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The Promised Neverland - Chapter 1

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Emma and her friends have a pretty good life at the orphanage they grew up in. Though the rules may be strict, the caretaker is kind. But why are the children forbidden from ever leaving...?

55 pages, ebook

Published August 17, 2016

37 people are currently reading
935 people want to read

About the author

Kaiu Shirai

108 books764 followers
Pseudonym of the Manga writer creator of Promised Neverland.

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5 stars
660 (54%)
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401 (33%)
3 stars
115 (9%)
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21 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
Profile Image for Mohammed Ali.
1 review
March 13, 2018
"There's no way I'm letting this 6-year long plan go up in smoke!!"

This quote really shows whats going on in this manga. This manga has a lot of deep intricate plots. I think there is a beautiful complexity to its plot and its amazing. I think this is a great book and it really changes your vision on how animals are treated.

I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for Lena.
308 reviews
November 12, 2018
Vabbè ma io COSA diamine ho appena letto?
Senza parole. Il primo volume di The Promised Neverland mi ha sconvolta, catturata, shockata.
Non mi sarei MAI aspettata niente di tutto questo.
Profile Image for Mdg2810.
336 reviews20 followers
May 7, 2018
De belles illustrations, un scénario fort, qui tient la route. Il fait parfois frissonner mais il nous tient surtout en haleine pendant toute la lecture.
Profile Image for Salma Mattar.
180 reviews37 followers
January 11, 2019
interesting beginning, kind of expected what will happen but the ending was intriguing enough for me to countinue reading it
Profile Image for Online Eccentric Librarian.
3,400 reviews5 followers
October 27, 2017
More reviews at the Online Eccentric Librarian http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The Promised Neverland is a creepy and very disturbing urban fantasy that starts small and stays small. Kids in an orphanage discover they are 'food' and spend most of the book plotting escape. In this premise we see the difference between Western and Eastern readers: the book isn't about what's outside the orphanage so much as figuring out how to get out within a certain amount of time. It's an intriguing premise and horror driven.

Story: Emma, Norman, and Ray are the eldest at the orphanage and also the most gifted. They've been there most of their life and are cared for with love by Mother and the other kids. They all look forward to one thing: the adoption at 12 years old when they leave the orphanage for good to start their new life with a family. When the latest child leaves, Connie, she forgets her handmade bunny made by Mother (their caretaker). The boys rush to the forbidden exit gatehouse with the bunny only to discover a horrifying truth. Things are not what they believed at the orphanage.

The world is very small in The Promised Neverland - kids who know nothing of the outside world and have very limited access to that information. Their life is happy, they are well fed, and well cared-for by their cherished 'mother' - Isabella. They study hard with certain disciplines and each has a number tattood on their necks. It all seems idyllic - until they discover that they are being raised for a very different purpose.

So we don't know anything about the world outside, what the children would find if they did get out, and what lead to that situation. Interestingly, the children note that the latest book they have is copyrighted 2015 and they have nothing more modern after that. As well, clues that the orphanage isn't an orphanage are liberally strewn throughout these first few chapters.

This series seems uniquely suited to those who liked similar manga such as Deadman Wonderland. A lot of pathos, outwitting the evil, and a supernatural element that is frightening. The pacing is fluid and the mysteries look to be slowly unfolded. The story seems to be about the kids attempts to get out and how the adults figure out ways to foil those attempts and keep the kids contained. More of a horror cat and mouse game inside the orphanage. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
Profile Image for Jess Castz.
611 reviews
September 13, 2019
Por dios, ¿Qué acabo de leer? Está historia me dejó al borde del asiento, literal. No esperaba todo lo que les sucedió a los personajes, y mucho menos lo que esconde éste lugar. Recomiendo mucho éste manga, pero ojo. No es para todas las personas.
Profile Image for Ece.
4 reviews5 followers
February 5, 2019
this is such a chilling series, the plot line, the characterisation—amazing. i would recommend this to anyone interested in psychological thrillers and horror themes.
Profile Image for Danielle Heiert.
179 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2023
I.....did not know what this was about before I read it 😅 it's good though, I will continue!
Profile Image for Aleksandra.
1,547 reviews
February 1, 2019
After starting my new job this week, I haven’t read a single thing. Exhausted and tired, my brain had only energy for twitter and anime. I love reading and these past days felt unpleasant for many reasons, including my lack of will to read anything.
However,as of Friday February 1, I downloaded free licensed manga app and read this chapter of The Promised Neverland on my commute. I’m marking it as read just at one chapter to highlight how happy I am to be back to reading things, I feel energized to pick up my next read, but most importantly

this chapter is spectacular.

Knowing the plot, I was able to fully enjoy the paneling, layout and nuances of the art. The art style is gorgeous. I noticed several panels and scenes that weren’t included in anime adaptation.

I’ve loved The Promised Neverland with my whole heart since episode 1 and I see myself reading a chapter a week following the anime release and after season 1 is wrapped up I’m going to marathon all of the published manga volumes.

I highly recommend this manga and anime! (Yes, I’ve literally read just one chapter and watched just four episodes, it is THAT good, I’m confident at my recommendation.)

You can definitely find plot descriptions online but I recommend going blindly!
Profile Image for Jean-Baptiste Balmeyer.
14 reviews6 followers
May 8, 2019
Quand on m'a prêté ces mangas à lire, j'ai pensé : "Ola, ça va être bon ça pour mon quota de Goodreads", mais quand même, je ne vais pas référencer chaque tome lu car je reste fair play dans le game. Sinon, cela se passe dans un orphelinat en 2045, et je ne vais pas en dire plus pour ne pas spoiler. Il y a un scénario d'enfer, et si les auteurs ont la maudite idée de sortir 80 tomes, je vais devoir puiser dans mes économies pour la retraite, ou alors manger des pâtes, car c'est vraiment bien, les livres, mais aussi les pâtes.
Profile Image for Helen.
1,584 reviews74 followers
September 24, 2019
Oh this was so great and I loved every second of it. Emma is 11 and lives at the orphanage with "Mom, her two best friends Ray and Norman, and all of the other orphans. The children are very happy and all look forward to being adopted. Their days are very orderly but they have fun playing tag and being with one another. Then one day that all changes when they learn something dark and sinister about the orphanage and their mom. OMG I need the next book right now because I need to know what happens to Emma, Ray, and Norman.
Profile Image for Toby.
2,052 reviews72 followers
January 12, 2019
Wow. I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I also totally didn’t see the plot twist coming!! Very creepy, very dark, and very absorbing. I need book 2 STAT, because I want to find out what happens next!

Also — I loved how alive and real the characters feel in this volume. The combination of dialogue and artwork is perfect!!
Profile Image for Naomi Moramarco.
146 reviews58 followers
April 21, 2020
Avevo sentito parlare della serie e l‘ho iniziata per curiosità senza sapere di cosa parlasse. Ammetto che la copertina mi ha mandata totalmente fuori strada, non mi aspettavo per niente una trama del genere! Un volume per molti versi introduttivo ma sono rimasta comunque super intrigata e continuerò sicuramente con gli altri volumi!
7 reviews
Read
January 16, 2020
The Promised Neverland basically a human farm. It is a farm that grows human prodigies for demon like creatures to feed on. It is an incredibly messed up anime/ manga that will leave your skin crawling. The three main characters are the best in the ̈orphanage” farm with the top grades. They get the best grades in the orphanage so they can survive the longest and try to find a way out of the farm. For the most part they believe it to be an orphanage until they find out the truth of the orphanage. After finding out the truth they plan the greatest escape to leave the farm. With all the kids and the three main characters they go to escape. To find out on the other side of the wall secluding the area is a massive ravine. They however find a way to cross the ravine and escape the farm but they don't know what to do next. It is an incredibly great book that will turn your stomach if it aint strong enough. I would recommend this book to anyone that is willing to give it a shot.
Profile Image for Sara.
1,802 reviews563 followers
June 19, 2019
I have never thought this could be this great!
Amazing!
Profile Image for Barby.
171 reviews
September 18, 2019
En realidad ya estoy casi al día. Me leí como 100 capítulos en menos de dos días. Si eso no es vicio, entonces no sé...
1 review
July 24, 2023
Overall it was a very well made story. I loved all the details and the different and complicated characters and how their minds worked together. But I have to say that the ending was a bit too bittersweet for me, I just feel like that wasn’t the best way to end the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Paula .
61 reviews
January 1, 2021
¿ALUCINANDO? SÍ.
Pues otra saga a la que me he enganchado.
Profile Image for Sara.
214 reviews
July 2, 2021
Super intriguing, definitely want to continue it
1 review
January 18, 2020
Hunter; The Outsmarted

Children whose fate is to be fed to demon monsters. If I were to sum up the plot of The Promised Neverland this would be it. The Promised Neverland is an adventurous book that contains many plot twists. Just as something is solved, it’s flipped around. This is an addictive manga for anyone who likes dark fantasy or the characters who are able to solve issues in a snap. However, you should think twice if you don’t like horror or suspense. This book begins with our three main characters, Emma, Norman, and Ray. Emma, a naïve, bubbly girl whose strength is in physical tactics. Norman, a big brains smart boy who thinks it through. And Ray, a sly, quiet boy who often lurks. These three children are raised in an ‘orphanage’ with their other ‘siblings.’ Of course, none of them are related by blood, but being an orphan and being raised with other children in a tightly knit house creates the brother and sister bonds. The children are raised to believe that they started at the orphanage from when they are very first born until the age of 12; that is, if they’re lucky. The three children discovered the secret of their orphanage, otherwise known as The Grace Field House – the dark side of the house. They learn their ‘mother’ is none other than a two-faced demon servant with the intent to consume the unfortunate souls who find themselves in the orphanage. After the children learn the twisted secret of the house they are devastated. Naturally, they would be scared for their own lives, except for Emma because she is afraid for her family instead. Together, the children dig deeper and deeper to glean more information about the house and the means to escape.Will they be able to do it? It all depends if they’re able to outsmart Mama and get past the demons.
This series was personally addictive because of the intense plot, incredible art style, and the character development. However, I didn’t like the facial proportions when put at different perspectives in regards to the art. The side profiles of the noses seemed pointed. When shown from extreme angles – such as below or above at an angle – the faces were warped. Because I study art in my free time because I enjoy it, the inconsistencies in the artwork were bothersome.But even with those glaring issues, the art style is truly amazing because the amount of details in the designs and precision of the tiny lines are truly beautiful. The lineart is really something to admire because of it. However, the artwork isn’t the only thing to admire about this story.
There are a lot of plot twists which really makes you stop for a second and think. The most frustrating aspect of the story stems from the characters figuring out things and learning too quickly. When it comes to character’s skills and knowledge, they seemingly have all the answers and facts to the point of suspicion. In this way, The Promised Neverland can be easily related to Kakegurui: Impulsive Gambler, an anime/manga about a highschooler who transfers into a new gambling school and works her way up the ranks very quickly by defeating each of the student council members, including the president. The main character in this book, Yumeko Jabami, easily notices the way that each members cheat. This relates to The Promised Neverland because the children seem to know things that would be hard to comprehend as they are 11 year-olds who were under the facade that such horrors lay under the surface of a seemingly quaint home.. Both the kids and Yumeko were able to piece together deceptions in a suspiciously short amount of time to make it unrealistic. For example, there was a tracking device used by adults that looked like a pocket watch and the children seemed to be able to put together the pieces in only a matter of seconds. “..That was way too fast. […] That thing isn’t a watch. It’s a transmitter. There might be one embedded inside of our bodies.” (Chapter 2) Emma and Norman were able to tell that the device that Mama pulled out of her pocket for three seconds was a tracker. Even with Mama’s swift time in finding children there could have been other uses for the device that the children didn’t think of, such as just a general pocket watch.
Although there are some flaws, between the character development and the art style, it is a very good manga. The original idea is something very unique that could reach a broader audience. Children who are tricked into thinking they’re orphans, only destined to be fed to demon monsters. It’s an insane idea, but it just works. If you like reading manga or watching anime, I would truly recommend it. The intended audience is not for those who are faint of heart, so to those few: be warned.
2 reviews
December 19, 2019
The Promised Neverland is a great mystery/action manga that has a surprising twist. The story revolves around three children: Emma, Ray, and Norman. These three kids are orphans; they live in an orphanage with many other kids. Emma, Ray, and Norman are the eldest in the orphanage, as well as the smartest. The orphanage has strange rules; to the children, these rules are a normalcy, but to a reader it seems very strange. When a child is lucky enough the be adopted, the "mother" of the orphanage guides the children to the exit at night as everyone says their goodbyes. One night one of the kids that are leaving to be adopted forgets their stuffed toy behind, Emma sneaks out and tries to get to her before she leaves and never comes back. Emma sneaks to the exit and sees something gruesome. The story escalates from there, the sight took a toll on Emma's mentality and she starts to question herself and the orphanage. Then it all starts coming together, the strange rules, the tests, the wall that prevents them from leaving the orphanage. Emma, Ray, and Norman start to devise a plan.

The author puts emphasis on the mindset and mentality of the characters and how they think through things. The bond between Emma, Ray, and Norman strengthen as they go through the hardships they face. The characters Norman and Ray develop a maturity through these stages and learn to sacrifice for the greater good. The characters develop a stronger sense of family through each other; their wits and intelligence become their strengths as well through the story. I feel the author deliberately and carefully placed tasteful twist plots that keeps the reader's interest peaked and develops the plot further. In my opinion, the characters seem just a little generic, the main character who wants to save everyone, the intelligent friend, and the friend that keeps his cool; but the way the author portrays the character and their actions make it all worthwhile. Overall, this manga is a great read and has many twists and will leave you wondering, unique characters, a mysterious setting, and so on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Connie.
16 reviews
January 7, 2020
¡Qué buena serie! Una premisa muy intrigante y macabra que te atrapa desde el comienzo. Esta serie tiene acción, drama, personajes que odiarás o amarás de un momento a otro, escenas que te erizan la piel. Simplemente excelente. Estoy enganchadísima.

Debate con spoilers de la serie:

Este manga me hizo cuestionar aún más ideas que ya estaban rondando mi mente ¿Somos nosotros los monstruos? Ver a los niños en las granjas de consumo masivo me hizo imaginar que seguramente así es como lucen nuestras granjas de animales. Así como los monstruos consideran a los niños un bien de consumo, sin importarles que sean seres con sentimientos y sus propios deseos, nosotros hacemos lo mismo en nuestro mundo.
¿Sería correcto consumir a los niños incluso si se les da una buena vida antes de matarlos?

¿Son los monstruos realmente malos? Existen aquellos que están encima de la cadena de mando y otros que son simples trabajadores en las fábricas. ¿Que responsabilidad recae sobre cada uno? Cuando uno de ellos salva a una niña para criarla como su hija, es asesinado por el grupo de Norman pensando que en realidad la estaban salvando. ¿Se puede juzgar a todos los monstruos por igual?

¿Isabella es malvada? Yo creo que no. Se convirtió en madre porque era eso o su muerte. Leyendo desde mi cómoda cama es fácil imaginar como elegiría mi muerte antes que esclavizar cientos de niños. Pero, estando en esa situación, ese momento en que piensas que están por adoptarte y la verdad es revelada, ese instante en que tienes que decidir o serás asesinada ¿No elegiría lo mismo que ella? Hizo lo que pudo para sobrevivir.

¿Qué opinan ustedes?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
11 reviews
Read
March 22, 2019
As a kid you are blissfully ignorant of any bad things happening around you. However, when you discover there are demons lurking at the very edge of your home, how much longer can you stay ignorant? The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai is a novel that starts out with happiness and family but soon turns to anxiety and fear. The novel brings many tame but also disturbing scenes of imagery every now and then to keep pulling the reader out of a safe thinking everything will be okay. When Emma and Norman figure out where Connie actually went outside the wall, some readers would start to feel sick at what is now presented to them. During the book both the reader and the main characters have many times where some cognitive thinking is need for them to survive. When Emma, Norman, and Ray plan to escape the outer walls and later survive, how to keep everyone alive during the whole process is a little brain racking for almost everyone. Lastly, The Promised Neverland makes you feel a connections towards the characters, specifically the main characters. Emma, Norman, and Ray are all great friends and with everything they do together it almost makes the reader feel as though their also a part of this friend group. This book is recommended for people who enjoy horror thriller type novels and are also fans of japanese styled writings.
Profile Image for Lucy Goodfellow.
224 reviews23 followers
February 10, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️3 Stars

A superb beginning to a chilling mystery that you’ll struggle to put down.

With a structurally intricate plotline that builds tension naturally until the first big reveal, you will breeze through first this volume. Although I don't think the characterisation for the main trio was as strong as it could have been, the building blocks were there for an interesting dynamic. I understood the base conflict that would drive the story for its first arc and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

I read this book as a commentary on the treatment of animals in the food industry and although I’m sure that my feelings on the manga as a whole will develop as I continue reading I think it shows the intricacy of Kaiu Shirai’s storytelling that in only one volume I felt such passion from the writer. They clearly have great intentions for this manga.

Should Read This Book if you Like 💕:
+ Manipulative characters 🦹♂️
+Suspenseful reads 🕵️♂️
+Stories about children that aren’t for children 👶🏼

Trigger Warnings: child death.

Pick up The Promised Neverland Volume One HERE

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews

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