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christajls 's review for:
Ink
by Amanda Sun
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
Ink is the story of Katie Green. After the death of her mother, Katie goes to live with her aunt in Japan. It’s a difficult transition for her – not only has she lost a parent but she’s experiencing some pretty intense culture shock. And while it may be difficult for Katie (at first), easily my favourite thing about Ink is the Japanese setting. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan but have never made it (yet). It was interesting seeing it through Katie’s eyes, as someone who is just dropped into a whole new world and forced to adapt. After university my partner and I had considered going to teach in Japan and I like to think my experience would have been similar to Katie’s (without the ancient gods and gangs of course).
I really appreciate the care Amanda Sun took with the detail in this novel. Shizuoka, where Katie goes to stay, comes to life on the page. Every little detail is present in her descriptions of the setting, the food, the clothing and the school. This made the pacing a bit slower than your average YA novel, but at the end of the day I think the novel was richer because of it. I don’t mind a writer taking the time to slowly unravel the world if it means I get to experience it more thoroughly.
I also really enjoyed how unique the mythology was throughout. I’ve never read a book that featured paper gods before and it made for a very intriguing story. I did find, however, that the romance overshadowed the mythology a little too much. Katie and Tomo’s relationship was a little intense for my taste. It happened so fast and stood in stark contrast to the slower, more purposeful world building. But overall I enjoyed the novel and the high stakes of their situation. And I’m definitely intrigued to see where the series goes next.
Ink is the story of Katie Green. After the death of her mother, Katie goes to live with her aunt in Japan. It’s a difficult transition for her – not only has she lost a parent but she’s experiencing some pretty intense culture shock. And while it may be difficult for Katie (at first), easily my favourite thing about Ink is the Japanese setting. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan but have never made it (yet). It was interesting seeing it through Katie’s eyes, as someone who is just dropped into a whole new world and forced to adapt. After university my partner and I had considered going to teach in Japan and I like to think my experience would have been similar to Katie’s (without the ancient gods and gangs of course).
I really appreciate the care Amanda Sun took with the detail in this novel. Shizuoka, where Katie goes to stay, comes to life on the page. Every little detail is present in her descriptions of the setting, the food, the clothing and the school. This made the pacing a bit slower than your average YA novel, but at the end of the day I think the novel was richer because of it. I don’t mind a writer taking the time to slowly unravel the world if it means I get to experience it more thoroughly.
I also really enjoyed how unique the mythology was throughout. I’ve never read a book that featured paper gods before and it made for a very intriguing story. I did find, however, that the romance overshadowed the mythology a little too much. Katie and Tomo’s relationship was a little intense for my taste. It happened so fast and stood in stark contrast to the slower, more purposeful world building. But overall I enjoyed the novel and the high stakes of their situation. And I’m definitely intrigued to see where the series goes next.