Ink by Amanda Sun
Goodreads Synopsis:
On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.
326 pages
Review:
Okay, so that synopsis itself sounds amazing, right! This book captivated me from the first page. I think the most striking part of the entire book was the authenticity. Amanda Sun clearly spent a good amount of time in Japan because the little bits and pieces of Japanese culture peppering the entire story made me feel like I was truly in Japan with Katie. It was amazing. I generally am a sucker for books that take place in foreign countries, especially Asia, but this book had a wonderful execution.
Then, there was the amazing romance. At first, it felt a lot like Twilight... ooh, she fell in love with the supernatural bad guy.... but I think Amanda Sun really had a unique approach to it. Tomohiro is a special kind of supernatural and he actually turned out to have a lot of weakness. I found myself really connecting with him (actually, I could connect with all the characters in this book, another plus!).
Finally, of course, the AMAZING inclusion of traditional Japanese mythology. Once again, it's clear the Amanda Sun did a lot of great research when writing Ink.
As far as readability, this book was a really quick read. I, of course, did not have a lot of free time on my hands, so it took me 2-3 weeks to finish it, but when I actually sat down to read, I could get through the chapters very quickly. And the last 100 pages of the book flew by. That's where all the action happens.
Overall, I don't think there was anything that I really disliked about the book. It was an amazing story with authentic touches and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for a great book to read, regardless of favorite genre. I can't wait for the second book in the Paper Gods series!
Rating:
✿✿✿✿✿
Goodreads Synopsis:
On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.
326 pages
Review:
Okay, so that synopsis itself sounds amazing, right! This book captivated me from the first page. I think the most striking part of the entire book was the authenticity. Amanda Sun clearly spent a good amount of time in Japan because the little bits and pieces of Japanese culture peppering the entire story made me feel like I was truly in Japan with Katie. It was amazing. I generally am a sucker for books that take place in foreign countries, especially Asia, but this book had a wonderful execution.
Then, there was the amazing romance. At first, it felt a lot like Twilight... ooh, she fell in love with the supernatural bad guy.... but I think Amanda Sun really had a unique approach to it. Tomohiro is a special kind of supernatural and he actually turned out to have a lot of weakness. I found myself really connecting with him (actually, I could connect with all the characters in this book, another plus!).
Finally, of course, the AMAZING inclusion of traditional Japanese mythology. Once again, it's clear the Amanda Sun did a lot of great research when writing Ink.
As far as readability, this book was a really quick read. I, of course, did not have a lot of free time on my hands, so it took me 2-3 weeks to finish it, but when I actually sat down to read, I could get through the chapters very quickly. And the last 100 pages of the book flew by. That's where all the action happens.
Overall, I don't think there was anything that I really disliked about the book. It was an amazing story with authentic touches and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for a great book to read, regardless of favorite genre. I can't wait for the second book in the Paper Gods series!
Rating:
✿✿✿✿✿