Ink by Amanda Sun

Ink by Amanda Sun
Released: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: The Paper Gods, Book 1
Followed By: TBA
Page Amount: 377, ARC
POV: 1st Person (Katie)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=97/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

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-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I could not be happier that I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book. The second I picked up this book, I became addicted to the fast-paced plot and witty dialogue. I could tell from the beginning of this book that it would break the chain of monotonous YA. The premise of Ink is different from every other book I've read, and that's saying a lot. This book focuses on a American girl, Katie, trying to blend in in Japan after her mother's death. Of course it's not all cherry blossoms for Katie. When she meets Tomohiro the book is filled with mystery, action, and ink. The mystery compelled me to never sit the book down, while the action left me breathless. The descriptions of the action and kendo matches were so well written I could picture it like I was watching a movie. 

I read a few reviews where some readers complained about the incorporation of some Japanese language within the text. I had no problem with this with the use of context clues and the short definitions right after the word. There's even a glossary in the back if you really want to immerse yourself in Japanese. Basically, this book has a fresh feel to it because of its unique premise and use of Japanese inspiration.      

The characters were great as well. Katie was in a completely new country, but she was very headstrong and confident throughout the book. I loved that. The YA world really needs more strong, independent female characters. Katie would not back down or let Tomohiro have the last word. Their witty banter was so amusing to read. Tomo was a very complex character throughout the storyline. He has a lot of depth as well as a mysterious facade. I really wanted to figure him out throughout the book, and I liked what I discovered. His relationship with Katie was pretty good. I understood and felt the attraction and enjoyed seeing how their feeling played out. Even the minor characters like Yuki, Tanaka, and Diane felt realistic.     

This book ended with the perfect ending. I absolutely love the twist at the end. The last scene of this book blew me away by the way it made my heart race. I don't want to give much away regarding what exactly happened because there is nothing like the suspense of reading an amazing, surprising ending. All in all, this book is definitely one of my favorites of the year. Sun took me on a journey that read like a movie. I cannot wait for the sequel to be released so that I can see what's in store for Katie and Tomo.      

My Favorite Part: The unique premise that sets it apart from all the other dystopian and paranormal YA.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's really different from most YA books.
Will I be reading the next book? Absolutely, I cannot wait!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this book! It's super unique. 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥