Read or Die: Book Reviews by Emily

(Grade 7 and up) The battle between Ichigo and Ulquiorra has finally begun, and despite Ichigo’s newfound strength and confidence, it’s soon clear that his training hasn’t prepared him for the full might of his Arrancar foe. As Orihime and Uryu look on in horror, Ulquiorra reveals his most powerful form, and though Ichigo refuses to give in, his defeat seems imminent. Will Ichigo find a way to survive, let alone win the fight? And how will his friends react to the change he’ll have to undergo to emerge victorious? 

After several volumes of focusing on other characters, we’re finally back with Ichigo and Ulquiorra. This was a fight I’d been waiting a long time to see, and though I enjoyed it, it left me impatient to read volume #41. As always, Ichigo is an underdog even when he thinks he has the upper hand; he’s had to almost-lose-but-eventually-win a lot of battles like this before, so though I wasn’t surprised by the final page of this volume, I was still impressed by the intensity of the action leading up to it. Though I’ve fallen a little behind (since they’ve started releasing two volumes each month), “Bleach” remains one of my favorite shonen manga. (4 out of 5 stars)

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC (June 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421541378
• ISBN-13: 978-1421541372 (Source of Publication Data: Amazon.com)