I’d been hearing about this one for a few months online and was excited to read it at last so I went in with high expectations that didn’t fall short!

It’s very dark but more foreboding eerie kind of dark, like you know the monster is coming after you but you’re still not running yet. The story is simple enough. Yoshiki’s friend Hikaru disappeared in the woods and came back different but no one really seems to notice but him. He decides to just…be ok with it because he has feelings for Hikaru as more than friends so he’d rather have this fake Hikaru than not at all. The “thing” seems to really like him, and tries its hardest but he can’t seem to forget and around town strange things are happening. A lot of it is “fade to black” type horror so far but I really am intrigued! Really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review!

I like this a lot! There's still a lot of secrets left to unveil (probably in the next volumes), but this first installment is great at hinting at different genres. There's obviously mystery, but also a bit of supernatural laced with horror. The horror itself is more implied/suggested than full on, which I find more subtle and intriguing. On other websites, there seems to be a mention of a BL relationship, which I find one or two scenes hint at a potential of something more going on between the two protagonists. Overall, it's a mix of coming of age story laced with obscure rural folkore, and I really want to get my hands on the rest of the story.

Yoshiki's friend Hikaru went missing in the mountains behind their rural town, and when he returns, he comes back wrong. He looks, speaks, and acts like Hikaru, but after six months Yoshiki finally confronts him and learns that Hikaru is dead and something is inhabiting his body. This manga is part horror, part slice of life as the plot focuses on Yoshiki and Hikaru's friendship while also hinting at the monstrous creatures living in the mountains that seem to be creeping closer to town now that "Hikaru" is there. The plot jumps around a bit, and seems a little unfocused throughout this volume, though that could be to reflect Yoshiki's inability to make a decision on how to treat Hikaru. The humor, for me, also falls flat, it just seems so random and out of place to have slapstick sorts of jokes in what is a more serious story overall. Even then, I found this first volume interesting and unique, and i'm looking forward to the next volume.

I was not completely sure what to expect from this title. Goodreads has been telling me that it's a BL I need to read for months now but I couldn't actually find any indication that it really was BL. So I am super happy I got the opportunity to read this early. It's not BL in the typical sense. But it definitely feels like the 2 main characters have/had some sort of relationship that went beyond friendship. However, at this point in the story we don't have all the information yet and it is leaning more to the horror/paranormal side of things. Yoshiki and "Hikaru" are both interesting enough to make the lack of full backstory worth while. Very interested to see where this story goes in the future.

☀️ Book Review ☀️
• Name: The Summer Hikaru Died
• Genre: Horror BL Manga
• Rating: 5 ⭐️
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☀️ Thoughts ☀️
Wow, I went into this without knowing anything about the manga and it was so good like wtf!!!! The art style is amazing as well as the manga has a bit of colored pages! This book is eerie, mysterious, got me instantly hooked to the point, I was just cruising through the pages so fast 😳. Also I didn't know this was a BL but I love BL manga and I love thr thriller/horror genre so I absolutely love this manga! This book takes place in a small town and the MC's friend, Hikaru has been missing for over a week in the woods. One day he comes back and acts like his disappearance isn't a big deal but something was off about him. Now yall gotta read to figure out what happens next hehe. I am so excited for volume 2!
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☀️ Appreciation ☀️
Thank you Netgalley, Yen Press, and Mokumokuren for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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☀️ Tags ☀️
#thesummerhikarudied #mokumokuren #mangarecommendation #booksta #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #thrillermanga #yenpress #yenpressmanga #mysterymanga #thrillerMangaRecommendation