Some of the stories are raucous and bloody with nonstop action, while others are subtle and sweet portrayals of everyday life. Whether you decide to pick up one of the standalones mentioned here or one of a series, you’ll want to move it up in priority on your TBR. This is such a wild ride of a manga. My mans Denji has literally the simplest dreams and his life is anything but. Plus, if you like anime, the anime adaptation of Chainsaw Man is one of this fall’s most anticipated, and if you get into the manga now, you could read it in time to watch it become beautifully animated by the same studio that did Jujutsu Kaisen and the last season of Attack on Titan. — Erica Ezeifedi —Erica Ezeifedi —Susie Dumond —Ashley Holstrom —Jess Plummer I find myself still thinking about the ending of this story — what caused the monsters and the burning — and it is really disturbing. Most of all because I think it’s not too far from reality. — Erica Ezeifedi One night, when Aiden kisses his best friend and campmate, things shift immediately. Has he forever lost the trust of his friend Elias? Did that kiss mean anything romantic? Was it an accident? This is a moving, heartfelt story and one that will resonate with younger (and older!) teens. It’s about traversing that tricky space between what faith might tell you is right, what it might tell you is a sin, and how you come to accept yourself as you are. —Kelly Jensen —Erica Ezeifedi —Eileen Gonzalez —Steph Auteri —Chris M. Arnone —Mara Franzen —Margaret Kingsbury
