Hey guys! Welcome to Saturday Pages!
This week I've been catching up on my review pile, so today I have another ARC for review! As such, it also counts for my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge! I didn't have this one ready for release week cause I was dealing with the Ruin & Rising hangover, but I want to give big thanks to Harlequin Teen for approving so many of my requests on Netgalley!
Rain by Amanda Sun
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
First of all, thank you so much Harlequin Teen for approving so many of my requests on NetGalley!
I had this one on my review pile to have it up on release week, but then Ruin & Rising and its massive hangover happened, so I ended up ignoring my review pile for a while and did some comfort reading... But now this week I've decided to go back to crack on my ARCs!
I liked Ink quite a bit overall, although I ended up giving it 3 stars cause some things really managed to annoy me enough, and with Rain it seems like we're exactly at the same point. There are some parts of the book that I absolutely adore, and others that annoy me to no end and make me want to skip pages to avoid them.
Let's start with what I loved in Ink and continued to adore in Rain, first of, the Japanese contemporary part. I've never been to Japan, but I feel like we really get a very authentic and real look at Japan, with it's everyday traditions and customs and all the little Japanese words here and there (I might end up learning a lil Japanese with this books, as a side perk!), and also how genuine the way Katie feels like an outsider. I've spent months in India, and no matter how comfortable or how welcome I was everyone, there were always little things that made me stand out or reminded me I was foreign, so I could relate with Katie. Even more imagine studying in a country where you have to learn a language with a complete different alphabet and way to write... challenging to say the least!
I also loved the whole mythology about the Kami, and all the revelations we got on this book and how it opened for what I feel will be an epic battle in the conclusion in the next and final book.
What I wasn't keen at all was the romance and the teenage angst. Katie and Tomo with their starcrossed lovers bit and then all the added satellites around and all the drama that was created and added on top of the Kami?? Wow, it was just too much for me. Not a fan of drama, and some of them were petty teenage woes and ended up making me want to skip paragraphs. Katie and Tomo took the whole bloody book to finally realize that secrets are no good and communication is key, so I'm hoping most of the drama has been left behind now!
I feel like the teenage drama mixed with the Kami threat is a bit too much for me, so I'm hoping the next book with focus more on the Kami and less on the drama!
I am quite curious enough about more information on Katie and her dad (hopefully) and more answers on that front, as well as the big confrontation I expect will happen, and even more information about the Kami and their myths. So, I'll be awaiting the third (and I think final) book.
I'm giving this one 3 stars, cause after all the likes and dislikes it comes to a bit of a happy middle of sorts!
View all my reviews
This week I've been catching up on my review pile, so today I have another ARC for review! As such, it also counts for my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge! I didn't have this one ready for release week cause I was dealing with the Ruin & Rising hangover, but I want to give big thanks to Harlequin Teen for approving so many of my requests on Netgalley!
Rain by Amanda SunMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
First of all, thank you so much Harlequin Teen for approving so many of my requests on NetGalley!
I had this one on my review pile to have it up on release week, but then Ruin & Rising and its massive hangover happened, so I ended up ignoring my review pile for a while and did some comfort reading... But now this week I've decided to go back to crack on my ARCs!
I liked Ink quite a bit overall, although I ended up giving it 3 stars cause some things really managed to annoy me enough, and with Rain it seems like we're exactly at the same point. There are some parts of the book that I absolutely adore, and others that annoy me to no end and make me want to skip pages to avoid them.
Let's start with what I loved in Ink and continued to adore in Rain, first of, the Japanese contemporary part. I've never been to Japan, but I feel like we really get a very authentic and real look at Japan, with it's everyday traditions and customs and all the little Japanese words here and there (I might end up learning a lil Japanese with this books, as a side perk!), and also how genuine the way Katie feels like an outsider. I've spent months in India, and no matter how comfortable or how welcome I was everyone, there were always little things that made me stand out or reminded me I was foreign, so I could relate with Katie. Even more imagine studying in a country where you have to learn a language with a complete different alphabet and way to write... challenging to say the least!
I also loved the whole mythology about the Kami, and all the revelations we got on this book and how it opened for what I feel will be an epic battle in the conclusion in the next and final book.
What I wasn't keen at all was the romance and the teenage angst. Katie and Tomo with their starcrossed lovers bit and then all the added satellites around and all the drama that was created and added on top of the Kami?? Wow, it was just too much for me. Not a fan of drama, and some of them were petty teenage woes and ended up making me want to skip paragraphs. Katie and Tomo took the whole bloody book to finally realize that secrets are no good and communication is key, so I'm hoping most of the drama has been left behind now!
I feel like the teenage drama mixed with the Kami threat is a bit too much for me, so I'm hoping the next book with focus more on the Kami and less on the drama!
I am quite curious enough about more information on Katie and her dad (hopefully) and more answers on that front, as well as the big confrontation I expect will happen, and even more information about the Kami and their myths. So, I'll be awaiting the third (and I think final) book.
I'm giving this one 3 stars, cause after all the likes and dislikes it comes to a bit of a happy middle of sorts!
View all my reviews
Yeah.. I have heard there is a damn love triangle in this book. NOT FOR ME :( Sob. Amazing review though, sweetie. <3 Thank you for sharing :D And I'm glad you ended up enjoying it. But yeah. Not a series for me, lol ;p
ReplyDeleteMore than a triangle, Carina! I'd even say it's an hexagon! O_o So yeah, I cannot recommend this series to you at all, sweetie!
DeleteAhhh, three out of five stars. I was already planning on skipping that one, and your rating being as "low" as it is, I will definitely be skipping it! The romance doesn't sound like it's for me... or the angst. Ugh, angst.
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, Pili!
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Angst & romance drama... this one is full of it, oigh!
DeleteThe angst and the teenage woes were what made me hate the first book so much, that and Katie Greene was an annoying little wench in my eyes, haha! I'm glad to know that I'm not missing out anything by not requesting this book. I learned my lesson then!
ReplyDeleteFaye at The Social Potato
Yeah, if the angst made you hate the first book... stay away from this one!
DeleteThis is one of those series that I'm holding off on. I haven't totally decided against it, but you know how it is--too many books to read EVERYTHING, so this one . . . yeah, I'm going to wait until it wraps up. Maybe your issues will turn out to be the typical book 2 slump, and the next installment will be awesome. *crosses fingers*
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that the aspects that I love from this series will completely take over the final book! Thanks Jessica!
DeleteI really have to read the first novel for this series. I recently have purchased both, and Amanda Sun's covers are just too beautiful to put away! It's so awesome that this series focuses on mythology and Japanese contemporary. It sounds so unique and stunning! Sucky romance makes me cry of anger, LOL. In that aspect, this book didn't really sound too good. But, I'll have to soon give the first book a try and see my thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThe covers are stunning! Give them a try, maybe the romance won't bother you as much as it did with me!
DeleteOh no! I'm so sad to hear about the drama, I can't handle it, and I was really excited about this one!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your review! I think I won't read it as soon as I thought.
Give it a try, Lis! It might not bother you as much as it did me!
Delete