More reviews are posted at Inspiring Insomnia.The main reason to read Ink is for the Japanese setting, one which I don't believe I've encountered before. Amanda Sun describes it in such a way that we feel like we're right there with the characters. Unfortunately, after reading the book, these are not the characters with whom I'd want to visit Japan.
Katie's a fish out of water, adjusting to life with her aunt in Japan. She gets involved with the local bad boy, Tomo, who we know must not REALLY be bad; he's just misunderstood. It's been done a million times before in YA, and here, the romance is not even interesting.
When the Japanese mythology linked to Tomo's paranormal abilities is revealed, there's a fresh and unique feeling, and I can see how this would put Tomo (and by extension, Katie) in danger. But the final conflict with a group of gangster-types felt more silly than scary.