, the artist succeeds in depicting the tender and growing relationship between Yukiharu and Makoto, and the family-bonding subtext is realistically rendered. However, some of the text, illustrations, and plot elements (one of the brothers admits to male prostitution) are quite provocative.—Dave Inabnitt, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.