During our last Light Novel Club meeting, I mentioned some of the changes coming to this column. We’ve been wanting to stir things up, and now feels like the appropriate time to do so as our fearless leader, stardf29, steps down from his role and I take over as club prez.
So what does that mean? Instead of just gathering on Discord, recording our thoughts on a volume during an open period, and then posting those thoughts here on the blog, we’re going to open things up a little by having the discussion a little more public and making it piece by piece instead of all at once. The the first novel we’ll do that with is (drum roll please)…The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes!
Here’s how Seven Seas describes the plot:
One summer morning before school, Kaoru hears an unsettling rumor—of a mysterious tunnel that can grant any wish to those who enter it, but ages them dramatically in exchange. At first, he writes it off as nothing more than an urban legend, but that very night, he happens upon the selfsame passage: the Urashima Tunnel. As he stands before its gaping maw, a thought occurs to him—if this tunnel truly does have the power to grant any wish, could he use it to bring his younger sister back from her untimely death five years prior?
Yet when he returns to explore the tunnel the next day, he finds he’s been followed by the new girl in class: a total enigma by the name of Anzu. She takes an interest in Kaoru, and they agree to work together to investigate the time-twisting tunnel and uncover its mysteries. Together, they might achieve their deepest desires…but are they prepared for what it may cost them?
Sounds intriguing! The timing is perfect as well, with the novel just released this month and an anime movie adaptation coming to Japanese cinemas in September:
As I mentioned, we’ll be discussing chunks at a time. Here’s our schedule:
- Chapter 1 Discussion (Monday, June 6th)
- Chapters 2-3 Discussion (Tuesday, June 14th)
- Chapters 4 – conclusion Discussion (Wednesday, June 22nd)
I’ll post discussion questions and open up conversation on those dates. There are three ways to participate—here on the site in the comments section of the posts for each of those dates; through the Twitter thread we’ve created and using the hashtag #LNC38; and through our dedicated Light Novel Club channel on Discord.
But first thing’s first: Please purchase the book on Amazon or any retailer of your choice. We suggest our partners over at Right Stuf.
And then read up! We’ll see you back here, on Twitter, or on Discord on Monday, June 6th!
[…] Our 38th Next Light Novel Club Selection is The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes! […]
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