Book Review: Must Reads For Youth

Solo Levelling by Chugong (14+)

Now a much awaited animation, Solo Levelling is a thrilling manhwa (the South Korean term for comics and graphic novels) that has taken the world by storm.

This popular manhwa tells the story of Sung Jinwoo, an infamously weak E-rank hunter. In this mysterious world, deadly monsters have begun to appear through portals that open up into various dungeons. As such, another spontaneous world development occurs: some humans develop magical abilities and skills to defend Earth — these superhumans are known as “hunters”.

Hunters are ranked according to the strength of their magical powers from E-rank to A and S-rank (plus SS or SSS rank if necessary). At the beginning of this graphic novel, Sung’s powers can be considered negligible compared with other hunters (he is the weakest of the E-ranks) to the point where he is widely known as “the world’s weakest hunter”. This makes it especially difficult for him to succeed — or merely survive — on missions in low-level dungeons. Sung often has near-death experiences in his career as a hunter, but is forced to continue in order to support his family.

Having said that, all of this changes when Sung gets locked in a high-level dungeon on a raid gone wrong; Sung’s selflessness and determination in this virtually inescapable dungeon earn him a second chance at life owing to his fulfilment of a secret quest. Sung’s new-found power allows him to “level up” his skills, as if in a game. As his abilities advance, he develops a legendary power with unlimited potential, skyrocketing his prospects as a hunter — as well as the saviour of mankind if the dungeon monsters begin to enter the human world again.

Throughout the graphic novel Sung travels to many different dungeons, all of which have various biomes, climates, monsters and objectives. The stunning art of these settings further engage the reader, especially in the comprehensive and mesmerising action scenes that will surely have you on the edge of your seat. As Sung navigates this cut-throat (literally!) world of hunters and monsters, he makes long-lasting friendships and connections that also boost his progress.

In several of the high-stakes fight scenes, there is a mild-to-moderate amount of violence and gore. However, this lessens as the novel progresses. As such, I encourage all to take their tolerance for such visuals into account before reading.

Another exciting part of this comic is the concept of guilds. In Solo Levelling “guilds” are companies that employ hunters and buy dungeons to enjoy and sell the treasures found, as well as keep society safe from the creatures that would run rampant if a dungeon remains uncleared within seven days. Guilds often have rivalries and tensions with one another as they compete for resources and high-value hunters. Once Sung enters the mix, the balance between guilds shatters and hostility escalates, creating a completely new playing field that only Sung can level out.

Sung’s adventure across Seoul, the bustling capital of South Korea, and beyond to get stronger is compelling enough, but combined with the dreadful looming threat of a new type of monster waiting for the best time to strike and take over the world, Solo Levelling is definitely a must-read for any young person looking for a compelling plot accompanied by memorable characters and dazzling art.