The precursor and inspiration to The Hunger Games never fails. I’ve been reading this book for decades and never fail to feel the hopelessness, the resilience, the humanity of the students. This is a beautiful novel that uses dystopian policies and government to put the most human high school students against each other. It compels you to try and think of a way to escape as you go on this journey with them. The violence is present and chaotic, but it fully immerses you in classic Japanese horror writing.