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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
WARNING: Main girl Katie is a major stalker. ALSO - insta-cheesy love.
Originally posted at: Girls on YA Books
~Review:
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!! You guys don't even know how flipping amazing this book is! Wow. Just wow. I thought I understood the definition of unique. I thought I had read some pretty unique books but I guess I never truly understood unique or ever read a book as completely unique as Ink is. Ink by Amanda Sun is the true definition of unique. It is a true breath of fresh air for the Young Adult genre. I seriously don't even know where to begin with this review! Should I start with the amazing writing? The amazing characters? The amazing story line? The amazing cover? The..the...the!!! Ya I am going to have a huge malfunction just trying to explain how great this book really is. I am not going to do much justice for this book but I am sure as hell going to try!
Ok, so I decided I actually wanted to talk about the cover first. Just real quick because please, a cover like that has to be talked about am I right or am I right? I am a person fond of art. I draw and occasionally paint myself. Its a way of expression just like writing. So, being a person who loves art I think I can say that this cover is well...art. Its gorgeous! I am not sure which cover I am most fond of, the one above or this one:
I don't know. All I know is that both are absolutely gorgeous! I love them. They are beautiful and whoever designed the cover is genius. They go wonderfully with the book and hell, they are just eye candy! I want a copy just to put on my shelf so I can stare at it all day long! Anyways, there is my brief cover obsession.
The cover art is not the only thing about this book that has grabbed my attention and affection. The cover art isn't the only thing about this book that needs to be acknowledged. Its not the only thing that is genius and gorgeous! The whole book in itself is absolutely breathtaking! Yes, I found Ink wonderful, splendid, gorgeous and breathtaking! I loved how Ink was set in a foreign country. It allowed me to see teenage life through a different culture's eye. Its crazy how many things differ from here and Japan! I loved how Amanda gave us little Japanese lessons. I learned some Japanese words thanks to her! Now, if I ever go to Japan I can cuss people out ;D Hahaha JK!!! Mrs. Sun didn't teach Japanese cuss words! Well a couple but that wasn't the only thing! ;P
The setting being in Japan made Ink that more intriguing! And it totally throws the ordinary Young Adult character stereo types off. It was great! Tomo...Tomo, Tomo, Tomo! I wasn't sure I could love you but I did...I fell hopelessly in love with you! Holy crap! Tomo knocks the usual troubled bad boy thing out of the water! Phew! *fans self* This boy is all sorts of sexy! Skilled fighter, creative and absolutely wonderfully skilled in drawing, devilish smirk that can melt your insides...this boy has got it all. To top it all off...underneath that hard exterior is a broken boy with the ability to be mushy and gooshy!! *sighs* Ya, I got Tomo fever!! ;D (he would probably kill me for saying that hahaha)
Ok, enough with the love interest lets talk protagonist. Katie was forced to go to live with her aunt in Japan after her mother died. Normally she would have had her grandparents take custody of her but because her grandfather was weak, fighting cancer, she had no choice but to get an ice cold bath of culture shock. And to top it all off her aunt sent her to a traditional Japanese school. Not a foreign exchange one where American kids go but one where most don't know English and well...ya talk about a huge culture shock for poor 'ol Katie. Lucky for her she is a pretty quick learner! Katie wasn't your all skilled fighting heroine. She was a normal...well normalish girl with not much going for her. Not extravagantly pretty, not extremely skilled in something combat worthy, not incredibly bold and courageous but she was strong when she needed to be, smart when she had to be and as helpful as she could be. She was great in my eyes. Sure she dealt with fear and emotions of a normal teenage girl but I found her...admirable.
The side characters were enjoyable. I liked Katie's friends! I also found the villains enjoyable. Well, as enjoyable as villains could be. It turned out that the villain was more..inner for most of the book. We didn't get a physical villain or opposing force until the very end. It was more like Tomo fighting his inner uhm, demon? Tomo fighting Katie? Ugh. I can't say too much without giving everything away.Sorry guys, you are going to have to read it yourself! Ok, so I'm not THAT sorry because this book is absolutely amazing and you will thank me later for peaking your interest. Seriously. Let your interest be peaked. ;)
The paranormal aspect in this book was outstanding! Again, Ink takes unique to a whole new level. It takes Young Adult to a whole new level. I found myself so incredibly enthralled with this book! I don't even know what to label this! Is it paranormal? Urban fantasy? Fantasy? Mythology? I'm not entirely sure but whatever the heck it is...its flipping good! The writing was magnificent. The romance was adorable. The action--not being the main thing going on in this book but when there was action--was thrilling. The characters were enjoyable and the whole book experience was incredible! Where things ended....I have no want to finish because I know it is going to be disastrous and heartbreaking BUT!! Who am I kidding I will finish because it is so good. Oh my gosh. The ending you guys...the ending was *tears up* *sniffles* so cute. I did a little jig I will admit. It was also devastating and it left you thinking "what the hell is this author setting into motion?". But the cute part was the last what? 3 pages? Ya, adorbs.
If you are looking for something refreshing and unique, this is the book you need. Look no further. I think this is a 2013 debut that everyone should be dying to get their hands on. Amanda Sun delivers something so beautiful, thrilling and extravagant that you are not going to want to miss out on. She has made a favorite out of me. I am not going to hold onto my patience for book two. Take notice that I didn't describe what exactly made this unique or go into much detail about the actual happenings of this book. Why? Because I wanted you to be intrigued enough to read it. I wanted to create a mystery out of it so that you can be as blown away as I. Really, go out and buy this book when it comes out. It is so worth it!
~Rating:
4.5 of 5 stars!
~Review:
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!! You guys don't even know how flipping amazing this book is! Wow. Just wow. I thought I understood the definition of unique. I thought I had read some pretty unique books but I guess I never truly understood unique or ever read a book as completely unique as Ink is. Ink by Amanda Sun is the true definition of unique. It is a true breath of fresh air for the Young Adult genre. I seriously don't even know where to begin with this review! Should I start with the amazing writing? The amazing characters? The amazing story line? The amazing cover? The..the...the!!! Ya I am going to have a huge malfunction just trying to explain how great this book really is. I am not going to do much justice for this book but I am sure as hell going to try!
Ok, so I decided I actually wanted to talk about the cover first. Just real quick because please, a cover like that has to be talked about am I right or am I right? I am a person fond of art. I draw and occasionally paint myself. Its a way of expression just like writing. So, being a person who loves art I think I can say that this cover is well...art. Its gorgeous! I am not sure which cover I am most fond of, the one above or this one:
I don't know. All I know is that both are absolutely gorgeous! I love them. They are beautiful and whoever designed the cover is genius. They go wonderfully with the book and hell, they are just eye candy! I want a copy just to put on my shelf so I can stare at it all day long! Anyways, there is my brief cover obsession.
The cover art is not the only thing about this book that has grabbed my attention and affection. The cover art isn't the only thing about this book that needs to be acknowledged. Its not the only thing that is genius and gorgeous! The whole book in itself is absolutely breathtaking! Yes, I found Ink wonderful, splendid, gorgeous and breathtaking! I loved how Ink was set in a foreign country. It allowed me to see teenage life through a different culture's eye. Its crazy how many things differ from here and Japan! I loved how Amanda gave us little Japanese lessons. I learned some Japanese words thanks to her! Now, if I ever go to Japan I can cuss people out ;D Hahaha JK!!! Mrs. Sun didn't teach Japanese cuss words! Well a couple but that wasn't the only thing! ;P
The setting being in Japan made Ink that more intriguing! And it totally throws the ordinary Young Adult character stereo types off. It was great! Tomo...Tomo, Tomo, Tomo! I wasn't sure I could love you but I did...I fell hopelessly in love with you! Holy crap! Tomo knocks the usual troubled bad boy thing out of the water! Phew! *fans self* This boy is all sorts of sexy! Skilled fighter, creative and absolutely wonderfully skilled in drawing, devilish smirk that can melt your insides...this boy has got it all. To top it all off...underneath that hard exterior is a broken boy with the ability to be mushy and gooshy!! *sighs* Ya, I got Tomo fever!! ;D (he would probably kill me for saying that hahaha)
Ok, enough with the love interest lets talk protagonist. Katie was forced to go to live with her aunt in Japan after her mother died. Normally she would have had her grandparents take custody of her but because her grandfather was weak, fighting cancer, she had no choice but to get an ice cold bath of culture shock. And to top it all off her aunt sent her to a traditional Japanese school. Not a foreign exchange one where American kids go but one where most don't know English and well...ya talk about a huge culture shock for poor 'ol Katie. Lucky for her she is a pretty quick learner! Katie wasn't your all skilled fighting heroine. She was a normal...well normalish girl with not much going for her. Not extravagantly pretty, not extremely skilled in something combat worthy, not incredibly bold and courageous but she was strong when she needed to be, smart when she had to be and as helpful as she could be. She was great in my eyes. Sure she dealt with fear and emotions of a normal teenage girl but I found her...admirable.
The side characters were enjoyable. I liked Katie's friends! I also found the villains enjoyable. Well, as enjoyable as villains could be. It turned out that the villain was more..inner for most of the book. We didn't get a physical villain or opposing force until the very end. It was more like Tomo fighting his inner uhm, demon? Tomo fighting Katie? Ugh. I can't say too much without giving everything away.Sorry guys, you are going to have to read it yourself! Ok, so I'm not THAT sorry because this book is absolutely amazing and you will thank me later for peaking your interest. Seriously. Let your interest be peaked. ;)
The paranormal aspect in this book was outstanding! Again, Ink takes unique to a whole new level. It takes Young Adult to a whole new level. I found myself so incredibly enthralled with this book! I don't even know what to label this! Is it paranormal? Urban fantasy? Fantasy? Mythology? I'm not entirely sure but whatever the heck it is...its flipping good! The writing was magnificent. The romance was adorable. The action--not being the main thing going on in this book but when there was action--was thrilling. The characters were enjoyable and the whole book experience was incredible! Where things ended....I have no want to finish because I know it is going to be disastrous and heartbreaking BUT!! Who am I kidding I will finish because it is so good. Oh my gosh. The ending you guys...the ending was *tears up* *sniffles* so cute. I did a little jig I will admit. It was also devastating and it left you thinking "what the hell is this author setting into motion?". But the cute part was the last what? 3 pages? Ya, adorbs.
If you are looking for something refreshing and unique, this is the book you need. Look no further. I think this is a 2013 debut that everyone should be dying to get their hands on. Amanda Sun delivers something so beautiful, thrilling and extravagant that you are not going to want to miss out on. She has made a favorite out of me. I am not going to hold onto my patience for book two. Take notice that I didn't describe what exactly made this unique or go into much detail about the actual happenings of this book. Why? Because I wanted you to be intrigued enough to read it. I wanted to create a mystery out of it so that you can be as blown away as I. Really, go out and buy this book when it comes out. It is so worth it!
~Rating:
4.5 of 5 stars!
Excelente historia, pero el final...deja mucho que desear.
DNF @ 50 pages
I think this could be a really great and interesting story for someone who doesn't know much about Japan and doesn't mind the inaccurate portrayals and awkward attempts at including Japanese culture into a novel that seems otherwise American. But for me, I couldn't look past it.
I think this could be a really great and interesting story for someone who doesn't know much about Japan and doesn't mind the inaccurate portrayals and awkward attempts at including Japanese culture into a novel that seems otherwise American. But for me, I couldn't look past it.
Real rating: 3.5 stars
It was hard to rate because I liked the story behind and like the general idea and it was fairly good executed but there were several aspects I really didn't like.
First, the protagonist. Katie is one of my least favourite characters ever. At first I really disliked her but then she grew on me... A bit. Her overly cliche thoughts were like tripping during the reading. There were countless times in which I rolled my eyes over her train of thoughts, especially regarding Tomoshiro.
I feel like the love story had no really solid ground and I wouldn't translate "suki" as "love", more like "like". For an I Love You I would say aishiteru but oh well...
Another major turn off was that she called suffix the honourifics. No. Just no. You don't call honourifics suffix even if that's what they are. No.
The Japanese was well used most of the time and very respectful towards the culture so big thumbs ups for that.
The idea of using Japanese mythology was great, but it could've been better. I hope the second book explores more into that because it's so rich and it was barely touched here. Barely.
Besides Katie, I quite liked all the other characters, Tomo of course being one of my most favourite ones. Tanaka the best! Fufufu
I liked it, but there were many aspects I disliked as to give it a better rating. I wouldn't exactly recommend this book unless you are interested in Japanese culture but you're not that into it. It's a bit disappointing in that sense.
It was hard to rate because I liked the story behind and like the general idea and it was fairly good executed but there were several aspects I really didn't like.
First, the protagonist. Katie is one of my least favourite characters ever. At first I really disliked her but then she grew on me... A bit. Her overly cliche thoughts were like tripping during the reading. There were countless times in which I rolled my eyes over her train of thoughts, especially regarding Tomoshiro.
I feel like the love story had no really solid ground and I wouldn't translate "suki" as "love", more like "like". For an I Love You I would say aishiteru but oh well...
Another major turn off was that she called suffix the honourifics. No. Just no. You don't call honourifics suffix even if that's what they are. No.
The Japanese was well used most of the time and very respectful towards the culture so big thumbs ups for that.
The idea of using Japanese mythology was great, but it could've been better. I hope the second book explores more into that because it's so rich and it was barely touched here. Barely.
Besides Katie, I quite liked all the other characters, Tomo of course being one of my most favourite ones. Tanaka the best! Fufufu
I liked it, but there were many aspects I disliked as to give it a better rating. I wouldn't exactly recommend this book unless you are interested in Japanese culture but you're not that into it. It's a bit disappointing in that sense.
I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. But this cover was so pretty, and I thought that the inside might atleast be a little bit pretty too. But the inside revealed little more than a stereotypical YA fantasy that reeked of yellow fever and badly written romance.
The premise is that this white girl Katie has come over to Japan to stay with her aunt after her mom dies. At first, Katie hates it there and all she wants to do is go back to Canada to live with her grandparents. But then she meets Tomohiro. Stoic and aloof, Tomohiro is the kind of bad boy that has a constant stream of rumors going on about him, the kind of bad boy that intrigues Katie despite the fact that he is mean to her. And it turns out, Katie was right to be intrigued because bad boy Tomohiro is really a tender and caring individual. And he can, you know, make his drawings come to life. Regular boyfriend material. As Katie gets more involved in Tomohiro's life, she discovers that Tomohiro has a lot of problems that make him so cold and distant: his "ink" magic isn't really under his control and he could in fact accidentally kill her at any moment. Also he has a Japanese gang trying to get him to join them so they can use his magic for nefarious purposes. But Katie will not let these little blips getting in the way of true love- or will she?
God, I did not like this book. From the very beginning, I felt like I was reading a fan version of Twilight. Sure, the "monstrous" qualities are different in the male lead: Tomohiro is a Kami not a vampire. And Bella Swan definitely did not exist in the rather pretty cherry blossom, bento-filled environment of Katie's Japan. But the relationship seemed so similar, and by relationship I do not mean positive happy fulfilling relationship I mean an emotionally abusive relationship. Tomohiro is definitely not as controlling as Edward is but the relationship is no more healthly. He is downright mean to Katie in the beginning, but Katie keeps persisting because like, ya know, all male dickwads are actually harboring this really big secret preventing them from showing their teddy bear interior. And then the ending, god. How many times does Katie have to hear- both you and Tomohiro will die if you guys stay together- before she decides that she needs to leave? She falls in love so quickly (which is fine- this kind of things happens) and adopts this self-sacrificial obsession with Tomohiro. I just... Ick. And the descriptions of Japan made me feel like I was watching a really over the top anime (like Ouron Host Club without the humor). And there were so many incontinuities and things that didn't make sense. Like, how does Katie not know the emergency number? That's one of the first things you find out if you're living in another country! Did her aunt forget to tell her and she forget to look it up? UGGGHH! Anyway, no, I would not recommend people to read this. In fact, I would recommend people not to read it because if you don't like "twilight-y" books you would hate it, and if you do, I'm glad you're reading but I would encourage you to read a book with a healthier representation of relationships and falling in love.
The premise is that this white girl Katie has come over to Japan to stay with her aunt after her mom dies. At first, Katie hates it there and all she wants to do is go back to Canada to live with her grandparents. But then she meets Tomohiro. Stoic and aloof, Tomohiro is the kind of bad boy that has a constant stream of rumors going on about him, the kind of bad boy that intrigues Katie despite the fact that he is mean to her. And it turns out, Katie was right to be intrigued because bad boy Tomohiro is really a tender and caring individual. And he can, you know, make his drawings come to life. Regular boyfriend material. As Katie gets more involved in Tomohiro's life, she discovers that Tomohiro has a lot of problems that make him so cold and distant: his "ink" magic isn't really under his control and he could in fact accidentally kill her at any moment. Also he has a Japanese gang trying to get him to join them so they can use his magic for nefarious purposes. But Katie will not let these little blips getting in the way of true love- or will she?
God, I did not like this book. From the very beginning, I felt like I was reading a fan version of Twilight. Sure, the "monstrous" qualities are different in the male lead: Tomohiro is a Kami not a vampire. And Bella Swan definitely did not exist in the rather pretty cherry blossom, bento-filled environment of Katie's Japan. But the relationship seemed so similar, and by relationship I do not mean positive happy fulfilling relationship I mean an emotionally abusive relationship. Tomohiro is definitely not as controlling as Edward is but the relationship is no more healthly. He is downright mean to Katie in the beginning, but Katie keeps persisting because like, ya know, all male dickwads are actually harboring this really big secret preventing them from showing their teddy bear interior. And then the ending, god. How many times does Katie have to hear- both you and Tomohiro will die if you guys stay together- before she decides that she needs to leave? She falls in love so quickly (which is fine- this kind of things happens) and adopts this self-sacrificial obsession with Tomohiro. I just... Ick. And the descriptions of Japan made me feel like I was watching a really over the top anime (like Ouron Host Club without the humor). And there were so many incontinuities and things that didn't make sense. Like, how does Katie not know the emergency number? That's one of the first things you find out if you're living in another country! Did her aunt forget to tell her and she forget to look it up? UGGGHH! Anyway, no, I would not recommend people to read this. In fact, I would recommend people not to read it because if you don't like "twilight-y" books you would hate it, and if you do, I'm glad you're reading but I would encourage you to read a book with a healthier representation of relationships and falling in love.
Oh my Jesus. This book is amazing. It was original, unique, and romantic. I felt like I was walking the streets of Japan right along with Katie. Ink was intriguing and captivating. I loved it.
So. The whole Kami thing in this book is FANTASTIC. It's really interesting and creative, and it's basically what kept me reading. If it was the main focus of the book, I'd give this book four stars, easily. (There's also a great scene towards the beginning where Katie and Tomohiro have a conversation about losing someone important in your life--in their case, their mothers. That scene was wonderful, probably my favourite in the whole book.)
But...the central focus is the romance, which is typical YA high school fare. Lines like "...I knew then that I couldn't live without him, even when he was infuriating. Which was pretty much all the time" are common, and the whole I knew he was dangerous/bad news but for some reason, I just couldn't leave him alone thing that shows up in SO much teen fiction these days (including this book) annoys me to no end. So much so that in my personal opinion, it knocks the book from four stars down to two.
All told, I don't know if I can read any more of these, despite how fantastic the whole Kami plotline is, which is a shame, because I really, really like it.
But...the central focus is the romance, which is typical YA high school fare. Lines like "...I knew then that I couldn't live without him, even when he was infuriating. Which was pretty much all the time" are common, and the whole I knew he was dangerous/bad news but for some reason, I just couldn't leave him alone thing that shows up in SO much teen fiction these days (including this book) annoys me to no end. So much so that in my personal opinion, it knocks the book from four stars down to two.
All told, I don't know if I can read any more of these, despite how fantastic the whole Kami plotline is, which is a shame, because I really, really like it.
Disappointing. Lacked authenticity. The conversations and mannerisms of the Japanese characters were distinctly American (shaking hands after a kendo competition, as opposed to bowing, etc)
Also, reality check: no one picks up on such a complex and difficult language so quickly after only 5 months.
Also, reality check: no one picks up on such a complex and difficult language so quickly after only 5 months.
3.5
Mythology: A
Plot:A-
Characters: B-/C (depending on which ones)
Writing: A-
So...okay-ish.
Not what I was expecting regarding the mythology, but I really enjoyed how that was portrayed. And in defense of my disliking the characters, I just read a strictly character-development book and was probably too harsh in my judgment of them. If you like forgein cultures and mythology, you'll enjoy it, but it won't be as satisfying as a Riordan novel (but really, who could top that?)
Mythology: A
Plot:A-
Characters: B-/C (depending on which ones)
Writing: A-
So...okay-ish.
Not what I was expecting regarding the mythology, but I really enjoyed how that was portrayed. And in defense of my disliking the characters, I just read a strictly character-development book and was probably too harsh in my judgment of them. If you like forgein cultures and mythology, you'll enjoy it, but it won't be as satisfying as a Riordan novel (but really, who could top that?)