Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun : Review

Paperback, 326 pages

Published June 25th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

original title: Ink

ISBN: 037321071X

Summary

Ink is in their blood....

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 books was magical . It took me into a completely unknown world and left me there, and quite honestly I never wanted to come up for air. The enchanting and exotic backdrop of Japan was entwined with the Kami legends. The life in the ink took me by surprise as did Katie's role in Tomo's story. In Ink the ink literally comes alive when Tomo draws. He has no control over it and drawing for him is like an addiction; he loses himself so deeply ink the ink's song that not even Katie can wake him from it's spell. 

With each other they find almost a safe haven from the world. Tomo has always been afraid to get too close because his creations always end up hurting the ones he loves. They have their own mind over which he has no control. Once they are off the paper they do as the wish until he crosses them out. But when Katie finds out about his power, she doesn't run away. Yes, she is afraid, but she listens to what he has to say. Through the time of the story they fall in love. It wasn't insta love. (thank you) It also wasn't so slow that a slug could catch up. It was kind of perfect. 

 “I hope he draws for you.”

But, nothing is perfect. Around Katie, Tomo has even less control over the ink than usual. Together they discover, that they're not alone and Tomo isn't the only Kami out there. 

Now I'm gonna go off on a rant here and you might have no idea what I'm talking about for a bit but just hang with me. Tomo thinks he's the monster. "I'm the youkai demon dragging them screaming into the night." But he's not. Kami is not who he is. Yes, it is a part of him. It may or may not be a curse with the horrid dreams and heart attacks when you sleep. BUT HE'S NOT A DEMON. The Kami in his is gaining control over him and Katie may or may  not be making it worse and I just UGH. I love him so much and and and and and and..... What to do, what to do? He's still figuring all this out, I mean he never really thought, or tired to be an other way until Katie came along and changed his point of view. Maybe it's the romantic in me but I love love. I LOVE IT AND LOVE BETTER WIN OR THERE ARE GONNA BE CONSEQUENCES. The ending almost made me freak out. Almost. 

 “How do you win when you're up against yourself?”

Back to normal...or as normal as I get. 

This book is a unique read filled  with passion, finding who you are, discovering the differences between selfishness and selflessness and protecting the one's you love in the only way you know how. Yes it'll break your heart along the way, but in the end you have to decide what's really important: love or power.

3/4

Jackie