Blog Tour: Ink by Amanda Sun-Review and Giveaway

Blog Tour: Ink by Amanda Sun-Review

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.

This book was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013. I was looking forward to the unique setting the most, and it was definitely lived up to my excitement!

Katie Greene has just moved from the United States to Japan after a horrific family tragedy to live with her aunt. Soon after she starts school, she starts noticing Tomohiro, the school’s Kendo star, drawing. But – his drawings are not normal. When Katie catches the drawings moving, Tomo denies everything at first, but soon she finally learns the truth. Tomo is a Kami, a descendant of the ancient gods of Japan. And because of his powers, the wrong people want him on their side to control all of Japan.

I couldn’t imagine how tough it would be for Katie to move to a whole new country where she doesn’t speak the language well at all. I can’t imagine how hard that would be. In all, I liked Katie enough. I really loved how willing she was to do things that put her in danger if it meant that it would help save people. Also, I wish that the reader could have seen a bit more about exactly how her family tragedy affected her.  She also was a bit naïve about certain things, but I think she matured much by the end of the book.

Ah, Tomo. I really liked him. The first scene he was in did not portray him in a very good light, but that was just a total misunderstanding. Inside, he’s a really hurt guy. He has had to deal with a really similar tragedy as Katie’s, and he’s been alone his whole life. He is in the practice of pushing away everyone close to him, and it’s just so sad. I’m so glad he finally let Katie in. :)

Diane, Katie’s aunt, was thrust into a hard situation, having to take care of her sister’s daughter on such short notice. But I thought she did a bang up job of being an impromptu mother. Yuki and Tanaka, Katie’s new friends, were some pretty good comic relief during the whole book. I still haven’t decided how I feel about both Jun and Sato, two boys from different places who seem to want the same thing. To be honest, they are both pretty sketchy. We shall see in book 2!

I enjoyed the plot a lot, but I wanted some more answers to exactly why Katie is the way she is and how she enhances Kami’s powers. But then again, I want all the answers all the time. The writing was pretty brilliant. The way she describes Tomo’s drawings are pretty scary and intense, and I felt like I was there watching them come alive. One of the best parts about the book was the thing that drew me to it in the first place: the setting. It was definitely a unique setting, something I've never read about, and Amanda made me want to go visit. I really enjoyed hearing about the food and culture there, and it really added a ton to the book. I thought the romance was pretty well-paced. Tomo and Katie were pretty perfect for each other. Tomo needed someone to believe in him and Katie was just that.

I am definitely looking forward to book 2, untitled as of yet, and I’m hoping to get some more answers then!

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: My voice was quiet, a crackle in the fire. “Suki,” I whispered, and the ocean of him churned against me, his kisses deepening like he was drowning. His arms closed around me, the heat of his fingertips splayed against the skin of my waist. He pressed his fingers under the hem of the shirt he’d lent me, scorching lines of warmth up my back. I slid my hands down his back to the edge of his T-shirt, then looped under. My fingers felt like ice against the heat of his skin, as if they were melting, and he moaned softly into my neck, the vibration of it pulsing on my skin.

Rating: 4/5 Tar Heels!

About the Author:

I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then.

In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room.

The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with

my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

Find Amanda at:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway