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A review by robert_redmann
Rain by Amanda Sun
3.0
One thing that I continue to love about [a:Amanda Sun|4649677|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1349367928p2/4649677.jpg]’s Paper Gods series is the mythology behind the Kami. It may not be an original idea; basing a book’s narrative around a mythological race, but it is a fresh take on the idea. [b:Rain|22326735|Rain|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410798526s/22326735.jpg|25473104] delved even deeper into the Kami mythos and, in my opinion, the book was even better for it.
One of my biggest pet peeves when I’m reading any book, though I do find it to be a bit more prevalent in YA, is when the main character is utterly indecisive. It irritates me to no end when, chapter after chapter, the main character changes his or her mind about their current predicament/situation. Unfortunately, that was also a big problem with Katie in this book. She consistently wavers back and forth between her decision to stay in Japan, and her decision to stay with Tomohiro that, as I read, I wanted to reach into the book, shake her, and tell her to make up her damn mind.
The relationship between Tomohiro and Katie really begins to show signs of strain in Rain (rhyming? Don’t mind if I do). We begin to witness Tomo’s impatience with Katie’s friendship to Jun, as well as Katie’s insecurities about Tomo and Shiori. One relationship that really entertained me in this book though, was the burgeoning friendship between Sato and Katie. For two people who outright hated each other in the first installment of this series, they really improved by leaps and bounds this time around.
Japan is, as ever, described absolutely beautifully in Rain, as it was in [b:Ink|18440770|Ink|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410153785s/18440770.jpg|18878425]. I like how Sun continues to add local festivals and celebrations into the book, adding a completely immersive experience that I absolutely adored. I also liked how she shows more of Katie’s cultural faux-pas in this book, truly marking her as a gaijin in a way that I don’t feel the first book really explored. It made you realize how truly out of her depth Katie is in Japan.
While it wasn’t the best sequel to a series I’ve ever read, Rain had all of the elements to make me come back for more. I would give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
As much as I'd wanted to stay in Japan to be with him, the real reason was that I wanted control of my life. I was connected to the ink, and I belonged here.
One of my biggest pet peeves when I’m reading any book, though I do find it to be a bit more prevalent in YA, is when the main character is utterly indecisive. It irritates me to no end when, chapter after chapter, the main character changes his or her mind about their current predicament/situation. Unfortunately, that was also a big problem with Katie in this book. She consistently wavers back and forth between her decision to stay in Japan, and her decision to stay with Tomohiro that, as I read, I wanted to reach into the book, shake her, and tell her to make up her damn mind.
Tomohiro's hands slid down my arms to my hips, pulling me closer. He made a gentle noise deep in his throat and every nerve in my body tingled with the sound of it. I clung to him as I kissed him, and his fingers threaded into my hair. This was the welcome home I'd waited for.
The relationship between Tomohiro and Katie really begins to show signs of strain in Rain (rhyming? Don’t mind if I do). We begin to witness Tomo’s impatience with Katie’s friendship to Jun, as well as Katie’s insecurities about Tomo and Shiori. One relationship that really entertained me in this book though, was the burgeoning friendship between Sato and Katie. For two people who outright hated each other in the first installment of this series, they really improved by leaps and bounds this time around.
Japan is, as ever, described absolutely beautifully in Rain, as it was in [b:Ink|18440770|Ink|Amanda Sun|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410153785s/18440770.jpg|18878425]. I like how Sun continues to add local festivals and celebrations into the book, adding a completely immersive experience that I absolutely adored. I also liked how she shows more of Katie’s cultural faux-pas in this book, truly marking her as a gaijin in a way that I don’t feel the first book really explored. It made you realize how truly out of her depth Katie is in Japan.
While it wasn’t the best sequel to a series I’ve ever read, Rain had all of the elements to make me come back for more. I would give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars.