Review 7: Science Fiction or Fantasy

Tanigawa, Nagaru, and Noizi Ito. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. New York: Little, Brown and Co. 2009. Print.

Annotation: A young man’s world gets turned upside-down by a girl behind him in homeroom, who introduces herself as Haruhi Suzumiya and declares that she isn't interested in normal people, only aliens, time travelers, espers, or sliders.

Justification for Nomination:
Nagaru Tanigawa’s The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a simple light novel that explores a universive filled with aliens, time travelers and many other phenomenons. The plot of the novel is unique in that it paces itself rather well, introducing key events at just the right time, creating a gripping read that doesn't loosen its hold on the reader. Though the novel has its fair share of action and suspense, its main attraction is its exceptional cast of characters that never fail to capture readers' attentions.

For one, the novel is developed from Kyon's first-person narrative view as he lives his first year of highschool.  Tanigawa did a phenomenal job in having Kyon as the narrative because his witty self-reservations on Haruhi and the other's behavior are hilarious and insightful. All the characters in the light novel bring a cliché personality: we have the gorgeous naïve clumsy girl, the book worm, the mysterious student, the over-demanding bossy girl and Kyon a loner youth. Yet for this novel, Tanigawa contrast each with supernatural abilities that drives you to find out why each one is there and what their purpose is.

With all the supernatural beings and technology aside, the novels bring true to YA literatures in that the story contrasts the contentment with everyday life with the desire for something more, through a narrator who remains comedic in a very human way while surrounded by the strange and unusual. Even though both the setting and action feature elements that are culturally characteristic of Japanese life, the central question is something familiar to every youth: Is this life all there is for me, and is it OK for me to be satisfied with it? Kyon goes on a journey of self-discovery, a place where he belongs and to truly find out who he is.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is what good Young Adult novels should be: fun, light, comical, dramatic, and surprising. Filled with laughter, mystery, and interesting character development, author Nagaru Tanigawa weaves an entertaining story that won't soon be forgotten.
Genre Category: Science Fiction