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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
amazing if you haven't read this book you don't know what life is
I have mixed feelings about this book, you know that feeling right after you finish a book you really enjoy and go that's it? I've went up and down on a roller coaster with this book and now that's it? The book is done? This to me is one of the best/worst feelings in the world, and if you are anything like me you know this feeling and love it.
This book was also very fresh and exciting for me, because I'm from the middle of nowhere and this book is set in the middle of everywhere Japan. For a gaijin like me, this is what makes this book good. To be able to travel the world from my armchair without even having to take off my footsie pyjamas.It is in a place that I have never seen, and now with reading Ink I felt like I've seen a little glimpse of Japan. Who would I suggest this book to? Anyone who as a interest in Japan or loves a romance/supernatural plot.
Yah, don't groan all at once. This book is romance and deals with mythical Japanese stuff, which personally I think could make a sweet book like it did for Ink. But Ink focused more on the romance than the mythical and that can be kinda off putting at times. I mean who cares whether or not he loves you when there are people whose drawings come to life!!!
So other than the romance being just a tad too over bearing, I absolutely loved this book. Amanda Sun did an amazing job of painting a picture of Japan and making you feel like you are there.
Oh! Another great thing is that this book (or at least my copy) has pictures. Everyone loves a good picture.
This book was also very fresh and exciting for me, because I'm from the middle of nowhere and this book is set in the middle of everywhere Japan. For a gaijin like me, this is what makes this book good. To be able to travel the world from my armchair without even having to take off my footsie pyjamas.It is in a place that I have never seen, and now with reading Ink I felt like I've seen a little glimpse of Japan. Who would I suggest this book to? Anyone who as a interest in Japan or loves a romance/supernatural plot.
Yah, don't groan all at once. This book is romance and deals with mythical Japanese stuff, which personally I think could make a sweet book like it did for Ink. But Ink focused more on the romance than the mythical and that can be kinda off putting at times. I mean who cares whether or not he loves you when there are people whose drawings come to life!!!
So other than the romance being just a tad too over bearing, I absolutely loved this book. Amanda Sun did an amazing job of painting a picture of Japan and making you feel like you are there.
Oh! Another great thing is that this book (or at least my copy) has pictures. Everyone loves a good picture.
⭐2.7
The first 3/4 of the book felt extremely like a Japanese version of Twilight with gangsters and Japanese culture. The end made up for it, but only slightly...
The first 3/4 of the book felt extremely like a Japanese version of Twilight with gangsters and Japanese culture. The end made up for it, but only slightly...
UGH!!! I'm in this book funk. I keep choosing to read these terrible books and I'm just not happy at all with myself. This book was just a complete disappointment to me. There was way too much angst in this book, it made me want to gag. It took me so long to get myself to even read this one after I started and was half way through. I just found that I struggled to want to read this one because the characters and plot was so frustrating.
The plot was unbearably predictable and the characters horribly flat.
I found the plot was just dumb. I was interested in the idea of Ink and Japanese Gods, but even then, it was glossed over mostly. There was a lot about Japanese, but I will applaud any reader who knew what was going on culture wise because I barely go half of the Japanese references. This book mostly driven by romance and the problem of Tomo trying to protect Katie from himself. (how is that new?) Then there was the short plot device involving gangs and pregnancies which just wasn't all that interesting.
Katie annoyed that heck out of me. She acted younger than I thought she was (at least I believe she is sixteen) and seemed to overact A LOT. As much as she seemed to realize she was being a stupid Mary Sue, she didn't listen to herself. Katie was not the smartest of YA main characters at all. She's like, I should ask this guy questions about a secret, then she does and completely blows her cover. Or she would throw herself into a dangerous situation and have men save her. *face palm*
And Tomohiro? As likeable as processed cheese. Only younger girls who don't know better will love him to pieces and older girls will know better to desire him, he is just a really bad obsession. Like what was there to him? Sure, he wanted to protect Katie, but seriously? Who hasn't heard that one before?
Then we get to the secondary characters. I like to have secondary characters with a bit of a part to the story and have some sort of depth. These ones? None of that whatsoever. I think the author just threw them in to provide info and move the story along when Katie wasn't with Tomo or in danger.
Honestly, wouldn't be surprised if this author followed a YA formula because it's what it feels like.
And I read the whole book without knowing there was a stupid glossary hidden at the back of the book. (can authors just write a note at the beginning saying they have given readers a glossary???) I'm sure i'm not the only one was was so frustrated by struggling through the Japanese vocabulary.
The plot was unbearably predictable and the characters horribly flat.
I found the plot was just dumb. I was interested in the idea of Ink and Japanese Gods, but even then, it was glossed over mostly. There was a lot about Japanese, but I will applaud any reader who knew what was going on culture wise because I barely go half of the Japanese references. This book mostly driven by romance and the problem of Tomo trying to protect Katie from himself. (how is that new?) Then there was the short plot device involving gangs and pregnancies which just wasn't all that interesting.
Katie annoyed that heck out of me. She acted younger than I thought she was (at least I believe she is sixteen) and seemed to overact A LOT. As much as she seemed to realize she was being a stupid Mary Sue, she didn't listen to herself. Katie was not the smartest of YA main characters at all. She's like, I should ask this guy questions about a secret, then she does and completely blows her cover. Or she would throw herself into a dangerous situation and have men save her. *face palm*
And Tomohiro? As likeable as processed cheese. Only younger girls who don't know better will love him to pieces and older girls will know better to desire him, he is just a really bad obsession. Like what was there to him? Sure, he wanted to protect Katie, but seriously? Who hasn't heard that one before?
Then we get to the secondary characters. I like to have secondary characters with a bit of a part to the story and have some sort of depth. These ones? None of that whatsoever. I think the author just threw them in to provide info and move the story along when Katie wasn't with Tomo or in danger.
Honestly, wouldn't be surprised if this author followed a YA formula because it's what it feels like.
And I read the whole book without knowing there was a stupid glossary hidden at the back of the book. (can authors just write a note at the beginning saying they have given readers a glossary???) I'm sure i'm not the only one was was so frustrated by struggling through the Japanese vocabulary.
I really enjoyed this book. It was so action packed and exciting and I can't wait to get the sequel tomorrow.
I think the setting is what really did it for me. I've never read a book that takes place in Japan so it felt like traveling somewhere new. I loved how Amanda Sun snuck in all of the Japanese vocabulary.
I'm not sure if the Kami is a real concept in Japan (I plan on looking that up of course) but I loved how authentic everything felt. I love how along with Katie, I felt a bit of culture shock as well with everything that was happening.
& of course I loved the characters; bright and bubbly Yuki, boy next door Tanaka, silent and Simmering Tomo.
I definitely recommend this book.
I think the setting is what really did it for me. I've never read a book that takes place in Japan so it felt like traveling somewhere new. I loved how Amanda Sun snuck in all of the Japanese vocabulary.
I'm not sure if the Kami is a real concept in Japan (I plan on looking that up of course) but I loved how authentic everything felt. I love how along with Katie, I felt a bit of culture shock as well with everything that was happening.
& of course I loved the characters; bright and bubbly Yuki, boy next door Tanaka, silent and Simmering Tomo.
I definitely recommend this book.
I was really disappointed with this book. I'm rating it 2.5 stars, but I bumped it up to 3 on here because that cover is so lovely!
The strongest points in this book is the descriptions of the setting; the beautiful city in Japan, and its countryside; the city life itself, the little shops, the people, the food. It was almost as if I was really there. The way the characters interacted with one another, and the proper protocols they followed in the house, in school. And the use of the Japanese language, with a handy glossary at the back so you could follow along, I actually really enjoyed. And upon reading about the author at the end, I was unsurprised to learn that she had herself lived as an exchange student for some time in Japan. I thought that part was brilliant.
But the character of Katie was not a very likeable girl. Having just lost her mother in New York, she had been forced to live with her Aunt who was living in Japan, teaching English. While I can appreciate the sense of loss along with the culture shock, and having to learn a very difficult language quickly, I didn't feel like there was any growth at all throughout this book. She was very whinny, and quite horrible to the friends that she had. Much of the book was her obsession with a boy who is being haunted by Paper Gods, and while I can on some point admire her bravery by sticking by him, the result ended up shunning the friends who had shown her kindness and friendship when she first arrived in Japan. I really can't stand characters that selfish.
The plot itself is not very strong. I found the dialogue (both internally and externally) very cringe-worthy to read. The exchanges between Tomohiro and Katie were very awkward most of the time. And the whole storyline between the ink and themselves was not developed very well. There just wasn't enough suspense to make me curious or worry about them at all.
Overall, I am a bit underwhelmed, and I don't think I'm going to continue with the sequel anytime soon. I will still go and look at the reviews, and if I find that it seems to be more likeable than this one, I may give it a go. But if someone where to ask me how I found this book, I would have to just answer honestly; Meh.
The strongest points in this book is the descriptions of the setting; the beautiful city in Japan, and its countryside; the city life itself, the little shops, the people, the food. It was almost as if I was really there. The way the characters interacted with one another, and the proper protocols they followed in the house, in school. And the use of the Japanese language, with a handy glossary at the back so you could follow along, I actually really enjoyed. And upon reading about the author at the end, I was unsurprised to learn that she had herself lived as an exchange student for some time in Japan. I thought that part was brilliant.
But the character of Katie was not a very likeable girl. Having just lost her mother in New York, she had been forced to live with her Aunt who was living in Japan, teaching English. While I can appreciate the sense of loss along with the culture shock, and having to learn a very difficult language quickly, I didn't feel like there was any growth at all throughout this book. She was very whinny, and quite horrible to the friends that she had. Much of the book was her obsession with a boy who is being haunted by Paper Gods, and while I can on some point admire her bravery by sticking by him, the result ended up shunning the friends who had shown her kindness and friendship when she first arrived in Japan. I really can't stand characters that selfish.
The plot itself is not very strong. I found the dialogue (both internally and externally) very cringe-worthy to read. The exchanges between Tomohiro and Katie were very awkward most of the time. And the whole storyline between the ink and themselves was not developed very well. There just wasn't enough suspense to make me curious or worry about them at all.
Overall, I am a bit underwhelmed, and I don't think I'm going to continue with the sequel anytime soon. I will still go and look at the reviews, and if I find that it seems to be more likeable than this one, I may give it a go. But if someone where to ask me how I found this book, I would have to just answer honestly; Meh.
Originally at The Secret Life of a Bookworm
*Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review*
What did I think about Ink? Well, to start with I was really drawn in by the fact it was set in Japan. I've never ever read a book that's set in Japan and I can honestly say that I loved learning about Japan and the Japanese culture. I've never known much about it so I enjoyed getting the opportunity to learn about it in this book. The other thing that really drew me in to start with was the moving drawings. I mean, how could you not be drawn in by that! One second your just sitting there doodling and the next minute your drawings try to eat you! Yeah, I had to find out more about that.
I wasn't overly impress with this book as the story went on. I found myself getting bored slightly and also kind of confused. The random Japanese words that amused me to start with got more annoying as the book went on. I didn't want to constantly have to look up what they meant so I kind of skimmed over them. I think I only learnt what one of the Japanese words meant and then I gave up.
Katie was an alright main character, although she did annoy me a lot. She had lost her parents and had to move to to Japan and try to fit into this new life. I really felt for her because of that. She was struggling with coming to terms with her parents death but she was also struggling to fit it. She seemed like a likable character, and then she met Tomo. Katie basically turned into a stalker when she met him. She followed him around, spied on him and tried to find out what he was up to. It was kind of creepy actually, and I thought she was a complete psycho. Sure, Tomo was up to something, but that didn't mean that she had to become his personal stalker! It was pretty weird.
And then there's Tomo. Tomo was an intriguing character, but he was a dick. Most of the time I wanted to punch him. He'd act like a dick to keep people from getting close to him and finding out his secret. There were times when I really liked him though. He could be sweet and funny, and I enjoyed seeing Tomo like that. I really liked discovering Tomo's connection to the Kami. It was pretty interesting, but his connection was dangerous and that's why he tried to keep people away from him.
The whole storyline of the Kami was extremely interesting. I loved learning about the history of the Kami and what Tomo's connection was. I adored seeing Tomo's drawings and seeing what he was capable of because of his connection. There was a lot to discover and a lot of danger involved with being connected to the Kami. Japan was a major part of this book as well and I adored discovering the culture along with Katie. I never knew much about the Japanese culture before I read this book and I'm glad I got the opportunity to learn about it.
The ending of this book was actually pretty interesting and I am intrigued to find out what's going to happen. Tomo was given a warning about what his Kami connection will do to him and I want to know whether he'll be able to find a way to avoid it. I'm also pretty intrigued to find out what Katie's connection to the Ink is since we never found out in this book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. There were parts I enjoyed and some boring parts that took me a while to get through, but I still enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the second book, but it won't be one I'm desperate to get hold of.
*Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review*
What did I think about Ink? Well, to start with I was really drawn in by the fact it was set in Japan. I've never ever read a book that's set in Japan and I can honestly say that I loved learning about Japan and the Japanese culture. I've never known much about it so I enjoyed getting the opportunity to learn about it in this book. The other thing that really drew me in to start with was the moving drawings. I mean, how could you not be drawn in by that! One second your just sitting there doodling and the next minute your drawings try to eat you! Yeah, I had to find out more about that.
I wasn't overly impress with this book as the story went on. I found myself getting bored slightly and also kind of confused. The random Japanese words that amused me to start with got more annoying as the book went on. I didn't want to constantly have to look up what they meant so I kind of skimmed over them. I think I only learnt what one of the Japanese words meant and then I gave up.
Katie was an alright main character, although she did annoy me a lot. She had lost her parents and had to move to to Japan and try to fit into this new life. I really felt for her because of that. She was struggling with coming to terms with her parents death but she was also struggling to fit it. She seemed like a likable character, and then she met Tomo. Katie basically turned into a stalker when she met him. She followed him around, spied on him and tried to find out what he was up to. It was kind of creepy actually, and I thought she was a complete psycho. Sure, Tomo was up to something, but that didn't mean that she had to become his personal stalker! It was pretty weird.
And then there's Tomo. Tomo was an intriguing character, but he was a dick. Most of the time I wanted to punch him. He'd act like a dick to keep people from getting close to him and finding out his secret. There were times when I really liked him though. He could be sweet and funny, and I enjoyed seeing Tomo like that. I really liked discovering Tomo's connection to the Kami. It was pretty interesting, but his connection was dangerous and that's why he tried to keep people away from him.
The whole storyline of the Kami was extremely interesting. I loved learning about the history of the Kami and what Tomo's connection was. I adored seeing Tomo's drawings and seeing what he was capable of because of his connection. There was a lot to discover and a lot of danger involved with being connected to the Kami. Japan was a major part of this book as well and I adored discovering the culture along with Katie. I never knew much about the Japanese culture before I read this book and I'm glad I got the opportunity to learn about it.
The ending of this book was actually pretty interesting and I am intrigued to find out what's going to happen. Tomo was given a warning about what his Kami connection will do to him and I want to know whether he'll be able to find a way to avoid it. I'm also pretty intrigued to find out what Katie's connection to the Ink is since we never found out in this book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. There were parts I enjoyed and some boring parts that took me a while to get through, but I still enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the second book, but it won't be one I'm desperate to get hold of.
Went through a long reading slump of just reading the first half of a book and then tossing it to the side. This was the first book I finished in a long time. It was a great, fun, easy read! I liked that the focus was mainly on the main characters' journey to learning about kami, and not so much on their relationship. I appreciated the balance of storylines and characters. Interested to see what happens in the second.
I literally did not want to put this book down. when's the next one? the concept was neat and new for Y.A. lit. and the boys were swoonworthy. I loved it<3
Wow what an entertaining book and I did not know what to expect from this. I loved the artwork that was in the book and I liked the mythology in the book. Also when I read it, I could tell the author did her research and I found out that the author has really lived in Japan! I could tell the author put a lot of thought and hard work into this book. I am excited to read the sequel. However, the romance seemed like insta love and Tomogiro was a jerk! Katie was a bit extreme when she began to follow when she noticed that his drawing were moving but despite its imperfections it was still very enjoyable.