Review: Rain (Paper Gods #2) by Amanda Sun

REVIEW

Rain (Paper Gods #2) by Amanda Sun

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Ink by Amanda Sun

Pages: 304

Published by Harlequin Teen on April 1st 2014

Series: Paper Gods #2

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

Source: Borrowed from public library

My rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis: 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.

My review: Rain is such a fantastic sequel to Ink! OMG, I could not put this book down! I've lost so much sleep this week reading this series that it is not even funny. 

What I liked: One of my favorite things about this book is the culture. The culture is represented so wonderfully and beautifully. As an American, reading this book was almost like being in two world at once. You are learning so much about the culture and living it with the main character, AND experiencing the story that goes along with it. It is just written gorgeously. 

I really love how the story progressed in this sequel. We get to see what is at the center of the main characters' struggles, and it did not disappoint. The character progression is amazing too. We learn so much more about the characters in this. Their motives, their desires, their struggles, everything becomes clear. I loved that we found out more about some of the side characters. Knowing more about them made the story fall into place that much more. 

And have you seen the cover? Yeah, look at that cover. It is breathtaking! 

What I disliked: If I had to add a critique, I would have loved to read more! The book was 304 pages, and that is a bit short for my liking. I would have loved to hear more- more scenes, more story, or just diving deeper into the characters' histories. 

Takeaway: I would absolutely recommend this book and the entire series to anyone. It is a great novel. If you give this a try you will not be disappointed. Now please excuse me while I devour book 3!