Higurashi When They Cry: Abducted by Demons Arc, Vol. 1 - mang...

Keiichi Maebara has just moved to the very small town of Hinamizawa.  He's making friends and generally enjoying his life, until one day, when he learns of a grisly murder that took place in the little village.  His friends won't tell him any of the details, which only adds to his uneasiness.  At the town's yearly festival, he learns that there has been a death on that night every year for four years, and they're all attributed to the Curse of Oyashiro-sama, a punishment for those who supported the dam project that would have put Hinamizawa underwater.   Another death occurs, and a policeman asks Keiichi for his help investigating what he suspects to be murder.  He informs Keiichi that not only is there a death every year, but someone goes missing.  He warns him not to tell anyone, especially his friend Mion Sonozaki, whose family was heavily involved in the anti-dam protests.  Keiichi only becomes more suspicious, especially when he overhears Mion talking with his friend Rena about how the Oyashiro-sama's Curse would demand one more person.  He confronts Rena about hiding things from him, and she acts like a completely different person, accusing him of lying, as if she knows he's helping the police.  As Keiichi's paranoia mounts, he learns that Rena was listening in on a phone call between him and the police officer.

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—In this adaptation of a popular computer game, teenager Keiichi Maebara has recently moved to the small, isolated village of Hinamizawa. He becomes friends with a group of flirtatious girls and settles into the daily life, becoming especially close to Rena. However, he suspects that the girls are hiding a dark secret when he finds out that every year, on the same day, one villager dies and one disappears. Is there a curse, or are the villagers behind the murders and the disappearances? Even worse, could Keiichi's charming friends be demons? The story starts out quietly, but the horror steadily builds, aided by the expressive illustrations. In one memorable part, the black-and-white pages give way to a color insert in which Rena's wide-eyed smile becomes a vicious scowl. Some of the violent murders are graphically depicted, and one girl's character is mainly defined by her pride in her large bosom.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Ryukishi07 leapt into the spotlight with HIGURASHI NO NAKU KORO NI which was originally conceived as a series of visual novels and later adapted into the popular manga and anime franchise.

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