Saturday, July 6, 2013

Ink by Amanda Sun




Ink was one amazing ride through the world of Japan and the mythology of the Kami. Katie's voice, both in the english narrative, and her responses in Japanese show her struggle from being in a world she's always known and having no choice but to adapt to a world she has never known. She starts off the novel as a typical teenager and rebels the world around her in any way she can, but she can't help being drawn to Tomohiro Yuu, a tsundre in true fashion, and the strange events that occur when she is around ink. From a pen exploding to drawings moving on the page, she handles as much as she can without thinking she's crazy. But there is more than the loss of her mother triggering these events. Katie is tied to the ink by a destiny and curse that she can barely begin to understand. And as she begins to blend in to her new enviornment, a bigger threat awaits her as she becomes more interested in Tomohiro. 
This book was a nonstop read. I couldn't put it down, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of Japan's Sakura and Tanabata festivals. Katie is also an entertaining narrator, always throwing her two sense in the middle of an important scene. The references to both Japanese culture and mythology were a nice element to the story, and helped me see Japan through eyes that were not similar to my own. 
I recommend this story to anyone who loves Japan, and to anyone who doesn't know anything about Japan. I came to this novel knowing many things that were already explained, but I felt that the explanations added to the depth of the story's atmosphere and taught you a new perspective. I give this book five out of five cherry blossoms, and I can't wait for the next book!

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