Fruits Basket Volume 1, 2, 3, and 4 by Natsuki Takaya

Reason for Reading: New Author Challenge, Rhinoa's Manga Challenge

Tohru Honda was an orphan when one day fate kicked her out of the house and on to land belonging to the mysterious Sohma family. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything goes well until she discovers the Sohma family's secret, when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal!

Title and author of book: Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya - Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Graphic Novel. Fantasy or Mythology.

What led you to pick up this book? I had heard of it before and it sounded like as good a series as any to try out!

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! See above...

What did you like most about the book? I like a lot of things about this series. First off, I really enjoy how the Chinese Zodiac is used in the book. What a great idea! That whole idea has always interested me! I was born in the Year of the Rat. It's kind of funny how when Tohru hugs without thinking, they turn into animals. It's a strange idea, but it works! The characters take after their animals, too. There is competition, arguments, and all other sorts of adventure in the Sohmas family. Tohru finds herself mixed into it. You can tell these stories are written for a teenage crowd, though, because in the midst of the humour they deal with serious issues. It's a good series!

What did you like least? I get confused with the characters sometimes. I am still rusty with this pictures idea. I am used to reading the words and getting the whole story, so remembering to look closely at the pictures is a problem! In some of the other manga series I have tried to read, I can pull it off, but this one I find that I have to keep back-tracking because I missed something!

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? This is the first series I have read. I am going to be at it for a while if I plan to read everything! I was looking at her other series online, though, and it looks interesting. I have to finish a manga series before I can start another one, though.

What did you think of the main character? I like all of the characters in this book. They each bring something to the story. The Tohru annoys me sometimes, but that's a teenage girl problem. She has been through a lot and is trying to cope with all the changes in her life. The Sohma family is delightfully dysfuntional. It really works!

What about the ending? I have only read four volumes... The ending is a long way into the future!

This is another series that I really liked the art for. The covers are also great. Very simplistic, but it works. I actually read the collected versions of these four, so it included notes from the author. I thought that was an awesome idea!

Other Reviews:

Books & Other Thoughts (Volume 2): "I am looking forward to reading more about Tohru's further adventures in this delightful, lighthearted series."

Words by Annie (Volume 2): "I enjoyed this book a great deal, but not as much as the first one. It was a bit more confusing, but other than that it was a wonderful story!"

T.V. And Book Addict: "This manga is my all time favorite. Has wonderful characters, beautiful art, very funny, and a great plot. You will definitely love it till the end. It truly teaches you about how important it is to be strong and live your life by just being yourself."

Books & Other Thoughts (Volume 3): "This third volume in the Fruits Basket manga series seems to be a transitional book, with the relationships between the characters gaining more definition and depth, and events being set up for things to come in future volumes."

Words by Annie (Volume 1): "This story was spiced up with the perfect amount of romance and magic. I like the idea of the Zodiac spirits, and I'm eager to read the next book to find out more about the Sohmas!"

Books & Other Thoughts (Volume 1): "This is a lighthearted, humorous series, but it also covers more serious issues, such as Tohru's sense of loss in the wake of her mother's death, and while she is perky beyond belief, her enormous optimism is countered by her occasional moments of grief, and that, to me, makes her a more believable, sympathetic character. I look forward to reading about her further adventures!"

Mixtures: Books... (Volume 1): " I love this manga because its super CUTE. Its my FAVORITE of all time and i think you should all read it!!!! Its impossible not to love Shigure's antics and Yuki's personality. Tohru brings them much needed help and friendship. The cover is really cute too. :D"

Did I miss yours? Comment and let me know!