Red Threads

Gr 7 Up–Hana, a Japanese girl, finds herself bored and frustrated by her daily life in Tokyo. As she walks to school one morning, she saves a crow caught in a net, remarking that in a fairy tale, the bird would now have to repay her. To her surprise, the crow does indeed reward her by setting in motion an opportunity for her to attend Japan’s most elite boarding school for magicians, the Benten School of Esoterics. Hana jumps at the chance to attend and finds herself drawn into an entirely new world of magic and mythical creatures that is much more dangerous than she had anticipated. Something is hunting her fellow students inside the supposedly secure walls of their school. Themes of self-discovery, friendship, and multiple social issues weave their way through this manga-inspired YA graphic novel. A classic magical boarding school setting, complete with all its tropes, is the backdrop for this fast-paced fantasy mystery. The book features a simple, colorful, and straightforward art style, though most panels contain minimal backgrounds.