What do you think?
Please Form Pairs
MEAN GIRLS MEETS SQUID GAME
ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?
THE #1 JAPANESE HIT ABOUT KEEPING UP AND STAYING (BARELY) ALIVE
1. Please form pairs
2. You cannot pair with someone twice
3. Anyone without a partner will be executed
Mishin Mizushima isn't nearly cool enough by Japanese standards. Not even her mum is a fan, ditching her to shack up with a new lover.
At school, towering alpha females move and think as a single, terrifyingly beautiful organism. The betas know to lay low. The rest grovel at the bottom of the sparkly food chain.
But one day, a new teacher dares to question the natural order with a simple instruction - and unleashes a gladiatorial catfight for survival.
Please Form Pairs is a candy-coated death game where every doll must play by three keep up, be liked, and stay (barely) alive in a girl-eat-girl world.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?
THE #1 JAPANESE HIT ABOUT KEEPING UP AND STAYING (BARELY) ALIVE
1. Please form pairs
2. You cannot pair with someone twice
3. Anyone without a partner will be executed
Mishin Mizushima isn't nearly cool enough by Japanese standards. Not even her mum is a fan, ditching her to shack up with a new lover.
At school, towering alpha females move and think as a single, terrifyingly beautiful organism. The betas know to lay low. The rest grovel at the bottom of the sparkly food chain.
But one day, a new teacher dares to question the natural order with a simple instruction - and unleashes a gladiatorial catfight for survival.
Please Form Pairs is a candy-coated death game where every doll must play by three keep up, be liked, and stay (barely) alive in a girl-eat-girl world.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 15, 2026
Mieko Kawakami's Heaven meets Battle Royale, and absolutely smashes my emotions into tiny pieces in just 230 pages.
A big problem I have with books with the Death Game concept is that I often don't have enough time to care about the characters before they're killed off. But in Please Form Pairs, the author chooses to focus each chapter on a different student, who may or may not be killed off that round, giving us a snapshot of their life, desires, and connections to the other students.
I was completely emotionally invested in every single student that was part of this game, and finding out their dynamics with the other students and seeing how that played out during the pairings was so interesting. Finding their names on the list of the disqualified was level of pain I've not felt since The Hunger Games. I really loved that there was lesbian and trans rep, which I really didn't expect to see in this story.
A big problem I have with books with the Death Game concept is that I often don't have enough time to care about the characters before they're killed off. But in Please Form Pairs, the author chooses to focus each chapter on a different student, who may or may not be killed off that round, giving us a snapshot of their life, desires, and connections to the other students.
I was completely emotionally invested in every single student that was part of this game, and finding out their dynamics with the other students and seeing how that played out during the pairings was so interesting. Finding their names on the list of the disqualified was level of pain I've not felt since The Hunger Games. I really loved that there was lesbian and trans rep, which I really didn't expect to see in this story.
September 3, 2026
On the surface, this book sounded like it was made in a lab specifically for me, yet the execution felt like giving me a vape if I were a chain smoker.
September 13, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this book described as a cross between Squid Game and Mean Girls, I was immediately all over it. Battle Royale is one of those films that stayed with me for ages, and I always seem to be drawn to these kinds of scenarios.
Please Form Pairs was a shorter read, and I actually had to read the whole thing on my phone, which would usually put me off, but I was hooked!
The overall premise isn’t hugely different from other stories in the genre, but what made this one stand out for me was the bullying aspect and the way the games were centred around the dynamics within the class and how people had treated each other.
Everyone in the class had a part to play, which I found really interesting, and I enjoyed gradually getting to know the different characters … even Lisa, who I wanted to slap on more than one occasion!
Overall, this was a quick, fun and addictive little read. If you enjoy things like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale or Squid Game, this is definitely one to pick up!
When I saw this book described as a cross between Squid Game and Mean Girls, I was immediately all over it. Battle Royale is one of those films that stayed with me for ages, and I always seem to be drawn to these kinds of scenarios.
Please Form Pairs was a shorter read, and I actually had to read the whole thing on my phone, which would usually put me off, but I was hooked!
The overall premise isn’t hugely different from other stories in the genre, but what made this one stand out for me was the bullying aspect and the way the games were centred around the dynamics within the class and how people had treated each other.
Everyone in the class had a part to play, which I found really interesting, and I enjoyed gradually getting to know the different characters … even Lisa, who I wanted to slap on more than one occasion!
Overall, this was a quick, fun and addictive little read. If you enjoy things like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale or Squid Game, this is definitely one to pick up!
September 27, 2026
"I wish for your death."
Chiren Kina's novel begins with Mishin Mizushima. She is not one of the poplular girls at her school and at home she lives along because her mother chose to live with her lover. There is a hierarchy at her school, there are the alpha girls who hold a lot of power, the betas who play it safe and the rest beneath them. However one day a teacher initiates a new game for this classroom of girls to play where they have to play by specific rules or else they run the risk of being disqualified...permanently.
The description alone gives you an idea of what this story is similiar to and I love a couple references that do prop up if you pick up on them. This is a twisted game that punishes those that are the bully and teach the heavy lesson of how it can affect the lives of everyone wether they are involved or not.
It was such an easy one to devour, I was constantly waiting for the twist to reveal itself and when it did I loudly went "WTF" 🙈
This story is dark and unnerving, it reminded me of familiar stories like Battle Royale, Squid Games and Confessions.
Overall a wildly messed up story that I did enjoy reading.
Chiren Kina's novel begins with Mishin Mizushima. She is not one of the poplular girls at her school and at home she lives along because her mother chose to live with her lover. There is a hierarchy at her school, there are the alpha girls who hold a lot of power, the betas who play it safe and the rest beneath them. However one day a teacher initiates a new game for this classroom of girls to play where they have to play by specific rules or else they run the risk of being disqualified...permanently.
The description alone gives you an idea of what this story is similiar to and I love a couple references that do prop up if you pick up on them. This is a twisted game that punishes those that are the bully and teach the heavy lesson of how it can affect the lives of everyone wether they are involved or not.
It was such an easy one to devour, I was constantly waiting for the twist to reveal itself and when it did I loudly went "WTF" 🙈
This story is dark and unnerving, it reminded me of familiar stories like Battle Royale, Squid Games and Confessions.
Overall a wildly messed up story that I did enjoy reading.
September 14, 2026
2.5.
Concept seems to fall a bit flat. A bit repetitive and predictable. Already knew the outcome before it even started. Nevertheless, entertaining and easy reading. Maybe would’ve worked better as a short story.
Concept seems to fall a bit flat. A bit repetitive and predictable. Already knew the outcome before it even started. Nevertheless, entertaining and easy reading. Maybe would’ve worked better as a short story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
On paper, it was made for me, but i think i only really enjoyed it promptly because of that, otherwise i have to admit it got repetitive pretty quickly, and i didn't completely enjoy the end but otherwise, a fun and short ride.
Also this is my annual propaganda message to tell everyone to read Battle Royale k thanks.
Also this is my annual propaganda message to tell everyone to read Battle Royale k thanks.
September 11, 2026
A fantastic concept! This was so creative and unlike anything I had read before. I really enjoyed the glimpses into the students lives we got, it was the perfect amount to humanise them. The commentary on bullying felt a little over emphasised at points, but the story still drove the message home. A great new story, from a new writer who I will be keeping an eye on in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #PleaseFormPairs #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #PleaseFormPairs #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 6, 2026
A nice little mix of Squid Game and Battle Royale.
Please Form Pairs approaches the subject of bullying, even if you’re not the one doing the bullying but do nothing to stop it.
Mishin Mizushima is always the odd one out in class, she never has a partner during gym class, so has to partner with the teacher. None of her class mates ever choose to partner with her, until Karen transfers to their school.
We meet a handful of characters, all with their own relationships and feelings, and all want to survive the game. All they must do is form a pair with a fellow classmate to survive. What happens when they’re the odd one out?
This book was disturbing and brutal. We see friendships tested and school hierarchy break down. It was an enjoyable read and I’d love to see more books about different schools!
Please Form Pairs approaches the subject of bullying, even if you’re not the one doing the bullying but do nothing to stop it.
Mishin Mizushima is always the odd one out in class, she never has a partner during gym class, so has to partner with the teacher. None of her class mates ever choose to partner with her, until Karen transfers to their school.
We meet a handful of characters, all with their own relationships and feelings, and all want to survive the game. All they must do is form a pair with a fellow classmate to survive. What happens when they’re the odd one out?
This book was disturbing and brutal. We see friendships tested and school hierarchy break down. It was an enjoyable read and I’d love to see more books about different schools!
September 11, 2026
wow. an absolute masterpiece.
super DUPER hooking and veeeerrryyy sad. i cried three times, and i don't really cry reading books.
i don't know if that says something about me or the book. you decide.
characters are all super detailed, plot is excellent, ending gave me goosebumps.
definitely recommend if you're into thrillers, gore and tension.
super DUPER hooking and veeeerrryyy sad. i cried three times, and i don't really cry reading books.
i don't know if that says something about me or the book. you decide.
characters are all super detailed, plot is excellent, ending gave me goosebumps.
definitely recommend if you're into thrillers, gore and tension.
September 11, 2026
A bit like battle royale but more about bullying and how mean girls are to eachother.
September 11, 2026
This book is a mirror that forces you to reflect on your own actions as the characters do the same. Amazing.
September 17, 2026
I think the epilogue actually took away from it a little, but it was still whiplash-inducing all the way through.
September 7, 2026
The words "Please form pairs" are already a horror story in themselves for every high school loser out there, even without the threat of murder
September 2, 2026
An easy, quick read that I absolutely HAD to get through as soon as I started it. I loved the little glimpses into every student's life and the vicious competition and mind games between the girls.
The only issue I had is (despite obviously knowing that the book isn't advocating for this kind of game or anything) that I did bristle at the idea that the girl who lost her parents in a car crash and the girl who was taken away from her abusive family didn't deserve some leeway.
The only issue I had is (despite obviously knowing that the book isn't advocating for this kind of game or anything) that I did bristle at the idea that the girl who lost her parents in a car crash and the girl who was taken away from her abusive family didn't deserve some leeway.
August 31, 2026
Finally a 5 star read.
My absolute favourite genre is Battle Royale remakes. This is battle royale at an all girls school to stop bullying. It also has good lesbian rep.
The only downside is that there are barely any descriptions of the deaths. I want descriptive gore in my murderous novels, but alas. Still an excellent read ⭐
My absolute favourite genre is Battle Royale remakes. This is battle royale at an all girls school to stop bullying. It also has good lesbian rep.
The only downside is that there are barely any descriptions of the deaths. I want descriptive gore in my murderous novels, but alas. Still an excellent read ⭐
May 9, 2026
抱著「死亡遊戲」的期待來讀，結果遠遠超乎想像。故事的前半段，作者顯然沒有要隱瞞下一個死的會是誰，反而以此帶來人格（善良、自私、正義、惡意）、能力（才能）、價值觀（理想）、社會條件（外貌、性別、獨特性、刻板印象）的探索，並巧妙融進故事內核的「霸凌」與「階級」之中，交織出一幅「高中少女的人際浮世繪」。
雖然故事是因此少了點刺激，卻也讓人思考起「為什麼沒人牽起她的手（她為什麼死）？」是班上的階級掌控、還是平時對待他人不慎所遭到的反噬、或者自己其實也身處在霸凌之中？
當故事發展到後半段，結構有所轉變。即使在兩、三章內，情節的縝密程度有因此出現小小瑕疵，不過尾段對存活角色的背景填補，則再添內核層次。最後，「霸凌」進一步延伸到「無心的惡意」的階段，故事進而成為對人性的思考及諷刺。
雖然故事是因此少了點刺激，卻也讓人思考起「為什麼沒人牽起她的手（她為什麼死）？」是班上的階級掌控、還是平時對待他人不慎所遭到的反噬、或者自己其實也身處在霸凌之中？
當故事發展到後半段，結構有所轉變。即使在兩、三章內，情節的縝密程度有因此出現小小瑕疵，不過尾段對存活角色的背景填補，則再添內核層次。最後，「霸凌」進一步延伸到「無心的惡意」的階段，故事進而成為對人性的思考及諷刺。
September 28, 2026
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. It means a lot to me.
I enjoy watching K-dramas and when I watch school-themed ones, there is usually some serious bullying involved.
This book takes exactly that idea and builds on it. A lot of exclusion happens between the Mean Girls-like groups and the Groundlings.
While reading the book, we may think that no serious bullying or real harm is happening. But this is mostly because of the way things are shown to us. One part of the book I really liked.
One of the girls in the Groundlings is called a “ghost” and no one wants to be paired with her.
The book makes us ask: when you look at it from her point of view, isn’t that bullying?
And then we get to the part where things become much more brutal. The Squid Game part…
The girls go to school for graduation, and when they enter their classroom, they realize that the corsages they are wearing have made them part of the game. The rules are very clear and strict and the deaths are just as horrifying.
In this short book, we get to read from the perspectives of girls from all groups, from the Alphas to the Groundlings. We see what they go through with their families and within their own groups. It feels repetitive but finally you can understand that these girls just had egos and dreams.
And the ending was good. I mean the real ending. Yes, the very last part.
So, now that everyone is here, shall we begin?
Please form pairs.
#netgalley #arcreader #pleaseformpairs
I enjoy watching K-dramas and when I watch school-themed ones, there is usually some serious bullying involved.
This book takes exactly that idea and builds on it. A lot of exclusion happens between the Mean Girls-like groups and the Groundlings.
While reading the book, we may think that no serious bullying or real harm is happening. But this is mostly because of the way things are shown to us. One part of the book I really liked.
One of the girls in the Groundlings is called a “ghost” and no one wants to be paired with her.
The book makes us ask: when you look at it from her point of view, isn’t that bullying?
And then we get to the part where things become much more brutal. The Squid Game part…
The girls go to school for graduation, and when they enter their classroom, they realize that the corsages they are wearing have made them part of the game. The rules are very clear and strict and the deaths are just as horrifying.
In this short book, we get to read from the perspectives of girls from all groups, from the Alphas to the Groundlings. We see what they go through with their families and within their own groups. It feels repetitive but finally you can understand that these girls just had egos and dreams.
And the ending was good. I mean the real ending. Yes, the very last part.
So, now that everyone is here, shall we begin?
Please form pairs.
#netgalley #arcreader #pleaseformpairs
September 27, 2026
This book plays out like Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale of the game never got beyond the classroom.
The dystopian nature of this story had me hooked, and the idea of a ‘life and death’ game to teach students about the harm of bullying is a novel concept.
The almost nihilistic acceptance of their fate by some students is preceded by a brief background of who they are and how they came to their allotted social standing.
In some ways, the book reads like a collection of short stories held together by a central theme, and it adds so much more value to the shocking events that occur.
I loved the nod of appreciation towards Haruki Murakami’s work in this as well.
Thanks to Brazen of Octopus Publishing and NetGalley for the access! This about now and is a great read.
The dystopian nature of this story had me hooked, and the idea of a ‘life and death’ game to teach students about the harm of bullying is a novel concept.
The almost nihilistic acceptance of their fate by some students is preceded by a brief background of who they are and how they came to their allotted social standing.
In some ways, the book reads like a collection of short stories held together by a central theme, and it adds so much more value to the shocking events that occur.
I loved the nod of appreciation towards Haruki Murakami’s work in this as well.
Thanks to Brazen of Octopus Publishing and NetGalley for the access! This about now and is a great read.
October 10, 2026
Squid Game for bullies (complimentary)
May 5, 2026
真的是闔上書本的同時想拍案叫絕的程度，尤其是尾聲太神啦，佩服。
故事設定在一間私立女子高中的畢典當天，開始了一堂特別課程——「請大家兩人一組」的死亡遊戲。作者木爾千戀簡直精準捕捉女生群體裡幽微複雜的風起雲湧，劃分成一軍、二軍、三軍的班內階級，總是掌握著話語權的頂端，以及遭受忽視的底層。無論是霸凌的加害者或者視而不見的旁觀者，全都難逃制裁。
「⋯⋯但即使到了這種時候，仍舊只有一軍的女生有資格在教室裡自由發言。三軍女生們此刻必然冷眼看著這一切，就跟美心自己一樣。」
27名學生各自的背景故事同樣描繪得細膩具體，一方面真實得非常可以理解，一方面又如此悲哀。最後的警世意味也想起了3年A班，所有人都不應該置身事外。
故事設定在一間私立女子高中的畢典當天，開始了一堂特別課程——「請大家兩人一組」的死亡遊戲。作者木爾千戀簡直精準捕捉女生群體裡幽微複雜的風起雲湧，劃分成一軍、二軍、三軍的班內階級，總是掌握著話語權的頂端，以及遭受忽視的底層。無論是霸凌的加害者或者視而不見的旁觀者，全都難逃制裁。
「⋯⋯但即使到了這種時候，仍舊只有一軍的女生有資格在教室裡自由發言。三軍女生們此刻必然冷眼看著這一切，就跟美心自己一樣。」
27名學生各自的背景故事同樣描繪得細膩具體，一方面真實得非常可以理解，一方面又如此悲哀。最後的警世意味也想起了3年A班，所有人都不應該置身事外。
September 29, 2026
Stooped over, hands on knees, Please Form Pairs approaches "who's a good boy?" levels of condescension. It's specifically not marketed for children due to its graphic themes, but it could have fooled me.
Even YA novels respect their readership enough to spare minors a tone this babying and handholdy. I can't help but read the narration in the register someone might choose for addressing a toddler, or maybe a dog.
Some great works of literature deliberately employ childlike lenses for stylistic reasons that fit the narrative. For example, Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, about a girl who copes with trauma through episodes of disassociation into a fantastical unreality, and plans to leave Earth with her talking hedgehog companion.
If that was the intention here, I don't believe it was pulled off successfully. Neither do I get the sense the translation is to blame. Even the theme of bullying is not explored with much depth or nuance.
I can guarantee my teenage self would find the representation of adolescents here cringe and out of touch. Kids don't talk like that. So who is this book for, exactly, if neither adults or minors?
Even YA novels respect their readership enough to spare minors a tone this babying and handholdy. I can't help but read the narration in the register someone might choose for addressing a toddler, or maybe a dog.
Some great works of literature deliberately employ childlike lenses for stylistic reasons that fit the narrative. For example, Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, about a girl who copes with trauma through episodes of disassociation into a fantastical unreality, and plans to leave Earth with her talking hedgehog companion.
If that was the intention here, I don't believe it was pulled off successfully. Neither do I get the sense the translation is to blame. Even the theme of bullying is not explored with much depth or nuance.
I can guarantee my teenage self would find the representation of adolescents here cringe and out of touch. Kids don't talk like that. So who is this book for, exactly, if neither adults or minors?
September 25, 2026
I don't have much to say about this rote cliche repetitive and flat story. The prose is completely flat which is often the case with Japanese translations. Japanese translators really need to add a literary flair to their translations when switching to English and should know better than to just do direct translation, the absolute bare minimum. Each chapter focuses on the next student to die and gives a couple paragraphs of background that I suppose is supposed to make us feel something for each of them. I didn't care about any of these characters and a snippet of background just isn't enough. There's just too many named characters (at least 30) and I couldn't bother keeping their names straight because it just doesn't matter. Even the ones we're supposed to root for are just as guilty and annoying as anyone else so trying to make a distinction between them didn't work for me. The plot is filled with cliches and there's nothing new here. 100% predictable. Apathy is a form of bullying is the point but it's crammed down your throat in such a shallow and repetitive way I just simply can't make myself care about any of this. Don't read this unless you're 13 years old. I think this should have just stayed in Japanese where this might be more culturally relevant. This is such a blatant rehashing of the same story told 100 times before that I don't know how she didn't get sued for plagiarism.
October 10, 2026
I was so excited for this one, but it really fell flat. I don’t know if it was the translation or the original text, but every single character felt utterly flat until the last couple of chapters. I didn’t get many of the Japanese references and kept having to constantly Google stuff, and for a translated book I just think it would be useful to include a bit more context for English readers.
The anti-bullying message was sooooo heavy-handed. Maybe if I’d read this when I was in high school and hated my life it would have resonated with me more, but it just felt a bit stupid, and all the girls were so immature.
There were no attempts to escape? No explanation of how the corsages worked. I just reckon in real life there’d be way more panic than there was here.
The anti-bullying message was sooooo heavy-handed. Maybe if I’d read this when I was in high school and hated my life it would have resonated with me more, but it just felt a bit stupid, and all the girls were so immature.
There were no attempts to escape? No explanation of how the corsages worked. I just reckon in real life there’d be way more panic than there was here.
September 20, 2026
This book is marketed as squid game meets Mean Girls, and it makes sense!
You’re really thrown straight into it, and I liked the description of the social hierarchy. However, I didn’t feel we knew enough about the girls to understand their motivations, be shocked by their actions or mourn their deaths. Instead we were just presented with vignettes about each girl, showing how fragile (or not) their friendships were.
Overall this wasn’t bad, but felt like an extremely thinly veiled commentary on bullying and the “fakeness” of teenage (female) friendships rather than really contributing to anything approaching emotional impact or shock.
You’re really thrown straight into it, and I liked the description of the social hierarchy. However, I didn’t feel we knew enough about the girls to understand their motivations, be shocked by their actions or mourn their deaths. Instead we were just presented with vignettes about each girl, showing how fragile (or not) their friendships were.
Overall this wasn’t bad, but felt like an extremely thinly veiled commentary on bullying and the “fakeness” of teenage (female) friendships rather than really contributing to anything approaching emotional impact or shock.
October 4, 2026
Ok, is this the best book ever? No. Not at all. Did I absolutely devour it after being stuck in a months long reading slump? Oh hell yea.
This book is a popcorn horror book. You can now speedrun Danganronpa and that was exactly what I was hoping for. Campy, unserious and just a fun time. Sure the characters are a little one note, and the ending feels counterintuitive and predictable, and yes none of the tech makes any sense.... but who cares! I had a good time and I feel like I got exactly what I payed for.
This book is a popcorn horror book. You can now speedrun Danganronpa and that was exactly what I was hoping for. Campy, unserious and just a fun time. Sure the characters are a little one note, and the ending feels counterintuitive and predictable, and yes none of the tech makes any sense.... but who cares! I had a good time and I feel like I got exactly what I payed for.
October 9, 2026
This book is a hot mess . And not in a good way . So many characters to keep track of. Each chapter a character is eliminated . The book moves so fast so there is little time for plot, reason or character development. Everyone seems pretty one dimensional and it just didn’t make sense . I my became a chore to get through
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
Fun time, trochę nastoletniej dramy, ale liczyłam na więcej odkrywania tajemnic i niuansów dziewczyńskich przyjaźni? Książka taka pisana typowo pod ekranizację, ale dwa wieczory spędziłam przyklejona do niej
September 8, 2026
a rip-roaring ride - if battle royale was set in an all-girls school with a hint of squid game + escape room. wish it was a tad more literary but it delivered on the concept + the characters were immaculately drawn out given its small extent.
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