Scan barcode
bookdevouringmisfit's review
3.0
I loved Amy Spalding's debut novel but I just didn't connect with this one.
brandypainter's review
5.0
Earlier this year I bought [b:The Reece Malcolm List|13517338|The Reece Malcolm List|Amy Spalding|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348628847s/13517338.jpg|19075402] on the excellent recommendation of several people and was thoroughly enamored with Amy Spalding's writing style. I was excited to discover she would have a second book coming out this year, Ink is Thicker Than Water, and when it showed up on NetGalley I couldn't request it fast enough. I am happy to say that it is another truly wonderful read. It is just so lovely to find an author who can write stories that are real, entertaining, and full of heart all at the same time.
This is Kellie's story, but it is also the story of her whole family and that is probably my favorite thing about Spalding's books so far. They show a greater whole, and I love the way she treats family. Kellie has a lot going on in her life. Many of the relationships that have sustained her and fulfilled her are changing in scary ways and she doesn't know how to cope with it. She often compares herself unfavorably to the people around her and I appreciate how that was done. Kellie's voice is real in a way few authors can get right, vulnerable and confident in turns just as any girl really is. Kellie's relationship and interactions with her family are by far the best thing about this novel for me, and really the heart of what it is about. Spalding portrays the messy chaos and vulnerability that come with loving and living with people we sometimes don't like or agree with. An outsider would say Kellie has a "good" family and she does. Yet all families are messy because there is no other way for a group of individuals so closely tied through history, squabbles, disasters, and triumph to be. Our family sees us at our worst, and that is demonstrated in a very authentic way through Kellie's story. Kellie's relationships with every member of her family and how they affect her and she affects them are integral in the telling of this story. The relationship with her sister was fascinating for me as a reader, and sometimes horribly uncomfortable. I suddenly felt like I was seeing my relationship with my own sister through her perspective. Some of Kellie and Sara's conversations could have come from us when we were in high school (me being Sara) and I sort of felt the need to call and apologize.
Then there was Kellie's romance with Oliver, which I love is not the focal point of the story but still an important part. In many ways he is Kellie's coping mechanism through all of this, and yet I still can't help but root for them.They have a great dynamic and I like that he has plenty of issues of his own, but is also learning to deal with them. I also appreciate the frank and realistic way Spalding dealt with their choices regarding their sexual relationship. Yay for girls having agency, boys respecting that, and couples talking. What I really like about this is that it took them time to get to the point where all three of those were in complete working order. They are still young and learning , but I love how they were trying to do it all right.
This is a book that is not heavy on plot. It is about character and relationships most of all. I love books like this, especially when they do it with realism but also humor and hope.
I have to add that I adored to the core of my being the character of Adelaide, Kellie's new friend. Her email address is a reference to Guys and Dolls, which makes her awesome in and of itself, but she gives great advice too even if she is a little strange and intense.
Amy Spalding has earned a place as an auto-buy author for me now. I will gladly trust her and read anything she has to offer in the future.
I received an e-galley form the publisher, Entangled Teen, via NetGalley. Ink is Thicker Than Water is available for purchase on December 3.
This is Kellie's story, but it is also the story of her whole family and that is probably my favorite thing about Spalding's books so far. They show a greater whole, and I love the way she treats family. Kellie has a lot going on in her life. Many of the relationships that have sustained her and fulfilled her are changing in scary ways and she doesn't know how to cope with it. She often compares herself unfavorably to the people around her and I appreciate how that was done. Kellie's voice is real in a way few authors can get right, vulnerable and confident in turns just as any girl really is. Kellie's relationship and interactions with her family are by far the best thing about this novel for me, and really the heart of what it is about. Spalding portrays the messy chaos and vulnerability that come with loving and living with people we sometimes don't like or agree with. An outsider would say Kellie has a "good" family and she does. Yet all families are messy because there is no other way for a group of individuals so closely tied through history, squabbles, disasters, and triumph to be. Our family sees us at our worst, and that is demonstrated in a very authentic way through Kellie's story. Kellie's relationships with every member of her family and how they affect her and she affects them are integral in the telling of this story. The relationship with her sister was fascinating for me as a reader, and sometimes horribly uncomfortable. I suddenly felt like I was seeing my relationship with my own sister through her perspective. Some of Kellie and Sara's conversations could have come from us when we were in high school (me being Sara) and I sort of felt the need to call and apologize.
Then there was Kellie's romance with Oliver, which I love is not the focal point of the story but still an important part. In many ways he is Kellie's coping mechanism through all of this, and yet I still can't help but root for them.They have a great dynamic and I like that he has plenty of issues of his own, but is also learning to deal with them. I also appreciate the frank and realistic way Spalding dealt with their choices regarding their sexual relationship. Yay for girls having agency, boys respecting that, and couples talking. What I really like about this is that it took them time to get to the point where all three of those were in complete working order. They are still young and learning , but I love how they were trying to do it all right.
This is a book that is not heavy on plot. It is about character and relationships most of all. I love books like this, especially when they do it with realism but also humor and hope.
I have to add that I adored to the core of my being the character of Adelaide, Kellie's new friend. Her email address is a reference to Guys and Dolls, which makes her awesome in and of itself, but she gives great advice too even if she is a little strange and intense.
Amy Spalding has earned a place as an auto-buy author for me now. I will gladly trust her and read anything she has to offer in the future.
I received an e-galley form the publisher, Entangled Teen, via NetGalley. Ink is Thicker Than Water is available for purchase on December 3.
nagam's review
4.0
Probably more of a 3.5, but I did really, really enjoy the story.
- - - - -
Review originally published on Rather Be Reading:
Yesterday in our Nailed It post, I teased you guys with hints of why I really enjoyed Amy Spalding’s secondary novel, Ink is Thicker Than Water. The family dynamics were absolutely one of my favorite aspects of the entire book. Kellie is a girl who doesn’t really know her place in her diverse family — her older-by-a-year, adopted sister, Sara, is extremely gorgeous and über smart. Kellie is most like her mother, but she’s scared that she won’t figure out who she is until much, much later in life, just as her mom did. And while he has the best intentions, her dad is always pressuring her to apply herself more and comparing her accomplisments to Sara’s. Her step-father Russell is a gem because he seamlessly fits into the family, but doesn’t overstep his bounds. Finn, Sara and Kellie’s half-brother, is this four-year-old ball of adorableness that everyone loves to take care of.
Is this family flawed? Yes. Do they have some issues? Absolutely. Do they fall-to-pieces because of them? Well… not necessarily, but things do get interesting when Sara’s biological mom emerges out of thin air. Everyone tries to give Sara the space to figure out her relationship with her mom without interfering, but just imagine how hard that would be without feeling like you’re being replaced. Kellie’s mom is the biggest proponent of personal space and there not being “gossip” amongst the family — she wants everyone to be open and honest, but when Sara begins distancing herself, no one knows how to navigate this bumpy road.
Aside from the family, there are some pretty strong secondary stories woven into Ink is Thicker Than Water. To make her dad happy and to quit being such a wallflower, Kellie immerses herself in the school newspaper, an activity she finds both a bit nerdy and uncool, but still intriguing. Meanwhile her best friend, Kaitlyn, suddenly transforms into this gorgeous babe that makes Kellie feel a little inferior, especially when Kait decides to try to connect with the popular crowd. There’s so much self-discovery woven into the pages of Ink; how does Kellie find her place amongst her family and how does she deal with the abandonment of two people she’s closest to — Sara and Kaitlyn?
Romantics, you may be wondering where the love interest comes into play. Oliver is a guy Kellie met several months prior, but didn’t keep in touch with. When they run into each other again at a local diner, the text and chat marathons begin. Except Oliver seems to come on a little too strong; his intensity level is set to high and Kellie’s a little unsure of how to talk with Oliver about his eagerness. While I am typically so invested in the love lives of main characters, I felt like something was askew with Oliver and Kellie’s relationship. I wasn’t fully invested, but maybe that’s purely because I was so concerned about how her family dramatics would work out. It’s really difficult when I’m extremely interested in one storyline and another doesn’t quite capture my attention in the same way. The romance was definitely there, but my heart wasn’t.
Despite the few things I felt needed to be finessed a little more, Ink is Thicker Than Water was an enjoyable read that allowed me to disconnect and relax in exactly the way reading should. And if you haven’t read Amy Spalding’s The Reese Malcolm List, you absolutely should. Both Estelle and I give it our stamps of approval.
- - - - -
Review originally published on Rather Be Reading:
Yesterday in our Nailed It post, I teased you guys with hints of why I really enjoyed Amy Spalding’s secondary novel, Ink is Thicker Than Water. The family dynamics were absolutely one of my favorite aspects of the entire book. Kellie is a girl who doesn’t really know her place in her diverse family — her older-by-a-year, adopted sister, Sara, is extremely gorgeous and über smart. Kellie is most like her mother, but she’s scared that she won’t figure out who she is until much, much later in life, just as her mom did. And while he has the best intentions, her dad is always pressuring her to apply herself more and comparing her accomplisments to Sara’s. Her step-father Russell is a gem because he seamlessly fits into the family, but doesn’t overstep his bounds. Finn, Sara and Kellie’s half-brother, is this four-year-old ball of adorableness that everyone loves to take care of.
Is this family flawed? Yes. Do they have some issues? Absolutely. Do they fall-to-pieces because of them? Well… not necessarily, but things do get interesting when Sara’s biological mom emerges out of thin air. Everyone tries to give Sara the space to figure out her relationship with her mom without interfering, but just imagine how hard that would be without feeling like you’re being replaced. Kellie’s mom is the biggest proponent of personal space and there not being “gossip” amongst the family — she wants everyone to be open and honest, but when Sara begins distancing herself, no one knows how to navigate this bumpy road.
Aside from the family, there are some pretty strong secondary stories woven into Ink is Thicker Than Water. To make her dad happy and to quit being such a wallflower, Kellie immerses herself in the school newspaper, an activity she finds both a bit nerdy and uncool, but still intriguing. Meanwhile her best friend, Kaitlyn, suddenly transforms into this gorgeous babe that makes Kellie feel a little inferior, especially when Kait decides to try to connect with the popular crowd. There’s so much self-discovery woven into the pages of Ink; how does Kellie find her place amongst her family and how does she deal with the abandonment of two people she’s closest to — Sara and Kaitlyn?
Romantics, you may be wondering where the love interest comes into play. Oliver is a guy Kellie met several months prior, but didn’t keep in touch with. When they run into each other again at a local diner, the text and chat marathons begin. Except Oliver seems to come on a little too strong; his intensity level is set to high and Kellie’s a little unsure of how to talk with Oliver about his eagerness. While I am typically so invested in the love lives of main characters, I felt like something was askew with Oliver and Kellie’s relationship. I wasn’t fully invested, but maybe that’s purely because I was so concerned about how her family dramatics would work out. It’s really difficult when I’m extremely interested in one storyline and another doesn’t quite capture my attention in the same way. The romance was definitely there, but my heart wasn’t.
Despite the few things I felt needed to be finessed a little more, Ink is Thicker Than Water was an enjoyable read that allowed me to disconnect and relax in exactly the way reading should. And if you haven’t read Amy Spalding’s The Reese Malcolm List, you absolutely should. Both Estelle and I give it our stamps of approval.
joyousreads132's review
3.0
Quick Story:
Mediocre teen Kellie Brooks has no illusions as to where she stands in her lot in life. She's content going through her high school tenure with average grades, using very little effort to apply herself. She leaves the brilliance and overachieving to her older sister.
One upheaval after another disturbs her unassuming existence, however. First, her sister found her biological mother, which led her to realize exactly how she fits (or doesn't) with her adopted family. Then the boy-man she almost had sex with comes strolling back in her life with a few secrets of his own. She's losing her best friend, and her world is changing fast.
My Thoughts:
So this is your typical contemporary romance novel where the heroine is about to discover herself and her place in the world. Her family is bit queer and pleasantly so. I love the tattoo artist step dad who knows his place in everybody's lives. I love the hippie mom who's not at all loopy but very much involved in her kids' lives. I love the family dynamics, which sadly is about the only thing memorable about this novel.
Kellie Brooks is pretty flat, to be honest. She's got very little personality to speak of, as are the rest of the characters in this book. It was either that or that I just didn't find it in me to reach them at a level where I could summon some semblance of empathy.
I don't know what happened to her supposedly best friend or their falling out. She was in her life until she decided she's becoming too cool for her own good. In which case, I surmised that she's a lousy excuse for a friend if being cool meant more to her than the years that they've spent being friends.
Her sister was unlikeable as well. She's a little self-absorbed who thinks that she's also way too good for Kellie and the family that loved her from day one.
I would talk about Oliver but I'd probably end up ranting so I'm going to leave this review right here. Over all, it's a fast read but nothing really earth-shattering or even mildly remarkable. If you're looking for an easy read with the usual elements of a contemporary fiction in this genre, then you'll probably enjoy this book.
Mediocre teen Kellie Brooks has no illusions as to where she stands in her lot in life. She's content going through her high school tenure with average grades, using very little effort to apply herself. She leaves the brilliance and overachieving to her older sister.
One upheaval after another disturbs her unassuming existence, however. First, her sister found her biological mother, which led her to realize exactly how she fits (or doesn't) with her adopted family. Then the boy-man she almost had sex with comes strolling back in her life with a few secrets of his own. She's losing her best friend, and her world is changing fast.
My Thoughts:
So this is your typical contemporary romance novel where the heroine is about to discover herself and her place in the world. Her family is bit queer and pleasantly so. I love the tattoo artist step dad who knows his place in everybody's lives. I love the hippie mom who's not at all loopy but very much involved in her kids' lives. I love the family dynamics, which sadly is about the only thing memorable about this novel.
Kellie Brooks is pretty flat, to be honest. She's got very little personality to speak of, as are the rest of the characters in this book. It was either that or that I just didn't find it in me to reach them at a level where I could summon some semblance of empathy.
I don't know what happened to her supposedly best friend or their falling out. She was in her life until she decided she's becoming too cool for her own good. In which case, I surmised that she's a lousy excuse for a friend if being cool meant more to her than the years that they've spent being friends.
Her sister was unlikeable as well. She's a little self-absorbed who thinks that she's also way too good for Kellie and the family that loved her from day one.
I would talk about Oliver but I'd probably end up ranting so I'm going to leave this review right here. Over all, it's a fast read but nothing really earth-shattering or even mildly remarkable. If you're looking for an easy read with the usual elements of a contemporary fiction in this genre, then you'll probably enjoy this book.
maggiemaggio's review
3.0
3.5 stars
This book was a little all over the place for me. For quite a while I really struggled with the choppiness of the way the story was told. Lately I’ve realized that a huge reading pet peeve of mine is when authors feel the need to account for every minute of their characters lives and squeeze a lot of different short settings and activities into a single chapter with no real transitions between them. And this book did that. A lot. And for me that’s just a really difficult thing to get over, as much as I might like a story.
And I did like the story, and the main character, so much. Kellie is a junior in high school and she’s a complicated girl, even if she doesn’t think she is. She’s had the same best friend, Kaitlyn, since she was young, and she has a smattering of other, not-too-close friends. She’s an ok student, but also doesn’t really apply herself. She’s someone who doesn’t want to be seen as caring too much or trying too hard. She has this great, wacky family, that I absolutely loved. Her parents are divorced and while her dad is more of a traditional dad/stuffy lawyer, her mother remarried a tattoo artist and opened a tattoo shop and has a 4-year-old son named Finn with her new husband. Kellie also has an older, perfect, adopted sister, Sara.
When the book starts Kellie’s world is good, she wants a job and wishes her dad would lay off telling her how unaccomplished she is, but otherwise it’s not bad. But then Kaitlyn starts wanting to do things like sneaking into clubs and hanging out with the “cool” kids. Sara, who recently turned 18, is contacted by her biological mother and starts to grow closer to her and apart from Kellie and their mom. Kellie also gets recruited to join the school newspaper, something she thinks is really lame, but she goes along with, begrudgingly at first, any way. And then there’s Oliver, the love interest who’s Sara’s boyfriend’s older brother. Kellie hooked up with him once several months before, but it ended disastrously and she’s avoided him since, but he suddenly appears one night and starts pursuing Kellie.
So there’s a lot going on and a lot of things Amy Spalding needed to cover and maybe that’s where some of my stylistic problems came from. The best part about this book is the family dynamics. I loved Kellie’s super-supportive, loving mom, but I also wanted to shake her and make her fight for Sara. I thought the idea of a biological mother contacting the daughter she gave up for adoption was so interesting. Since we were reading from Kellie’s perspective I spent a while wanting to kill Sara for abandoning her family, but by the end I really came to appreciate why Sara did what she did and, even though I was left wanting more, I was really impressed with what Amy Spalding did with the Kellie/Sara storyline.
I was less enthusiastic about the Kellie/Oliver storyline. It’s weird, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where I was so hesitant about the love interest. I’ve read books where girls are clearly falling for the wrong guy or where the guy comes off as an asshole but you know deep down he’s a good guy, but this was something else. Oliver was nice and I loved how kind and understanding he was with Kellie, but there was always this feeling in the background that something wasn’t good. Early on in the book it comes out that Oliver has had some struggles in the past, but you don’t know what kind of struggles. You eventually find out, but it definitely colored my view of the relationship from the beginning. I did like that Kellie was in a relationship in the story, I liked the dynamic it added and I appreciated that she didn’t start dating a guy and magically it fixed everything.
Bottom Line: The Reese Malcolm List is one of my favorite books of 2013 and while I liked Ink is Thicker Than Water I also think The Reese Malcolm List is, all around, a better book. But I love Amy Spalding’s storytelling, especially her explorations of family dynamics. I had some issues with how the story was told, but this is an interesting, nuanced story that’s worth reading, even if it’s not perfect.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
This book was a little all over the place for me. For quite a while I really struggled with the choppiness of the way the story was told. Lately I’ve realized that a huge reading pet peeve of mine is when authors feel the need to account for every minute of their characters lives and squeeze a lot of different short settings and activities into a single chapter with no real transitions between them. And this book did that. A lot. And for me that’s just a really difficult thing to get over, as much as I might like a story.
And I did like the story, and the main character, so much. Kellie is a junior in high school and she’s a complicated girl, even if she doesn’t think she is. She’s had the same best friend, Kaitlyn, since she was young, and she has a smattering of other, not-too-close friends. She’s an ok student, but also doesn’t really apply herself. She’s someone who doesn’t want to be seen as caring too much or trying too hard. She has this great, wacky family, that I absolutely loved. Her parents are divorced and while her dad is more of a traditional dad/stuffy lawyer, her mother remarried a tattoo artist and opened a tattoo shop and has a 4-year-old son named Finn with her new husband. Kellie also has an older, perfect, adopted sister, Sara.
When the book starts Kellie’s world is good, she wants a job and wishes her dad would lay off telling her how unaccomplished she is, but otherwise it’s not bad. But then Kaitlyn starts wanting to do things like sneaking into clubs and hanging out with the “cool” kids. Sara, who recently turned 18, is contacted by her biological mother and starts to grow closer to her and apart from Kellie and their mom. Kellie also gets recruited to join the school newspaper, something she thinks is really lame, but she goes along with, begrudgingly at first, any way. And then there’s Oliver, the love interest who’s Sara’s boyfriend’s older brother. Kellie hooked up with him once several months before, but it ended disastrously and she’s avoided him since, but he suddenly appears one night and starts pursuing Kellie.
So there’s a lot going on and a lot of things Amy Spalding needed to cover and maybe that’s where some of my stylistic problems came from. The best part about this book is the family dynamics. I loved Kellie’s super-supportive, loving mom, but I also wanted to shake her and make her fight for Sara. I thought the idea of a biological mother contacting the daughter she gave up for adoption was so interesting. Since we were reading from Kellie’s perspective I spent a while wanting to kill Sara for abandoning her family, but by the end I really came to appreciate why Sara did what she did and, even though I was left wanting more, I was really impressed with what Amy Spalding did with the Kellie/Sara storyline.
I was less enthusiastic about the Kellie/Oliver storyline. It’s weird, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where I was so hesitant about the love interest. I’ve read books where girls are clearly falling for the wrong guy or where the guy comes off as an asshole but you know deep down he’s a good guy, but this was something else. Oliver was nice and I loved how kind and understanding he was with Kellie, but there was always this feeling in the background that something wasn’t good. Early on in the book it comes out that Oliver has had some struggles in the past, but you don’t know what kind of struggles. You eventually find out, but it definitely colored my view of the relationship from the beginning. I did like that Kellie was in a relationship in the story, I liked the dynamic it added and I appreciated that she didn’t start dating a guy and magically it fixed everything.
Bottom Line: The Reese Malcolm List is one of my favorite books of 2013 and while I liked Ink is Thicker Than Water I also think The Reese Malcolm List is, all around, a better book. But I love Amy Spalding’s storytelling, especially her explorations of family dynamics. I had some issues with how the story was told, but this is an interesting, nuanced story that’s worth reading, even if it’s not perfect.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
chelsea_jack's review
5.0
For me, this book was all about developing identity. Kellie's trying to figure out her place in the world, what sets her apart and gives her value, and struggling to do it during those painful teenage years. Kellie's older sister suddenly has no time for her, her father thinks she's a screw-up and her mother is proud of her just for existing. It's hard to figure out who you are when no one else seems to care!
I found this book charming and think that it's an excellent YA read.
For my complete review, see To Each Their Own Reviews
I found this book charming and think that it's an excellent YA read.
For my complete review, see To Each Their Own Reviews
paperiot's review
2.0
Rating: 2.5 stars
Ink is Thicker Than Water is one of those books that left me utterly conflicted. One the one hand, it is a heart-warming story about family and struggling to find yourself. One the other, there were things that annoyed me terribly, and I was slightly bored for parts of it. It didn’t start that way. At the beginning, I really loved main character Kellie’s voice: it was realistic, slightly snarky and very down-to-earth – my favorite combination. While not laugh out loud funny, her inner monologues made me smile a lot. I was also curious to learn about her family, and the part she played in that. But I think that Kellie lost her spark for me somwhere in this story. The main reason for that is that her choices rubbed me the wrong way.
Read the full review at Paper Riot.
Ink is Thicker Than Water is one of those books that left me utterly conflicted. One the one hand, it is a heart-warming story about family and struggling to find yourself. One the other, there were things that annoyed me terribly, and I was slightly bored for parts of it. It didn’t start that way. At the beginning, I really loved main character Kellie’s voice: it was realistic, slightly snarky and very down-to-earth – my favorite combination. While not laugh out loud funny, her inner monologues made me smile a lot. I was also curious to learn about her family, and the part she played in that. But I think that Kellie lost her spark for me somwhere in this story. The main reason for that is that her choices rubbed me the wrong way.
Read the full review at Paper Riot.
heykellyjensen's review
4.0
Amy Spalding is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary YA writers. She knows what a teen story is, and she is able to tell it with not just heart, but with a hearty dose of humor. She never talks down to teen readers and the respect she has for teenagers is obvious.
This is a story about what a family looks like, how one fits into a family, what a friendship looks like, how one fits into a friendship, what a romantic relationship looks like, how one fits into a romantic relationship, and maybe most importantly, it's a book about what it looks like and feels like and is like to figure out who YOU are in the midst of all of those.
If you liked Reece Malcolm List, you'll love this. It's perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Siobhan Vivian.
Longer review to come!
This is a story about what a family looks like, how one fits into a family, what a friendship looks like, how one fits into a friendship, what a romantic relationship looks like, how one fits into a romantic relationship, and maybe most importantly, it's a book about what it looks like and feels like and is like to figure out who YOU are in the midst of all of those.
If you liked Reece Malcolm List, you'll love this. It's perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Siobhan Vivian.
Longer review to come!
nitabee's review
2.0
I really, really liked The Reece Malcolm List, but I was pretty disappointed with Ink is Thicker Than Water. I thought Kellie came across as pretty young, and I found the writing to be simplistic. I had a hard time identifying with/caring about Kellie, and I thought the ending, tying up the Sara conflict, was too abrupt. I liked Kellie's mom and Russell and Finn, I thought they seemed like a great family unit. Hoping I enjoy Spalding's next book more.