Ink and Ashes

Goodreads Synopsis:    Claire Takata has never known much about her father, who passed away when she was a little girl. But on the anniversary of his death, not long before her seventeenth birthday, she finds a mysterious letter from her deceased father, addressed to her stepfather. Claire never even knew that they had met.

Claire knows she should let it go, but she can’t shake the feeling that something’s been kept from her. In search of answers, Claire combs through anything that will give her information about her father . . . until she discovers he was a member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. The discovery opens a door that should have been left closed.

So begins the race to outrun his legacy as the secrets of her father’s past threaten Claire’s friends and family, newfound love, and ultimately her life. Ink and Ashes, winner of Tu Books’ New Visions Award, is a heart-stopping debut mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

My Thoughts:

-    I have to say, there is a big difference between an author who is Japanese and a Japanese enthusiast author. This book felt more real, and I appreciated the small things, like Claire enjoying seeing other Asians at school. I would have really liked that as a kid.

-    For a mystery, I felt like there wasn't enough suspense and tension. The story moved a little slow, and it spent a lot of time on every day things. I felt like some of the "clues" didn't lead anywhere. I really wanted the letter from Claire's dad to have a bigger part. 

-    There are a lot of kids in Claire's group, and I thought there were too many for a while, but towards the end of the book, I liked each character. 

-    I got tired of Claire blaming Chase for everything. He was a jerk! I get it! Move on!

-    I felt that Claire's letters to her dad weren't needed. I got enough of her personality and feelings from the story.

-    I really liked the relationship between Claire's group of friends. I like that her brothers were involved, and they all watched out for each other.

-    I liked who Claire hooks up with, but there was a too much focus on the romance for a little while, and way too much kissing. Good grief!

-    Overall, it was a good story, and I appreciated all the Japanese American culture. 

Cat Girl's Day Off

From Goodreads:    Natalie Ng’s little sister is a super-genius with a chameleon-like ability to disappear. Her older sister has three Class A Talents, including being a human lie detector. Her mom has laser vision and has one of the highest IQs ever. Her dad’s Talent is so complex even the Bureau of Extra-Sensory Regulation and Management (BERM) hardly knows what to classify him as.

And Nat? She can talk to cats.

The whole talking-to-cats thing is something she tries very hard to hide, except with her best friends Oscar (a celebrity-addicted gossip hound) and Melly (a wannabe actress). When Oscar shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on…and it’s not funny.

(okay, yeah, a frou-frou blogger being taken down by a really angry cat named Tiddlywinks, who also happens to be dyed pink? Pretty hilarious.)

Nat and her friends are catapulted right into the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets. Can she keep her reputation intact? Can she keep Oscar and Melly focused long enough to save the day? And, most importantly, can she keep from embarrassing herself in front of Ian?

Find out what happens when the kitty litter hits the fan.

My Thoughts:

-    I loved Nat's funny phrases like "Monkey snot on a stick," "Frick on a stick," etc.  Everything is on a stick.  They were funny, and I think I might use them.

-    I like the bits of cat wisdom on the top of each chapter.  There were all dead on about cats!  They made me laugh.

-    I felt bad that Rufus had to be pink the whole time, poor thing.

-   Some things in this book were a bit over the top, and I think the book is more suited for maybe a younger audience than me...like the age group the book was made for.

-    I liked the little romance bits between Nat and Ian.  I laughed a bit cause it was a pretty realistic awkward high school relationship.

-    I enjoyed all the characters.  Nat was wonderful, and her 2 friends were the best!  I love great friends in stories.  Everyone should have great friends.  Nat's friends were very lively and such go-getters!  Nat would NEVER have done a lot of the things she did without them.  They helped her become a hero.    

-    I want to talk to animals.  I wouldn't want it to be just cats, but if that is all I could do, I'd take it!

-    I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE that this book was kind of a dedication to John Hughes and Ferris Bueller's Day Off!  I enjoyed the references, and thought it was a worthy subject to write about.  

-     I really liked that the author made her characters believable and act their age.  Some books make 12 year olds act like 20 year olds, and I just can't buy it.  This story did not have that problem.  

-    Overall, this was a cute book.  It isn't epic or anything, but it is a fun, light read.