Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

Inkling:
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: Walker Books
Release date:  1st October 2018
Pages: 282 pages
R.R.P: $14.99
Ethan has been chosen to do the illustrations for his class comic book project, but there's one small problem... he can't draw! His friends are relying on him and smug Vika is just waiting for him to fail. The pressure is on.

Then a spirited ink blot mysteriously splashed into Ethan's home. Inkling seems like the perfect solution- after all, he was MADE for drawing! But Ethan had better watch out. He's not the only one to see Inkling's potential...

My Review
Thoughts on the book:      May contain spoilers
Told from the points of view of the ink blot Inkling and Ethan Rylance, Inkling is the new novel from Kenneth Oppel about a little ink blob that magically comes to life in the Rylance household at a time when the family really need something. Mr Rylance is a famous comic book artist but has struggled to come up with anything since his wife died and has barely the strength to look after his two children that were left behind, Ethan and his sister Sarah who has Down Syndrome and requires a lot of patience and attention. When Ethan discovers an ink blot under his bed and discovers it can draw he couldn't be more pleased. You see his class has been broken up into groups and tasked with creating their own comic book. Ethan has been assigned to draw the comic book but the things is despite his dad being a famous comic artist he is the furthered the from artistic that you can get. Discovering that Inkling can draw he gets him to help him with the comic book but the more he draws the more certain people become suspicious and Inkling becomes in danger. Will Ethan be able to save Inkling and his family at the same time?

Thank you so much to Walker Books for sending me a copy of Inkling to read and review for you. Inkling was far from what I expected it to be but I throughly enjoyed it and how easily it flowed. It started off a bit like a Goosebumps book where a cat was prowling around and saw an ink blob come alive off the page and start moving around the house. The multiple different storylines in Inkling was beautiful and heartwarming as we watched the Rylance family go from mourning the death of their mother to finally coming together and being the family that Ethan knew they could be and all this because of an ink blot that was from the imagination of Mr Rylance. I loved that the author included a Down Syndrome girl and gave the reader an insight into what their world can be like and I will defiantly be getting my children to read this so they get an insight into how their cousin (who has Down syndrome) may view the world. Overall the book was a solid uplifting read and I can't wait to read more from Kennerh Oppel.

Rating: 4/5



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