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Paper Gods #3
Storm
After almost a year in Japan, Katie Greene has finally unearthed the terrible secret behind her boyfriend Tomohiro's deadly ability to bring drawings to life—not only is he descended from Kami, the ancient Japanese gods, but he is the heir to a tragedy that occurred long ago, a tragedy that is about to repeat.
Even as the blood of a vengeful god rages inside Tomo, Katie is determined to put his dark powers to sleep. In order to do so, she and Tomo must journey to find the three Imperial Treasures of Japan. Gifts from the goddess Amaterasu herself, these treasures could unlock all of the secrets about Tomo's volatile ancestry and quell the ink's lust for destruction. But in order to complete their quest, Tomo and Katie must confront out-of-control Kami and former friend Jun, who has begun his own quest of revenge against those he believes have wronged him. To save the world, and themselves, Katie and Tomo will be up against one of the darkest Kami creations they've ever encountered—and they may not make it out alive.
Even as the blood of a vengeful god rages inside Tomo, Katie is determined to put his dark powers to sleep. In order to do so, she and Tomo must journey to find the three Imperial Treasures of Japan. Gifts from the goddess Amaterasu herself, these treasures could unlock all of the secrets about Tomo's volatile ancestry and quell the ink's lust for destruction. But in order to complete their quest, Tomo and Katie must confront out-of-control Kami and former friend Jun, who has begun his own quest of revenge against those he believes have wronged him. To save the world, and themselves, Katie and Tomo will be up against one of the darkest Kami creations they've ever encountered—and they may not make it out alive.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2015
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Want to read
July 9, 2015I am so excited for this one.
LE REVIEW BE COMING SOON
LE REVIEW BE COMING SOON
January 1, 2016
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/s...
I have been waiting for this book since the moment I finished Rain, about a year ago. I had pre-ordered this as a Christmas present to myself, because I love me so much and I knew I deserved this.
When I did finally get it, I was afraid to start it. Not because I was worried I wouldn't like it, but because I did not want it to end.
It didn't take long for my curiosity to get the better of me, and I started reading it.
Amusing thing, I knew I liked this serious. I went into this book remembering that both Ink and Rain made it into my top 10 books the years they were released. With that in mind, I was still surprised at how much I loved this book.
There were a few times where I found myself having to close to book just to give myself a moment to gather my thoughts on what I had just read. The story did lead where I expected it to go, nor did it end how I thought it would. I may or may not have started crying a bit toward the end, because reasons.
I have to say that I was quite impressed with the growth of many of the characters, especially Ishikawa.
There is a part in here that connects to the companion novella, Rise. I cackled when I got to that part, because I knew exactly what was going on. And also because I'm so very mature.
I was pleased at the direction of the relationship between Katie and Tomo in this story. Also, there's a part toward the end that reminds me of River Song from Doctor Who... and if you know me, that's a high compliment.
This was a fantastic end to a wonderful story. If you're a fan of folklore, mythology, or YA paranormal romance, then you definitely need this series. I had to buy it all in paperback, because I loved it so much.
I have been waiting for this book since the moment I finished Rain, about a year ago. I had pre-ordered this as a Christmas present to myself, because I love me so much and I knew I deserved this.
When I did finally get it, I was afraid to start it. Not because I was worried I wouldn't like it, but because I did not want it to end.
It didn't take long for my curiosity to get the better of me, and I started reading it.
Amusing thing, I knew I liked this serious. I went into this book remembering that both Ink and Rain made it into my top 10 books the years they were released. With that in mind, I was still surprised at how much I loved this book.
There were a few times where I found myself having to close to book just to give myself a moment to gather my thoughts on what I had just read. The story did lead where I expected it to go, nor did it end how I thought it would. I may or may not have started crying a bit toward the end, because reasons.
I have to say that I was quite impressed with the growth of many of the characters, especially Ishikawa.
There is a part in here that connects to the companion novella, Rise. I cackled when I got to that part, because I knew exactly what was going on. And also because I'm so very mature.
I was pleased at the direction of the relationship between Katie and Tomo in this story. Also, there's a part toward the end that reminds me of River Song from Doctor Who... and if you know me, that's a high compliment.
This was a fantastic end to a wonderful story. If you're a fan of folklore, mythology, or YA paranormal romance, then you definitely need this series. I had to buy it all in paperback, because I loved it so much.
December 2, 2020
So, this thing has been sitting on my "currently reading" shelf for weeks, because I can't muster the strength to discuss it. I usually love to review things right away, even if I hated them...but I just can't with this series. Sorry, not sorry and all that. Also, here's a warning that there will be swearing below.
So let's keep this brief:
- Katie is the ultimate Mary Sue who is so special despite the fact that she does literally nothing in the entire book.
- Kami healing powers. The fuck is this, Sailor Moon's Healing Escalation?
Never mentioned previously, and never explained. Just no. This led to Harry-Potter-level crap epilogue.
^^^^^^^^My face is Ron's face.
- Katie spends two pages in the first chapter explaining the events of book 2 (which goes to show how long book 2 really needed to be....) but then references its events over and over through the course of this story. Annoying/repetitive to the nth degree.
- THROUGH DREAMS, BECAUSE MAGIC, it becomes apparent that there are 3 Imperial artifacts ("regalia" or jingi/shinki) that Tomo, Katie, and (for some completely random reason) Ishikawa need to track down. Like the most boring version of Deathly Hallows ever.
- While the one thing I actually enjoyed about the book was more inclusion of Ishikawa as a growing character, I realized he was only included because
- The author also feels the need to address the sex life between Tomo and Katie.
- Fucking cardboard support characters, Tomo is angst personified, and I can't give two shits about our MC who spends her time lamenting the situation, being afraid of everything regarding the situation, talking about how the situation "needs to stop" and then doing nothing about the situation. Wish we could have gotten much more insight into characters like Ishikawa, who could have been so much more three-dimensional.
- Other plot BS involving Katie's dad who somehow knows about the Kami, , a Kami gang that is never explained fully and never mentioned at the end as having been disbanded. Loose ends are abundant.
There's more I could go on and on about, but I get mad just thinking about this. I love Japan and Japanese culture, and this series does a disservice to it. It gets one star, and that's me being gracious.
So let's keep this brief:
- Katie is the ultimate Mary Sue who is so special despite the fact that she does literally nothing in the entire book.
- Kami healing powers. The fuck is this, Sailor Moon's Healing Escalation?
Never mentioned previously, and never explained. Just no. This led to Harry-Potter-level crap epilogue.
^^^^^^^^My face is Ron's face.
- Katie spends two pages in the first chapter explaining the events of book 2 (which goes to show how long book 2 really needed to be....) but then references its events over and over through the course of this story. Annoying/repetitive to the nth degree.
- THROUGH DREAMS, BECAUSE MAGIC, it becomes apparent that there are 3 Imperial artifacts ("regalia" or jingi/shinki) that Tomo, Katie, and (for some completely random reason) Ishikawa need to track down. Like the most boring version of Deathly Hallows ever.
- While the one thing I actually enjoyed about the book was more inclusion of Ishikawa as a growing character, I realized he was only included because
- The author also feels the need to address the sex life between Tomo and Katie.
- Fucking cardboard support characters, Tomo is angst personified, and I can't give two shits about our MC who spends her time lamenting the situation, being afraid of everything regarding the situation, talking about how the situation "needs to stop" and then doing nothing about the situation. Wish we could have gotten much more insight into characters like Ishikawa, who could have been so much more three-dimensional.
- Other plot BS involving Katie's dad who somehow knows about the Kami, , a Kami gang that is never explained fully and never mentioned at the end as having been disbanded. Loose ends are abundant.
There's more I could go on and on about, but I get mad just thinking about this. I love Japan and Japanese culture, and this series does a disservice to it. It gets one star, and that's me being gracious.
March 17, 2019
Yikes, what a let down. I honestly could hardly finish this, which was completely unexpected after enjoying the first two. I can’t find it in me to lower this to one star, even though that’s definitely what it deserves.
Want to read
December 13, 2014I WANT IT AND I WANT IT NOW.
October 26, 2017
After the ending to Rain, I was left with a million questions, all with absolutely no answers.
Storm picks right back up with where Rain ended, just a few days after. Katie's having issues, Tomohiro's having issues, and Jun's having serious issues. Everyone's having issues. GAH. What has the world come to?
Katie and Tomo are on a race to put a stop to the waging war of kami blood inside Tomo, because if not, the kami blood will take over and he'll destroy everything. But to make matters worse, Jun suddenly is having an ethical crisis, in the sense that he's letting his kami power get to his head, and suddenly he's off killing people. Though they're mainly gangsters that Jun claims the world is better off with, Jun is still murdering people. And he's convinced that if Tomo won't obey him, he'll destroy him because he's too dangerous. Issues, a little? But I see where Jun's coming from, and can even sympathize, even if his resolution is completely twisted and ridiculous. That fool.
One person I really grew to like in Storm was Satoshi Iskikawa. If you recall in the first book, Ink, he was a wimpy coward, determined on exploiting Tomo's kami abilities for Tomo's "own good". Turns out there was a very good reason, and here we see him redeeming his previous actions. I loved his sass, and he brought a smile to my lips whenever he spoke. I mean, only he would demand Katie to take a picture of him and some famous bridge when there's a serious issue at stake. He's a loyal friend, and I'm glad that he's able to straighten out and find his way in the end. Him, Katie, and Tomo make an awesome team.
Another surprise in this book was the reappearance of Katie's dad. I won't go into detail about it, but it brings the story and Katie's character to a full circle, and leaves a satisfying sense of closure to her life.
The ending contained a lot more excitement and action than I originally suspected, which was more than fine by me. Weapons! Swords! Bows and arrows! Spears! Wings! They all make one epic battle and finale.
One of the neat things about this book is that there are actual drawings on the pages, pictures that were draw in the book's plot. One of the drawings involved a snake, and may I firstly give kudos to the artist, because I nearly dropped the book when I saw it on the page. Yikes. But it gives the book a sinister feeling, as if the ink on the pages truly are trying to do some evil.
Areas that are visited in this book: Shizuoka, Tokyo, Ise, and Nagoya. This book does not lack any Japanese culture, which is really nice to read about!
I'm a little sad to see this trilogy go, as I enjoyed it very much. All in all, it was a fantastic series, filled with rich Japanese culture and mythology! I definitely learned a whole lot from this series!
Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything in Between.
Storm picks right back up with where Rain ended, just a few days after. Katie's having issues, Tomohiro's having issues, and Jun's having serious issues. Everyone's having issues. GAH. What has the world come to?
Katie and Tomo are on a race to put a stop to the waging war of kami blood inside Tomo, because if not, the kami blood will take over and he'll destroy everything. But to make matters worse, Jun suddenly is having an ethical crisis, in the sense that he's letting his kami power get to his head, and suddenly he's off killing people. Though they're mainly gangsters that Jun claims the world is better off with, Jun is still murdering people. And he's convinced that if Tomo won't obey him, he'll destroy him because he's too dangerous. Issues, a little? But I see where Jun's coming from, and can even sympathize, even if his resolution is completely twisted and ridiculous. That fool.
One person I really grew to like in Storm was Satoshi Iskikawa. If you recall in the first book, Ink, he was a wimpy coward, determined on exploiting Tomo's kami abilities for Tomo's "own good". Turns out there was a very good reason, and here we see him redeeming his previous actions. I loved his sass, and he brought a smile to my lips whenever he spoke. I mean, only he would demand Katie to take a picture of him and some famous bridge when there's a serious issue at stake. He's a loyal friend, and I'm glad that he's able to straighten out and find his way in the end. Him, Katie, and Tomo make an awesome team.
Another surprise in this book was the reappearance of Katie's dad. I won't go into detail about it, but it brings the story and Katie's character to a full circle, and leaves a satisfying sense of closure to her life.
The ending contained a lot more excitement and action than I originally suspected, which was more than fine by me. Weapons! Swords! Bows and arrows! Spears! Wings! They all make one epic battle and finale.
One of the neat things about this book is that there are actual drawings on the pages, pictures that were draw in the book's plot. One of the drawings involved a snake, and may I firstly give kudos to the artist, because I nearly dropped the book when I saw it on the page. Yikes. But it gives the book a sinister feeling, as if the ink on the pages truly are trying to do some evil.
Areas that are visited in this book: Shizuoka, Tokyo, Ise, and Nagoya. This book does not lack any Japanese culture, which is really nice to read about!
I'm a little sad to see this trilogy go, as I enjoyed it very much. All in all, it was a fantastic series, filled with rich Japanese culture and mythology! I definitely learned a whole lot from this series!
Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything in Between.
July 11, 2015
I already read Ink, which I absolutely adore and love. Rain doesn't meet my expectations, but Storm certainly hits the right marks. It is darker than Ink, and Amanda Sun takes a deeper step into Japanese mythology. I myself have never heard of these gods before (examples include: Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi), but their stories are fascinating. They remind me of Greek mythology, but unlike Greek mythology, these stories are a breath of fresh air. Though they are ancient, they are created anew by Sun's pen.
(Also, yay for cultural diversity!)
Tomohiro is the sassy guy the girls hate/love. His dark side is truly explored, and though it is a very dark time for both Tomohiro and Katie, he makes the best of it and cracks little jokes here and there. These jokes provide the wonderful relief from the darkness along with some excellent pieces of dialogue.
Katie's hidden powers in ink has been reawaken in Rain. She is a character who has been tossed into the wrong situation at the wrong time. But she, like Tomohiro, makes the best of it. Unlike Tomohiro, she remains hopeful even in the face of darkness and horror. Katie is easy to empathize and understand with, and she has great chemistry and banter with Tomohiro. Though the banters aren't as frequent as Ink, they still hold the perfect amount of chemistry and adorableness in them.
The world building of Storm is amazing, and Amanda Sun does a great job with the descriptions. I can shiver whenever she describes ink as similar to blood. Drip, drip, drip. It brings about the perfect creepy feelings she's trying to hit. The mythology behind the Tomohiro's ink powers is fascinating, and readers will definitely be interested in Japanese myths. There is something very satisfying about Amanda's way of portraying Japanese gods and goddesses. She also does a good recap of what has happened in Ink and Rain.
The plot of Storm is perfectly paced, and I have absolutely nothing to complain about. The conflict is amazing, and I enjoy the Jun vs. Tomo dynamic. The author does a good job of weaving the past and the present plots together, and parallels ensure. The Imperial Treasures subplot isn't very strong, but the drama of the story makes up for it.
Overall, Storm is a strong ending to the trilogy of Paper Gods. There are a lot of chemistry, great mythology, amazing world building, troubling relationships, and an awesome conclusion. Storm cleans up the entire trilogy very well, and all (if not most) loose ends are tied up in a neat bow. I would recommend this to anyone who loves mythology and romance.
Rating: Four out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
(Also, yay for cultural diversity!)
Tomohiro is the sassy guy the girls hate/love. His dark side is truly explored, and though it is a very dark time for both Tomohiro and Katie, he makes the best of it and cracks little jokes here and there. These jokes provide the wonderful relief from the darkness along with some excellent pieces of dialogue.
Katie's hidden powers in ink has been reawaken in Rain. She is a character who has been tossed into the wrong situation at the wrong time. But she, like Tomohiro, makes the best of it. Unlike Tomohiro, she remains hopeful even in the face of darkness and horror. Katie is easy to empathize and understand with, and she has great chemistry and banter with Tomohiro. Though the banters aren't as frequent as Ink, they still hold the perfect amount of chemistry and adorableness in them.
The world building of Storm is amazing, and Amanda Sun does a great job with the descriptions. I can shiver whenever she describes ink as similar to blood. Drip, drip, drip. It brings about the perfect creepy feelings she's trying to hit. The mythology behind the Tomohiro's ink powers is fascinating, and readers will definitely be interested in Japanese myths. There is something very satisfying about Amanda's way of portraying Japanese gods and goddesses. She also does a good recap of what has happened in Ink and Rain.
The plot of Storm is perfectly paced, and I have absolutely nothing to complain about. The conflict is amazing, and I enjoy the Jun vs. Tomo dynamic. The author does a good job of weaving the past and the present plots together, and parallels ensure. The Imperial Treasures subplot isn't very strong, but the drama of the story makes up for it.
Overall, Storm is a strong ending to the trilogy of Paper Gods. There are a lot of chemistry, great mythology, amazing world building, troubling relationships, and an awesome conclusion. Storm cleans up the entire trilogy very well, and all (if not most) loose ends are tied up in a neat bow. I would recommend this to anyone who loves mythology and romance.
Rating: Four out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
August 1, 2015
Paper Gods se ha convertido en una de mis trilogías favoritas. Odio tener que decirle adiós.
Storm ha sido un cierre decente, sin embargo, como siempre pasa con las conclusiones, fue una de esas cuya poca intensidad se ve concentrada en una escena épica final. Mientras, solo me dan largas. Argh, quizá espero mucho de los finales, pero eso me decepcionó.
En general, el ritmo de los libros de Amanda no se caracteriza por ser muy acelerado pero te mentiene enganchado, lo cual no fue el caso de este último libro, lo sentí demasiado flojo en partes y el hecho de que la autora decida profundizar aún más en la mitología japonesa para ofrecer un nuevo plot lo volvió un poco confuso y repetitivo. De verdad, me hartaron las muchas la veces que nos recordaba la leyenda de los tres Tesoroos Imperiales. Además, los últimos capítulos son muy apresurados, Amanda intenta cerrar cada situación a la vez y resulta en escenas cortísimas con poca interacción entre los personajes de interés. Ejemplo: Shiori.
Mi mayor que queja es JUN TAKAHASHI, de mis personajes favoritos. ¡¿Por qué demonios está tan ausente durante gran parte del libro?! Vamos, viene siendo como el villano. No no no. Cada vez que aparecía todo se iba a lo alto, en especial en esos diálogos con Tomo. Odié tener que escuchar de sus acciones mediante otros personajes. QUIERO VERLO, NO QUE ME LO CUENTEN, Amanda.
Pero pasemos a lo bueno: Hay viajes maravillosos a varios puntos de Japón y la descripción que hace Amanda de estos lugares sigue siendo maravillosa, me los imaginé perfecto en mi cabeza, sentía que estaba allí con los personajes. Me dejó queriendo ir a Japón y visitar todos esos lugares.
En cuanto a la trama: se vuelve más oscura, más trágica, más dramática. ¡Hay armas hechos de tinta! ¡Hay seres mágicos increíbles y atemorizantes que salen del papel! Todos en una batalla con unos varios momentos que sacuden al lector. El romance entre Tomo y Katie, como siempre, tan hermoso que me hizo suspirar muchas veces. Argh, me haría gustado que se diera ese momento que tanto esperaba.
Mención honorífica para SATOSHI ISHIKAWA. WOW. Qué forma de crecer de un libro a otro, man. Del desagrado pasé al amor total. Sato me ha robado el corazón. LO AMO.
Nunca podré abandonar este mundo ni a estos personajes, me encariné tanto con esta trilogía que será de esas que voy a tener la necesidad de releer cada año.
Storm ha sido un cierre decente, sin embargo, como siempre pasa con las conclusiones, fue una de esas cuya poca intensidad se ve concentrada en una escena épica final. Mientras, solo me dan largas. Argh, quizá espero mucho de los finales, pero eso me decepcionó.
En general, el ritmo de los libros de Amanda no se caracteriza por ser muy acelerado pero te mentiene enganchado, lo cual no fue el caso de este último libro, lo sentí demasiado flojo en partes y el hecho de que la autora decida profundizar aún más en la mitología japonesa para ofrecer un nuevo plot lo volvió un poco confuso y repetitivo. De verdad, me hartaron las muchas la veces que nos recordaba la leyenda de los tres Tesoroos Imperiales. Además, los últimos capítulos son muy apresurados, Amanda intenta cerrar cada situación a la vez y resulta en escenas cortísimas con poca interacción entre los personajes de interés. Ejemplo: Shiori.
Mi mayor que queja es JUN TAKAHASHI, de mis personajes favoritos. ¡¿Por qué demonios está tan ausente durante gran parte del libro?! Vamos, viene siendo como el villano. No no no. Cada vez que aparecía todo se iba a lo alto, en especial en esos diálogos con Tomo. Odié tener que escuchar de sus acciones mediante otros personajes. QUIERO VERLO, NO QUE ME LO CUENTEN, Amanda.
Pero pasemos a lo bueno: Hay viajes maravillosos a varios puntos de Japón y la descripción que hace Amanda de estos lugares sigue siendo maravillosa, me los imaginé perfecto en mi cabeza, sentía que estaba allí con los personajes. Me dejó queriendo ir a Japón y visitar todos esos lugares.
En cuanto a la trama: se vuelve más oscura, más trágica, más dramática. ¡Hay armas hechos de tinta! ¡Hay seres mágicos increíbles y atemorizantes que salen del papel! Todos en una batalla con unos varios momentos que sacuden al lector. El romance entre Tomo y Katie, como siempre, tan hermoso que me hizo suspirar muchas veces. Argh, me haría gustado que se diera ese momento que tanto esperaba.
Mención honorífica para SATOSHI ISHIKAWA. WOW. Qué forma de crecer de un libro a otro, man. Del desagrado pasé al amor total. Sato me ha robado el corazón. LO AMO.
Nunca podré abandonar este mundo ni a estos personajes, me encariné tanto con esta trilogía que será de esas que voy a tener la necesidad de releer cada año.
Want to read
June 23, 2015Expected publication: June 30th 2015 by Harlequin Teen
July 25, 2015
3.5 stars I enjoyed this more than I thought the action picked up significantly in this book but it didn't blow me away
January 7, 2017
I still love the insight of the Japanese culture and setting. Overall the book was good but the first part of the book was kind of slow.
December 15, 2019
I'm so relieved that the last book was sooo much better than the second.
It was a good conclusion to this series and I'm satisfied overall. I do think some things at the end could've been handled different but whatever, it is what it is ;)
It was a good conclusion to this series and I'm satisfied overall. I do think some things at the end could've been handled different but whatever, it is what it is ;)
July 7, 2020
I'll be honest, it's been about two weeks since I finished Storm and it's already fading quickly from my mind. I remember the general outline of the story, but I can't remember having any significant thoughts that would lend well to a review. Nothing about the characterisation, plot, pacing, etc.
I guess what this is all means is that Storm was a satisfactory conclusion to a series that I was never all that invested in. It continued the three-star trend. I wasn't upset with how things turned out or thrilled, but I wasn't emotionally invested in the first place. It was fine, it was expected.
I do think the Paper Gods series had some interesting ideas and mythology driving it. On the whole, though, I don't think it really stands out in the wider world of YA fantasy—it's very typical in its telling of the story. That doesn't make the book bad, but it does make for a very peripheral memory.
I guess what this is all means is that Storm was a satisfactory conclusion to a series that I was never all that invested in. It continued the three-star trend. I wasn't upset with how things turned out or thrilled, but I wasn't emotionally invested in the first place. It was fine, it was expected.
I do think the Paper Gods series had some interesting ideas and mythology driving it. On the whole, though, I don't think it really stands out in the wider world of YA fantasy—it's very typical in its telling of the story. That doesn't make the book bad, but it does make for a very peripheral memory.
April 11, 2019
Storm Review on K-Books
Storm is a book that has been on my TBR for so long. I read the first two books years ago and really enjoyed them and for some reason just never got around to reading the final book. One of my reading challenges for 2019 is to complete some of my ongoing series so I picked this one up as part of it. I really wish I could say that I loved Storm as much as I did the other books... but I just didn't. I can't really pinpoint anything specific that stopped me loving this book, I just didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others.
Storm is an enjoyable read and I am so happy that I finally picked it up and experienced the ending of this utterly unique and magical series. Storm picks up where Rain left off with Katie and Tomo trying desperately to control the ancient magic that is consuming them both. One thing I enjoyed about this book was that is delved a little more into the history of the powers and I found that really intriguing and interesting. I do genuinely love the mythology base of this series and I love the characters as well. It actually is quite an addictive storyline.
I really did enjoy Storm but for me, the pacing was a little off. There were times within this book where I couldn't read fast enough. I was so consumed by this story and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen... but then the pacing would slow down majorly and at times I lose interest. These two extreme feelings happened often, just as I'd be dying to read more, the pace would slow and I would be bored. It seemed that the further that I got into the book, the more my mind was wandering and I just didn't wanna continue. I almost DNF'd this one but I forced myself through my struggle due to my love of the mythology and characters.
I am so glad I pushed through as I really enjoyed the ending. It was a really satisfying ending for the characters but honestly, I feel like this book could have been half the size that it was. Paper Gods was a great series, and I am so glad that I read it. Am I likely to re-read it? Probably not but that's okay. We can't love and want to re-read every book series, otherwise I'd never be reading new ones. I did enjoy Storm but compared to the previous books, I just felt like something was missing. If you're a fan of mythology based books, I definitely recommend this one but if you're loving fast-paced books, the third one may be a struggle.
Storm is a book that has been on my TBR for so long. I read the first two books years ago and really enjoyed them and for some reason just never got around to reading the final book. One of my reading challenges for 2019 is to complete some of my ongoing series so I picked this one up as part of it. I really wish I could say that I loved Storm as much as I did the other books... but I just didn't. I can't really pinpoint anything specific that stopped me loving this book, I just didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others.
Storm is an enjoyable read and I am so happy that I finally picked it up and experienced the ending of this utterly unique and magical series. Storm picks up where Rain left off with Katie and Tomo trying desperately to control the ancient magic that is consuming them both. One thing I enjoyed about this book was that is delved a little more into the history of the powers and I found that really intriguing and interesting. I do genuinely love the mythology base of this series and I love the characters as well. It actually is quite an addictive storyline.
I really did enjoy Storm but for me, the pacing was a little off. There were times within this book where I couldn't read fast enough. I was so consumed by this story and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen... but then the pacing would slow down majorly and at times I lose interest. These two extreme feelings happened often, just as I'd be dying to read more, the pace would slow and I would be bored. It seemed that the further that I got into the book, the more my mind was wandering and I just didn't wanna continue. I almost DNF'd this one but I forced myself through my struggle due to my love of the mythology and characters.
I am so glad I pushed through as I really enjoyed the ending. It was a really satisfying ending for the characters but honestly, I feel like this book could have been half the size that it was. Paper Gods was a great series, and I am so glad that I read it. Am I likely to re-read it? Probably not but that's okay. We can't love and want to re-read every book series, otherwise I'd never be reading new ones. I did enjoy Storm but compared to the previous books, I just felt like something was missing. If you're a fan of mythology based books, I definitely recommend this one but if you're loving fast-paced books, the third one may be a struggle.
June 24, 2017
Rule of 3 weird in book set in Japan.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
July 9, 2015
I briefly remember seeing the first book when it was first released. I thought it sounded good and wanted to check it out. Yet, I never did and forgot to write it down to check out. In fact, I still had forgotten about this series until I got this book. Which I did not realize was the final book in the trilogy until I picked it up to read it. I almost thought about not reading this book because it sounded like too much history had taken place in the first two books. However I gave in and tried the book out. So glad I did not wait to read this book. I was able to get a good idea up front of what this series was able. Even though I had not read the first two books, I could feel the connection between Katie and Tomo.
The most fascinating part about this book is Tomo's ability and the rich history of Japan that the author infused into this book. I could not stop reading the book. It was like seeing a beautiful piece of art come alive before your eyes. I am now planning to go back and read book one and two.
The most fascinating part about this book is Tomo's ability and the rich history of Japan that the author infused into this book. I could not stop reading the book. It was like seeing a beautiful piece of art come alive before your eyes. I am now planning to go back and read book one and two.
December 8, 2016
I think this book was really GREAT!!!! because this book was talking about a girl name Katie Greene. She has been in Japan for like a year. It's about her boyfriend, there was a terrible secret about her boyfriend name Tomohiro ( For short Tomo). He has deadly secret, He has an ability to bring his drawing to lives he can even bring ancient Japanese gods. Katie has a mission she had to fines the three imperial treasures of japan. But there was a problem. The problem was she needs to fines more secret about her boyfriend deadly power to unlock the treasures. Which that was the only way to unlock it.
July 24, 2015
*sad face*
Yes I’m sad.
I’m sad because Paper Gods ended. It is one of my favorite YA series. I don’t want it to end. UGH!
*MC’s Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• I’m gonna miss you so much Yuu Tomohiro! *sob*
• If you love YA book don’t miss this series. ITS SO GOOD!
It never disappointed me!
• Plus! You’re going to learn a bit about Japan. Cool!
@gleekidMC
Yes I’m sad.
I’m sad because Paper Gods ended. It is one of my favorite YA series. I don’t want it to end. UGH!
*MC’s Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• I’m gonna miss you so much Yuu Tomohiro! *sob*
• If you love YA book don’t miss this series. ITS SO GOOD!
It never disappointed me!
• Plus! You’re going to learn a bit about Japan. Cool!
@gleekidMC
Read
January 12, 2016"The third book in the Paper Gods series is filled with action and romance. Reading this well-written roller-coaster ride is like an out-of-body experience, taking readers to a far-away place with a plot made of their wildest dreams. This read, which is part of an amazing series, is worth your time" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).
Paper Gods, book 3
Paper Gods, book 3
November 7, 2016
Mythology makes me happy :)
Mythology that reads like a manga/anime makes it even more fun :D
The Twilight vibe is still pretty strong. But still worth reading because mythology. There's a bit of Death Note feels too~ but still mostly interesting because mythology.
Mythology that reads like a manga/anime makes it even more fun :D
The Twilight vibe is still pretty strong. But still worth reading because mythology. There's a bit of Death Note feels too~ but still mostly interesting because mythology.
February 8, 2016
I am now a sad nugget that this series is over.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
July 8, 2015
I loved this book so much the drawing make the story come alive. All in all I have to say this is a great ending to a really good series.
August 5, 2015
buena conclusion a una interesante trilogia vale la pena darle una oportunidad! :3 #rightinthefeels
July 16, 2016
I love profusely all the Japanese incorporation, it made the book refreshing and cool. I just couldn't ever stomach the protagonist. Still, good series.
November 6, 2022
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
With Tomohiro being unable to control his Kami powers, he and his friends are trying to find a way to put them to sleep... without getting him killed 😨
As I've mentioned in the previous two books, I love Tomohiro and Katie’s relationship! They are so cute! And I love their banter!
One character I really loved in this book was Sato, Tomohiro’s friend. We get to see that he’s not the asshole we thought he was in book one, but he’s, in actuality, a really good friend to Tomohiro and now Katie too. I mean, they both have the same goal: to help/save Tomohiro. But more than that, I loved their interactions and banter! Their relationship has really come a long way. But it also made me sad because he obviously had romantic feelings for his friend Tomohiro, and it hurt. It reminded me so much of Alec in City of Bones 😔
But his relationship with Katie and Tomohiro was everything! Honestly, at this point, I think I loved Katie and Sato’s relationship more than Katie and Tomo 😂 This is a bit surprising, but I think Sato is definitely my favorite character of the entire series! Especially considering how iffy I was about him in book one.
I really liked this book! It wrapped things up nicely. I loved learning about the Shinto gods and Japanese mythology, which I was very unfamiliar with. I loved the romance and the friendships and the cool magic with the ink. But more importantly, I loved Ishikawa Satoshi... he is a great friend and he is precious 😆
With Tomohiro being unable to control his Kami powers, he and his friends are trying to find a way to put them to sleep... without getting him killed 😨
As I've mentioned in the previous two books, I love Tomohiro and Katie’s relationship! They are so cute! And I love their banter!
Diane smiled and turned, slipping from view as she headed down the stairs from the platform.
“She shouldn’t trust you with me,” Tomo said.
I rolled my eyes. “Why? Because you can’t control your manly urges.”
He laughed, but only once. “No. Because I'm the son of a demon, dummy.”
One character I really loved in this book was Sato, Tomohiro’s friend. We get to see that he’s not the asshole we thought he was in book one, but he’s, in actuality, a really good friend to Tomohiro and now Katie too. I mean, they both have the same goal: to help/save Tomohiro. But more than that, I loved their interactions and banter! Their relationship has really come a long way. But it also made me sad because he obviously had romantic feelings for his friend Tomohiro, and it hurt. It reminded me so much of Alec in City of Bones 😔
[Sato] grinned. “I was wrong about you, Greene. I thought you'd distract Yuuto from who he was meant to be. But I'm starting to get it now, that what you guys have is different. Whether it pans out in the end, who knows? But it matters that you have this time, right now.” He took a swig of the water bottle against the bench as he hunched over. “If it can't be me... I’m glad it’s you.”
But his relationship with Katie and Tomohiro was everything! Honestly, at this point, I think I loved Katie and Sato’s relationship more than Katie and Tomo 😂 This is a bit surprising, but I think Sato is definitely my favorite character of the entire series! Especially considering how iffy I was about him in book one.
I really liked this book! It wrapped things up nicely. I loved learning about the Shinto gods and Japanese mythology, which I was very unfamiliar with. I loved the romance and the friendships and the cool magic with the ink. But more importantly, I loved Ishikawa Satoshi... he is a great friend and he is precious 😆
April 1, 2019
I feel like it's been two years since I actually read this book, but in reality it was only, like, two weeks ago.
What is there to really say about these books? There really isn't a lot to talk about one way or the other. My biggest complaints and questions from the last book were mostly resolved and answered, so I can appreciate the work Amanda Sun put in to make this finale as good as she could.
And for the most part, it was pretty good. If these books didn't have their redeeming qualities then I wouldn't have read all three of them. They are certainly very fluffy and satisfying in a way that will always appeal to me no matter how cheesy the plot or characters are. I love the whole "bad boy who's secretly a smol bean" trope, and I always will- regardless of the fact that it can be found in nearly every YA fantasy-ish book.
I also really enjoyed Ishikawa's character in this! Even from the very first book, I could see something special in his character and I'm glad that I was able to see more of him and his personality in this book. He definitely was my favorite character in the series and I almost miss him a little bit, as strange as it sounds!
Of course, I have my complaints about this book and the series in general. I would have to say that my biggest one would have to be that the magic system is really underexplained and inconsistent. Rules were never really fully established, so I didn't have a very firm grasp on what was going on when a Kami would do something that I had no idea they could do. I addressed this a bit in my review of Rain, and my feelings still remain the same on the subject.
Another complaint that I have is that this story is so completely and overwhelmingly underdeveloped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, this is the finale of the series, and yet it is barely 300 pages long!!! By no means did this book need to be 700+ pages, but you'd think it would be at least as long as the first book in the series! I could tell while reading this how rushed Amanda Sun was, just trying to wrap everything up as quickly as she could.
What could have really made this book good would be to slow things down a little bit more and let things really develop instead of just BAM! one thing happens and then BAM! another and then before you know it BAM! the book is over because the actual story itself is less than 300 pages long. I had this feeling that Amanda Sun was so ready for this book and series to just be over. Maybe she was working on another project on the side and couldn't focus on this? Maybe she had just lost interest in the story? There are so many things that were just briefly touched on that could have been really interesting side plots and mini-conflicts!
Take Tomo and his dad for example. We know that they have a lot of conflict with each other. We have read all about the tension between the two of them. And yet, it goes nowhere and is just accepted. There was so much that Amanda Sun could have done with so many aspects of this story that she created. I feel like first-person POV was a bit of a mistake in this series. I mean how cool would it be to get inside Tomo's head? Ishikawa's? Jun's? Even that one pregnant girl whose name I forgot? At the end of the day, we only got a look at Katie's perspective, which quite frankly gets boring after a while.
I'm really torn over this series. As a whole, I would give it 3 stars because while it can be easy to read and quick, it can also be really disappointing given how interesting and creative the concept for it was. I really wish that Amanda Sun had written this when she had more experience under her belt and could create a more polished and put together story. This series grew on me a bit, probably because I really love Japan and I have actually never read a book set there. If there ever was a follow up to this book I would read it, but I highly doubt that will happen given how it appears that Amanda Sun was so quick to get this one over with.
What is there to really say about these books? There really isn't a lot to talk about one way or the other. My biggest complaints and questions from the last book were mostly resolved and answered, so I can appreciate the work Amanda Sun put in to make this finale as good as she could.
And for the most part, it was pretty good. If these books didn't have their redeeming qualities then I wouldn't have read all three of them. They are certainly very fluffy and satisfying in a way that will always appeal to me no matter how cheesy the plot or characters are. I love the whole "bad boy who's secretly a smol bean" trope, and I always will- regardless of the fact that it can be found in nearly every YA fantasy-ish book.
I also really enjoyed Ishikawa's character in this! Even from the very first book, I could see something special in his character and I'm glad that I was able to see more of him and his personality in this book. He definitely was my favorite character in the series and I almost miss him a little bit, as strange as it sounds!
Of course, I have my complaints about this book and the series in general. I would have to say that my biggest one would have to be that the magic system is really underexplained and inconsistent. Rules were never really fully established, so I didn't have a very firm grasp on what was going on when a Kami would do something that I had no idea they could do. I addressed this a bit in my review of Rain, and my feelings still remain the same on the subject.
Another complaint that I have is that this story is so completely and overwhelmingly underdeveloped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, this is the finale of the series, and yet it is barely 300 pages long!!! By no means did this book need to be 700+ pages, but you'd think it would be at least as long as the first book in the series! I could tell while reading this how rushed Amanda Sun was, just trying to wrap everything up as quickly as she could.
What could have really made this book good would be to slow things down a little bit more and let things really develop instead of just BAM! one thing happens and then BAM! another and then before you know it BAM! the book is over because the actual story itself is less than 300 pages long. I had this feeling that Amanda Sun was so ready for this book and series to just be over. Maybe she was working on another project on the side and couldn't focus on this? Maybe she had just lost interest in the story? There are so many things that were just briefly touched on that could have been really interesting side plots and mini-conflicts!
Take Tomo and his dad for example. We know that they have a lot of conflict with each other. We have read all about the tension between the two of them. And yet, it goes nowhere and is just accepted. There was so much that Amanda Sun could have done with so many aspects of this story that she created. I feel like first-person POV was a bit of a mistake in this series. I mean how cool would it be to get inside Tomo's head? Ishikawa's? Jun's? Even that one pregnant girl whose name I forgot? At the end of the day, we only got a look at Katie's perspective, which quite frankly gets boring after a while.
I'm really torn over this series. As a whole, I would give it 3 stars because while it can be easy to read and quick, it can also be really disappointing given how interesting and creative the concept for it was. I really wish that Amanda Sun had written this when she had more experience under her belt and could create a more polished and put together story. This series grew on me a bit, probably because I really love Japan and I have actually never read a book set there. If there ever was a follow up to this book I would read it, but I highly doubt that will happen given how it appears that Amanda Sun was so quick to get this one over with.
January 3, 2020
The final novel of the Paper Gods trilogy ups the action of the previous 2, with Katie, Tomohiro, and Ishikawa trying to fight against Tomohiro’s destiny as they seek the Imperial Treasure of Japan in the belief that they can end the curse of the ink and kami. As such, it takes a leap away from the strong slice-of-life feel that the earlier 2 books had, abeit slice-of-life mixed with supernatural elements. The trend of introducing aspects of Japanese life and language still runs strong, though, which is one of the things I really like about this series.
Most of what I said about Rain can be said about Storm. The characters all seem to get a lot stronger and more developed, though some of them have major changes of heart near the end. Some, like Jun, are understandable, even though I’d love to know more about how he rationalized half of his actions to himself. (“You’re the descendant of evil! Oh, wait, that’s actually me. Well… you’re still worse! I said so all along!”) Others, like Shiori, come out of left field and have no real explanation. She hated Katie, and then all of a sudden she just gets over Tomohiro and settles down to raise her kid happily and nicely, with no mention at all of her grief or attempts at blackmail. It seemed very much like the author was trying to wrap up dangling plot-threads but didn’t really had anywhere for them to do, so they just get tucked neatly away and let nobody speak of it again.
It’s worth mentioning that I really love the twists on mythology that Sun plays with here. There’s a big deal made about how one has to give in to destiny and how patterns can’t be broken, and as much as the characters want to fight fate, it really does seem like fate can’t be denied in the end, no matter how much you wish otherwise. And that would still have been an interesting ending, to see how Katie deals with what she would have done, but the author instead went for a more typical twist of patterns getting broken anyway, because somebody outside the pattern demanded to have a say in things. And as cheesy as it may have been, it was still a satisfying ending, and it very much fit with the kind of anime that the Paper Gods trilogy clearly draws inspiration from. So while it may not have broken molds, it was still a good ending to the major plot arc, and I have no real complaints about it.
In all, it was a decent YA trilogy that struck many of the right chords with me, with enough to keep me going so that I didn’t feel burned out on one series after reading it all from beginning to end. Which is rare enough, in my experience, and so it’s worth pointing out. It’s not the best, but it definitely has its merits, and if you’re a fan of anime or in decent YA novels set in Japan, then it’s worth checking this series out. It’ll probably amuse you as much as it amused me.
Most of what I said about Rain can be said about Storm. The characters all seem to get a lot stronger and more developed, though some of them have major changes of heart near the end. Some, like Jun, are understandable, even though I’d love to know more about how he rationalized half of his actions to himself. (“You’re the descendant of evil! Oh, wait, that’s actually me. Well… you’re still worse! I said so all along!”) Others, like Shiori, come out of left field and have no real explanation. She hated Katie, and then all of a sudden she just gets over Tomohiro and settles down to raise her kid happily and nicely, with no mention at all of her grief or attempts at blackmail. It seemed very much like the author was trying to wrap up dangling plot-threads but didn’t really had anywhere for them to do, so they just get tucked neatly away and let nobody speak of it again.
It’s worth mentioning that I really love the twists on mythology that Sun plays with here. There’s a big deal made about how one has to give in to destiny and how patterns can’t be broken, and as much as the characters want to fight fate, it really does seem like fate can’t be denied in the end, no matter how much you wish otherwise. And that would still have been an interesting ending, to see how Katie deals with what she would have done, but the author instead went for a more typical twist of patterns getting broken anyway, because somebody outside the pattern demanded to have a say in things. And as cheesy as it may have been, it was still a satisfying ending, and it very much fit with the kind of anime that the Paper Gods trilogy clearly draws inspiration from. So while it may not have broken molds, it was still a good ending to the major plot arc, and I have no real complaints about it.
In all, it was a decent YA trilogy that struck many of the right chords with me, with enough to keep me going so that I didn’t feel burned out on one series after reading it all from beginning to end. Which is rare enough, in my experience, and so it’s worth pointing out. It’s not the best, but it definitely has its merits, and if you’re a fan of anime or in decent YA novels set in Japan, then it’s worth checking this series out. It’ll probably amuse you as much as it amused me.
September 4, 2018
I probably read Ink around 2014, so my taste in books was a lot different back when I was fifteen. I knew I want to finish the beloved trilogy that I always reread as a younger teen, but I just recently picked up Storm. Maybe I wanted to revisit the same memories I got when I read the book the first time. Anyway, I did end up going back to Ink and Rain to catch up again and remember what happened, and I realized that my opinion of the trilogy now is much different than before.
It's not a bad series at all, but it's easier to pick out some things about it that stuck to my mind as I read through. Even though these problems persisted through the other two books, I noticed them more clearly in Storm.
A lot of the character's actions seems too animated. It's as if the author took actions out of a manga or anime, because some don't seem believable or they seem too exaggerated.
One thing that confused me was the number of times certain phrases or ideas are repeated. I think the readers can understand that Katie wants to fight for her own destiny, because it was probably mentioned at least six times in the span of 260-so pages.
The plot buildup to the final battle doesn't follow through. It felt like a lot was left unanswered even if all loose ends are tied up.
On a more technical scale, I had an issue with some of the sentences. It felt like I had to read some multiple times in order to understand them, and I don't know whether that stems from poor sentence structure or if the author just wanted to sound poetic.
I nitpick at a lot, but I didn't hate the book. I actually loved some parts of it, like how we get to see Katie and Ishikawa's relationship transform into something pure and supportive. That is probably the best part, because there is that underlying light banter between the two that doesn't distract the reader too much, and the strings of a new friendship forming can be seen just from their interactions. The same goes for Katie and Diane, and you can tell they have a much more realistic relationship.
The ~intimate~ scene in the hotel with Katie and Tomo is also great, but not because of THAT reason. It is refreshing to see a girl who wasn't sure about taking that step and actually stop because she isn't ready. I hope it hit home for some people that being hesitant about sex isn't a bad thing, and acknowledging it can do more good than harm.
This trilogy is funny, unique, and interesting, even with its flaws. It's easy if someone is just looking for a fun book to take their mind off of things for a while.
It's not a bad series at all, but it's easier to pick out some things about it that stuck to my mind as I read through. Even though these problems persisted through the other two books, I noticed them more clearly in Storm.
A lot of the character's actions seems too animated. It's as if the author took actions out of a manga or anime, because some don't seem believable or they seem too exaggerated.
One thing that confused me was the number of times certain phrases or ideas are repeated. I think the readers can understand that Katie wants to fight for her own destiny, because it was probably mentioned at least six times in the span of 260-so pages.
The plot buildup to the final battle doesn't follow through. It felt like a lot was left unanswered even if all loose ends are tied up.
On a more technical scale, I had an issue with some of the sentences. It felt like I had to read some multiple times in order to understand them, and I don't know whether that stems from poor sentence structure or if the author just wanted to sound poetic.
I nitpick at a lot, but I didn't hate the book. I actually loved some parts of it, like how we get to see Katie and Ishikawa's relationship transform into something pure and supportive. That is probably the best part, because there is that underlying light banter between the two that doesn't distract the reader too much, and the strings of a new friendship forming can be seen just from their interactions. The same goes for Katie and Diane, and you can tell they have a much more realistic relationship.
The ~intimate~ scene in the hotel with Katie and Tomo is also great, but not because of THAT reason. It is refreshing to see a girl who wasn't sure about taking that step and actually stop because she isn't ready. I hope it hit home for some people that being hesitant about sex isn't a bad thing, and acknowledging it can do more good than harm.
This trilogy is funny, unique, and interesting, even with its flaws. It's easy if someone is just looking for a fun book to take their mind off of things for a while.
May 14, 2018
PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge: A book with a weather element in the title
This book picks up a few days after the end of "Rain." Katie's Kami powers have been awakened and she is plagued by dreams of Amaterasu telling her she will have to kill Tomo before he loses control of the ink entirely. She learns of the imperial objects, a mirror, a sword, and a jewel, that are the Kamii birthright and could potentially save Tomo. Ishikawa joins them on their quest to find these objects, but meanwhile Jun is gathering an army of Kami to take over Japan and rid it of the Yakuza. It is a race against time as well, as Tomo's control keeps slipping more and more frequently. After finding the first two objects, they learn that the sword was lost hundreds of years ago and must draw and fight the creature it came from in order to find the sword and cut the Kami out of Tomo. To do this, they must enlist the help of Jun, since Sousanu was part of the original battle with the creature. This leads to the climax of the Kami drama that they have been reenacting and that Katie has been dreading since she first fell in love with Tomo.
There's not much to say about this book that I haven't already said about the others, except maybe that this one is "Twilight" AND "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", but not good. It does clip along at a good pace, thankfully, although there is a distracting side story about Katie's dad wanting to be part of her life again that really adds nothing to the plot or any additional information. He confirms that Katie's mom was poisoned by a Kami-drawn fruit, which we already knew, and that's about it. So he's totally useless, basically. I did like Ishikewa more in this story, mostly because we actually learned a bit about his personality, but he just added to the relationship drama (I think we're up to a hexagon between him, Tomo, Katie, Jun, Ikeda, and Shiori) which was pretty unnecessary and also unresolved by the end. The book wrapped up pretty quickly and left a lot of loose ends/holes. Like the rest of this series, it was okay but super derivative and was extra disappointing because of how much potential the concept had.
This book picks up a few days after the end of "Rain." Katie's Kami powers have been awakened and she is plagued by dreams of Amaterasu telling her she will have to kill Tomo before he loses control of the ink entirely. She learns of the imperial objects, a mirror, a sword, and a jewel, that are the Kamii birthright and could potentially save Tomo. Ishikawa joins them on their quest to find these objects, but meanwhile Jun is gathering an army of Kami to take over Japan and rid it of the Yakuza. It is a race against time as well, as Tomo's control keeps slipping more and more frequently. After finding the first two objects, they learn that the sword was lost hundreds of years ago and must draw and fight the creature it came from in order to find the sword and cut the Kami out of Tomo. To do this, they must enlist the help of Jun, since Sousanu was part of the original battle with the creature. This leads to the climax of the Kami drama that they have been reenacting and that Katie has been dreading since she first fell in love with Tomo.
There's not much to say about this book that I haven't already said about the others, except maybe that this one is "Twilight" AND "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", but not good. It does clip along at a good pace, thankfully, although there is a distracting side story about Katie's dad wanting to be part of her life again that really adds nothing to the plot or any additional information. He confirms that Katie's mom was poisoned by a Kami-drawn fruit, which we already knew, and that's about it. So he's totally useless, basically. I did like Ishikewa more in this story, mostly because we actually learned a bit about his personality, but he just added to the relationship drama (I think we're up to a hexagon between him, Tomo, Katie, Jun, Ikeda, and Shiori) which was pretty unnecessary and also unresolved by the end. The book wrapped up pretty quickly and left a lot of loose ends/holes. Like the rest of this series, it was okay but super derivative and was extra disappointing because of how much potential the concept had.
January 3, 2022
*4.5- This was a great novel! This series surprised me at the very beginning, and I have enjoyed it ever since. I was pretty anxious to finally finish this series, and I'm pretty happy with how it all wrapped up. I still really like all of the characters. I think that Katie was pretty well fleshed out, and I liked getting to know a little more about her personal life outside of Tomo in this book. I also liked Tomo because of the complexity that his character had. He was a really interesting character and truly the center of the novel. Another character that played a more significant role in this book was Ishikawa. I think that Ishikawa's character also had a lot of complexity, and he provided some comic relief to the story which I appreciated. I still really liked the romance and thought that it was great. However, this book didn't focus as much on the romance as the others did which did upset me a little. The romance was one of my favorite parts of the series, so I did want more of it. I do wish that we would have seen more of Yuki and Tanaka in this book because they are Katie's friends, and I think that she should prioritize them more. The plot was ultimately pretty good. I think that the author made good decisions, and I like the direction that the story went in. I wasn't as enthralled as I was with the other books, but I was still pretty captivated. I think that the ending was fitting, and I liked how the author wrapped everything up. I think that she did right by both the stories and the characters. I also continued to enjoy the Japanese setting and the window into the culture that this novel provided. There was cursing in this book and there was violence. There was some sexual content, but nothing explicit. I think that both this book and this series are best suited for YA readers because some of the content may be inappropriate for younger readers. I highly recommend this series! All of these books were fast-paced and pretty light. They were great because I cared about the characters, but I wasn't torn apart. I will be looking for more from this author in the future.
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