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thebookhaze's review
2.0
I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't bad, just a little boring and surrealistic. Just not my cup of tea.
michalice's review against another edition
3.0
**3.5 stars**
I have had my eye on Ink since I first heard about it when it came up on netgalley I knew I had to give it a try. I have never read a book that has the main focus of living in Japan so I was unsure about how much I would like Ink. When I began reading Ink it initially took a while for me to enjoy this book, it felt like there wasn't much progress made in the first quarter of the book and then things slowly start to get interesting when Tomohiro makes his presence known and when Katie sees his pictures moving, but pictures don't move right???
I like how Amanda has portrayed the struggle to fit into a new home, a new school and a whole new country. I felt sorry for Katie on numerous occasions, the different way of life, the loss of her Mum and the world she knows and understands, and then the struggle with the language barrier, although I didn't understand everything that was said or what words meant, the handy dandy glossary of Japanese words and phrases at the end of the book helped out a bit.
Katie occasionally acts a bit stalkerish, if a bad boy that scares you, tells you to go away and leave them alone, you do just that, but Katie doesn't and soon finds herself tangled up on things she never dreamed of. While everyone loves the designated bad boy Katie takes it to the extreme sometimes. As the story progresses however, we soon realise that stalkerish or not, she would have eventually been involved one way or another with Tomohiro.
Although Ink was a great read I expected so much from this book, and while I didn't get that from the beginning of it, by the time I had reached the last page of the book I realised I was hooked, and very disappointed in the ending. Luckily we get a sneak peak at the next book which helped out and left me feeling better, knowing what would happen next.
Ink has a way of sneaking it claws in and grabbing hold without you realising, and it's not until you reach the end you actually realise how hooked you are. With not having any other book to compare Ink too I went into it without knowing what to expect, and after finishing I know I will be comparing similar books to what I have read in Ink.
I have had my eye on Ink since I first heard about it when it came up on netgalley I knew I had to give it a try. I have never read a book that has the main focus of living in Japan so I was unsure about how much I would like Ink. When I began reading Ink it initially took a while for me to enjoy this book, it felt like there wasn't much progress made in the first quarter of the book and then things slowly start to get interesting when Tomohiro makes his presence known and when Katie sees his pictures moving, but pictures don't move right???
I like how Amanda has portrayed the struggle to fit into a new home, a new school and a whole new country. I felt sorry for Katie on numerous occasions, the different way of life, the loss of her Mum and the world she knows and understands, and then the struggle with the language barrier, although I didn't understand everything that was said or what words meant, the handy dandy glossary of Japanese words and phrases at the end of the book helped out a bit.
Katie occasionally acts a bit stalkerish, if a bad boy that scares you, tells you to go away and leave them alone, you do just that, but Katie doesn't and soon finds herself tangled up on things she never dreamed of. While everyone loves the designated bad boy Katie takes it to the extreme sometimes. As the story progresses however, we soon realise that stalkerish or not, she would have eventually been involved one way or another with Tomohiro.
Although Ink was a great read I expected so much from this book, and while I didn't get that from the beginning of it, by the time I had reached the last page of the book I realised I was hooked, and very disappointed in the ending. Luckily we get a sneak peak at the next book which helped out and left me feeling better, knowing what would happen next.
Ink has a way of sneaking it claws in and grabbing hold without you realising, and it's not until you reach the end you actually realise how hooked you are. With not having any other book to compare Ink too I went into it without knowing what to expect, and after finishing I know I will be comparing similar books to what I have read in Ink.
nicholeb84's review
4.0
A solid start with likable characters. I look forward to more: 3.7 out of 5 stars.
patchworkbunny's review
3.0
Following the death of her mother, Katie Greene moves to Japan to live with her aunt. Trying to make friends in a new school is hard enough without struggling to learn a new language. And then she overhears a fight between bad boy Tomohiro and his girlfriend. Knowing it’s none of her business, she tries to hide but when he drops his notebook, Katie can’t believe her eyes. His drawings are moving. Has the stress of the move driven her completely crazy?
I loved the idea behind Ink; it’s a bit like a grown up version of Penny Crayon. Inspired by kami, a word which is used both for gods and paper, Amanda Sun weaves the two together. Tomohiro is part of a lineage that has power over ink. His drawings comes alive and Katie seems to have an effect on his control. It’s also illustrated with drawings from Tomo’s notebook; there are even a couple of flick book animations at the bottom of the page.
The addition of Japanese culture makes a refreshing change from some many young adult books set in America or the UK. Having Katie as a gaijin (foreigner) gives her the excuse to explain certain words and customs. If you’re familiar with Japan, you may find it a bit too over-explanatory but for the audience, it’s probably at the right level. There are trips to view the cherry blossoms and their extra-curricular activities include kendo, calligraphy and karaoke.
What let the book down for me was the central relationship. I can completely understand fancying the bad boy, and she even seems to acknowledge that she shouldn’t really be interested. But they seem overly familiar far too soon. It isn’t even explained away with instalove; her internal monologue clearly knows he’s a stranger but they have these gushy moments that make them seem like they’re known each other forever. The plot with the Yakuza was on the weak side although it did get more exciting when the volume was ramped up on their activities.
It’s an easy read with some good ideas, so definitely worth a read but I felt it just needed a bit more work to pull the plot together.
I loved the idea behind Ink; it’s a bit like a grown up version of Penny Crayon. Inspired by kami, a word which is used both for gods and paper, Amanda Sun weaves the two together. Tomohiro is part of a lineage that has power over ink. His drawings comes alive and Katie seems to have an effect on his control. It’s also illustrated with drawings from Tomo’s notebook; there are even a couple of flick book animations at the bottom of the page.
The addition of Japanese culture makes a refreshing change from some many young adult books set in America or the UK. Having Katie as a gaijin (foreigner) gives her the excuse to explain certain words and customs. If you’re familiar with Japan, you may find it a bit too over-explanatory but for the audience, it’s probably at the right level. There are trips to view the cherry blossoms and their extra-curricular activities include kendo, calligraphy and karaoke.
What let the book down for me was the central relationship. I can completely understand fancying the bad boy, and she even seems to acknowledge that she shouldn’t really be interested. But they seem overly familiar far too soon. It isn’t even explained away with instalove; her internal monologue clearly knows he’s a stranger but they have these gushy moments that make them seem like they’re known each other forever. The plot with the Yakuza was on the weak side although it did get more exciting when the volume was ramped up on their activities.
It’s an easy read with some good ideas, so definitely worth a read but I felt it just needed a bit more work to pull the plot together.
thukpa's review
4.0
An older teen's Percy Jackson set in Japan from the point of view of an acculturating Canadian with hints of Twilight but much less annoying!
reddyrat's review
4.0
If you have the slightest interest in Japanese culture, you must read Ink. If you don't have any particular interest in Japan, but like reading a book that evokes a strong sense of place, you must read Ink. Ink is a solid albeit formulaic paranormal romance with an outstanding setting.
Katie is stuck in Japan against her will after her mother's death. Lucky for her, it's only supposed to be temporary until her grandfather's health improves. Katie is trying to bide out her time, but wouldn't you know, romance and adventure strike.
It took me awhile to warm up to Katie. She is slow to adapt to Japan, to try new foods, or culture. Slow from my perspective at least. I'd be diving in head first to try everything - but I'm older, already have exposure to Japanese culture, and haven't just lost a parent. So in the end, Katie's blase attitude is understandable and realistic.
Katie's relationship with Tomohiro is nothing new. Initial antagonism gives way to astonishment that there's a paranormal link which brings out more antagonism which pretty quickly turns into undying love. It's a formula that works well. There's nothing objectionable, but that's not why I enjoyed the novel.
Amanda came up with a fabulous paranormal element. Traditional Japanese gods. Drawings coming to life in powerful, bloody, violent ways. It reminded me very vaguely of the manga series Death Note. I mentioned that to Amanda when I was at BEA and she said it was an inspiration for the series. The kami and the art element are like nothing you've read before and I was turning the pages to see how the mythological world was going to develop.
The plot itself is a thrilling battle of art and judo. It feels very Japanese. The yakuza, the Japanese mafia, are another element. All in all, I thought the plot veered into melodrama and stretched the bounds of realism (well, leaving aside the gods and art coming to life part) too far for my taste. But it was still fun.
What Amanda did wonderfully was capture Japan. I've never lived in Japan, but my husband has lived there. I've visited and my husband has steeped himself in Japanese culture for years. As far as I can tell, Ink captures the atmosphere of Japan perfectly. The food, school, mannerisms. Unique holidays like the annual hana-mi (when everyone has picnics under the cherry blossom trees). The subtle and not-so-subtle ways that Japanese teenagers interact differently than western teens. It's like traveling to another world. I've only seen Japan depicted in YA a few times, and Ink is by far the best depiction. I loved it.
I definitely recommend Ink for anyone who loves exploring different parts of the world. While it stays close to the standard paranormal romance trope plot wise, the paranormal element is unique and the setting is outstanding (I can't emphasize that part enough).
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Katie is stuck in Japan against her will after her mother's death. Lucky for her, it's only supposed to be temporary until her grandfather's health improves. Katie is trying to bide out her time, but wouldn't you know, romance and adventure strike.
It took me awhile to warm up to Katie. She is slow to adapt to Japan, to try new foods, or culture. Slow from my perspective at least. I'd be diving in head first to try everything - but I'm older, already have exposure to Japanese culture, and haven't just lost a parent. So in the end, Katie's blase attitude is understandable and realistic.
Katie's relationship with Tomohiro is nothing new. Initial antagonism gives way to astonishment that there's a paranormal link which brings out more antagonism which pretty quickly turns into undying love. It's a formula that works well. There's nothing objectionable, but that's not why I enjoyed the novel.
Amanda came up with a fabulous paranormal element. Traditional Japanese gods. Drawings coming to life in powerful, bloody, violent ways. It reminded me very vaguely of the manga series Death Note. I mentioned that to Amanda when I was at BEA and she said it was an inspiration for the series. The kami and the art element are like nothing you've read before and I was turning the pages to see how the mythological world was going to develop.
The plot itself is a thrilling battle of art and judo. It feels very Japanese. The yakuza, the Japanese mafia, are another element. All in all, I thought the plot veered into melodrama and stretched the bounds of realism (well, leaving aside the gods and art coming to life part) too far for my taste. But it was still fun.
What Amanda did wonderfully was capture Japan. I've never lived in Japan, but my husband has lived there. I've visited and my husband has steeped himself in Japanese culture for years. As far as I can tell, Ink captures the atmosphere of Japan perfectly. The food, school, mannerisms. Unique holidays like the annual hana-mi (when everyone has picnics under the cherry blossom trees). The subtle and not-so-subtle ways that Japanese teenagers interact differently than western teens. It's like traveling to another world. I've only seen Japan depicted in YA a few times, and Ink is by far the best depiction. I loved it.
I definitely recommend Ink for anyone who loves exploring different parts of the world. While it stays close to the standard paranormal romance trope plot wise, the paranormal element is unique and the setting is outstanding (I can't emphasize that part enough).
Rating: 3.5 / 5