I got this book at the Book Cellar, for another release copy. (I enjoyed the anime adaptation, but the manga has its own charms.) This volume features the zodiac "boar" on the cover - cute Kagura, who's insistent that Kyo belongs to her... You can see her boar-piglet form on the back cover.

By this point in the series, Tohru has met quite a few of the zodiac-cursed Sohma family members, and has become somewhat used to the bickering between Kyo and Yuki, Shigure's non-stop teasing, and the quirks of the others. And things are looking up as this volume opens, since she and her housemates have been invited to a lovely vacation home complete with hot spring. But she's worried about Yuki and Kyo, who've been behaving oddly since they visited her mother's grave with her before the trip... what could it be?

I love seeing so many of the Sohmas together, even though they're always squabbling. Ayame and Momiji are among my favorites, but I really do like them all. And then there's the angst - poor Hatori is reminded of his beloved Kana, whose memories he was ordered to remove by Akito. She's to be married to someone else, and while he wishes her well it still troubles him. And his loving cousins aren't helping, as they urge him to dash off and carry her away...

Later, back at home, a new Sohma turns up - Kisa, a little girl who turns into an adorable tiger-cub when her curse activates. Tohru can't resist trying to pet the little tiger, which bites - hard! Turns out it's because she doesn't speak, after being teased and bullied in school, poor little thing. (Even the usually-bubbly Momiji gets sad and teary thinking about what she's gone through.)

One of the high points of this series is that, after introducing this majorly-dysfunctional family and giving us heartbreaking stories one after the other, it shows us how the characters can help themselves and each other get past their troubles, and find ways to reach out when they need to.

Later still, a new story-arc comes in, in which Yuki's overly-devoted (and very much unwanted) fan club try to cause trouble for Tohru out of jealousy at the amount of time Yuki spends with her. Tohru's pal Hana - who claims to have dangerous mental powers - sets out to teach the queen bees a lesson, and her little brother Megumi, who's adorably similar to her in creepy-Goth-stare fashion, gets in some truly wonderful licks against the Evil Jealous Girls. Hilarious and very satisfying. And Hana's own digs are very well put: "You should know that if you bombard someone with one-sided love then you are nothing but a burden to them."

Very enjoyable volume in this touching series.

[There's a TV Tropes page for the series, with lots of info - and spoilers, most masked but some not, so read with care!]

I left this book, bagged against the elements, on a bench in the park next to the town library. Hope the finder enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2019 Asian Zodiac - Year of the Boar release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2019 Becky's Hugs release challenge, in memory of Becky Johns. ***

*** Released for the 2019 TV Series release challenge. ***