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A review by loveisnotatriangle
Shadow by Amanda Sun
4.0
If you're interested in INK by Amanda Sun, I'd definitely recommend reading this short novella first. It tells the back story of Katie's journey to Japan, from her mother's funeral to her first day of school. Though this wasn't necessary to get to know Katie, I valued the greater connection I gained with her and her grief.
However, what's best about Shadow is that Katie's perspective is alternated with Tomohiro's viewpoint. Because INK is written entirely from Katie's POV, the novella provides valuable information about the boy whose drawings take on a life of their own - the nature of his nightmares, what happened in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and why he believes he's connected to Katie. Although it is not essential to understanding INK, the story helped me know both characters better. And because I'd been inside of Tomo's head, I never saw him as a mysterious bad boy, but instead as a guy who's lost and tortured and dealing with a scary ability spiraling out of his control. I hope we get more of this series written from Tomo's viewpoint.
However, what's best about Shadow is that Katie's perspective is alternated with Tomohiro's viewpoint. Because INK is written entirely from Katie's POV, the novella provides valuable information about the boy whose drawings take on a life of their own - the nature of his nightmares, what happened in his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and why he believes he's connected to Katie. Although it is not essential to understanding INK, the story helped me know both characters better. And because I'd been inside of Tomo's head, I never saw him as a mysterious bad boy, but instead as a guy who's lost and tortured and dealing with a scary ability spiraling out of his control. I hope we get more of this series written from Tomo's viewpoint.