Review: Rain by Amanda Sun

Book Description:

Paperback, 304 pages
Published June 24th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling—as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control.

When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help—Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.

Reviewer's Copy: E-ARC

Source: Amanda Sun (Thank you!!)

My Thoughts:

I was totally inlove with the first book, Ink. I had high expectations for the sequel, Rain, and I'm happy to say that Amanda Sun delivered well in the second book. Aside from the ever present Japanese elements in the story, which I love: the cultural manifestation, the mythology and the dialogue and language. Reading Rain gave me the pleasure of being culturally immersed in an exotic setting while enjoying the story.

Katie continued her life as a gaijin in Shizuoka, stumbling over cultural obstacles, cramming for her studies and struggling to help Tomo with his unstable powers. I have grown emotionally attached to Katie. I have felt her confusion, terror, love, pain, sadness and jealousy. Rain was a roller coaster of emotions for me, thrilling and daunting. 

Her relationship with Tomo was beautiful but bumpy - there were always obstacles along the way in the form of the ink's assault and the aftermath of its disasters, Shiori, the overly clingy childhood friend of Tomo, Jun's friendship and Katie's discovery. Amanda Sum developed their relationship well, going through all the motions - getting back together, making up, getting jealous, going through problems (both normal and supernatural) and protecting each other.

Tomo, the Dark Kami prince, was struggling more than ever to stabilize his powers and keep the ink under control. It broke my heart to see him so fragile and out of control, despite all the measures he has gone through. He didn't have a choice at all, with his fate, so much so that the suffering pulsed underneath the pages. With this suffering comes a dark kind of terror. There were times when I had to flip back to a certain scene and reread it again to digest the eccentricity of it. On the other hand,Tomo also had a soft, normal side. He was sweet, thoughtful and filled with surprises. Charming and mysterious, Tomo will continue winning the hearts of readers.

Jun was in the picture more. This was something that I wanted to see in the sequel. With Jun's presence comes explanations and more details into the Kami mythology - what was legend and what was truth. I found him pleasing and charming overall. There were moments when I wanted Katie to be with Jun instead. It was like seeing the perfect future for someone, a perfect what-if. It made my heart ache even more.

Rain was as beautiful as it was exotic. It was a breath of pure, fresh air in the field of YA mythology. With its strong romance, horrifying and hair-raising Kami-related incidents, and adrenaline-pumping scenes, Rain has become one of the most intriguing fantasy/paranormal novels for me. It bordered on horror when Tomo struggled to control the ink. Fans of Anna Dressed in Blood might enjoy this for its otherworldly ink-splattered scenes, enthusiasts of Japanese mythology will devour this book and finally readers who are looking for a true love story (the kind that is balanced) will adore this book. I highly recommend this!

Rating:

5 Cupids = Eternal book love.
I will never ever, ever forget this book. I highly recommend this!