I've tried my hand at reading a few light novels, but none of them ever really held my focus, until Bakemonogatari. I have not seen the anime yet, so I decided to start at the source material first. I was genuinely surprised by how well written this book was. The banter between characters is perfect, and he sets the pace of the conversations so well. From chuckling to laughing aloud, I didn't want the conversations to end. The characters are flawed in their own ways, at many times in very dark or deep ways, yet the author never makes it feel too depressing. The author also did a fantastic job of setting scenes, and they would play through my mind without having to put much effort in to it.

I look forward to reading the rest of this series if it continues along as great as this first volume. It also has me yearning to finally watch the anime that has been collecting dust on my shelf lol.

Nice wrap up of the first book series. We finally see progress on Araragi and Senjogahara's relationship, as well as finally learn more and deal with Hanekawa's aberration. While the dialogue and banter are one point as always, this book as a whole felt calmer to me. Not as high strung, but it's not a bad thing. I think sometimes a series needs to chill a bit when things always feel like they are at 100. I recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun and hilarious read, even if you don't particularly enjoy light novels. It never felt like a typical one to me, and was a tough three books to put down. I look forward to jumping in to the next books in the overall series soon.

Loved this book! Again, NisiOisiN nails the dialogue and banter between characters. Some of the conversations were so quick witted and funny, I would find myself re-reading them and laughing all over again. Also, Kanbaru is my new favorite character. The way she interacts with Araragi is so engaging.