Gosick: The Novel, Vol. 1 (book) story by Kazuki Sakuraba, illustrations by Hinata Takeda

This was one of my library checkouts, and it's an excellent example of why interlibrary lending is a Good Thing, so I'll take this opportunity to sing the praises of ILL.

This book has been out of print for some time. In the Amazon Marketplace, people are trying to sell used copies of it for $47+ and new copies for $84+. On Alibris, people are trying to sell used copies for $47+ and new copies for $117+. This wasn't available from my own library, but I was able to check it out via ILL. My 1-month checkout cost me $0.

Since I refuse to devote all my entertainment dollars to any one thing, I would not have read this book if I couldn't have gotten it from the library. Plus, since it's not exactly the best book ever, I would have been more than a little upset if I had spent $47+ on it. Libraries let you try out books that you may or may not enjoy, that may be in print or out of print. Most bookstores only give you what's in print. Used bookstores aren't guaranteed to have what you're looking for. Even if you broaden your search to what's online, you'll only get what you can afford to pay for. Libraries are for everyone to enjoy, no matter what you, personally, can afford to pay. If your library offers ILL, I encourage you to take advantage of it. Your local library may not have what you want, but another library might.

Okay, enough about ILL and libraries. Now, on to the book itself!

Synopsis:

[I forgot to write down what year this took place, but the anime took place sometime during 1924 or 1925.] Kujo is a transfer student at the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy in the country of Sauville. Most of his classmates avoid him and whisper about him, because of superstitions they've attached to him, but he does have a couple friends: Avril Bradley, a lover of ghost stories, and Victorique, a beautiful, brilliant, and reclusive girl.

After Victorique solves a mystery involving the murder of an old fortune teller, Kujo is incensed to learn that Grevil de Blois, the detective in charge of the case, grabbed all the credit for himself. In order to keep Kujo from telling everyone who truly solved the case, Grevil invites Kujo and Victorique to spend time on the fortune teller's yacht, which Grevil was given as a gift.

At the yacht, Kujo and Victorique find an invitation for dinner on a cruise ship that was addressed to Roxanne, the fortune teller who was murdered, and they opt to go in her place. Unfortunately, their time on the cruise ship turns out to be more dangerous than either of them expected. The ship is booby-trapped, and there's no way to call for help or leave. Almost everyone on the ship turns out to have been involved in a similar incident. Ten years ago, they trapped a group of children on a ship and arranged things so that most of the children died. Now, 10 years later, it seems as though one of those children has decided to get revenge. Somehow Victorique and Kujo have to survive and make it to safety, despite the possibility that someone among them may be a killer.

Review:

I have read very few light novels that I'd recommend to someone who hadn't already seen the anime adaptations or who wasn't interested in anime/manga. Sadly, I can't add Gosick to my short list.

Gosick (anime TV series), via Crunchyroll

This series is 24 episodes long.

I'll try to keep from including too many spoilers, but the one thing I will say, because I know I would liked to have known it (it might have lessened my fear of watching the final few episodes): although some tragic things do happen, the ending is not completely tragic. The absolute worst stuff that I feared would happen did not happen.

Synopsis:

This series takes place primarily during 1924 and 1925 in the fictional European country of Saubure. Kujo is a Japanese foreign exchange student at the prestigious St. Marguerite Academy in Saubure. Although he's a nice guy, he has problems making friends, due to his fellow students having nicknamed him the "Black Reaper." His nickname comes from a famous local ghost story - ghost and fairy stories are incredibly popular in the area.

While visiting the academy's gorgeous library, Kujo comes across a beautiful, doll-like, and brilliant girl named Victorique. Over the course of the series, Kujo assists Victorique with solving various mysteries, and the two become close friends, with lots of hints that they like each other as more than just friends. Kujo learns that Victorique is basically imprisoned at the academy, only able to leave when her father, via her older half-brother, allows her to leave. Victorique's father plans to use her as a tool for his and Saubure's survival in the coming second World War (which ends up taking place earlier than our World War II, so I'd call this an alternate history series).

As Victorique unravels more mysteries about her mother's past and the pasts of several powerful people in Saubure, the country moves closer and closer to being drawn into the next great war. Despite the strength of their bond, Victorique and Kujo may not be able to stay together forever.

Review:

This is the third time I've tried to write this review. I keep failing to properly communicate how much I enjoyed this show without giving too much away. I'm still not entirely satisfied with what I've written, but it's better than my other attempts.