Inkling

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story shows the dangers of taking the easy way out and how the things you let into your life affect it.

Inkling is a character with tons of personality, especially for a splotch of ink. He cares deeply for his family and does what he can to help. In the beginning, Inkling is just a little thing that doesn’t have any world experience or ability to express himself. As he eats through the pages of books and newspapers, he grows and starts to take on the characteristics of the pages he has read.

I liked that Inkling really internalized what he was being introduced to. When he read classic literature, his vocabulary increased and he was able to help Ethan and his sister. On the other hand, when he read comics that were filled with color and violence, his outward appearance changed along with his personality. He becomes out of control and focused more on creating chaos than helping anyone.

Both Ethan and his dad see Inkling as a way to get things done without having to work as hard or at all. They can give Inkling the idea for a story and just watch as all of the work is done for them. I could see it would lead to trouble with Ethan’s dad becomes convinced that he needs Inkling in order to actually do his job. He stops even attempting to do anything on his own, and relies completely on a blob of ink.

I like that Ethan realized what they were doing and tried to put an end to it. It’s hard to go from having someone do everything for you to doing it for yourself, but that’s how you grow. The family dynamic and situation as a whole improved as they learned from Inkling and started taking responsibility for themselves.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: Random House Children’s/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 06 Nov 2018

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