Review: #625
Title: The Isolator 1: The Biter
Series: The Isolator - 1st volume
Author: Reki Kawahara
Read Before: no
Comments: The Isolator is a sci-fi fantasy set in the real world and at present day, which is surprising considering the author. It tells the tale of Minoru, who was the sole survivor out of his family from an attack in his house, and eight years later, wants to be left alone. Orbs from space, known as “Third Eyes” appear on Earth, they embed themselves into humans like parasites, giving them special powers. Naturally, Minoru is one of those humans and his power is creating an unbreakable force field around his whole body. The villain of this first volume is The Biter, who can bite through practically anything. Unfortunately, the actual writing and plot is not as interesting as it sounds. Minoru is too much of your typical modest hero and the fact that he constantly mentions that he would rather be anti-social and be alone can become overbearing. There is a lack of soul in the plot, the atmosphere of the volume feels cold and drastically needs some sort of tension to warm it up. The novel causes the reader to feel detached as something feels off with the pacing and events. Some of the descriptions are very graphic which was surprising but perhaps the biggest flaw is that none of the characters appear charming after introduction. The Isolator has an average plot and feels much more limited in its imagination than expected.
Rating: 6/10