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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
First off, the cover is awesome. I love ink drawings, and this cover made me want to know what the book was about. Thankfully, the story inside stood up to the beautiful cover. Katie is a gaijin fish out of water at her new school in Japan, where she has gone to live after the death of her mother. There are the expected social failures and trip-ups with boys typical of high-school YA, but this story also has magic: flowing, dangerous, inky magic. What is Katie's heritage in regards to the ink? Who is the boy with the magical brush? I loved the descriptions of the ink magic, and the illustrations included in the novel give you the idea of the beauty Katie sees. I liked the tidbits of Japanese we're treated to, and the author is good at showing us the differences in culture between eastern and western culture. There is some satisfactory YA romance, but it seems that part of the story may wait for the next installment. I was somewhat surprised at the choice Katie made at the end, but I suppose it furthers the story, however expensive it was. I hope future novels in this series explore the history of the ink magic and delve into Katie's relationship with her friends and family. I'll be looking for the next book and its inked cover.
Received as a digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.
Received as a digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.
I think the story was more of a 3.5, but I was entertained the whole time while reading it. The main thing I kept thinking was that this would make a good anime/manga. I don't know if I thought that because of the setting or because of the way that it was written, but either way I still think it would. There were a few things I had some issues with, but for the most part they were pretty small. I wasn't really a huge fan of the romance, but when am I ever really. I have just learned that the romance will probably be there in YA books and that I'll just deal with it. (Not that I'd let something glaringly abusive slide if I saw it ---
***** SPOILER ---- there was that one part that I thought I was going to have to call out at the love hotel and I still kind of want to, but at the same time I get the reason, but there were def other ways to go about it.------ END SPOILER*****
I really liked the atmosphere and the setting. I've never read anything set in Japan, but the integration of the setting and the language really pulled me in and gave me a weird since of nostalgia... even though I've never been to Japan. It must be all of the anime and foreign movies I watched. I also have a thing for being entranced by language (real or made up), so I'm sure the Japanese be integrated into the narrative helped to pull me in as well.
***** SPOILER ---- there was that one part that I thought I was going to have to call out at the love hotel and I still kind of want to, but at the same time I get the reason, but there were def other ways to go about it.------ END SPOILER*****
I really liked the atmosphere and the setting. I've never read anything set in Japan, but the integration of the setting and the language really pulled me in and gave me a weird since of nostalgia... even though I've never been to Japan. It must be all of the anime and foreign movies I watched. I also have a thing for being entranced by language (real or made up), so I'm sure the Japanese be integrated into the narrative helped to pull me in as well.
medium-paced
Ink was a huge letdown for me. I mean, I read the reviews before I started reading and maybe I should have taken the hint and not read it, but the premise just seemed to have so much potential! Unfortunately, the story didn't live up to it.
I wanted to like this book, I really did, but Luce and Daniel--I mean Katie and Tomohiro just weren't having any of it. How are the two couple similar? Lets give a run down of how they fell in love, and you tell me which couple I'm talking about. Tragedy strikes, and our young heroine must move and go to a new school. There she sees a mysterious boy, who her friends tell her to stay away from, but does she listen? Why, of course not. Mr. Mysterious wants nothing to do with her, but she just can't get over him. She has to know more about him! Eventually he stops trying to get her to stay away and BAM Insta-love. Any guesses? That's right, the answer is both. That describes both Luce/Daniel and Katie/Tomohiro. But the similarities don't end there. Both Luce and Katie have many men attracted to them (somebody please explain why Jun is so nice to her. Please.) And they're both idiots. I mean, really, Katie. When you find out a guy (Ishikawa) is in the Yakuza, it's time to leave him alone. Don't follow lover boy when you think he going to meet him. Don't confront him about it after you run into him in the back hallway of a karaoke club (when he's holding a switchblade!) I mean, come on. She also demands answers all the time. She has to know everything about the mysterious boy and she has to know it now! And he's surprisingly willing to spill it. But, seriously, her questions were all over the place. "What's going on?!" "What's up with you drawings!?" "Your friend said that pregnant girl is really your girlfriend?!" "TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE NOW! So I can ask my friends and your friends about it and then ask you again later when they tell me something different!" (Okay, maybe that last one was paraphrased, but you get the idea.) She also had an uncalled for sense if urgency about everything. 50 pages in is too soon for her to be freaking out about needed answers, because the story hasn't built up to the point where I feel like I need them, too. (Or, you know, care) and the worst part is that I guessed all the answers dozens of pages before they were given!
Do you know why I wanted to like this book? The premise and setting were so promising. The mythology used made me sure that it was going to be a fascinating and original adventure. But the execution just didn't live up. If you ignore Katie (which is hard because she's the main character) it's basically heading in the right direction. Cool drawings that come to life, Japan, sign me up! Unfortunately Katie just had to ruin it.
Although, I can't ignore the originality of the story. That's what keeps it from being one star. That and all if the cool little details. The drawings that were thrown in there (like the girl at the beginning, the birds, and the dragon, which were beautiful) as well as the flip animation on the sides of some of the pages. It's stuff like that that makes a book stand out. Plus (and this might not be true of every edition) the texture of the cover was like canvas! That was cool. I know that all has little to do with the story, which is what I should be reviewing, but I feel like publishing companies should know that details like that really do matter.
Then there was Katie's over-emotional reaction to everything. Like this quote (where Tomohiro has drawn some butterflies) : "And then Tomohiro scratched through the drawings and they dropped one by one, like black cherry petals crumpling to the ground. It was so horrible that Tears welled up in my eyes." (153) Katie was crying over the drawings. She was crying over sketched drawings of butterflies that were fluttering around them. But it's important to remember that Tomohiro scratched because he needs them to stay a secret for his own safety, and the safety of everyone around him, and Katie is crying telling him not to do that! She just said she didn't want to be in danger! And then she tells him not to draw anymore. Clearly she's never had a hobby she liked. And clearly she doesn't understand why he draws, he can't just stop.
And, of course, there's the insta-love. Here's a prime example of what I had to suffer through when reading this book. This is from page 157 (157 out of 326. That's not even half-way through) "I knew then that I couldn't live without him, even when he was infuriating. Which was pretty much all the time." You have to be kidding me. That doesn't sound like something a teenager would know, and it also doesn't sound good. If he's "infuriating" why in the world would you not be able to live without him?
There were also some times where I felt the book could have used some more thorough editing. Like on page 221 when Katie is asking about some paintings in a shrine and she says "Is that why all the demons?" I'm sorry, what? I can't tell what that question means. Is it incomplete? Do you want to ask why the demons are doing something, but you forgot a verb, or is it just a poorly phrased question? Is it supposed to be more like "Is that why there are so many demons?" I honestly am just at a loss here. I have no idea what she's trying to say--and this is just one example of really, really weird grammar that I found in this book.
Tomohiro is an ass. Not only did he start out as the cold, mysterious, really annoying guy at their school, who lied about cheating on his girlfriend and getting a girl pregnant, he also wanted Katie not to get close to him but when she did anyway he pretended like he was going to let her stay close. Then he decided to (pretend to?) try to rape her. Yes, you read that right. He took her to a 'love hotel' and was really forceful with her until she ran off crying. He's really a keeper, isn't he (Not). (And then when Katie realized that he drove her away to protect her she was like "How could I have been so stupid!" Listen up, Katie, if a guy takes you to a place for sex and you don't want to go there, and then he's being really rough with you and it makes you uncomfortable enough to leave, you aren't stupid.)
Why Katie? That was the question I was so desperately hoping would be answered. And it was... Sort of. The answer didn't really do it for me, though. I mean, why would this American girl have such a connection to the Kami? They're Japanese Gods, what would she have to do with them? Well, apparently (and this isn't a huge spoiler, but I figure some people might not want to know, if they're planning on reading the book) At least Sun tried.
Then there's the Yakuza stuff. Katie really should try to stay away from that, but she doesn't. When Tomohiro starts to get mixed up in it she follows him every single time, and she keeps getting caught up in mob dealings! She keeps being angry because he's putting her in danger, but its her own damn fault. If she would just give Tomohiro a little privacy I'm sure everything would all work out, but every time they get a hold of her they can use her for bargaining, and that doesn't help Tomohiro a whole lot. And she can't just leave him alone for a minute. She always has to go charging off through the sketchy neighborhoods after him (and getting lost)
And then there's the last 30% of the book. I was completely lost. I had no idea what the hell was happening. The Yakuza captured them! And then, oh look, some Kami are here to save the day! Yay! But wait! No, we can't trust them! We must flee! Screw you guys for trying to help! I'm just gonna try to kendo fight you, even though I joined kendo like 4 months ago and you're the champion at your school! (Because that makes sense...?)
Although, I have to say, the Japanese part was actually done surprisingly well. (Not that I know all that much about Japan) What I mean is that it didn't seem gimmicky, it was actually an important part of the story and not just something to trick people into thinking that it was original (okay, so it did kind of trick me into thinking it would be good but the originality was all genuine)
So, that's one star for originality and one star for... Okay, a half star for readability/not being miserable to read, and just pretend the other half star isn't there. I'm giving it a 1.5
I wanted to like this book, I really did, but Luce and Daniel--I mean Katie and Tomohiro just weren't having any of it. How are the two couple similar? Lets give a run down of how they fell in love, and you tell me which couple I'm talking about. Tragedy strikes, and our young heroine must move and go to a new school. There she sees a mysterious boy, who her friends tell her to stay away from, but does she listen? Why, of course not. Mr. Mysterious wants nothing to do with her, but she just can't get over him. She has to know more about him! Eventually he stops trying to get her to stay away and BAM Insta-love. Any guesses? That's right, the answer is both. That describes both Luce/Daniel and Katie/Tomohiro. But the similarities don't end there. Both Luce and Katie have many men attracted to them (somebody please explain why Jun is so nice to her. Please.) And they're both idiots. I mean, really, Katie. When you find out a guy (Ishikawa) is in the Yakuza, it's time to leave him alone. Don't follow lover boy when you think he going to meet him. Don't confront him about it after you run into him in the back hallway of a karaoke club (when he's holding a switchblade!) I mean, come on. She also demands answers all the time. She has to know everything about the mysterious boy and she has to know it now! And he's surprisingly willing to spill it. But, seriously, her questions were all over the place. "What's going on?!" "What's up with you drawings!?" "Your friend said that pregnant girl is really your girlfriend?!" "TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE NOW! So I can ask my friends and your friends about it and then ask you again later when they tell me something different!" (Okay, maybe that last one was paraphrased, but you get the idea.) She also had an uncalled for sense if urgency about everything. 50 pages in is too soon for her to be freaking out about needed answers, because the story hasn't built up to the point where I feel like I need them, too. (Or, you know, care) and the worst part is that I guessed all the answers dozens of pages before they were given!
Do you know why I wanted to like this book? The premise and setting were so promising. The mythology used made me sure that it was going to be a fascinating and original adventure. But the execution just didn't live up. If you ignore Katie (which is hard because she's the main character) it's basically heading in the right direction. Cool drawings that come to life, Japan, sign me up! Unfortunately Katie just had to ruin it.
Although, I can't ignore the originality of the story. That's what keeps it from being one star. That and all if the cool little details. The drawings that were thrown in there (like the girl at the beginning, the birds, and the dragon, which were beautiful) as well as the flip animation on the sides of some of the pages. It's stuff like that that makes a book stand out. Plus (and this might not be true of every edition) the texture of the cover was like canvas! That was cool. I know that all has little to do with the story, which is what I should be reviewing, but I feel like publishing companies should know that details like that really do matter.
Then there was Katie's over-emotional reaction to everything. Like this quote (where Tomohiro has drawn some butterflies) : "And then Tomohiro scratched through the drawings and they dropped one by one, like black cherry petals crumpling to the ground. It was so horrible that Tears welled up in my eyes." (153) Katie was crying over the drawings. She was crying over sketched drawings of butterflies that were fluttering around them. But it's important to remember that Tomohiro scratched because he needs them to stay a secret for his own safety, and the safety of everyone around him, and Katie is crying telling him not to do that! She just said she didn't want to be in danger! And then she tells him not to draw anymore. Clearly she's never had a hobby she liked. And clearly she doesn't understand why he draws, he can't just stop.
And, of course, there's the insta-love. Here's a prime example of what I had to suffer through when reading this book. This is from page 157 (157 out of 326. That's not even half-way through) "I knew then that I couldn't live without him, even when he was infuriating. Which was pretty much all the time." You have to be kidding me. That doesn't sound like something a teenager would know, and it also doesn't sound good. If he's "infuriating" why in the world would you not be able to live without him?
There were also some times where I felt the book could have used some more thorough editing. Like on page 221 when Katie is asking about some paintings in a shrine and she says "Is that why all the demons?" I'm sorry, what? I can't tell what that question means. Is it incomplete? Do you want to ask why the demons are doing something, but you forgot a verb, or is it just a poorly phrased question? Is it supposed to be more like "Is that why there are so many demons?" I honestly am just at a loss here. I have no idea what she's trying to say--and this is just one example of really, really weird grammar that I found in this book.
Tomohiro is an ass. Not only did he start out as the cold, mysterious, really annoying guy at their school, who lied about cheating on his girlfriend and getting a girl pregnant, he also wanted Katie not to get close to him but when she did anyway he pretended like he was going to let her stay close. Then he decided to (pretend to?) try to rape her. Yes, you read that right. He took her to a 'love hotel' and was really forceful with her until she ran off crying. He's really a keeper, isn't he (Not). (And then when Katie realized that he drove her away to protect her she was like "How could I have been so stupid!" Listen up, Katie, if a guy takes you to a place for sex and you don't want to go there, and then he's being really rough with you and it makes you uncomfortable enough to leave, you aren't stupid.)
Why Katie? That was the question I was so desperately hoping would be answered. And it was... Sort of. The answer didn't really do it for me, though. I mean, why would this American girl have such a connection to the Kami? They're Japanese Gods, what would she have to do with them? Well, apparently (and this isn't a huge spoiler, but I figure some people might not want to know, if they're planning on reading the book)
Spoiler
it's because of Tomohiro's love for Katie! Even though that makes no sense, because the Ink stuff started before they even really knew each other.Then there's the Yakuza stuff. Katie really should try to stay away from that, but she doesn't. When Tomohiro starts to get mixed up in it she follows him every single time, and she keeps getting caught up in mob dealings! She keeps being angry because he's putting her in danger, but its her own damn fault. If she would just give Tomohiro a little privacy I'm sure everything would all work out, but every time they get a hold of her they can use her for bargaining, and that doesn't help Tomohiro a whole lot. And she can't just leave him alone for a minute. She always has to go charging off through the sketchy neighborhoods after him (and getting lost)
And then there's the last 30% of the book. I was completely lost. I had no idea what the hell was happening. The Yakuza captured them! And then, oh look, some Kami are here to save the day! Yay! But wait! No, we can't trust them! We must flee! Screw you guys for trying to help! I'm just gonna try to kendo fight you, even though I joined kendo like 4 months ago and you're the champion at your school! (Because that makes sense...?)
Although, I have to say, the Japanese part was actually done surprisingly well. (Not that I know all that much about Japan) What I mean is that it didn't seem gimmicky, it was actually an important part of the story and not just something to trick people into thinking that it was original (okay, so it did kind of trick me into thinking it would be good but the originality was all genuine)
So, that's one star for originality and one star for... Okay, a half star for readability/not being miserable to read, and just pretend the other half star isn't there. I'm giving it a 1.5
3.5 Stars
I've had so much fun reading this book and following this story as it felt and read like an anime which I loved. I love everything Japan so this was an obvious read for me and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It had a little bit of cheesiness and I couldn't decide whether I disliked or liked the main character, but I liked the setting and the plot, the Kami is definitely a topic that is used a lot in Japanese productions so it wasn't unfamiliar.
I also loved reading the Japanese phrases, even the English lines I mostly read in Japanese too.
The pacing was okay, it wasn't the best. I felt like the book could've been shorter and it did get a little bit boring at one point but overall I enjoyed it and will pick up the next book in the series.
I've had so much fun reading this book and following this story as it felt and read like an anime which I loved. I love everything Japan so this was an obvious read for me and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It had a little bit of cheesiness and I couldn't decide whether I disliked or liked the main character, but I liked the setting and the plot, the Kami is definitely a topic that is used a lot in Japanese productions so it wasn't unfamiliar.
I also loved reading the Japanese phrases, even the English lines I mostly read in Japanese too.
The pacing was okay, it wasn't the best. I felt like the book could've been shorter and it did get a little bit boring at one point but overall I enjoyed it and will pick up the next book in the series.
Finally a book that joined reading with the feel of an anime/manga. I cannot wait for the third one to come out!
I have been wanting to read this book ever since I heard about it about two months back. So, when my request got approved on netgalley, I was super excited!
After her mother’s untimely death, Katie Greene is forced to move to Japan and live with her aunt till her grandparents can claim her custody. Settling in a different continent, where food, language and culture are completely different from what Katie is used to is no easy job. And doing the same while still grieving for the loss of her mother is even more difficult, but once Katie lands there, she finds that she is quite good at adapting. With the help of her aunt, her friend Yuki & Tanaka and cram school, she picks up the language quite fast an soon starts to settle in. Soon, she discovers the school’s pretty but mysterious boy Tomohiro was up to something. The more she discovered about him, the more she was attracted to him. But Tomohiro’s powers spiral whenever she is near him which in turn puts them both at risk.
I will get out my not so favourite parts first. I have issues with the plot’s slow build up from the very beginning. Not much happens till about three quarter of the book passes you by. I also like the protagonists’ friends to play important roles. Though Ishakawa had a role to play, Yuki and Tanaka felt like wallflowers in the novel and I wished more involvement on their behalf. And Jun was predictable.
What I did like was the setting in Japan. I learnt quite a bit about the culture there. I had heard about students having to clean up the school after hours as a part of character building exercise. So, seeing that part being incorporated into the story was kinda nice. It was also a chance for me to learn about kendo, a bit about Japanese food and few words of the language too. The references to Japanese mythology were interesting. The writing style in general was quite good. It was what made me going irrespective of the slow start.
I wish though that the author would have answered a few ‘whats’ involving Katie in this book instead of making us wait to find out in the next instalment. But these unanswered questions and the lack of the explanations are also the reason why I will be picking up the next instalment.
After her mother’s untimely death, Katie Greene is forced to move to Japan and live with her aunt till her grandparents can claim her custody. Settling in a different continent, where food, language and culture are completely different from what Katie is used to is no easy job. And doing the same while still grieving for the loss of her mother is even more difficult, but once Katie lands there, she finds that she is quite good at adapting. With the help of her aunt, her friend Yuki & Tanaka and cram school, she picks up the language quite fast an soon starts to settle in. Soon, she discovers the school’s pretty but mysterious boy Tomohiro was up to something. The more she discovered about him, the more she was attracted to him. But Tomohiro’s powers spiral whenever she is near him which in turn puts them both at risk.
I will get out my not so favourite parts first. I have issues with the plot’s slow build up from the very beginning. Not much happens till about three quarter of the book passes you by. I also like the protagonists’ friends to play important roles. Though Ishakawa had a role to play, Yuki and Tanaka felt like wallflowers in the novel and I wished more involvement on their behalf. And Jun was predictable.
What I did like was the setting in Japan. I learnt quite a bit about the culture there. I had heard about students having to clean up the school after hours as a part of character building exercise. So, seeing that part being incorporated into the story was kinda nice. It was also a chance for me to learn about kendo, a bit about Japanese food and few words of the language too. The references to Japanese mythology were interesting. The writing style in general was quite good. It was what made me going irrespective of the slow start.
I wish though that the author would have answered a few ‘whats’ involving Katie in this book instead of making us wait to find out in the next instalment. But these unanswered questions and the lack of the explanations are also the reason why I will be picking up the next instalment.
[b:Ink|13423346|Ink (Paper Gods, #1)|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349382349s/13423346.jpg|18878425] by [a:Amanda Sun|4649677|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1349367928p2/4649677.jpg] seems to be one of those books that people have such polarizing opinions about. You either absolutely hate it, or you love it. I tend to veer more towards the latter end of the spectrum. While this book was in no means perfect to me, I really enjoyed the author’s writing and her descriptions of Japan and its culture.
Katie Greene moved to Japan after her mother passed away. Far from home, she befriends resident “bad boy” Tomohiro. Soon, Katie discovers that Tomo isn’t exactly what she originally thought, and she might just be in the middle of a war between gods.
I really liked Katie’s character in the beginning of the book. She’s way out of her comfort zone in Japan, not knowing the language or the local customs, but she still manages to exude an air of confidence despite all of that. Katie has no problems confronting Tomohiro on his bullshit in the beginning of the book, making her seem like a bit of a badass character herself. Until all of the whining she does as the book progresses. Seriously, there’s a whole lot of whining.
One instance where this book really excels is the author’s descriptions of Japan and the local customs. Throughout the book, you almost feel like you’re in Japan experiencing the sakura blooms during Hanami. This, above pretty much everything else, is what made the book special for me.
There's a saying in Japan, and it has to do with cherry-blossom viewing: hana yori dango. Dumplings over flowers. It basically means that someone should value needs over wants, substance over appearance. As in, make sure you have food and shelter before you burn money on something extravagant. And, you know, choose genuine friends who will be there for you over pretty, shallow ones. Don't get carried away by beauty if it leaves you empty.
Katie Greene moved to Japan after her mother passed away. Far from home, she befriends resident “bad boy” Tomohiro. Soon, Katie discovers that Tomo isn’t exactly what she originally thought, and she might just be in the middle of a war between gods.
My heart was glass--easy to see through, simple to break.
I really liked Katie’s character in the beginning of the book. She’s way out of her comfort zone in Japan, not knowing the language or the local customs, but she still manages to exude an air of confidence despite all of that. Katie has no problems confronting Tomohiro on his bullshit in the beginning of the book, making her seem like a bit of a badass character herself. Until all of the whining she does as the book progresses. Seriously, there’s a whole lot of whining.
One instance where this book really excels is the author’s descriptions of Japan and the local customs. Throughout the book, you almost feel like you’re in Japan experiencing the sakura blooms during Hanami. This, above pretty much everything else, is what made the book special for me.
Katie Greene is trying to deal with the loss of her mother while adjusting to life in Japan. Her grandparents haven't been granted custody of her yet due to her grandpa's health so she has to stay in Shizuoka, Japan with her aunt for four or five months. Life is a bit lonely for her, with only two friends, Yuki and Tanaka, and learning the language is really difficult. Then she meets Tomohiro; drawings begin to move and ink takes on a life of its own.
I loved Katie - she's daring, strong, and has a sense of humour (characteristics that I always love). At first she hates living in Japan and is determined to leave after five months but then she begins putting roots down. Even though she wants to leave for Canada to be with her grandparents Katie works really hard to learn Japanese and immerse herself in the foreign culture. I really admired this about Katie: life isn't going how she wants but she is still hard-working and doesn't give up. She also made me laugh quite a bit. During her second meeting with Tomohiro (a.k.a. Tomo) he attempts to scare her off, and she is scared, but instead of walking away she climbs a tree and has the last say. Kind of - you'll have to read the book to see that scene :) .
While Katie is the main character, Tomohiro brings the whole plot to life. He is aloof, gorgeous, and mysterious, with an unnatural talent for drawing, or caligraphy.
"His copper hair, too bright to be natural, flipped in every direction like he hadn't taken the time to brush it, and he'd grown his bangs long - they way he was staring at the floor made the tips of them brush against his eyelashes."
But when he's around the ink in his drawings moves. Naturally, this freaks Katie out, but of course her curiosity won't leave it alone. I have to say that her courage to confront Tomohiro at the beginning about the ink seemed a bit unrealistic; she also shared her concerns with a complete stranger. I guess honesty is just a big part of her character.
However, the setting was the part that I loved most. I have never read anything set in Japan and I loved every word, every line that described the culture. From having different sets of slippers for various rooms, to the importance of the cherry blossoms, I was enchanted. This is where Amanda Sun's writing really came to life for me. Her descriptions were beautiful (not only for the setting but for the characters) and I now have a huge desire to go to Japan, specifically Shizuoka where the book is set, and experience everything for myself.
"the odd tree in Sunpu unfolded in sprays of pink and white, dotting the bare park with color. Most of the trees still lay dormant as buds, but my eyes hunted for sakura trees as I snaked through Suntaba."
Within the setting, came another aspect of originality: Japanese gods called kami. Katie finds out that Tomo is a kami and something about her is different too and she has a powerful effect on Tomo's abilities.
The romance is this was really sweet. Katie and Tomo start out avoiding one another - well Tomo avoids Katie and she follows him around trying to figure out what was going on - but pretty soon they are friends. They talk to one another a lot; both have experienced loss and having the other there heals both of them a little bit. We see how scared Tomo is - he is extremely powerful but there are consequences to having so much power. I loved that Tomo wasn't invincible - he was terrified at times and had no idea how to improve his situation. He was believable, not a hero who rarely experiences fear.
Overall I loved Ink and can't wait until Rain is released next March!
Favorite quotations:
"My heart was glass - easy to see through, simple to break."
"He was fireworks and radiance, glare and tingling frostbite."
YA
4.5 stars
I loved Katie - she's daring, strong, and has a sense of humour (characteristics that I always love). At first she hates living in Japan and is determined to leave after five months but then she begins putting roots down. Even though she wants to leave for Canada to be with her grandparents Katie works really hard to learn Japanese and immerse herself in the foreign culture. I really admired this about Katie: life isn't going how she wants but she is still hard-working and doesn't give up. She also made me laugh quite a bit. During her second meeting with Tomohiro (a.k.a. Tomo) he attempts to scare her off, and she is scared, but instead of walking away she climbs a tree and has the last say. Kind of - you'll have to read the book to see that scene :) .
While Katie is the main character, Tomohiro brings the whole plot to life. He is aloof, gorgeous, and mysterious, with an unnatural talent for drawing, or caligraphy.
"His copper hair, too bright to be natural, flipped in every direction like he hadn't taken the time to brush it, and he'd grown his bangs long - they way he was staring at the floor made the tips of them brush against his eyelashes."
But when he's around the ink in his drawings moves. Naturally, this freaks Katie out, but of course her curiosity won't leave it alone. I have to say that her courage to confront Tomohiro at the beginning about the ink seemed a bit unrealistic; she also shared her concerns with a complete stranger. I guess honesty is just a big part of her character.
However, the setting was the part that I loved most. I have never read anything set in Japan and I loved every word, every line that described the culture. From having different sets of slippers for various rooms, to the importance of the cherry blossoms, I was enchanted. This is where Amanda Sun's writing really came to life for me. Her descriptions were beautiful (not only for the setting but for the characters) and I now have a huge desire to go to Japan, specifically Shizuoka where the book is set, and experience everything for myself.
"the odd tree in Sunpu unfolded in sprays of pink and white, dotting the bare park with color. Most of the trees still lay dormant as buds, but my eyes hunted for sakura trees as I snaked through Suntaba."
Within the setting, came another aspect of originality: Japanese gods called kami. Katie finds out that Tomo is a kami and something about her is different too and she has a powerful effect on Tomo's abilities.
The romance is this was really sweet. Katie and Tomo start out avoiding one another - well Tomo avoids Katie and she follows him around trying to figure out what was going on - but pretty soon they are friends. They talk to one another a lot; both have experienced loss and having the other there heals both of them a little bit. We see how scared Tomo is - he is extremely powerful but there are consequences to having so much power. I loved that Tomo wasn't invincible - he was terrified at times and had no idea how to improve his situation. He was believable, not a hero who rarely experiences fear.
Overall I loved Ink and can't wait until Rain is released next March!
Favorite quotations:
"My heart was glass - easy to see through, simple to break."
"He was fireworks and radiance, glare and tingling frostbite."
YA
4.5 stars
Um.. I was a bit skeptical about this book but I was happily surprised. The ending was a bit anti-climatic but I get it especially since there are 2 additional books.
Major complaints:
-the addition of Japanese Romaji. I totally understand it was supposed to be written like this because our main character is an American living in Japan but it's just very hard to read Romaji normally.
-Katie at times makes the dumbest decisions (she literally had me screaming WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS)
overlooking all these things. I still give it 5 stars. It was really interesting & I can't wait to continue with the others. (also note: I accidentally bought a signed copy of this book. FOR $1.50 on Amazon)
Major complaints:
-the addition of Japanese Romaji. I totally understand it was supposed to be written like this because our main character is an American living in Japan but it's just very hard to read Romaji normally.
-Katie at times makes the dumbest decisions (she literally had me screaming WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS)
overlooking all these things. I still give it 5 stars. It was really interesting & I can't wait to continue with the others. (also note: I accidentally bought a signed copy of this book. FOR $1.50 on Amazon)