ギヴン 1 [Given 1]

By Natsuki Kizu

Book Overview

Sometimes a song can save your life.

Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music--and to one another--always brings them back together again.

Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all--with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion: playing guitar. That is, until the day he finds his favorite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar. At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behavior, but when, on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 197471182X
• ISBN13: 9781974711826
• Release Date: February 2020
• Publisher: Sublime
• Length: 202 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.9" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

Given Volume 1 (Given: The Hot New Band Drawn Together By Music)

Uenoyama, Mafuyu, Akihiko, and Haruki have different skills but are all drawn to music. Mafuyu is a quiet high school student who has a powerful voice that entices Uenoyama and the other two members of his band. However, unbeknownst to the group, Mafuyu has a painful past, dealing with his ex-boyfriend Yuki Yoshida. I feel sorry for Mafuyu because he's the person who found Yuki's body. Will Mafuyu be able to get over his past by singing, or will he forever be enshrouded in darkness by the experience? And why is Uenoyama jealous when Mafuyu talks about his old boyfriend? Could there be an unspoken connection between Uenoyama and Mafuyu? To fuel the fire, Uenoyama's classmate Kasai (who has a crush on Uenoyama) spreads rumors about Mafuyu, supposedly causing his boyfriend to commit suicide. What will Mafuyu do when faced with his and Yuki's old friend Hiragi when they haven't seen each other since Yuki's funeral? Natsuki Kizu writes an intense, emotional story about a high school boy trying to surmount a traumatic experience. Since I've watched the anime, I know where the story is going. But boy, is it a long, emotional road to walk on. However, I don't see Mafuyu dealing with his trauma alone. He has Akihiko, Haruki, and Uenoyama to back him up. I highly recommend this series, both the books and anime. One last note: I am excited that Akihiko and I have almost the same birthday.