Published by HarlequinTEEN on June 25th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Format: eBook
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.
Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.
A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.
And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.
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
The incredibly beautiful cover art from INK drew me in first, but when I read the blurb I was mesmerized as it definitely didn’t sound like the usual YA setting! Japan and Paper Gods? Bring it on!
Katie, our US girl moves to Japan to live with her aunt after her mom died. Being forced into this new culture Katie has to adapt fast by learning a complete new language and also new customs. But when she encounters Tomo – a gorgeous and mysterious boy she gets sucked into a whole new world of Gods and Paranormal mysteries. Tomo is our usual bad boy with lots of attitude but with a soft heart he just doesn’t like to show
Outstanding Setting and Mythology
The main fascination definitely lays into the unique Japanese setting and the amazing mythology. Amanda Sun brings us into an exotic culture and especially brings the mythology of PaperGods to life in a beautiful and mesmerizing way. The setting instantly captivated me and I loved learning about a few Japanese cultural habits. Since Kate was a girl from the US and the main narrator of this story it was easy for the reader to dig into this exotic cultural habits without being lost. But I was really and thoroughly mesmerized and fascinated by the mythology of the Paper Gods! It was so unique and unlike anything I have read before and this always manages to glue me to the pages. I adored the descriptions when the paper drawing were coming to life and Amanda Sun describes these scenes with lots of love for detail!
When Love Blooms and PaperGods come along..
As Katie and Tomo are getting closer weird things happen and Katie discovers this whole new world of supernatural mythology, which is both fascinating and scary! I loved their interactions because they often were very snarky, which is something I thoroughly enjoy! But there is also a sweet tenderness between them especially when they get to know each other better. It was cute and endearing to follow them falling for each other. Sometimes though, Tomo could be really frustrating and annoying when he wanted to push Katie away .. for her own good of course. This is such a typical behavior … but Katie was much smarter and quickly understood what Tomo was doing. YEAH Katie!!
Even though I loved and adored the setting, the plot and the whole mythology part, sometimes the dialogues felt a little off. I can’t even point my finger exactly to what it was, but just some dialogues didn’t feel real. It might be due to the fact that Amanda Sun wanted to capture the true essence of Japanese cultures and teen speaking, but since I have no way to judge some part just felt odd. Moreover, the characters did not completely stand out and they can be found in many other YA stories with similar paranormal elements. I wished they would have been more unique.
Bewitched Rating
Bottom Line
INK was a mesmerizing debut with an incredible unique mythology and a beautiful setting that makes INK definitely stand out! The mythology of the PaerGods is exotic and fascinating and glued me tight to the pages. I most definitely want more and cannot wait for the next book as there are still so many secrets and mysteries to discover!
Additional Info
Latest posts by Danny (see all)
- INTENSITY by Sherrilyn Kenyon – Excerpt & Giveaway - September 8, 2017
- Locked in Temptation – Q&A withBrenda Jackson & Giveaway - August 4, 2017
- Locked in Temptation by Brenda Jackson – Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway - July 26, 2017
Besides the gorgeous cover, I love the mythology of this story (from the blurb, I mean. I haven’t yet read it, though it’s up there on my list!!). The Japanese culture is so fascinating anyway as is their mythology and I can’t wait to read Katie and Tomo’s story!
Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Speed Date with Justin: GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS by Richelle Mead
Reply »
I think this is one of the few glowing reviews I’ve seen of this book which gives me a lot of hope. I’m definitely looking forward to reading this one now! Awesome review!
Reply »
Great review, Danny! I had just decided last night that this was going to be my next read. I wanted a YA book, and something from BEA, and I just love this cover so much!
Reply »
“Sometimes though, Tomo could be really frustrating and annoying when he wanted to push Katie away .. for her own good of course. This is such a typical behavior … but Katie was much smarter and quickly understood what Tomo was doing. YEAH Katie!!”
Nothing irritates me more than the “we can’t be together, it’s for your own good” line. Grrrrrr. So glad Katie’s having none of that though, that kind of makes me want to hug her! I want to read this one for the setting alone, but the supernatural element sounds awesome as well. Excited to start this one Danny!
Reply »
This book fascinates me! I love the book cover, and how the synopsis sounds so unique from anything that I’ve ever read. Great Review Danny! This one sounds good–I’m glad you liked it!
Lindy@ A Bookish Escape recently posted..June New Release Giveaway Hop
Reply »
I can not wait to read this one. As a fan of all things Korean/Japanese and a wanna-be artist, this sounds right up my alley! Plus, that cover is gorgeous…
Great review- this is defiantly one for the TBR pile. ^.^
Reply »
Glad you liked this. I’ve been hearing mixed things and I really want to like it. I’m all up for snarky dialogue.
Alison (@AlisonCanRead) recently posted..Feature and Follow Friday #153
Reply »
I love the setting and the mythology too! I know what you mean about the dialog and characters not being more unique. Luckily the worldbuilding and Japanese culture is so original I didn’t mind as much as I would have. Lovely review!
Lauren recently posted..Book Review: Absent by Katie Williams
Reply »
I think this is the first positive review I’ve come across for this book, which I’m thankful for! I thought the concept sounded really interesting and I love anything that includes Japanese culture.
Kim recently posted..Feature & Follow: Book Spine Poem
Reply »
So glad you liked it! I even adored the side characters!
pabkins recently posted..Review: Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip
Reply »
Beautiful hot inked girls
Reply »