A great start to a new YA fantasy trilogy with an intriguing concept.
Ink Summary
Every action, every deed, every significant moment is tattooed on your skin for ever. When Leora’s father dies, she is determined to see her father remembered forever. She knows he deserves to have all his tattoos removed and made into a Skin Book to stand as a record of his good life. But when she discovers that his ink has been edited and his book is incomplete, she wonders whether she ever knew him at all.
Ink Review
Ok, I know you should never judge a book by its cover but LOOK AT IT. It’s even better in real life: it’s shiny! Once you’ve finished admiring how lovely it is, I’ll get cracking with my verdict on what’s going on beneath it.
It took me no time at all to fall in love with the world and the concept behind Ink. The idea that people’s lives are tattooed so intricately onto their skin that when they die it can be read like a book is fascinating. And I didn’t even know skin books were a thing until I started reading this, so I became both intrigued and horrified by the idea.
Whilst reading Ink I looked forward to picking it up and diving back in any time I had to take a break to work or sleep. It’s a pleasure to read and flows wonderfully, without any jarring or slow moments. It’s strange to say that, though, because looking back it doesn’t feel like a huge amount actually happened in Ink. It’s a bit lacking in action, perhaps, but I never found myself bored.
It’s also lacking in character development. I found the characters intriguing but I need to read more about them, I don’t feel like I really know or ‘get’ any of them yet. I’m also not entirely sure about Leora’s motives towards the end of the book, and later found myself questioning why she’d done some of the things she did. I’m hoping that all will become clear in the second book, which I’ll definitely be reading at some point in the near future.
My rating
**** 4/5 stars
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