A Straw for Two (Ink Drinker)

Rating:
Summary: Kids Love It!
Review: I am a librarian in an elementary school and kids love this book as well as the Ink Drinker. I read both books to the kids and they are hanging on every word. It usually takes us two separate classes to read each book and they can hardly wait for the next time to finish the book. I think that some of the translation is a bit awkward, but that is minor. I recommend both books for reluctant readers!

Rating:
Summary: cute, but lacking...
Review: Odion, the hero of "The Ink Drinker" is back in this sequel/companion to the first book. Young master Odion was previously bitten by a ink-drinking vampire and became one himself. That is, his sustanence comes from the books that he literally drinks the ink from, through a straw. When those delightful words hit his tongue, he is immediately transported to the very world of the book he is drinking. There are only two drawbacks, however. One is that the book is then devoid of ink and useless. The second, more difficult, is that he is the only ink-drinker aside from a dusty old vampire. He is lonely and cannot share his secret with anyone lest they think him a freak. But wait!! What about this mysterious new student at school...?? What's HER story??

"A Straw for Two" is like the above paragraph: heavy on flashback and light on present and future action. Most of the book rehashes the action of "Ink Drinker" which made me anxious to get through it and find out what was going to happen next. What DID happen next was not only predictable but short. Predictability is to be expected in children's books, of course, but once the stage has been set, the story re-told, it is time to move on and delve deep into the present action. Sadly, much of that is missing from "Straw for Two". It clips along at a quick pace (as an adult, I finished the book in less than 15minutes), but the pace is SOOO quick as to leave large parts of action out.

While the concept of both Ink Drinker and Straw for Two is original and a lot of fun (I suggest that the term "ink drinker" replace the more antequated term of "bookworm" for people who really love to read--who practically devour text), "Straw..." leaves me wondering what happened. The illustrations are wonderfully dark and fun, reminiscent of "Ink Drinker", but for a sequel there should have been much more than what Sanvoisin gave.

Rating:
Summary: cute, but lacking...
Review: Odion, the hero of "The Ink Drinker" is back in this sequel/companion to the first book. Young master Odion was previously bitten by a ink-drinking vampire and became one himself. That is, his sustanence comes from the books that he literally drinks the ink from, through a straw. When those delightful words hit his tongue, he is immediately transported to the very world of the book he is drinking. There are only two drawbacks, however. One is that the book is then devoid of ink and useless. The second, more difficult, is that he is the only ink-drinker aside from a dusty old vampire. He is lonely and cannot share his secret with anyone lest they think him a freak. But wait!! What about this mysterious new student at school...?? What's HER story??

"A Straw for Two" is like the above paragraph: heavy on flashback and light on present and future action. Most of the book rehashes the action of "Ink Drinker" which made me anxious to get through it and find out what was going to happen next. What DID happen next was not only predictable but short. Predictability is to be expected in children's books, of course, but once the stage has been set, the story re-told, it is time to move on and delve deep into the present action. Sadly, much of that is missing from "Straw for Two". It clips along at a quick pace (as an adult, I finished the book in less than 15minutes), but the pace is SOOO quick as to leave large parts of action out.

While the concept of both Ink Drinker and Straw for Two is original and a lot of fun (I suggest that the term "ink drinker" replace the more antequated term of "bookworm" for people who really love to read--who practically devour text), "Straw..." leaves me wondering what happened. The illustrations are wonderfully dark and fun, reminiscent of "Ink Drinker", but for a sequel there should have been much more than what Sanvoisin gave.

Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: That's my daughter's reaction who first jumped at the sight of this sequel to 'The Ink Drinker'. She read 'The Ink Drinker' cover to cover and wanted to write to author about how much she liked the book. 'Boring' was the word she used when handing over the book back to me. After reading it myself, I agree with her.