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powerlibrarian 's review for:
Ink
by Amanda Sun
What a magical and whimsical world Amanda Sun has created! I absolutely adored the setting of this book. American Katie Greene is sent to live with her aunt in Japan after her mother passes away, and at first she’s very reluctant. Japanese culture is very different from what she’s used to, but it quickly grows on her. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a cute boy in her class that might just have magical powers.
I absolutely loved how the author really immerses the reader in Japanese culture. She uses many Japanese terms, including common slang, which are linked to the glossary with definitions. The book is told through the perspective of Katie, an American, which means that she’s experiencing a lot of this culture herself for the first time, which makes her relatable, and makes me, as the reader, feel appreciative of the natural way in which everything is explained to me.
The fantastical components of this book are very well done, though I did find myself a little confused about the way the magic works--particularly what its limitations are. This is the first book in the series, however, so it makes sense that Katie and Tomohiro won’t have all the answers.
There was one little thing that bothered me about this book. My major spoiler-free and possibly nonsensical explanation: The men surrounding Katie are powerful, but she herself has no magical abilities. However, her presence around these men makes them lose control. Ugh this is too hard to explain without spoilers. Spoilers ahead!
While this troubling message affected my enjoyment of this book, I am hoping that the next book in the series will clear this up.
I absolutely loved how the author really immerses the reader in Japanese culture. She uses many Japanese terms, including common slang, which are linked to the glossary with definitions. The book is told through the perspective of Katie, an American, which means that she’s experiencing a lot of this culture herself for the first time, which makes her relatable, and makes me, as the reader, feel appreciative of the natural way in which everything is explained to me.
The fantastical components of this book are very well done, though I did find myself a little confused about the way the magic works--particularly what its limitations are. This is the first book in the series, however, so it makes sense that Katie and Tomohiro won’t have all the answers.
There was one little thing that bothered me about this book. My major spoiler-free and possibly nonsensical explanation: The men surrounding Katie are powerful, but she herself has no magical abilities. However, her presence around these men makes them lose control. Ugh this is too hard to explain without spoilers. Spoilers ahead!
Spoiler
Tomohiro has powers and so does Jun, and Katie is special only in the sense that she attracts the ink. She makes Tomohiro stronger and weaker almost simultaneously. Her only power is in her ability to influence the men around her, though she has no control over this. A few times, Tomohiro becomes out of control, harming himself and nearly harming Katie, and it’s implied that it’s Katie’s fault. Her presence there made him lose control. I know I maybe shouldn’t be reading between the lines, but fantasy is often used as a metaphor for reality, and if this is the case, this isn’t a good message to be sending. We shouldn’t be blaming Katie for something that Tomohiro does.While this troubling message affected my enjoyment of this book, I am hoping that the next book in the series will clear this up.