Scan barcode
luvtoread_ad's review
3.0
I liked the story line but had some issues. I didn't like the males POV, which is Tomohiro, it was hard to remember who was who when Tomohiro was telling his story. I didn't really like any of Tomorhiro's friends and the characters that were described in his POV. I know this prequel is based in Japan and with some Japanese culture but I just didn't enjoy it. I did like Katie's POV and for that reason I gave it this rating.
azuram88's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this prequel to Ink. Its made me quite excited to get into book 1 right away so I think in gonna do just that!
But seriously, I liked how Amanda Sun wrote out this back story so that you kinda get a feel for the characters. I also liked the details of Japanese culture she used. Its very fascinating actually. I am definitely looking forward to getting into Ink now.
But seriously, I liked how Amanda Sun wrote out this back story so that you kinda get a feel for the characters. I also liked the details of Japanese culture she used. Its very fascinating actually. I am definitely looking forward to getting into Ink now.
aceartemis7's review
4.0
Like it said, its a prequel to Ink. Its an alternating point of view of Yuu with his nightmare and how he "met" Katie, and Katie before she went to Japan.
Aren't we all glad their first impression of each other was wrong? :)
Aren't we all glad their first impression of each other was wrong? :)
geese82's review
4.0
This is a really good intro to Ink by Amanda Sun, setting the stage to what lies ahead, Ms Sun did an incredible storytelling and pulled me in. You don't need a thorough understanding of the Japanese culture to enjoy this series. Even though I am exposed to reading manga and lots of fictionalized students from Japan, this didn't bothered me one bit with some of the quick pacing the story was delivered. I also can relate being a "Permanent" student like Katie, for I went from a somewhat similar environment, school uniforms and singing the school anthem to a American public school system, the only difference was there's a fellow Filipino in school.
I like this and looking forward to reading Ink, esp I am into ink drawing.
I like this and looking forward to reading Ink, esp I am into ink drawing.
priss's review
4.0
The book is just a taste of what is probably to come in Ink, but I really liked it. The parts from Tomohiro's point of view made the book extra mysterious and I loved reading from Katie's point of view, how she felt everything and has all those different experiences. I really liked seeing how the book describes parts of Japanese culture, like the schools and the public transport. It reminds me of manga and it makes me really want to see it for myself. I'm very curious about Ink now, so I hope to read it soon!
awexis's review
3.0
Pretty good. A bit short though but since it's a novella, pretty okay. I love how authors nowadays do the setting in Japan. Love the idea too. :)
swirlnswing's review
4.0
Fact: I came across this series because I grabbed book 2 (RAIN) from my local library without realizing it was part of a series (Dear Self: You fail!). However, that realization got me here, and I'm pretty damn glad it did.
Super quick, non-spoilery thoughts: First, I love that the supernatural aspects of this read aren't taken feather-lightly. It's actually vaguely terrifying, both for Tomohiro and Katie, and I like that Katie's not some love-lorn, sappy American girl when her relocation to Japan happens. As for Tomohiro, I like that he's the one with something of a tortured story, and I like how he's (thus far) responded to his lot in life. Other than that, I'm really impressed that, although the ideas here are not yet fully formed or explained, I have been able to glean enough from just this prequel that it all seems to be falling together nicely. Lastly: Anything inspired by Japan in modern literature makes me happy. This is not an exception.
Super excited that a lovely bit of serendipity led me to this series. Book #1, INK, is on its way to my local library branch, and I'm planning to jump right in.
Now why do I feel like I'll be overthinking my planned tattoo once I get through the series...
;)
Super quick, non-spoilery thoughts: First, I love that the supernatural aspects of this read aren't taken feather-lightly. It's actually vaguely terrifying, both for Tomohiro and Katie, and I like that Katie's not some love-lorn, sappy American girl when her relocation to Japan happens. As for Tomohiro, I like that he's the one with something of a tortured story, and I like how he's (thus far) responded to his lot in life. Other than that, I'm really impressed that, although the ideas here are not yet fully formed or explained, I have been able to glean enough from just this prequel that it all seems to be falling together nicely. Lastly: Anything inspired by Japan in modern literature makes me happy. This is not an exception.
Super excited that a lovely bit of serendipity led me to this series. Book #1, INK, is on its way to my local library branch, and I'm planning to jump right in.
Now why do I feel like I'll be overthinking my planned tattoo once I get through the series...
;)
xan_van_rooyen's review
3.0
I love Japanese culture and really enjoy anime and manga, my husband has been doing kendo for years, I have several Japanese friends, and Western friends currently living in Japan, so I'm not new to this scene, which is why I couldn't wait to dive into the world of The Paper Gods series.
This being a short prequel, was really just a teaser, providing a little bit of back-story for the novel to come.
Katie's voice was great. I loved how broken she felt and how she was struggling to get a grip on her new life. That felt genuine and real and I could really sympathise with her.
Tomohiro. Something about his voice just didn't feel boy-like to me. Much of the dialogue between the Japanese characters reads like badly translated anime subtitles and came across as a bit contrived and not very natural, especially when interspersed with Western expressions that stood out in a narrative littered with Japanese words, terms and culturally specific references. These parts just didn't flow for me. I also do not understand Tomohiro's connection to Shiori or why that girl has to rely on a guy at a different school to rescue her from bullies all the time. That story-line didn't impress me much.
Beautiful cover. Great premise. Some interesting characters. I think I'll have to read the novel to find out more.
This being a short prequel, was really just a teaser, providing a little bit of back-story for the novel to come.
Katie's voice was great. I loved how broken she felt and how she was struggling to get a grip on her new life. That felt genuine and real and I could really sympathise with her.
Tomohiro. Something about his voice just didn't feel boy-like to me. Much of the dialogue between the Japanese characters reads like badly translated anime subtitles and came across as a bit contrived and not very natural, especially when interspersed with Western expressions that stood out in a narrative littered with Japanese words, terms and culturally specific references. These parts just didn't flow for me. I also do not understand Tomohiro's connection to Shiori or why that girl has to rely on a guy at a different school to rescue her from bullies all the time. That story-line didn't impress me much.
Beautiful cover. Great premise. Some interesting characters. I think I'll have to read the novel to find out more.
loveisnotatriangle's review
4.0
If you're interested in INK by Amanda Sun, I'd definitely recommend reading this short novella first. It tells the back story of Katie's journey to Japan, from her mother's funeral to her first day of school. Though this wasn't necessary to get to know Katie, I valued the greater connection I gained with her and her grief.
However, what's best about Shadow is that Katie's perspective is alternated with Tomohiro's viewpoint. Because INK is written entirely from Katie's POV, the novella provides valuable information about the boy whose drawings take on a life of their own - the nature of his nightmares, what happened in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and why he believes he's connected to Katie. Although it is not essential to understanding INK, the story helped me know both characters better. And because I'd been inside of Tomo's head, I never saw him as a mysterious bad boy, but instead as a guy who's lost and tortured and dealing with a scary ability spiraling out of his control. I hope we get more of this series written from Tomo's viewpoint.
However, what's best about Shadow is that Katie's perspective is alternated with Tomohiro's viewpoint. Because INK is written entirely from Katie's POV, the novella provides valuable information about the boy whose drawings take on a life of their own - the nature of his nightmares, what happened in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and why he believes he's connected to Katie. Although it is not essential to understanding INK, the story helped me know both characters better. And because I'd been inside of Tomo's head, I never saw him as a mysterious bad boy, but instead as a guy who's lost and tortured and dealing with a scary ability spiraling out of his control. I hope we get more of this series written from Tomo's viewpoint.