Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Ink | Alice Broadway | Review
Most recently, I found myself picking up Ink by Alice Broadway after they collectively screamed at me when I admitted that I hadn’t read it yet. When I saw that it was on offer at Waterstones, it found its way into my hands. When I saw thestunning cover in person, I found myself walking to the till and handing over my card.
If you don’t know, Ink is set in a world where everyone has the most important parts of their lives tattooed onto their skin. They are tattooed when they are born, when they graduate, when they fall in love, when they commit crimes... Everyone is inked. Leora has all the standard marks and is just thinking of what her next tattoo will be when her father dies. In the wake of his death, she finds her grief is tainted by a new found curiosity about the way things are. Leora is no longer sure that she believes in the status quo and must figure out her place in the world.
Ink is fantastically creative. The world that Alice Broadway has created is phenomenal and unlike many of the YA books that I have read recently. It places a real onus on the importance of art and expression, which I really enjoyed. Leora is also a really creative character, which only added to the experience.
I’m also a massive fan of positive friendships in books and can happily say that Ink is packed with them. It was lovely to read, and felt like a point of familiarity between myself and the characters.
The pacing of Ink is a little slow to begin with but really picks up and heads for a fantastic finale that is well worth the wait. I was devouring it at the end, and am desperately awaiting the sequel, Spark, which comes out later this year. I can happily say that once again the Northern Book Bloggers have shown that their recommendations are well worth paying attention to.
Kelly x
