Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Ink by Alice Broadway - OPTIONAL

Broadway, Alice Ink, 324 pgs. Scholastic Press (Scholastic Inc.), 2018. Language – PG (2 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – G; Violence – PG.

In a society where your actions are tattooed into your skin and preserved for future generations, Leora feels the weight of every decision. Leora wants to be a good citizen and follow the rules to avoid the punishment of marks upon the left forearm, and Leora also has to choose what she wants tattooed into her skin as her legacy. She hopes that graduating from school and starting work will help her know who she is, but Leora becomes more confused as she uncovers secrets about both her family and the rebels.

The premise of Ink caught my interest, and I was excited to start reading, but that interest and excitement quickly faded. The first 100 pages were background and lead up, which made for a painfully slow beginning. When the story started rolling, though, a love interest was introduced only to be ignored soon after; it was so underdeveloped that I wonder if the story would have been better if the romance had been non-existent. I was happy to find out that there is a sequel because the end held no resolutions to the results of Leora’s actions, just her finally making a decision with her life. For me, the best parts of this book were the thoughts shared about integrity and forgiveness in a society where ink declares who you are to everyone that sees you.

HS – OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

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