Kazou Kiriyama in Battle Royale, by Koushun TakamiRead about the other entries on the list.
Handsome, rich, intelligent, and a good student: you might imagine Kazuo Kiriyama be popular with kids and teachers alike. He’s also a pretty good fit for the Battle Royale, a brutal government program that pits students against each other in a fight to the death. After a car accident damages the part of his brain that processes emotions, Kazuo becomes an extremely bored genius who masters challenges with ease—to the point where his decision whether to play along with the government’s demand he murder his classmates is left to the flip of a coin. He proves to be as good at killing as he was at playing the violin.
Battle Royale is among Peter Tieryas's five favorite books that have games with deadly consequences and Sian Cain's ten top books to read now you've finished The Hunger Games.
--Marshal Zeringue