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readtolive's review
3.0
I had long anticipated this sequel, and I am so grateful to the publisher for allowing me to access it through Netgalley so that I could read and review the title.
That being said, my emotions feel raw and toyed with right now! There were many parts of this one that I enjoyed even more than the first one. I still felt a bit stupid because of some of the Japanese terminology, and I had to use my phone to keep looking things up as I was reading, but in a way, that felt good, too because I was learning about a new culture. The way the characters had developed and changed from Ink through the story of Rain, there was a beauty and a mystery to it, which was sometimes also very, very frightening.
This story was at once thrilling, beautiful, romantic, adventurous and horrifying. So many emotions, so little book. It really is impressive.
All of that being said, though, the last few pages were somewhat, well, irritating. The ending seemed way to open-ended. I mean, I know it is not the end of the series or anything, but I feel like instead of having any kind of closure, I am left with way more questions than the author will be able to answer in the one remaining book in the series that will be out next year. I am at once satisfied with the story, and yet very frustrated with the ending.
To have all of the turmoil, only to fall together in the end. It's the age-old story of forbidden love that we have seen over and over throughout the genre of YA Romance. It was good, but some parts of it were just too, well, expected.
That being said, my emotions feel raw and toyed with right now! There were many parts of this one that I enjoyed even more than the first one. I still felt a bit stupid because of some of the Japanese terminology, and I had to use my phone to keep looking things up as I was reading, but in a way, that felt good, too because I was learning about a new culture. The way the characters had developed and changed from Ink through the story of Rain, there was a beauty and a mystery to it, which was sometimes also very, very frightening.
This story was at once thrilling, beautiful, romantic, adventurous and horrifying. So many emotions, so little book. It really is impressive.
All of that being said, though, the last few pages were somewhat, well, irritating. The ending seemed way to open-ended. I mean, I know it is not the end of the series or anything, but I feel like instead of having any kind of closure, I am left with way more questions than the author will be able to answer in the one remaining book in the series that will be out next year. I am at once satisfied with the story, and yet very frustrated with the ending.
To have all of the turmoil, only to fall together in the end. It's the age-old story of forbidden love that we have seen over and over throughout the genre of YA Romance. It was good, but some parts of it were just too, well, expected.
taschima's review
3.0
3.5
Rain had many of the aspects I loved from Ink. Rich Japanese culture, likable characters, high drama... maybe too much drama. While Ink felt almost effortless Rain seemed to be trying to hard to keep us at the edge of our seat when it came to the romance side of things. So I wasn't a big fan of the romance in Rain but everything else was still golden.
Katie Green made the decision to stay in Japan. She says it is because she would miss her friends, her aunt, because she can't give up on the whole Kami thing... but really, she didn't leave because of Tomohiro. We all know this, but let the girl lie to herself if she must. Katie's staying in Japan isn't without it's complications. She is falling behind on her Kanji, she is not at the same level as her classmates in school because of the language barrier and she refuses to go to English school (even though it would make life 10 times easier for her). Not only is she falling behind in school but she seems to be making Tomohiro worse. She doesn't know where her Kami powers are coming from, but she is sure about to find out.
Katie is still as likable as she was in Ink, though a bit gullible. She does spend a lot of time trying to solve the mystery of her Kami abilities and ways to help Tomohiro control his darker side. She is selfless, and doesn't give up. She also spends a lot of her time putting her foot in her mouth due to cultural differences. It is hilarious.
The one thing that dragged the story down for me was the love triangle that was fed to us. It was just unnatural really. It wasn't necessary to keep the story interesting, and the more page time it was given the more I wanted to put the book down. Or at least hit Katie very squarely upside her head. There are times where a good love triangle is justified but just not this time. It took away from the overall story, plus it deviated our attention from the romance that gave us so much joy in Ink.
Tomohiro is worst than ever. He decided to stop drawing, which is ridiculously stupid of him. The Ink needs to come out somehow. The inheritance of the Kami in him is dragging him over the edge, he is drowning in ink. Katie seems to be making it worse, but nobody knows why. Which is why she spends so much time apart from Tomohiro in this title, but doesn't mean I have to like it. Tomohiro is just as dark and irresistible as he was in Ink, though Katie seems to be having a hard time of getting to him so she spends a lot of time with Jun which I did not enjoy.
The mythology behind the Kami is interesting as well as very intricate. It is complicated and there are a lot of characters playing a role; both old as dirt and present. We still have a lot to uncover about the Kami, but so far it has been a solid fun-filled ride. We definitely dwell deeper into the Kami past and how Katie and Tomohiro are connected to them. The answer may surprise you...
Rain was not a sophomore slump which I am SO happy for. It was entertaining and it answer a lot of questions while posing many many more. Getting to revisit the characters was just what I needed. I can't wait to read the third book in the series, specially since a love triangle isn't something I see in this series future anymore. No to love triangle, yes to Katie and Tomohiro!
Rain had many of the aspects I loved from Ink. Rich Japanese culture, likable characters, high drama... maybe too much drama. While Ink felt almost effortless Rain seemed to be trying to hard to keep us at the edge of our seat when it came to the romance side of things. So I wasn't a big fan of the romance in Rain but everything else was still golden.
Katie Green made the decision to stay in Japan. She says it is because she would miss her friends, her aunt, because she can't give up on the whole Kami thing... but really, she didn't leave because of Tomohiro. We all know this, but let the girl lie to herself if she must. Katie's staying in Japan isn't without it's complications. She is falling behind on her Kanji, she is not at the same level as her classmates in school because of the language barrier and she refuses to go to English school (even though it would make life 10 times easier for her). Not only is she falling behind in school but she seems to be making Tomohiro worse. She doesn't know where her Kami powers are coming from, but she is sure about to find out.
Katie is still as likable as she was in Ink, though a bit gullible. She does spend a lot of time trying to solve the mystery of her Kami abilities and ways to help Tomohiro control his darker side. She is selfless, and doesn't give up. She also spends a lot of her time putting her foot in her mouth due to cultural differences. It is hilarious.
The one thing that dragged the story down for me was the love triangle that was fed to us. It was just unnatural really. It wasn't necessary to keep the story interesting, and the more page time it was given the more I wanted to put the book down. Or at least hit Katie very squarely upside her head. There are times where a good love triangle is justified but just not this time. It took away from the overall story, plus it deviated our attention from the romance that gave us so much joy in Ink.
Tomohiro is worst than ever. He decided to stop drawing, which is ridiculously stupid of him. The Ink needs to come out somehow. The inheritance of the Kami in him is dragging him over the edge, he is drowning in ink. Katie seems to be making it worse, but nobody knows why. Which is why she spends so much time apart from Tomohiro in this title, but doesn't mean I have to like it. Tomohiro is just as dark and irresistible as he was in Ink, though Katie seems to be having a hard time of getting to him so she spends a lot of time with Jun which I did not enjoy.
The mythology behind the Kami is interesting as well as very intricate. It is complicated and there are a lot of characters playing a role; both old as dirt and present. We still have a lot to uncover about the Kami, but so far it has been a solid fun-filled ride. We definitely dwell deeper into the Kami past and how Katie and Tomohiro are connected to them. The answer may surprise you...
Rain was not a sophomore slump which I am SO happy for. It was entertaining and it answer a lot of questions while posing many many more. Getting to revisit the characters was just what I needed. I can't wait to read the third book in the series, specially since a love triangle isn't something I see in this series future anymore. No to love triangle, yes to Katie and Tomohiro!
novelbloglover's review
4.0
Book Review
Title: Rain
Author: Amanda Sun
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance
Rating: ****
Review: After the way Ink finished I was super excited to get into Rain. We re-join Katie two weeks after she makes the decision to stay in Japan and I loved being reintroduced to the language and the culture of Japan. In these two weeks Katie hasn’t been able to get hold of Tomo although she doesn’t run into him at a festival and it is not long before the ink makes an appearance reminding Katie that it hasn’t forgotten her. We know from the previous book that Katie and Tomo are caught between the Yakuza and the Kami both fighting for Tomo’s power. As the consequences for their earlier actions begin to catch up with Katie knows she has to find the key to the ink’s power and the only person who knows more than Tomo is Jun. While she wants nothing to do with Jun she knows she needs his help to figure out what is going on.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel Katie and Tomo try to uncover why the ink reacts strangely when they are together although it seems to be getting more and more violent attacking them both frequently. In between all the mysterious things they both have to get on with normal life like school, family and relationship so this book has a lot more teen angst than the previous one as Katie and Tomo learn how to be together without the ink attacking and possibly killing them.
As we cross the 1/4 mark in the novel I was finding that this book was faster paced than Ink but there actually wasn't that much happening yet and what was happening was the same as the first book. One thing I noticed in this book is that Sun begins to introduce a live triangle between Katie, Tomo and Jun, normally I don't like love triangles but the wider context of the novel I actually enjoyed it. Katie with Jun`s help learns why she can influence the ink and now she must learn to control it although I didn't like the fact that Katie is meeting Jun behind Tomo`s back. I loved the way Sun reveals Katie's power and how she influences the other Kami, it was ingenious.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel Jun tells Katie that the only way Tomo will be in control is if he accepts what he is. Katie knows that Tomo will never accept the demon and always fight against meaning it is lethal for her to be around him especially with her own gifts. It is here that she realizes the only way she can save him is be convincing him to join the other Kami or leave him forever.
As we cross into the second half of the novel we see how much control the Kami has over Tomo and as Katie tries to distance herself from him she finds herself being drawn closer to Jun and the Kami the support him. I liked seeing Katie's internal struggle, she knows to save Tomo she has to let him go but she is drawn to him in many ways and her feelings lead her to try and interfere where she shouldn't.
As we approach the 3/4 mark in the novel things are getting darker and more dangerous for the Kami especially with Tomo`s complete lack of control but I did enjoy seeing the Kami band together to save Tomo from the darkness at the kendo tournament. When the true motivations of the antagonist are revealed Katie is torn between what she has to do and what she wants to do. Knowing everything that she does Katie knows that the battle that is going to take place could kill him. I loved that Sun drastically raised the stakes of the novel from teen romance to life and death.
As we cross into the final section of the novel we see an epic battle go down between the descendants of the kami, it is here Tomo learns he has the blood of two kami running through him which is why his ink is so violent he is fighting himself but with Katie at his side there is hope that they can win the war which is to come. I also like seeing Katie’s character develop a lot more in this book and I can’t wait to get into the final instalment of the trilogy as soon as I can.
Overall, I liked Rain but nowhere near as much as I liked Ink although I have high hopes for the final instalment of this trilogy; Storm. I would recommend this series to fantasy lovers and fans of fictional retellings, although I would advise new readers to be aware that there is a lot of language, kanji and culture relating to Japan which you might want to brush up on before reading this book otherwise certain aspects of the novel may be really confusing.
Title: Rain
Author: Amanda Sun
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance
Rating: ****
Review: After the way Ink finished I was super excited to get into Rain. We re-join Katie two weeks after she makes the decision to stay in Japan and I loved being reintroduced to the language and the culture of Japan. In these two weeks Katie hasn’t been able to get hold of Tomo although she doesn’t run into him at a festival and it is not long before the ink makes an appearance reminding Katie that it hasn’t forgotten her. We know from the previous book that Katie and Tomo are caught between the Yakuza and the Kami both fighting for Tomo’s power. As the consequences for their earlier actions begin to catch up with Katie knows she has to find the key to the ink’s power and the only person who knows more than Tomo is Jun. While she wants nothing to do with Jun she knows she needs his help to figure out what is going on.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel Katie and Tomo try to uncover why the ink reacts strangely when they are together although it seems to be getting more and more violent attacking them both frequently. In between all the mysterious things they both have to get on with normal life like school, family and relationship so this book has a lot more teen angst than the previous one as Katie and Tomo learn how to be together without the ink attacking and possibly killing them.
As we cross the 1/4 mark in the novel I was finding that this book was faster paced than Ink but there actually wasn't that much happening yet and what was happening was the same as the first book. One thing I noticed in this book is that Sun begins to introduce a live triangle between Katie, Tomo and Jun, normally I don't like love triangles but the wider context of the novel I actually enjoyed it. Katie with Jun`s help learns why she can influence the ink and now she must learn to control it although I didn't like the fact that Katie is meeting Jun behind Tomo`s back. I loved the way Sun reveals Katie's power and how she influences the other Kami, it was ingenious.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel Jun tells Katie that the only way Tomo will be in control is if he accepts what he is. Katie knows that Tomo will never accept the demon and always fight against meaning it is lethal for her to be around him especially with her own gifts. It is here that she realizes the only way she can save him is be convincing him to join the other Kami or leave him forever.
As we cross into the second half of the novel we see how much control the Kami has over Tomo and as Katie tries to distance herself from him she finds herself being drawn closer to Jun and the Kami the support him. I liked seeing Katie's internal struggle, she knows to save Tomo she has to let him go but she is drawn to him in many ways and her feelings lead her to try and interfere where she shouldn't.
As we approach the 3/4 mark in the novel things are getting darker and more dangerous for the Kami especially with Tomo`s complete lack of control but I did enjoy seeing the Kami band together to save Tomo from the darkness at the kendo tournament. When the true motivations of the antagonist are revealed Katie is torn between what she has to do and what she wants to do. Knowing everything that she does Katie knows that the battle that is going to take place could kill him. I loved that Sun drastically raised the stakes of the novel from teen romance to life and death.
As we cross into the final section of the novel we see an epic battle go down between the descendants of the kami, it is here Tomo learns he has the blood of two kami running through him which is why his ink is so violent he is fighting himself but with Katie at his side there is hope that they can win the war which is to come. I also like seeing Katie’s character develop a lot more in this book and I can’t wait to get into the final instalment of the trilogy as soon as I can.
Overall, I liked Rain but nowhere near as much as I liked Ink although I have high hopes for the final instalment of this trilogy; Storm. I would recommend this series to fantasy lovers and fans of fictional retellings, although I would advise new readers to be aware that there is a lot of language, kanji and culture relating to Japan which you might want to brush up on before reading this book otherwise certain aspects of the novel may be really confusing.
victoriashaz's review
4.0
These books are really quick reads for me. I can't really put them down, which obviously means I'm enjoying them. Rain was a great progression of Katie and Tomo's story. I saw one of the twists coming, and certain parts of the story made me very VERY anxious. As someone who is very sensitive to anxiety provoking things, the parts of the novel that were particularly stressful were hard for me to read. That being said, those portions of the novel were necessary for character progression and plot progression, so it's not a fault of the author in any capacity. On the whole, I think this is a good sequel to a strong first book in a series. I'm attached to the character's and their stories, and I'm eager to see how their tale progresses in the next work!
jaxreadshere_21's review
2.0
2.5?
This series is so overdramatic, but addicting. This was just as cheesey as the first one but with EVEN MORE ANGST (if that's even possible). The relationships between Katie and the boys can get kind of eye-rolly, and I wasn't a fan of the petty bickering between all the girls except for Yuki (who is just generally great always and needs to be in the loop so she & her friendship with Katie can have a greater role in the plot, please) and yet it's one of those things you can't put down once you're into it. Sometimes ridiculous, kind of problematic, melo-drama is just fun I guess.
I did like that Katie was a little more focused on the tasks at hand in this one compared to the first one (she was all about the boys and blushing around them regardless of the danger & situation in the first one). And despite some kind of Twlilighty paralells, Katie is no Bella at least; she might not always have her priorities straight, but she actually takes charge and isn't stuck being totally useless all the time. She actually has a good amount of influence over what happens to her.
These are definitely quick reads, so I'll probably be picking up the third one right away just so I can finish off the series (it is just 3 right?). Also I still think the series needs to be an anime or manga.
This series is so overdramatic, but addicting. This was just as cheesey as the first one but with EVEN MORE ANGST (if that's even possible). The relationships between Katie and the boys can get kind of eye-rolly, and I wasn't a fan of the petty bickering between all the girls except for Yuki (who is just generally great always and needs to be in the loop so she & her friendship with Katie can have a greater role in the plot, please) and yet it's one of those things you can't put down once you're into it. Sometimes ridiculous, kind of problematic, melo-drama is just fun I guess.
I did like that Katie was a little more focused on the tasks at hand in this one compared to the first one (she was all about the boys and blushing around them regardless of the danger & situation in the first one). And despite some kind of Twlilighty paralells, Katie is no Bella at least; she might not always have her priorities straight, but she actually takes charge and isn't stuck being totally useless all the time. She actually has a good amount of influence over what happens to her.
These are definitely quick reads, so I'll probably be picking up the third one right away just so I can finish off the series (it is just 3 right?). Also I still think the series needs to be an anime or manga.
psistillreadyou's review
4.0
Click the link to read my review: https://psistillreadyou.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/review-rain-by-amanda-sun/
jeanna's review
4.0
Can I make that 4 1/2 stars? I love this book. But there's something about the ups and downs of the characters that make me hesitate in giving it 5 stars. It certainly does not suffer from sequel syndrome, I can tell you that.
----
In Ink, the first of the Paper Gods series, Katie chose to stay in Japan. She felt a connection there that she would not feel anywhere else. However, her decision to stay may have not been the wisest one. Ink no longer stays on the page, seeming to have a mind of its own when it starts raining, bleeding, and biting ink. Katie and Tomohiro need to figure out how to stop the ink from destroying them and their relationship.
Rain is the sequel to the fantastic book, Ink. With sequels, most readers shy away from reading them right away because expectations fly high. Most sequels are known to be letdowns—not as good as the first. However, Rain is definitely not one of those sequels. It does not suffer from sequel syndrome.
Amanda Sun is able to bring the intricacies of what comes with a traveler in a foreign country. She tackles issues like understanding another culture’s language, as well as its traditions. As foreign as Japan’s culture may be to some readers, she makes the characters quite relatable in discussing issues like bullying, jealousy, and more.
Unfortunately, not all of the characters win your heart. Even in the first book, I felt it was difficult to warm up to the male lead, Tomohiro. I constantly questioned the romance between Katie and him because something didn’t add up. Why does Katie like him so much? As much as their romance isn’t explained, except for the experiences they have shared, the two characters continue to be madly in love. To be fair, Ink deserves a reread before any more judgment upon their relationship. I just never found myself routing for Tomohiro. Ever since the instance in Ink involving the love hotel occurred, Jun seemed like a much better candidate for Katie’s love interest. In Rain, the certain love hotel scene [from Ink] is mentioned several times, brought up by Tomohiro, usually making some joke about “that one time” but I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. I still haven’t gotten quite over it yet. Despite my character preferences, I enjoyed reading Rain.
Amanda Sun certainly has a gorgeous series here that I wish was given more attention. Not only is the premise captivating and beautiful, but Sun pairs the story with water paint sketches that take your breath away. Also, it is set in Japan. Think a culture seeping with beauty. Think history that goes deeper than most realize. Think awesome.
It is the perfect continuation to the series. Rain is an extremely fast read, so fast that if you blink, you may miss the whole book. Sadly, the book was over to0 quickly but I look forward to reading the next in the coming weeks.
----
In Ink, the first of the Paper Gods series, Katie chose to stay in Japan. She felt a connection there that she would not feel anywhere else. However, her decision to stay may have not been the wisest one. Ink no longer stays on the page, seeming to have a mind of its own when it starts raining, bleeding, and biting ink. Katie and Tomohiro need to figure out how to stop the ink from destroying them and their relationship.
Rain is the sequel to the fantastic book, Ink. With sequels, most readers shy away from reading them right away because expectations fly high. Most sequels are known to be letdowns—not as good as the first. However, Rain is definitely not one of those sequels. It does not suffer from sequel syndrome.
Amanda Sun is able to bring the intricacies of what comes with a traveler in a foreign country. She tackles issues like understanding another culture’s language, as well as its traditions. As foreign as Japan’s culture may be to some readers, she makes the characters quite relatable in discussing issues like bullying, jealousy, and more.
Unfortunately, not all of the characters win your heart. Even in the first book, I felt it was difficult to warm up to the male lead, Tomohiro. I constantly questioned the romance between Katie and him because something didn’t add up. Why does Katie like him so much? As much as their romance isn’t explained, except for the experiences they have shared, the two characters continue to be madly in love. To be fair, Ink deserves a reread before any more judgment upon their relationship. I just never found myself routing for Tomohiro. Ever since the instance in Ink involving the love hotel occurred, Jun seemed like a much better candidate for Katie’s love interest. In Rain, the certain love hotel scene [from Ink] is mentioned several times, brought up by Tomohiro, usually making some joke about “that one time” but I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. I still haven’t gotten quite over it yet. Despite my character preferences, I enjoyed reading Rain.
Amanda Sun certainly has a gorgeous series here that I wish was given more attention. Not only is the premise captivating and beautiful, but Sun pairs the story with water paint sketches that take your breath away. Also, it is set in Japan. Think a culture seeping with beauty. Think history that goes deeper than most realize. Think awesome.
It is the perfect continuation to the series. Rain is an extremely fast read, so fast that if you blink, you may miss the whole book. Sadly, the book was over to0 quickly but I look forward to reading the next in the coming weeks.
littlebookowl's review
4.0
I received this book for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
THE SHORT
Rain was a wonderful sequel which continued to keep the beauty and rich Japanese culture, mythology and setting alive. The characters continued to develop and surprise, leaving you conflicted about who you thought you could trust. This book had a nice, calm pace with some intense moments leading up to the conclusion - though the section around the middle did drag slightly. I think this was a great sequel which some surprises towards the end which will definitely lead to an intense third book!
THE LONG
The main thing which I love about this series is how strong and present the Japanese elements are in this book. Although I have not read many books set in countries outside of the U.S.A. or England (excluding fantasy worlds), for the ones I do come across, I find that the setting and cultural differences are somewhat lacking. Amanda Sun certainly has no problems here and highlights the beauty of Japan so wonderfully. Furthermore, Katie's struggles with adjusting to the culture and abiding by the expected social behaviours were very realistic.
That being said, some of her other mistakes and decisions began to get a bit irritating. She isn't as forthcoming with Tomo about some of the things she did as she probably should have been. This kind of correlates to the love triangle that isn't really a love triangle... things never progress far enough, but outside sources kind of make it into some form of a pentagon... but not quite. It's a weird situation.
There was so much mystery surrounding some of the characters - you could never really pinpoint whether they were helping Katie or working against here. There were plenty of surprises along the way, and my opinions of a few of the characters have drastically changed! I'm really intrigued to see how the characters continue to progress, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
THE SHORT
Rain was a wonderful sequel which continued to keep the beauty and rich Japanese culture, mythology and setting alive. The characters continued to develop and surprise, leaving you conflicted about who you thought you could trust. This book had a nice, calm pace with some intense moments leading up to the conclusion - though the section around the middle did drag slightly. I think this was a great sequel which some surprises towards the end which will definitely lead to an intense third book!
THE LONG
The main thing which I love about this series is how strong and present the Japanese elements are in this book. Although I have not read many books set in countries outside of the U.S.A. or England (excluding fantasy worlds), for the ones I do come across, I find that the setting and cultural differences are somewhat lacking. Amanda Sun certainly has no problems here and highlights the beauty of Japan so wonderfully. Furthermore, Katie's struggles with adjusting to the culture and abiding by the expected social behaviours were very realistic.
That being said, some of her other mistakes and decisions began to get a bit irritating. She isn't as forthcoming with Tomo about some of the things she did as she probably should have been. This kind of correlates to the love triangle that isn't really a love triangle... things never progress far enough, but outside sources kind of make it into some form of a pentagon... but not quite. It's a weird situation.
There was so much mystery surrounding some of the characters - you could never really pinpoint whether they were helping Katie or working against here. There were plenty of surprises along the way, and my opinions of a few of the characters have drastically changed! I'm really intrigued to see how the characters continue to progress, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!