River´s Edge can be a painful read. Exploring sensitive topics ranging from eating disorders to sexual violence and abortion, it is a brutal yet sincere portray of the struggles of the youth in 90s Japan. The story is mostly told from the perspective of Haruna Wakakusa, a high school girl in an extremely toxic relationship disillusioned with her peers and and everything surrounding her life. She soon meets and befriends Ichiro Yamada, a fellow classmate viciously bullied by Haruna´s boyfriend and his friends. Haruna´s and Ichiro´s shared struggles and bonding through their harsh experiences in this bleak society is the main narrative drive of the manga,giving a honest portrayal of friendship during adversity. Other characters, such as Haruna´s boyfriend and her friend, while being extremely flawed and troubled, are portrayed in an humane light while not being too sympathetic, showcasing clearly the consequences of their mistakes without outright being written neither as evil nor as martyrs.

The sincere writing and crude art of River´s Edge definitely represents correctly the nature of this manga, full with flawed characters, realism and bleakness as life itself. Tackling multiple controversial themes makes this a very hard read that sensitive readers should absolutely avoid. River´s Edge might not make you feel good or amused but it is a brutally sincere work in a genre plagued by cheap melodrama and questionable romance. A must-read for any Kyoko Okazaki fans.