Think Never Let Me Go meets Battle Royale and Shawshank Redemption–and you’ll somewhat scratch the surface of The Promised Neverland. Upon first glance, the series looks the farthest thing from survival horror, but the shiny exterior of Grace Field House belies a deadly conspiracy. It’s not quite Battle Royale in terms of gore and adolescent overkill, but all the schemes simmering under the surface give The Promised Neverland incredible page-turning appeal.

Volume 3 takes us right to the secret door in Mom/Isabella’s study. Don and Gilda seek to confirm for themselves whether Emma and the others are telling the truth. The tension of "what's behind the door" is incredible and you'll be just as nervous and curious as they are. Meanwhile, Emma, Ray, and Norman investigate something curious that they’ve discovered in the library. With all the discoveries stacking on top of each other, it’s only a matter of time until Mom catches on…if she hasn’t already.

But, sure enough, more and more pieces begin to come together as Emma, Ray, and Norman plot out their grand escape from the plantation. While the odds may seem to be stacked against their favor, they soon find that they have more help from the outside than they could have anticipated—even from sinister Sister Krone.

Menace permeates every corner of Grace Field House. Take a look at how the characters’ faces are drawn and what they reveal—from Mom’s underhanded sabotage to Krone’s ghoulish theatrics, from the tots’ smiles to the older kids’ paranoia. What you see is what you get with the characters, and sometimes what you get may not be what you expect. The characters toy with each other like an elaborate marionette show, and it’s engrossing to see who truly is one step ahead of the rest.

I encourage readers to pay keen attention to the shifts in the eyes and lips of each character. As Krone says herself, a person speaks with more than just mere words. You’ll catch yourself on the edge of your seat as you approach the end of every page. For that effect to be achieved in a manga requires incredible precision and pacing.

But even with the creepy factor, The Promised Neverland still carries an air of wonder and whimsy. In one part, this is thanks to the blissfully ignorant children who continue to run and play in such adorable fashion. My favorite amongst these young critters is Phil, whose face seems to be the perfect example of “:3” in human form. Looking at those lovable kids, who wouldn’t do anything to save them?

That’s a big point of contention for Emma and Ray as they decide whether they can escape with all of the kids or only the older ones. Emma’s idealism contrasted with Ray’s cynicism makes for great drama. It also makes you question your own perspective on the escape plan. Is Ray right? Should only the older ones try to escape to maximize the chance of the success? Or is Emma right? Is it better to try and save everyone no matter what the cost? Whatever your inclination may be, the kids’ rousing efforts make for a wildly gripping read.

The Promised Neverland, story by Kaiu Shirai, art by Posuka Demizu, is available here.

And you can read the first three chapters for free right here.

by Jessica Kim