Inkling

by Kenneth Oppel

Sydney Smith (Illustrator)

Mishaps and madness ensue when magical drawing ink comes to life in the Rylance home and 11-year-old Ethan tries to prove he's just as talented as his famous father.

A moving but light-hearted story about grief, family and a sixth-grade rivalry. When Ethan's class is given the task of creating a graphic novel and magical ink jumps out of his father's sketchbook, a strange series of events is set into motion. To his younger sister, Inkling is Lucy, her beloved dog; to his father, Inkling is a second chance at a dwindling career and a chance to solve his family's money worries. Friends and enemies alike try to use Inkling to ace tests and create bestselling comic books, but to Ethan, Inkling is his friend - and he must do everything in his power save him.

• ISBN10: 1524772828
• ISBN13: 9781524772826
• Publish Date: 6 November 2018 (first published 4 October 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sarah Says]

On the surface this is a light, fluffy and fun read about a boy who makes friends with an animated splotch of ink who can do extraordinary things. Down deeper it deals with grief and mental illness.

The story follows Ethan a loving and caring young boy as he deals with the life left behind after his mother’s’ death. His father, a comic book writer and artist by trade is not coping with the loss of his wife and as such the duties of looking after the house and his 9-year-old sister who has down syndrome fall on Ethan’s shoulders. It’s never stated how old Ethan is. But the feeling I got reading the story is that he’s somewhere around 11-12 years old. A sweet and caring boy that circumstance has made mature for his age, but he hasn’t hit his teens yet – that was the vibe I got.

Rickman the overweight cat provides humorous relief throughout the book, as does Inkling himself.

There are the high-jinks of Ethan getting caught with Inkling, Inkling being inknapped, a rescue mission and so much more.

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel is a glorious book. It hit a lot harder than I was expecting when I went into it. But it weaved a beautiful story of a family drowning in, then overcoming their grief. The ending leaves you with a warmness in your heart.

[alisoninbookland]

Well that was cute. I need to flip through a finished copy to see the art.

[inlibrisveritas]

Inkling is a middle-grade novel with a ton of heart and imagination! It centers around a young boy named Ethan, his family, and a little ink blob that changes their life. It’s an engaging and fun story that tackles some heavy themes without ever becoming too overwhelming.

Inkling is a little ink-blot that comes to life in the middle of the night and finds himself at the center of a family as it struggles to heal and move forward. Ethan is stuck working on a graphic novel for school, but he can’t draw despite what his friends think. Ethan’s father is a comic book artist who hasn’t completed a single story since his wife’s death and finds himself stuck in a rut both creatively and in life. Sarah, Ethan’s little sister, wants a puppy and even though she doesn’t know it needs more time with her father. The death of the mother has created a cloud over their family, and Ethan is trying his hardest to push forward. Inkling’s entrance into his life brings joy and re-connection with his father, and the process in which they both heal, reconcile, and move forward is one that is truly heartfelt and emotional. The connection that Ethan has with his sister Sarah, who has Downs Syndrome, is truly wonderful. It’s so rare to see big/little sibling relationships that are not fraught with jealousy and teasing, so it’s lovely to see Ethan taking his role as a big brother so seriously. He cares for her, takes time out of each day to spend time playing pretend, and even though he does get annoyed he doesn’t let that affect his time with her.

I think where this book excels is in the pure emotion on the page. It’s such a fun book to read, but it has a lot of moments where you get a bit choked up over what’s happening. It deals with death in a way that it can start a gentle understanding of the pain left behind, but also focuses on the healing that can come from being with family. As an adult, I could see Ethan’s father’s grief in a way that I understood and felt truly worried about, but it is written in such a subtle and gentle way that kids will also understand the distance between him and his children. It also tackles moral dilemmas involving inkling’s ability to draw. Is it okay to use Inkling to help with school work? Is it okay to have it draw pages for your career?

To add to the charm it also has illustrations to accompany the story. It has cute little ink splotches on each page, and some equally wonderful drawings scattered throughout.

This is my first Oppel book but I don’t think it will be my last. He has such a light yet immersive style, and he really excels at putting emotions on the page in a way that you can’t help but feel them. I think this is an excellent age-appropriate book that will engage kids (and adults) and keep them reading.

I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.