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pepe_pepe's review against another edition
4.0
This gets a 4 stars from me, because it has a satisfying ending and the plot becomes better in the second half.
I liked this novel mainly because it was based on Japanese myths and included a lot of Japanese culture. And by a lot, I mean a lot. From tea to kendo and calligraphy to the Kami, this book had it all. Lots of Japanese language was used, and since it's set in Japan, all the customs and mannerisms were there. This was at first a bit overwhelming but it grew on me, and I found the whole experience really interesting, especially as I have never read a book like this. It's refreshing compared to all the American novels I have been reading lately. Which brings me to the concept of the Kami and the power of the ink, which was original and also very interesting to learn about. In this first book, the reader is introduced to the Kami and two main antagonistic groups. The series is set up nicely, though I found the novel started a bit unconvincingly.
Katie, the protagonist, is an American teenager who is sent to live in Japan with her aunt after her mum dies for about half a year while it is decided if her grandparents can get custody of her or not. The novel starts a couple of months into her stay at Japan, right before she meets Tomohiro, and introduces us to her school and home life and her feeling of not belonging. She doesn't like how she doesn't fit in, and her only friends being Yuki and Tanaka. After meeting Tomohiro of course, everything changes...
Nothing much happens through half of the novel, and I would've liked more depth and character development with Katie and most of the other characters. That may not pose a problem in the later books when the characters might be more developed. The writing as well isn't spectacular, but it's enough to convey the story effectively.
Overall, because this book is based on such a unique concept and has some intriguing characters, I will continue on with the series. Included are drawings of some of Tomohiro's ink creations that come to life throughout the book, which enhanced the reading experience. It is a decent book, but one of those which gets a 4 stars that I myself isn't entirely convinced of.
I liked this novel mainly because it was based on Japanese myths and included a lot of Japanese culture. And by a lot, I mean a lot. From tea to kendo and calligraphy to the Kami, this book had it all. Lots of Japanese language was used, and since it's set in Japan, all the customs and mannerisms were there. This was at first a bit overwhelming but it grew on me, and I found the whole experience really interesting, especially as I have never read a book like this. It's refreshing compared to all the American novels I have been reading lately. Which brings me to the concept of the Kami and the power of the ink, which was original and also very interesting to learn about. In this first book, the reader is introduced to the Kami and two main antagonistic groups. The series is set up nicely, though I found the novel started a bit unconvincingly.
Katie, the protagonist, is an American teenager who is sent to live in Japan with her aunt after her mum dies for about half a year while it is decided if her grandparents can get custody of her or not. The novel starts a couple of months into her stay at Japan, right before she meets Tomohiro, and introduces us to her school and home life and her feeling of not belonging. She doesn't like how she doesn't fit in, and her only friends being Yuki and Tanaka. After meeting Tomohiro of course, everything changes...
Nothing much happens through half of the novel, and I would've liked more depth and character development with Katie and most of the other characters. That may not pose a problem in the later books when the characters might be more developed. The writing as well isn't spectacular, but it's enough to convey the story effectively.
Overall, because this book is based on such a unique concept and has some intriguing characters, I will continue on with the series. Included are drawings of some of Tomohiro's ink creations that come to life throughout the book, which enhanced the reading experience. It is a decent book, but one of those which gets a 4 stars that I myself isn't entirely convinced of.
hazelnutpie's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book because I wanted to get into Japanese mythology more.
One word for this book: meeeeeeeeeeeh.
It wasn't bad but it wasn't something I had to finish. I thought the kami power could be cooler. But that's just me. I didn't really care for any of the characters (I thought Katie cried too much but that's just me, and the whole "I love you person I barely know because you're so mysterious and dark and whatever" didn't really appeal to me either. I did like the parts where Tomo acts shy/embarrassed, though) , and the hint of a love triangle (of course) in the next book makes me like them even less.
But learning about Japanese culture is fun, it's obvious the author did a lot of research on it.
Nopt sure about picking up the next book.
One word for this book: meeeeeeeeeeeh.
It wasn't bad but it wasn't something I had to finish. I thought the kami power could be cooler. But that's just me. I didn't really care for any of the characters (I thought Katie cried too much but that's just me, and the whole "I love you person I barely know because you're so mysterious and dark and whatever" didn't really appeal to me either. I did like the parts where Tomo acts shy/embarrassed, though) , and the hint of a love triangle (of course) in the next book makes me like them even less.
But learning about Japanese culture is fun, it's obvious the author did a lot of research on it.
Nopt sure about picking up the next book.
true14216's review against another edition
5.0
This book was super good. The only I can describe it as reading an anime, a really good anime.
bring_out_your_read's review against another edition
3.0
Got my hands on this little piece, and I'm not sure what I think. It had a great concept, and started out with great character introduction. By the end, I was disappointed in the lack of character development--the main character went from being a strong, self-sufficient, young lady in a tough situation to being the whiny, possessive, ultra-clingy "I can't live without you" type. Seriously? The way everything was introduced, I though she was going to train up and become the super-heroine type. Lame, Amanda Sun, lame.
I suppose there's still potential for the second book to improve on the characters. (Yes, there's going to be a sequel.) Though, the excerpt they put at the end of this one suggests otherwise.
I'm also not sure how well the author thought out her world-building. That's something that drives me nuts. If you're *going* to build a new world, freaking follow your own rules and watch out for loop-holes. (And if you do have a loop-hole, have it make SENSE please!) Again, she had a great start, I'm just worried it's all going to melt apart.
All in all, I suppose I enjoyed it since it gave me so much to think about. And the cover art is stunning. Gotta give props for that.
I suppose there's still potential for the second book to improve on the characters. (Yes, there's going to be a sequel.) Though, the excerpt they put at the end of this one suggests otherwise.
I'm also not sure how well the author thought out her world-building. That's something that drives me nuts. If you're *going* to build a new world, freaking follow your own rules and watch out for loop-holes. (And if you do have a loop-hole, have it make SENSE please!) Again, she had a great start, I'm just worried it's all going to melt apart.
All in all, I suppose I enjoyed it since it gave me so much to think about. And the cover art is stunning. Gotta give props for that.
aspnes's review against another edition
2.0
2⭐️
I expected this book to be artsy and creative, I did not expect the Japanese mafia (which really threw me off)
I expected this book to be artsy and creative, I did not expect the Japanese mafia (which really threw me off)
narteest's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Interesting. Loved the mythology and Japanese stuff. Didn't really like the Katie x Tomohiro much though. Then again…
More review tomorrow/later. Definitely a suggestive read though.
Update
SO Originally this was on my shelf because it had a really beautiful cover. I love this cover a lot. However, I wasn't impressed with the premise, and reading it, yeah, it pretty much coasted the way I expected.
However, in many ways, since I'm an avid manga fan and have read way too many shoujo manga (manga aimed at teen/YA girls as opposed to shounen for guys) which all have the same kind of stories and expectations, I chose to read Ink for that very reason.
I was, undoubtedly, because I am totally weird that way, but I guess this weirdness allows me to see beyond the genericness of the plot, expecting a manga-like story.
And I wasn't entirely disappointed in that area.
The only thing that would have made this more 'manga' like is if the protagonist was also asian. But she isn't and that of course messed with my crazily weird expectations.
Still. In a way, it did read like a manga, I saw a lot of tropes that you'd see in usual shoujo manga, and of course lots of tropes that you usually see in YA lit.
I liked that appearances in this book are really focussed on--I can barely remember much about what Katie looks like, except that she's blond and that she isn't that worried about her looks, I think. But I do know what Tomohiro looks like...and he acts totally like guys in shoujo manga......
So I can't complain about that.
And really, I don't have much to complain about this time round since my expectations were different, since I don't know why I felt that because this book was set in a country that other books are usually not set in, I didn't need to have the same expectations.
I'll say though that there is a plot to all this, even if I think combining it with Yakuza to make it seem more dangerous also didn't feel extremely dangerous (I was a little unconvinced). And then there were the other ink users. So there was a lot of plot and things happening in this book that normal book ones don't have. So that made it interesting.
But other than the japaneseness, this is a pretty typical YA book.
Favourite parts: The Japan setting, Tomohiro (even if he's a typical male guy, I like an asian love interest every once in a while since I don't see many of those around who are not goths, and not disguising their asianness with something else), the mythology (I really like mythology from Japan).
Not so favourite parts: The romance between Katie and Tomohiro (sure it happened over like a three month period but I thought it happened a bit fast. Like she went from 'like' to 'love' wayyyyyy too quickly, and Tomo, dude, you just broke up with your girlfriend whom you loved and already....????). I wasn't entirely convinced with the whole Yakuza and other ink user plot...but that would developed in the sequels I presume, so can't say much about it.
Overall. A good read for the mythology, even the romance if one likes how instantaneous it was. I started reading this in the bookstore and really got into it, before some things ticked me off (when I picked it up to read later on) and then other things held my attention in the story.
More review tomorrow/later. Definitely a suggestive read though.
Update
SO Originally this was on my shelf because it had a really beautiful cover. I love this cover a lot. However, I wasn't impressed with the premise, and reading it, yeah, it pretty much coasted the way I expected.
However, in many ways, since I'm an avid manga fan and have read way too many shoujo manga (manga aimed at teen/YA girls as opposed to shounen for guys) which all have the same kind of stories and expectations, I chose to read Ink for that very reason.
I was, undoubtedly, because I am totally weird that way, but I guess this weirdness allows me to see beyond the genericness of the plot, expecting a manga-like story.
And I wasn't entirely disappointed in that area.
The only thing that would have made this more 'manga' like is if the protagonist was also asian. But she isn't and that of course messed with my crazily weird expectations.
Still. In a way, it did read like a manga, I saw a lot of tropes that you'd see in usual shoujo manga, and of course lots of tropes that you usually see in YA lit.
I liked that appearances in this book are really focussed on--I can barely remember much about what Katie looks like, except that she's blond and that she isn't that worried about her looks, I think. But I do know what Tomohiro looks like...and he acts totally like guys in shoujo manga......
So I can't complain about that.
And really, I don't have much to complain about this time round since my expectations were different, since I don't know why I felt that because this book was set in a country that other books are usually not set in, I didn't need to have the same expectations.
I'll say though that there is a plot to all this, even if I think combining it with Yakuza to make it seem more dangerous also didn't feel extremely dangerous (I was a little unconvinced). And then there were the other ink users. So there was a lot of plot and things happening in this book that normal book ones don't have. So that made it interesting.
But other than the japaneseness, this is a pretty typical YA book.
Favourite parts: The Japan setting, Tomohiro (even if he's a typical male guy, I like an asian love interest every once in a while since I don't see many of those around who are not goths, and not disguising their asianness with something else), the mythology (I really like mythology from Japan).
Not so favourite parts: The romance between Katie and Tomohiro (sure it happened over like a three month period but I thought it happened a bit fast. Like she went from 'like' to 'love' wayyyyyy too quickly, and Tomo, dude, you just broke up with your girlfriend whom you loved and already....????). I wasn't entirely convinced with the whole Yakuza and other ink user plot...but that would developed in the sequels I presume, so can't say much about it.
Overall. A good read for the mythology, even the romance if one likes how instantaneous it was. I started reading this in the bookstore and really got into it, before some things ticked me off (when I picked it up to read later on) and then other things held my attention in the story.
renma13's review against another edition
3.0
The full review can also be found on my blog here.
---
*original rating: 2.5 stars*
Here's a short summary of what I thought about Ink:
I liked it. But then I didn’t.
Okay, I’m going to list the things I liked and didn’t like about this book, because it could have been so much better, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.
What I Liked:
- The magical drawings. I loved imagining how Tomohiro’s drawings would come to life in Ink. It’s something I’ve never read in other books before. Plus, the photos that came with the book were very pretty as well.
- The way Japan was described/written. The description definitely made me feel like I was in Japan, and it was easy for me to imagine their surroundings by the descriptions given.It was even like watching anime in my head. (That’s a good thing, by the way.) (Well, as an otaku.)
- Jun. I love Jun. 'Nuff said 'cause he's the only one I actually like in this book. (And I love his blond streak.)
What I Didn’t Like:
- Katie Greene. Which is ABSOLUTELY NOT GOOD. Because, duh, she’s the protagonist here. Katie climbs up a tree just to tease Tomohiro for no reason. And she forgives Tomohiro after he attempts to rape her because he "did it to save her” (this is so wrong in so many levels, by the way). And, Katie hates Jun so much even though Jun is obviously the only character in the book that’s in his sane mind. JUN JUST WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAFE AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. LISTEN TO THE GUY, YOU BREADSTICKS. Love definitely makes some people stupid.
- Some scenes come off as “overly-cheesy.” Which, in my opinion, didn’t bother me much during my first few chapters. Then after a while, I got annoyed. Unfortunately, the book becomes too cheesy and the actions of the characters (especially Katie) become too irrelevant and nonsensical. Such scenes can be found in common shoujo animes/mangas, and sometimes those animes/mangas pull those scenes off properly, but Ink didn’t. Not for me.
- It focuses too much on romance. I feel like Ink focuses too much on romance and not much on the mythology this book also includes. I’d love to know more about the so-called “paper gods” because I think I was only explained a little about them, but unfortunately I feel like I’ll know more about it if I read the following books instead. Sigh.
- THAT. ENDING. (Spoilers ahead. Click the spoiler tag at your own risk.)
* * *
I have a lot of things I disliked about Ink than otherwise, which is a bit sad because I really thought I’d enjoy this book. I tried contemplating on giving this book a solid three stars, but I just don’t think it deserves that much. So… I’ll just lower it down to a 2.5. :/
---
*original rating: 2.5 stars*
Here's a short summary of what I thought about Ink:
I liked it. But then I didn’t.
Okay, I’m going to list the things I liked and didn’t like about this book, because it could have been so much better, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.
What I Liked:
- The magical drawings. I loved imagining how Tomohiro’s drawings would come to life in Ink. It’s something I’ve never read in other books before. Plus, the photos that came with the book were very pretty as well.
- The way Japan was described/written. The description definitely made me feel like I was in Japan, and it was easy for me to imagine their surroundings by the descriptions given.
- Jun. I love Jun. 'Nuff said 'cause he's the only one I actually like in this book. (And I love his blond streak.)
What I Didn’t Like:
- Katie Greene. Which is ABSOLUTELY NOT GOOD. Because, duh, she’s the protagonist here. Katie climbs up a tree just to tease Tomohiro for no reason. And she forgives Tomohiro after he attempts to rape her because he "did it to save her” (this is so wrong in so many levels, by the way). And, Katie hates Jun so much even though Jun is obviously the only character in the book that’s in his sane mind. JUN JUST WANTS EVERYONE TO BE SAFE AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. LISTEN TO THE GUY, YOU BREADSTICKS. Love definitely makes some people stupid.
- Some scenes come off as “overly-cheesy.” Which, in my opinion, didn’t bother me much during my first few chapters. Then after a while, I got annoyed. Unfortunately, the book becomes too cheesy and the actions of the characters (especially Katie) become too irrelevant and nonsensical. Such scenes can be found in common shoujo animes/mangas, and sometimes those animes/mangas pull those scenes off properly, but Ink didn’t. Not for me.
- It focuses too much on romance. I feel like Ink focuses too much on romance and not much on the mythology this book also includes. I’d love to know more about the so-called “paper gods” because I think I was only explained a little about them, but unfortunately I feel like I’ll know more about it if I read the following books instead. Sigh.
- THAT. ENDING. (Spoilers ahead. Click the spoiler tag at your own risk.)
Spoiler
And I’m not saying this as a good thing, either. Katie is finally flying back to her grandparents, but oh, she loves Tomohiro so much that she can’t leave him and runs away from the airport at the last minute and goes back to her home in Japan. Uhm, has anybody heard of Facebook? I’m pretty sure Facebook already exists from whenever this book was set in. Or at least the internet finally exists in this book’s world. THERE’S THIS THING ABOUT LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS AND THEN MEETING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE AFTER, LIKE, MAYBE TWO OR THREE MONTHS?? Poor grandparents.* * *
I have a lot of things I disliked about Ink than otherwise, which is a bit sad because I really thought I’d enjoy this book. I tried contemplating on giving this book a solid three stars, but I just don’t think it deserves that much. So… I’ll just lower it down to a 2.5. :/
bluebeereads's review against another edition
2.0
This review was originally posted on Istyria book blog.
*I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
You know that situation when a book looks awesome and sounds awesome and it turns out to be awesome? Yeah, this was not like that. The cover is gorgeous, the blurb makes it sound like a great read, but after reading it all I feel is... disappointment.
This book had everything going for it. A great cover, a seemingly original and brilliant concept and it's set in Japan. But where did it go wrong? Well... to many YA cliches. Outcast, ordinary heroine who's actually not that ordinary at all, 'badboy' hero with a secret and a complicated or painful past who pushes the heroine away because he's dangerous, other hot guy that is just as hot and mysterious as the first one but nice, best friends who also get ditched by the heroine because she wants to be with the badboy, insta-love, forbidden love,... Yep, sad to say all of those are in there. This is just one of those books where high expectations don't pay off. At all. But it was so hard not to have them because it just sounded so very very good. And then I read it and it was just... not good.
I read in a review that this book was similar to Twilight for him/her and I have to say... I agree. For all the reasons she mentions. I mean... The cliches above alone are enough for me to see that.
Okay, the good thing in this book and the reason it got 2 stars from me, is the beginning. Mainly because it was nice to have a story take place in Japan for a change. I liked the culture in it, even though I don't know much about it to begin with, so I don't know if it the author got it all right or not, but I liked it none the less.
That didn't change the fact that it just turned out to be not as original as it seemed when I found this book on Netgalley and with that all the cliches that I'm so tired of seeing in books. I liked Katie the first few chapters, but after that she was just another Mary Sue and even a bit of a stalker at times. The guy, Tomohiro, reminded me a lot of Edward. Sure, he's Asian and the powers are different, but all the rest is the same.
The supernatural in this book wasn't what I had hoped for at all. Again I had big hopes for some epic thing with the drawings and the ink, but then it was just.... meh.
If you like all those cliches or don't care about them, you might like this book a lot more then I did. If you hate the cliches, don't even bother reading it. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is in my opinion. For me this book was just one big pile of 'meh'.
*I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
You know that situation when a book looks awesome and sounds awesome and it turns out to be awesome? Yeah, this was not like that. The cover is gorgeous, the blurb makes it sound like a great read, but after reading it all I feel is... disappointment.
This book had everything going for it. A great cover, a seemingly original and brilliant concept and it's set in Japan. But where did it go wrong? Well... to many YA cliches. Outcast, ordinary heroine who's actually not that ordinary at all, 'badboy' hero with a secret and a complicated or painful past who pushes the heroine away because he's dangerous, other hot guy that is just as hot and mysterious as the first one but nice, best friends who also get ditched by the heroine because she wants to be with the badboy, insta-love, forbidden love,... Yep, sad to say all of those are in there. This is just one of those books where high expectations don't pay off. At all. But it was so hard not to have them because it just sounded so very very good. And then I read it and it was just... not good.
I read in a review that this book was similar to Twilight for him/her and I have to say... I agree. For all the reasons she mentions. I mean... The cliches above alone are enough for me to see that.
Okay, the good thing in this book and the reason it got 2 stars from me, is the beginning. Mainly because it was nice to have a story take place in Japan for a change. I liked the culture in it, even though I don't know much about it to begin with, so I don't know if it the author got it all right or not, but I liked it none the less.
That didn't change the fact that it just turned out to be not as original as it seemed when I found this book on Netgalley and with that all the cliches that I'm so tired of seeing in books. I liked Katie the first few chapters, but after that she was just another Mary Sue and even a bit of a stalker at times. The guy, Tomohiro, reminded me a lot of Edward. Sure, he's Asian and the powers are different, but all the rest is the same.
The supernatural in this book wasn't what I had hoped for at all. Again I had big hopes for some epic thing with the drawings and the ink, but then it was just.... meh.
If you like all those cliches or don't care about them, you might like this book a lot more then I did. If you hate the cliches, don't even bother reading it. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is in my opinion. For me this book was just one big pile of 'meh'.
ritafcasal's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book! I read it just because I had never read a story that took place in Japan and although this was from the point of view of an american girl it still allowed me to pick up a few things here and there about japanese culture and let me tell you, I LOVED learning new words. I'm not entirely sure I'll ever use those japanese expressions but I loved it.
Also, the fact that this is about the Kami is amazing. I had no idea what that was and it thrilled me to learn about it because it is such a cool concept.
The plot line I'll admit isn't particularly interesting but I will definitely keep reading this series.
Also, the fact that this is about the Kami is amazing. I had no idea what that was and it thrilled me to learn about it because it is such a cool concept.
The plot line I'll admit isn't particularly interesting but I will definitely keep reading this series.
hdbblog's review against another edition
4.0
I'll be straightforward with you and explain that the reason I picked Ink up in the first place was that it was set in Japan. I love Japanese mythology, and I definitely love Fantasy reads. Needless to say, I was really excited to read this book. I couldn't wait to see where Katie Greene's new life in Japan would take me.
It was so interesting to watch Katie as she settled into her new life. I can't imagine living in another country, much less one where the language is still new. I felt her reactions to everything were really spot on. In fact, I can't deny that I liked Katie immensely. She was kind, honest, and just sarcastic enough to create some lightheartedness for the story. When Tomo came into the picture, I knew things were headed in a fabulous direction. A boy with a dangerous side, who Katie just can't stop thinking about? Yes, please!
Japan was a gorgeous setting for this story. It's really obvious that Amanda Sun did her research on the culture and the mythology laid out between these pages. Katie's new home comes to life on the pages. I could see the cherry blossoms, feel the breeze, and fell in love with the descriptions of her surroundings. If I didn't already love everything about Japan, I know I'd be intrigued after reading this. It was a perfect backdrop for all the dark, menacing events that take place.
The absolute only thing that I had a problem with was the slow beginning. Some of Katie's reactions to Tomo were a little over the top, but I was willing to forgive them for the most part. Once everything took off, once I learned what Tomo's dark secret was, I was lost in the story. The story is wonderful, the setting is perfect, and I definitely enjoyed reading Ink.
It was so interesting to watch Katie as she settled into her new life. I can't imagine living in another country, much less one where the language is still new. I felt her reactions to everything were really spot on. In fact, I can't deny that I liked Katie immensely. She was kind, honest, and just sarcastic enough to create some lightheartedness for the story. When Tomo came into the picture, I knew things were headed in a fabulous direction. A boy with a dangerous side, who Katie just can't stop thinking about? Yes, please!
Japan was a gorgeous setting for this story. It's really obvious that Amanda Sun did her research on the culture and the mythology laid out between these pages. Katie's new home comes to life on the pages. I could see the cherry blossoms, feel the breeze, and fell in love with the descriptions of her surroundings. If I didn't already love everything about Japan, I know I'd be intrigued after reading this. It was a perfect backdrop for all the dark, menacing events that take place.
The absolute only thing that I had a problem with was the slow beginning. Some of Katie's reactions to Tomo were a little over the top, but I was willing to forgive them for the most part. Once everything took off, once I learned what Tomo's dark secret was, I was lost in the story. The story is wonderful, the setting is perfect, and I definitely enjoyed reading Ink.