Book 2): 1, Ink (The Paper Gods series

Combining a stranger in a strange land, ancient mythology and oddly morphing sketches this was a book that was filled with action and description, all setting the stage for what will be an enthralling series.

Katie's mother has recently died, and the will states that she is to live with her aunt in the city of Shizuoka Japan. Struggling with her loss, learning a new city and language, and being wholly gaijin in a city without many foreigners, Katie is lonely, depressed and understandably at odds with everything. Her first encounter with Yuu Tomohiro, the `boy with a reputation', was less than stellar, and left Katie feeling as if she was seeing things: sketches that fell from his notebook were moving.

Despite the uneasiness, Katie needs to satisfy her curiosity and follows Tomo, demanding answers. From that point forward, the ink seems to take on a life of its own.

Katie is a wonderfully written and created character: there is a core of strength and resilience within her that shines through. Her character felt honest and real: her confusions were easy to understand and feel, and despite all of the changes she was still determined to move forward and onward.

Tomo was a little more difficult to like and appreciate, sending massively mixed messages throughout the story, it took awhile for his true nature to shine through. Although Katie saw glimpses of the good boy beneath the veneer of cold-hearted slouching teen boy, for quite a while there she was the only one to see the worthwhile bits.

The Kami influence was an interesting and often scary paranormal / mythological element: weaving through the story, effects ranging from awe inspiring to deadly frightening, and there are still more questions left to answer as the story continues.

This was a highly entertaining book, Amanda Sun manages to imbue a sense of Japan through her descriptions and the often confusing, to a non-Japanese, customs and social conventions. There is a solid sense of understanding a bit more of Japan and her people, if only from one teenaged girl's perspective than one would expect. Secondary characters are all developed with enough detail to give them solid voice and presence, although this story does really focus on Tomo and Katie and their interactions and adventures.

I received a galley copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions were my own responsibility.

NOTE: I received the eARC from Netgalley. Thanks!

I read a couple of negative reviews about Ink, and I started off thinking this book would be bad. But it wasn't. None of the things I read in the reviews were true. And in fact I enjoyed it very much. It had a nice story that isn't overbearing with historical facts, too much world building or anything that could ruin the experience of the plot. There was mystery and action that really got to me so much that I stayed past midnight to finish the book.

Some bloggers say there wasn't enough Japanese culture interwoven with the story. In my opinion, there was enough. Just the right amount actually, so you wouldn't be left to grasp at straws, and you wouldn't be overburdened either.

So yeah, it was really amazing. I'm not saying there were no flaws, because there were. But hey, perfect books aren't that easy to come by.

Anyway, what I can say annoyed me a little was the stalker that Katie turned out to be. I guess she was just curious and out to hunt the mystery revolving around Tomohiro, but it still bugged me. I mean, she's a foreigner in a land she doesn't know the language of, the customs of, or anything really. And she just up and goes to follow this guy who seems to be super creepy in the beginning. Of course it's a thrill, and without her Nancy-Drew-type-of-curiosity-for-solving-a-case inclinations we wouldn't ever get to see the real side of Tomohiro and his story, but still. It was unsettling.

Also, Katie brought all those misfortunes over them both, but she only blamed Tomo. He'd been dealing with his burden on his own quite impressively, thank you very much. It was her side of the equation that didn't quite add up.

I definitely will be waiting for the next installment to come out, that's for sure! I can feel that Katie is going to grow as a character, and that gives me the jitters!

Japanese intrigue and legend come together in this fascinating YA novel.
The tension builds like the sweep of the calligraphy pen. One moment flowing musical lines, the next, staccato and angry. This off centre flow kept my attention, at once both riveted and yet dreamlike.
Much of the action is set against Sakura, the backdrop of the cherry blossoms which to my mind become an analogous reference to the flowering of the story.
Upon her mother's death Katie moves to be with her aunt in Japan.
At school she chances upon a break up confrontation between two students. The male student is Tomohiro Yuu. Katie happens to see a drawing of a girl the two were both arguing about. When the image turns its head and glares at her, Katie's world begins to change. It seems that Katie is a catalyst to Yuu's strange talent, a talent that could destroy him unless controlled.
Yuu is possibly a Kami, powerful Japanese mages whose ink and blood drawings could create alternative realities and mythical creatures. This gift has a dark side, dooming the Kami as the need to draw in ink and blood takes over their being. Their calligraphy is more cursed than blessed.
Visually prompting, the story unveiled with an anime quality that made it even more compelling.

A NetGalley ARC

This review was originally posted at [...]

Ink by Amanda Sun was actually quite a disappointing read for me. It wasn't terrible, the writing wasn't bad, but the story was just plain disappointing. The story had amazing potential but alas Ink just fell flat for me. I didn't enjoy it as much as others, but it could have also been because of my high expectations.

Katie Greene has recently moved to her Aunty's home in Japan when her Mother passed away. In a strange land, with no friends and no knowledge of the language...can life get any worse for teenager Katie Greene? Tomo is the school's Kendo team star, local unobtainable bad boy with attitude but an artist behind the scenes. Something tragic and scary stopped him from drawing in public. Can Katie break through Tomo's barriers?

After reading the above paragraph can we all guess where this story is going? If you can't, then you mustn't have read YA novels lately because this seems to be the recipe that Authors are following lately. An outcasted good girl, and the local bad boy and then their forbidden love. I'm really baffled that Amanda Sun went the route that she did with this story. The surrounding elements behind Ink is just brilliant, and so I'm not quite sure why Amanda Sun wrote the story how she did. The strong elements of set in Japan, moving sketches that come to life and become dangerous with Japanese mythology thrown into the mix, how can you seriously go wrong, but Amanda took the elements she created and then went back to the normal recipe of YA novels, so despite having interesting and original elements, the story of Ink went back to just being another YA book with unoriginal story lines and characters.

However, I still liked some parts of Ink, most especially Amanda Sun's description of Japanese life, explaining the connections to Japanese mythology, although I had wished she had touched on this a bit more, and she may very well do in the sequel. Amanda Sun's knowledge of Japan and the lifestyle in Japan is astounding and I really enjoyed getting lost in the surrounding that she created.

Ink by Amanda Sun is a well loved idea, but the story itself and the characters fell disappointingly flat for me. I was looking forward to reading Ink and maybe my high expectation was to blame for my disappointment but after reading the book description, what I expected from Ink is totally what I didn't get out of it, not even close. However, Amanda's writing is good, beautiful even, but the plot line was just bland considering the elements she had to work with, she could have done so much more with this story. I will still be picking up the novella and sequel, just to give this series another chance, because like I said, I love the idea behind this novel, and I am hoping that the execution and story itself gets better.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the Author/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

*an eARC was provided by publisher in exchange of an honest review*

When I saw Ink on NetGalley, I just had to check it out. I mean, have you seen the cover? It's so beautiful and unique! But when I read the blurb, I hesitated. Paper gods? Moving ink? It sounded like a far cry from what I usually read, but then I thought, maybe I should give it a try. I'm happy I did!

Ink is about Katie, a sixteen year old girl who moves to Japan to live with her aunt after her mother dies. There, she struggles with the language, homesickness and the loss of her mother, until Tomohiro enters the picture. Tomo is a gorgeous but cold guy, when Katie accidentally witnesses one of his drawings move, she knows there is more to him. Determined to uncover his secrets Katie finds that she is connected to him in more ways than the loss of their mothers.

I loved Ink! Before I started reading it I didn't know what to expect, but once I dived in I couldn't put it down. The action started from the first chapter and it continued on until the end, surprises being dropped all the time and I could never predict what was going to happen next which made the book all the more mysterious. But mystery was not all the book had going. There is also the romance, and guys, I have a new book boyfriend! Tomo is gorgeous, has that snark that I'm such a sucker for and he's swoon-worthy! He was a jerk to Katie when they met first, but he was hiding a big secret, an under that tough facade, he was scared of what he was hiding, of what it was doing to him and he didn't want anyone to get close to him so they wouldn't get hurt. Both characters were easy to love and relate to, both struggled with something and their actions were real.

After the ending of Ink, I'm dying to get my hands on the next book in the series. It was a fun book, unique and I enjoyed every second of it. I recommend it to everyone who wants a great book with a mix of reality and fantasy.

Summary:
Katie is forced to move across to Japan after her parent's death. At first she struggles with this new culture, but then she witnesses a huge break-up. She instantly falls in love with the man in the break-up, Tomohiro. Tomohiro wields this power and Katie is drawn by the moving pictures he creates. She soon begins stalking him blowing off any responsibility to follow him around. At first Tomohiro does everything he can to get rid of her, but then he gives up and admits that he was instantly in love with her as well. Then the two of them go on an adventure together.

My thoughts:
I don't like Katie. It's hard to spend so much time with a character that you never like. She creeped me out more than anything else. I could never really get into her, so that took me out of most of the book. I also didn't really like Tomohiro, so really the love story was just not great for me. What was redeemable and I really liked was the culture and setting mixed throughout the novel. That actually made the whole book worth finishing. First, I disagree that other reviewers stated the writing was plain. I felt like the writing of each place of Japan really pulled me in. Her prose was beautiful and I could picture entire places or small cherry blossoms based upon those words. I also loved how she was true to each custom. The culture came alive and was worth reading about. I could believe this to be almost a historical fiction based upon how well the world and culture was built. I really wished that I enjoyed the characters.

There are two reasons to read INK: either you love YA paranormal romances or you're interested in Japan and its culture (ie, you like manga and anime). If you're not a fan of YA paranormal romances and have only the slightest interest in Japan (ie, aren't into manga and anime), INK isn't worth reading. What makes this book interesting is its Japanese setting; there aren't many YA books set in Japan. Furthermore, Amanda Sun has spent time in Japan, and it shows. The setting is richly drawn; Sun's Japan doesn't feel like a renamed America. The novel is peppered with the occasional Japanese word or phrase, most of which is familiar to an anime watcher, although sometimes, the use of Japanese seems weird. Like, why would Katie in the narrative refer to a cell phone as a "keitai"?

Otherwise? It's a fairly standard plot with little surprises. Katie is your typical heroine; she doesn't always make the best choices, which includes becoming too enamoured too fast of a mysterious teen guy with a dangerous secret. There's lots of drama and lots of questions left unanswered because there will be a sequel. Sun isn't a bad writer, but the novel's selling point is definitely its setting and use of Japanese mythology. I'm probably interested enough to check out the sequel when it's released.

Ink
Amanda Sun
Harlequin Teen, Jun 25 2013, $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210718

With the death of her mother, grieving Katie Greene leaves the States to live with her Aunt Diane in Shizuoka, Japan. Besides mourning her loss, Katie feels like a total outsider as she speaks English only and knows none of the local customs including shoes and slippers etiquette.

At school, she is drawn to Tomohiro the artist and kendo star who seems to detest her as he keeps his distance from Katie. However, when they are near, they are explosive together and not just because of their attraction to each other. Katie witnesses his ink drawings come to life as he has the ancient power of the Kami and she enhances his skill. While the Yakuza plots to control the pair for their profit, Katie and Tomo must learn to control the Ink or else.

Though pictures may be worth a thousand words, Ink is a fabulous young adult Japanese urban fantasy (drawings included) that will remind readers of the movie Inkheart. The American heroine is terrific as she struggles with local customs, her attraction, Yakuza and the Ink while the Japanese artist deals with the same except for the local customs. Although the teen romance never quite gels as strong as the Ink collaborations, readers will enjoy Amanda Sun's fascinating romantic thriller.

Harriet Klausner

*I was provided with an electronic copy of this book from the author and Harlequin (UK) Limited in return of an honest review. No monetary compensation was provided in this exchange.*

Ink is, by far, one of the most creative stories that have been released this 2013. It is the story of Katie Greene, who finds herself recently transferred across the world and living in Japan with her English teacher aunt after the death of her mother. To Katie, Japan is a mystery - new language, new culture, new people. Not only does living in Japan represent her inability to truly belong, but it is also a constant reminder of what she has lost, and her struggles in dealing with the loss of her mother.

Enter Yuu Tomohiro - gorgeous, mysterious, and incredibly talented in the arts of drawing and calligraphy. In Tomohiro, Katie finds a companion. She accompanies him as he draws and becomes attached to the undeniably handsome Kendo fighter. Only Tomohiro has secrets of his own... and his inability to keep Katie away brings into light a truth within Japanese history that has long been forgotten. And it has put them both in incredible danger.

The art in this book is undeniably beautiful. I looked forward to the drawings and it was wonderful to see literature combine different forms of art in the way that Amanda Sun has. The concept of the story itself was so creative and fantastic, but there was just a lot within the story itself that had no originality, most especially in the main characters themselves. Katie is a typical YA heroine, defenceless and weak and often too curious for her own good. The romance between Katie and Tomo was rushed and I just didn't believe in their feelings and their relationship. The climax was... anticlimatic. I thought a lot more would result. A lot of cliches and stereotypes within YA novels are present in this story, which disappointed me as I had high hopes for it.

Despite this, Amanda Sun's writing is wonderful and I enjoyed the glimpse at Japan and it's culture, both topics that I do not have a large amount of knowledge about. I hope to see some real character development in the later books as well as a real depth to the relationship between Katie and Tomo. To fans of Japanese mangas and stories, Ink is definitely worth checking out.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Katie Greene grew up in New York with her mom, but ends up having to move to Japan to live with her aunt after her mom passes away. It is a difficult transition, but Katie meets a mysterious boy who seems to have powers over the drawings he creates.

My favorite part of the book was getting to experience the Japanese culture/words throughout the book. And the descriptions of all the food! The mythology of the Kami was also interesting, although I don't know how much and what parts of it were made up by the author.

I was provided a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book revolves around the life of a teenaged gaijin in Japan (Katie), her adjustment to the culture and her involvement with peers and the supernatural. I found it riveting from the beginning to end. I wasn't sure if this was a five star book however it kept me up until 3 AM reading. I could not put it down.

The author Sun writes character, culture and plot in a very engaging way. I was particularly moved by how accurate her portrayal was of teens who had lost a parent. I lost my parents as a teenager and the separation and difference from everyone else is very real. Sun captures that perfectly.

I know enough Japanese to get by with the book but there is a glossary in the back for those who find the language references a challenge. The realism of the writing, the cover and interior illustrations plus the sense of Japan all combined to make this a terrific reading experience. I cared about the characters and they felt 3 dimensional to me.

I have already ordered the prequel and pre-ordered the sequel so I guess 5 stars it is!

Intrigung premise, and the Japanese background is well done, as is Katie's problems with adjusting and fitting in on top of losing her mother and the only family and home she's ever known. She adapts reluctantly, not appreciating her aunt's enrouragement and support at first. However, she makes a couple friends, begins to enjoy the food and learn the language, explores the culture, and meets Tomohiro, the mysterious artist and kendo student, along with his friends. She focuses on him--and his mysterious and sometimes animated drawings. Her life soon becomes more confused and dangerous.

My favorite character was Jun, who rescues her--more than once, but has an agenda of his own. I hope Katie and Tomohiro get an agenda together! And I'd like to see more sympathetic drawings... Possibly the sequel(s) will be more interesting. Her change of mind at the end was too abrupt, I thought. I appreciated the glossary of Japanese words and phrases for those who might be interested. And the cover is truly a work of art; it fits the story perfectly.

So I’ve been interested in Japan and Japanese culture for some time, so when I heard about this YA Fantasy set in Shizuoka, I was immediately intrigued. The Japanese backdrop in INK was so beautifully incorporated that I wanted to hop on a plane and visit immediately after finishing the book. Add in a unique mythology, hot Japanese boys, kendo, a pace that has you flipping pages quickly, and a complicated, realistic romance to boot, and I didn’t hesitate to give it five stars.

As a side note, I actually recommend picking up the print copy of this book. Not only is the cover (and texture of the cover) entirely perfect, but there are sketches throughout the book including little flip-the-page type animations in the corners of the pages that were really nice finishing touches that would not have been the same in an e-copy.

I really enjoyed this book, but there were certain parts of the book that just kind of bugged me. I didn't like how Katie, the main character, would ask Tomohiro such personal questions when they barely knew each other. I also didn't like how she just plain out stalked him. If I was Tomohiro I would have thought she was crazy and avoid her as best I could.
However, after about the first half of the book I became very interested and couldn't put the book down. After I finished it, I went out the next morning as soon as Barnes and Noble opened to buy the sequel.
At first I struggled a little bit with the bit of Japanese that was put in the book, but then actually found it very interesting and learned a bit from it. It was also helpful that there is a Japanese to English translation of the words in the back. I also loved how the author put in a lot about the Japanese culture, I was always learning something new with this book.
This book was very unique and nothing like I'd ever read or even heard of before. The story line with the ink actually held my interest until the end. It's nice to read something with a completely new concept to me, it was very refreshing.
Over all I would recommend this book to others, it might have a slightly slow beginning, but it definitely picks up through out the book.

The use of Japan as a setting and Japanese mythology was a great choice in this book, and the illustrations that complimented all of that greatly. Not only was the setting beautiful and exotic compared to most YA book that take place in a Western setting, but the artsy style of the book enhanced it. I wish I could say the same for the main characters. While I liked Tomohiro well enough, in the standard mysterious-romantic-interest way, I couldn't stand Katie. She did exactly what I hate the most in some of the YA female protagonists: wallowing in her depression (ok, it's not totally without reason, but I feel like it's so cliche now), abandoning all her friends, and focusing all of her remaining energy on this mysterious guy. Yuck!

Ink is now being resting on my “Disappointments of 2013” shelf. What stands out about this one as compared to the others it’s shelved with is that there isn’t really anything wrong with the book. I have a handful of things that I need in a book, that being that a story needs to be coherently written, the plot needs to make sense, and the characters have to be reasonably believable. And I didn’t have any of those problems with Ink -- the writing is fine, the story goes in a logical direction, and the characters aren’t completely unrealistic in their decisions or personalities. The big problem I had with Ink can be explained with an analogy: it’s like having nothing but green jolly ranchers your whole life, and then suddenly having a blue jolly rancher. It’s exciting at first, but at the end, it’s still another jolly rancher. Ink is another paranormal romance, but with the twist of being set in Japan with Japanese mythology as the magical element.

What really makes Ink a true disappointment for me is that it could have been so good. The book started off on the right foot, exploring the differences between Japan and life in the United States, and showing it through the eyes of a seventeen year old girl. Katie as a character came off a little generic at first, but she was bearable. When the romance started to bud, however, everything went downhill. That spark from the beginning all but disappears; we’re still in Japan, but the newness is gone from Katie’s perspective. That perspective was what was making the book stand out in the sea of paranormal romance and the loss of it made the book suffer.

I think I would’ve been happier with the book focusing on the romance, if there had been some chemistry. I felt nothing when reading the romantic buildup between Tomohiro and Katie. But these things tend to depend greatly on the person reading, so I can’t honestly say that others won’t appreciate this aspect of the book. I didn’t; I thought Katie was a bit weird in her courtship methods (stalking) and that there was no insight into what Tomohiro would have seen in her. She’s not especially witty in their conversations or anything. The only thing she has going for her is that she’s the intriguing foreigner. From where I was sitting, I concluded any attraction from Tomohiro’s perspective was purely physical. I need something more to make my heart skip a beat, but who am I to judge true book love?

Ink was not for me, but it might still be for you. If you like the paranormal romance genre as a whole and are interested in Japan, you probably will like this book. To me, it felt incredibly generic. It’s like Twilight wearing a kimono, but with less sparkle. I would recommend it to someone who either has read a ton of paranormal romance books and loves the genre through and through, or someone a little newer (who’s not as jaded as me).

When Katie Greene walks out of school still wearing her slippers, her friends warn her not to go back inside, that there's a nasty breakup happening in the hallway. But she can't go home without her shoes, so she slips inside, hoping that she won't be noticed by the arguing couple. She's already struggling to fit into the school in Japan and to learn the language. The last thing she needs is for them to see her.

Those concerns are quickly forgotten when Tomohiro's notebook lands on the floor beside her and she sees one of his drawings look back at her....

I was completely pulled into the book's world, where drawings can move and bite and lift off of the page. Ink is the first book in the Paper Gods Series by Amanda Sun. I'll be keeping an eye out for the second one.

As others have said, Katie is a difficult heroine. I usually want to like the main character but she was hard to like. She made choices that made her seem immature and shallow. Of course, at 52, it's hard for me to remember my own actions at that age. Perhaps I was the same.

The writing makes this book sing. Weaving in folklore and the essence of Japanese culture via words,Sun builds a world I can fall into. I liked that a lot. While there was enough obsession and "boom you're in love" to make a Twilight fan shriek in joy, I managed to get past that. The obsession was a bit creepy to be honest.

Would I read another one? Yes, I would. I liked Sun's voice enough to forgive obsessive, mentally unstable (okay she only seemed that way) heroines. :D

Wow! If you're looking for a new unique adventure to read and explore then get your head into this book ... when I got INK to review I didn't really know what to expect but as soon as I opened the front cover I knew this story would be right up my street. INK covers many things that spark my interest such as action, romance and a unique twist making the book have a more interesting appeal we also get to learn the history of Japanese life and many words from their language.

Katie is the main character in INK however ... her life has been turned in to a rollercoaster of changes since her mother dies. She is moved to a brand new place where she needs to learn a whole new way of living which kept you constantly on your feet; at the very beginning Katie doubts herself as she believes she does not fit in to the Japanese culture but DAMN is she wrong she may not look or sound the part but she may just be more involved in the Japanese lifestyle then she knows...

At one moment throughout I felt like I was placed inside of this amazing ongoing adventure. I felt as if I was getting told of by Diane e.g. for being late home and being questioned about where I am and who I am with. many emotions also ran through my body when she spent the night with Yuu Tomohiro as all I felt was a rush of panic run through my body when Diane nearly caught her out on the phone. My emotions always went from one drastic feeling to another such as shock, sadness, anger and pure awe.

INK by Amanda Sun is one marvellous read !!!

Plot/Setting:

After the death of her mom Katie Greene moves to Japan to live with her Aunt Diane who is a English teacher. All Katie wants is to go live with her Grandparents in Canada and escape Japan. However, all chances of returning to normalcy vanishes when she witnesses Yuuto Tomohiro break up with his girlfriend and sees one of his drawings moves.

Ink is Amanda Sun's debut novel and a start to a new series called the 'Paper Gods'. It was an amazing book and I highly recommend it. The author steps out of a North American/or fictional setting and takes reader to a whole new country, writes about it culture, foods and the hardship Katie faces with language barriers and cultural differences. Readers are able to leave there comfort zone and embrace something new. I cannot think of one other book that focuses on someone from North America going to Japan.

This paranormal-romance debut is unlike others in that Amanda Sun has skipped the norm (vampires, werewolves etc;) and brought to light Japanese mythology which I haven't seen present before in recent YA novels. This makes Ink stand out from others recently released in that genre.

The book is fast paste and easy to understand. There is a Japanese glossary in the back to translate the Japanese words.

The plot is well done and flows nicely throughout the book. However, I felt that there could of been more action involved.

Characters:
YA needs more asian boys :D Man...Tohomohiro is so sexy. Ever since I found out this novel was being released, thanks to Goodreads, I had been patiently awaiting it release date because a) I am moving to Japan this fall for University and b) sexy asian boy as the main love interest ^_^

Katie: Katie is very much a brave, determined, curious and headstrong character. She is the type that runs towards danger without thinking it through. Also given with all her hardships (mother death, moving to foreign country, learning a new language) she does pretty well and does not give up. I did not find myself, as a reader, annoyed with Katie at all. I personally envied her and found her quite enjoyable as a protagonist. However, during the Love Hotel scene I wanted to shake her and say "connect the dots".

Tomohiro: ^_^ He has got the whole "I'm in pain", bad-boy, confident and modest thing going on and I liked it. I really felt a lot of sympathy towards his character and there were times when I wanted to hug him, shake him and say 'your awesome' and then there were moments when I wanted to beat the crap out of him. However, Tomohiro always puts others above himself and that is enviable quality. However, I think he needs to be a bit more selfish and realize he is super awesome.

Also bonus...my best friend (she is japanese) is in a relationship with a guy and for the life of me I could never remember his name. However, thanks to Ink I can since the first part of his, first name, is Tomo :D

Jun: I am conflicted at who I like more...Jun or Tomohiro.

Yuki, Tanaka, Diane: the side characters were the best. Yuki and Tanaka cracked me up. Diane tries so hard to make Katie fit into her life in Japan. She also pushes Katie to cross new boundaries (learn a new language) and helps Katie develop into a better person :D

Yakuza: I hope we learn more about them in the next book ^_^

Artwork:

This a paperback book...and it has the most awesome artwork both on the cover and inside the book. Readers will be delighted to find flip art ^_^ I really wanted there to be more of that and hope the second book will have it as well.

I am actually excited to see what the second book will look like.

Also the book contains Q&A with the artists, the author , discussion questions and a sneak peak at Book #2. BTW when is book #2 coming out. I do not think I can wait a whole year haha !!

Overall:

This is definitely a book that everyone should be on the lookout for. I finished this a week ago and I am still replaying it in my head.

The Author gets points for bringing something new to the paranormal romance genre, stepping outside of YA normal boundaries and making the readers starve to death as they read about all the delicious foods they are missing out on.

Things I did not like: could of been more action, a little more physical descriptions of the characters and some of the places around them

Thing I loved: all the characters, flip art, storyline, the japanese glossary, cover and the japanese mythology.

This book definitely deserves 5 stars :D

With a beautiful cover and a highly original premise - and set in a foreign land, no less - Ink couldn't have sounded more exciting. It was compelling and introduced new mythology, but unfortunately, much of this was overwhelmed by the romance. It wasn't horrible, as some romances can get, but still, I'm more than certain that the book would have been more enjoyable had it delivered what it'd promised in the synopsis.

After her mother's death, Katie Greene is shipped across the world to Japan, where her aunt lives. But while this may be a foreign land with its own culture and language, high school isn't all that different. Katie walks in on a very nasty breakup between the kendo star Tomohiro and his girlfriend one day, and after seeing a picture move in Tomohiro's sketchbook, things aren't the same again. And now Katie is torn: her old life, or a new one here, in Japan, with Tomohiro, where something deadly is brewing and threatening to take away the boy she loves?

Ink is a difficult book to review, mostly because my thoughts on it are plenty mixed. On one hand, Amanda Sun has crafted a unique story that kept me reading - as well as rolling my eyes. I loved how Sun integrated some Japanese mythology into her book; it was interesting to read, but was often overshadowed by Katie and Tomohiro. This wasn't automatically a peeve for me at first, because I actually found the romance to be quite absorbing! I did find that how Katie and Tomo kept bumping into each other a little too convenient for my liking, though, and the "instant attraction" they had soon turned into a form of insta-love. I felt that the story began to focus too much on the romance instead of the actual plot, and that was where Ink went downhill.

Katie was quite likable in the beginning - I could sympathize with her, being the only white girl in a school full of Japanese, and being unable to communicate well. She was that kind of person that was easy to like and connect with. As the story progressed, however, it became apparent that she'd gone through some major personality changes: stalking Tomohiro across Shizuoka, finding out all she could about him, and ignoring what her friends said about him: that he was dangerous and had ties to one of Japan's many gangs. Cliché, no? Thankfully, Tomo turned out to be a decent enough love interest, even when the romance escalated into "I can't live without you" and self-sacrifice.

One thing I found myself hoping over and over again was that there were more illustrations. Ink has drawings from Tomo's sketchbook, but not nearly enough! Admittedly, much on Ink focuses on romance than the actual plot, so I suppose it's to be expected.

I wouldn't say that Ink is a bad book, per se. There certainly is room for improvement, but I did enjoy reading this to some extent. But if you go into this book expecting action and wanting to experience Japanese fantasy, you might end up disappointed. As for me, I was invested enough into the story to want to read the second book, despite the many flaws in the first.

When Katie meets Tomo, she's infatuated by him, and, like many teen girls, takes her young love obsession a bit too far. Tomo quickly becomes Katie's everything, although he's not always aware of it. As she takes to following him around, she slowly gets to know not only more about him but also thus new culture she's been shocked into as well as the supernatural one he is a part of. Interesting and original premise with great backdrop and history although Katie could have used more character herself. Still, I'd recommend it over so many of the same old American back drop ya stories that seem to pile up, fresh and "new"!

From the beginning of this story I was captivated. I have always been interested in Japanese culture, and it was my first time reading about it from the point of view of an American. It made it more realistic for me, for it was more relatable.

I found myself drawn to Katie, the way she was written made her easy to connect with and kept the story more interesting. It was as if I was experiencing it with her.

So far I have enjoyed both Shadow and Ink, and I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series.

5/5 platypires!

Full review at Fire and Ice [...]

I first spotted this book on Netgalley and LOVED the cover as my grandmother is a Japanese watercolor painter, plus I spent a summer in Japan. But I figured I would hold off until BEA to get a paper version and see if there were other illustrations inside. (There are a few illustrations inside, but they were not at all like the cover and very elementary)

I finished out my only day there and didn't see a copy. Then Katie from Katie's Book Blog reached into her bad as we were waiting for the shuttle and pulled out a copy "Would you be interested in a copy INK?" Can you say serendipity? Thanks Katie!

What drew me to Ink? The multi sensory writing that immerses you in the art, culture and nature of Japan. Since I lived in a Shinto shrine I found the premise fascinating, but I wish it would have been expanded on much, much more.

The mythology of a Kami, a Japanese God that can make drawings come to life and the girl who makes the ink more powerful by her presence.

The Japanese language used throughout the entire book which drew me back there and was authentic., However, at times it was heavy haded and would be a huge turnoff for a reader not at all familiar with Japan. Use the glossary in the back of the book! I had no idea it was there until I was all done reading.

The characters are very multi faceted and well written. There are some magical scenes when you can just see it all coming to life. I think fans of Manga/ Japanese illustrated novels will like Ink.

What I struggled with? The main character Tomohiro, kendo star and bad boy with a reputation. He keeps doing things that are down right jerky. I keep thinking the relationship he has with Katie will tip his behavior to the plus side and he will become more caring. Doesn't happen! Even at the end of the book and character arc, I want her to stay FAR FAR away from him. Why, oh why do you see and hear him doing scary things and you keep following him?!

Katie, main heroine is drawn to Tomohiro and ditches her good friends to be with him even though there are so many red flags. She starts breaking rules and lying to her aunt and guardian, then comes back to him repeatedly when he himself warns her to stay away.

Content wise there is a lot of swearing, pretty serious violence including sword and guns, teenage pregnancy, a couple sleepover without parents, mention of a love hotel and a dark overall feel.

Would I buy it? No, this is a check it out from the library or borrow it kind of book because as you read the reviews they are very polarized... you will either love it or hate it.

Reading INK was like watching someone test the water with their toes. The potential for a great story was within the author's grasp, but I didn't feel like she was willing to part from the comforts of YA cliches. The setting and culture of Japan was kept at arms length from the reader, since the narrator was neither a native nor wanted to become one. There's a huge difference between watching a foreign movie with subtitles and a foreign movie "Americanized" (try watching both versions of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO). This book was the latter.

I keep reading reviews, especially of YA novels, criticizing a book because the reader doesn't like the main character. Since when does a flawed character make the book bad? Do these teen readers really want only likeable characters in their books? Where then would the message and purpose of the book be if it weren't for the flawed characters?

That said, this is a good book, made good because Katie makes wrong decisions. The book isn't perfect, but spunky Katie makes it worth reading.

This book was enjoyable, but it was very predictable. It seems to follow the form of many of the young adult fantasy books that are so popular now. Good girl who is vulnerable falls for a bad, mysterious boy who has a special secret. Another boy makes it a love triangle and you pull for them all to work it out. I did like the concept of the drawings moving. That was a great idea. The best thing about this book is that it is set in Japan. I really enjoyed Japanese words and customs in the book.

I loved the Japenese setting. The imaginative lore. The plight of being a new girl, in a new country, with magic you don't understand.

I did feel there was some typical YA trope with the love triagle setup. The bad boy love interest. But the story felt fresh and fun and I enjoyed the ride.

The cover is beautiful and the premise intriguing. But I wanted more of the dark, fascinating history of the Kami and less of the day-to-day life of the characters. Lots of potential here that I don't think was fully explored. Having said that, I loved the underlying tension of the deepening plot and Tomo's moody side.

Another Harlequin winner! This is the start of what will certainly be a successful series, about Katie Greene moving to Japan, its culture, and of course the start of a budding romance. We have here the gorgeous backdrop of Japan mixed with romance, mythology and a great plot. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this novel and accompanying artwork. The concept behind the Paper Gods series is very unique, and the book is well-written. It is also a very fun way to learn more about Japanese culture. Highly recommended.