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bookishvice 's review for:
Ink
by Amanda Sun
Katie is a gaijin, an outsider, living in Shizouka, Japan with her aunt. She barely knows the language, there’s a lot of weird food around that she hasn’t gotten used to, and she’s stumbled upon a secret that has to do with Japanese gods. Tomohiro, the school’s bad boy and star of the kendo team, is more than your average mysterious guy. When he’s around two things happen: Katie can’t stop the rush of feelings that course through her and drawings come to life!
Amanda Sun’s INK is Asian drama come to life in book form and I loved every single page of it!
Those of you who follow my blog and read it often, you know I’m a big kdrama fan. So, when I heard of INK I immediately wanted to read it and expected all the things that dramas have. Amanda Sun delivered all I expected and more! I mean the basis of Asian dramas are pretty much the same, but Sun really made her novel unique.
INK also cover many of the classic scenes that appear in all dramas, like the scene where the girl has had it and demands answers in a huge angry display, a bike ride with the boy the girl likes, praying at the temple for good grades, the failed kiss, the first kiss and the embarrassment after, the back hug, etc. Yes, they might be a bit cheesy at time, but hey! I love me some cheese with my dramas and Amanda Sun certainly gives the scenes the necessary emotional impulse.
Another thing about Asian dramas is that misunderstandings and unsaid things are the order of the day. It is very frustrating, but it’s expected. And that brings me to the characters. In dramas, the heroine is always either a bit crazy about a boy or completely ignores him. Katie is the former, so while I wished she’d been a less ‘stalker-crazy’ girl and ‘I’m willing to die for love’ girl, I sort of expected it. Luckily, Katie quickly realizes what she’s doing wrong and tries to do better (unlike in the dramas *sigh*). Though we still get that ‘dying for love’ thing in the end…hmm. Probably my only issue with the story.
Katie is such a brave and strong heroine. She’s in a foreign country where she barely knows the language, yet she doesn’t give up no matter how dire the situation she gets herself in (she gets into a lot of trouble) and she doesn’t take any crap from Tomohiro (she calls him on it every single time!). I loved when she went all snappy on him. It showed she had spark and I hope that as she grows, she shows more of it. I did wish she had a stronger reason to be tangled up and nosy with him, not just her curiosity. Though it looks like instalove with Tomo, in reality it’s not. A lot of time passes in the novel, like we go from early spring to full on spring to summer. The problem is we don’t see the characters grow close because of these time skips. So it makes sense the characters would grow closer, but as we’re not shown many scenes then it feels like it’s only been a short time.
Tomohiro. The guy with the copper hair with long bangs he keeps brushing away, intense gaze, and a sexy smirk. Tomo-kun comes off as a big jerk at first, but as Katie gets to know him and unravels his secret, we learn that he’s quite the opposite. He’s caring, always helping friends in need even at the cost of his reputation and at the risk of his own life. His powers are incredible, but he still has a long way to go to control them, instead of letting the power control him. I’m really excited to see him work on this for the next book. Tomo is way too adorable! He blushes a lot and is quite cheeky with Katie. It’s not only the chemistry, but the way he and Katie work calling each other out when they’re wrong. Good communication is the key to any healthy relationship and these two have a lot to work on!
Jun. The guy with black hair with two blond highlights around his ears and bangs that trail diagonally across his forehead, and a silver earring on his left ear. He’s such a darling to Katie, saving her a couple of times and just being so freaking adorable. He had me swooning every time he made an appearance and I literally screamed when Jun’s role was revealed. I hope he plays a bigger part in the second book.
The biggest thing about INK is Amanda Sun’s amazing job of incorporating the cultural aspects seamlessly into the narrative. It never reads like a travel brochure, yet you’re still learning about Japanese customs and traditions. I loved that she used Japanese words and didn’t immediately explain them, leaving it to us to figure out. There’s a glossary of words at the end too if one ever forgets the meaning of a word. I loved the sayings (Dumplings over flowers, meaning value needs over wants), Katie joining the Kendo team (Japanese fencing), the sakura tree festival, and tying yellow ribbons to a tree as a wish. Of course, there are also paranormal elements which meant including Japanese myths about the kami, Amaterasu and the other gods.
If you’re wondering why I’m going on and on about in this review, it’s because I’m so freaking fangirling over it all right now! Just one more thing…Sun’s descriptions are off the charts. The kendo sessions, the sakura festival, and especially in the parts where the ink comes alive, the whole world comes alive with her descriptions.
My reaction at the end went something like this…
ARrrrrhhGGDHhhghahsfdhTEF!!!
WHY!? WHY DO CLIFFHANGERS EXIST!
*flails around the room*
*realizes there’s still 10% to go after the end*
*sees the preview of book 2*
*weeps*
I will be counting down the days until book two.
*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*
Amanda Sun’s INK is Asian drama come to life in book form and I loved every single page of it!
Those of you who follow my blog and read it often, you know I’m a big kdrama fan. So, when I heard of INK I immediately wanted to read it and expected all the things that dramas have. Amanda Sun delivered all I expected and more! I mean the basis of Asian dramas are pretty much the same, but Sun really made her novel unique.
INK also cover many of the classic scenes that appear in all dramas, like the scene where the girl has had it and demands answers in a huge angry display, a bike ride with the boy the girl likes, praying at the temple for good grades, the failed kiss, the first kiss and the embarrassment after, the back hug, etc. Yes, they might be a bit cheesy at time, but hey! I love me some cheese with my dramas and Amanda Sun certainly gives the scenes the necessary emotional impulse.
Another thing about Asian dramas is that misunderstandings and unsaid things are the order of the day. It is very frustrating, but it’s expected. And that brings me to the characters. In dramas, the heroine is always either a bit crazy about a boy or completely ignores him. Katie is the former, so while I wished she’d been a less ‘stalker-crazy’ girl and ‘I’m willing to die for love’ girl, I sort of expected it. Luckily, Katie quickly realizes what she’s doing wrong and tries to do better (unlike in the dramas *sigh*). Though we still get that ‘dying for love’ thing in the end…hmm. Probably my only issue with the story.
Katie is such a brave and strong heroine. She’s in a foreign country where she barely knows the language, yet she doesn’t give up no matter how dire the situation she gets herself in (she gets into a lot of trouble) and she doesn’t take any crap from Tomohiro (she calls him on it every single time!). I loved when she went all snappy on him. It showed she had spark and I hope that as she grows, she shows more of it. I did wish she had a stronger reason to be tangled up and nosy with him, not just her curiosity. Though it looks like instalove with Tomo, in reality it’s not. A lot of time passes in the novel, like we go from early spring to full on spring to summer. The problem is we don’t see the characters grow close because of these time skips. So it makes sense the characters would grow closer, but as we’re not shown many scenes then it feels like it’s only been a short time.
Tomohiro. The guy with the copper hair with long bangs he keeps brushing away, intense gaze, and a sexy smirk. Tomo-kun comes off as a big jerk at first, but as Katie gets to know him and unravels his secret, we learn that he’s quite the opposite. He’s caring, always helping friends in need even at the cost of his reputation and at the risk of his own life. His powers are incredible, but he still has a long way to go to control them, instead of letting the power control him. I’m really excited to see him work on this for the next book. Tomo is way too adorable! He blushes a lot and is quite cheeky with Katie. It’s not only the chemistry, but the way he and Katie work calling each other out when they’re wrong. Good communication is the key to any healthy relationship and these two have a lot to work on!
Jun. The guy with black hair with two blond highlights around his ears and bangs that trail diagonally across his forehead, and a silver earring on his left ear. He’s such a darling to Katie, saving her a couple of times and just being so freaking adorable. He had me swooning every time he made an appearance and I literally screamed when Jun’s role was revealed. I hope he plays a bigger part in the second book.
The biggest thing about INK is Amanda Sun’s amazing job of incorporating the cultural aspects seamlessly into the narrative. It never reads like a travel brochure, yet you’re still learning about Japanese customs and traditions. I loved that she used Japanese words and didn’t immediately explain them, leaving it to us to figure out. There’s a glossary of words at the end too if one ever forgets the meaning of a word. I loved the sayings (Dumplings over flowers, meaning value needs over wants), Katie joining the Kendo team (Japanese fencing), the sakura tree festival, and tying yellow ribbons to a tree as a wish. Of course, there are also paranormal elements which meant including Japanese myths about the kami, Amaterasu and the other gods.
If you’re wondering why I’m going on and on about in this review, it’s because I’m so freaking fangirling over it all right now! Just one more thing…Sun’s descriptions are off the charts. The kendo sessions, the sakura festival, and especially in the parts where the ink comes alive, the whole world comes alive with her descriptions.
My reaction at the end went something like this…
ARrrrrhhGGDHhhghahsfdhTEF!!!
WHY!? WHY DO CLIFFHANGERS EXIST!
*flails around the room*
*realizes there’s still 10% to go after the end*
*sees the preview of book 2*
*weeps*
I will be counting down the days until book two.
*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*