If you've played the original game of Ao Oni (“blue demon”) or watched the series of anime shorts, Kenji Kuroda's novelization may come as a surprise. That's not a bad thing, though – Kuroda's reimagining of the source material not only confirms that good books can be made from games, but it also tells a visceral horror story that's good on its own merits. Part revenge fantasy, part classic horror tale, Ao Oni's first novel is simply a well-done example of YA horror fiction that stands very well on its own, no prior knowledge required.

In part Kuroda accomplishes this by introducing a new point-of-view character. While game protagonist Hiroshi is still very much present and a major piece of the endgame, new character Shun forms both the backbone and POV for the story as it unfolds. Shun is a new student at the local middle school, and his social anxiety and generally Otherness immediately marked him as the new target for Takuro, the class bully. This is no “harmless” bullying either – Takuro is sociopathic in his disregard for human life and his bland “curiosity” to see what will happen if, for example, someone were to jump out of a third-floor classroom window. His intelligence helps him to cover up his crimes while his perfect parent manners and upper-class family successfully hide his true nature from the adults. He's the ultimate nightmare for the picked-on kid: a cruel lunatic hiding under a shell of charm and wit. Shun has arrived at just the right time for Takuro, because his previous target, Naoki, was hit by a truck and died not too long ago – something that more people ought to have questioned.

As the victim of Takuro's vicious whims, Shun can only find escape through programming, and he's gained some online popularity with an escape game about an abandoned mansion haunted by a blue demon where a group of middle schoolers meet their doom – and he's named those characters after Takuro and his two cronies, Takeshi and Mika. When Takuro finds out, things go very badly for Shun, but grim curiosity makes him spy on the trio later when they assemble at the basis for the setting of the game, a local abandoned manse known as The Jailhouse. These four, plus Anna and Hiroshi, the only two kids who have been nice to Shun since his arrival at school, find themselves living out Shun's game within the walls of The Jailhouse, a conceit that works far better than you might expect. Part of this is because Kuroda assumes that you've got at least a passing familiarity with the franchise, although in his afterward he does acknowledge that there are doubtless readers coming to it for the first time through his book. Therefore there's no labored explanation of what's going on or the game mechanics, which is what typically bogs down “trapped in a game” literature. Gamers and anime viewers can very quickly guess what's going on, but even to novel-only readers it's not difficult to see that events are running similarly to how they would in a game. It also helps that this is not the be-all factor or revelation of the plot; it's important, yes, but hardly spoiler material. The true twist comes in the final chapters, and that is what really showcases Kuroda's strength within the genre. It's not entirely unexpected, nor is it something that the canny reader won't have seen coming for quite some time, but it's well done and has the desired emotional impact, which is particularly important for this story.

All of that said, good horror does rely on traumatic events, and this book, while it doesn't have graphic depictions of Shun's suffering at Takeru's hands, may be upsetting to people who have been bullied. Again, Kuroda's writing allows for just a few scenes to feel so visceral, but that may be a double-edged blade for some readers. On the gore front, the descriptions don't skimp on gruesome details, so this isn't going to be a book for the faint of stomach either. The bloodshed (and rat scenes) aren't needlessly grim, but they're very much a part of the story. What's more interesting is the way that Karin Suzuragi's illustrations are incorporated into the text. A veteran of the Higurashi: When They Cry series, Suzuragi has a deft hand with horror illustration, knowing when to show how much. The opening manga sequence, detailing a part a little over halfway through the book, sets the mood well, but what's more impressive is the sequence of color images later on. They do an excellent job of enhancing the mood and making things that much more real for the reader, marking one of the more effective uses of the light novel format's reliance on illustrations.

Ao Oni's first novel is on par with offerings from YA horror authors like Katie Alender, managing to be disturbing and grim without going overboard. It's a fine entry point to the franchise and uses its game base as a jumping-off point rather than a strict guideline, which makes the story work well. The bullying and gore may still be a bit much for sensitive readers, but if you're looking for a bloody good time with some interesting psychological aspects, this is definitely a book to try out.