I was in the fourth grade gigglingly reading Judy Blume books when the gory novel “Battle Royale” was published. I didn’t come into contact with it until high school. After years of being spoon-fed frothy love tales, it surprised me that I enjoyed a grownup version of “Lord of the Flies” – only with more girls and samurai swords.

Koushun Takami, author and journalist, originally wrote “Battle Royale” for a literary competition, but it had been turned down because of its violent story line and biting commentary on Japanese society.

The story explains that every year a fictional fascist empire, the Republic of Greater East Asia, forces groups of teenagers to participate in a tactical experiment known as The Program. The focus is put on one of those classes in which the 42 students (21 male, 21 female) are left on a tiny isolated island and supplied with a map, food and assorted weapons. The students wear collars around their necks, which will explode if they break a rule. They are instructed to fight their classmates for three days until one “winner” remains, who will be glorified on reality television. If they refuse, they all will die.

“Battle Royale” is lengthy, but there are no extraneous elements. It is a continuously suspenseful page turner as each plot twist unfolds. Each student is a unique individual with distinct motivations. This intimate characterization emphasizes the sense of loss, as the reader witnesses well-intentioned people erupt with internal turmoil. Nothing is held back, and you will find it hard to believe some of the choices the students make. Shuya Nanahara, one of the three main protagonists, said, “Hell is having no option but the wrong one and take it.” The only minor critique I have is the dialogue is a little awkward, possibly the result of translation. Also at first, I thought is was going to be hard to keep track of the all the characters with unfamiliar Japanese names, but Takami does a great job of including specific details that help you connect to each character. Plus, the number of students still alive is highlighted at the end of each chapter.

Despite being targeted at American audiences, “Battle Royale” is sure to keep you captivated as you experience a tangle of loyalty and loss. If you can stand a little descriptive gore, and realize that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, then “Battle Royale” is a must read. You can’t help but wonder what you would do in that situation.