I’ve got a super fun book to share with you all today that involves jumping into books! And there is much epicness to be had indeed.

Hello, hello! I have returned from my hiatus refreshed, recharged, and with BOOKS! 😀

Okay but, GUYS. I’ve been squealing in delight for months now! Ever since my long-time blogging friend and fellow Silmaril Awards host, Madeline J. Rose, announced she was PUBLISHING. I’ve been so excited about thissss! And utterly proud of Madeline for taking this amazing plunge.

Her debut novel, Imprint (Ink Press #1), is now out in the world and I am so thrilled!!!

I had the absolute pleasure of reading an ARC for review, so let’s get to it!

SYNOPSIS

Like so many bookworms, Paige Turner loves escaping into the world of stories. However, unlike other bookworms, she can literally escape into the world of stories through the ink on the pages.

When two strange men set out to kidnap Paige and her friend Markus, she is terrified. So used to hiding from her problems in the world of books, Paige doesn’t know what to do when the
trouble begins to spill into her real life. And when the danger looms and threatens the safety of her family, she realizes that terrified or not, she must fight back. And to do that, Paige and
Markus must use the gifts to discover why these strange men are after two innocent teenagers.

But the truth turns out to be far stranger than fiction, and it twists their entire world upside down. Can Paige find the strength to battle her anxiety and use her extraordinary gift…or will she lose everything and everyone she ever cared about?

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REVIEW

First of all, this is a book about going into books and just !!! Is there a more epic concept out there? What bookworm doesn’t dream about slipping right into their favorite stories? For Paige Turner, that dream is an actual reality. Using the ink of a book, she can vanish into the pages and explore the world.

The entire concept of entering books was such a fun one. As an added bit of delight, most of the stories Paige entered were fairy tales. And, well, you guys know how I am about fairy tales!

I loved all the worldbuilding. Though Paige is entering different, well-known stories, the world beyond the pages is all connected…and clearly, something dark and unsettling is brewing within the land of stories. The fairy tales Paige thought she knew all seem off, twisted into something far different from what they’re supposed to be. And Paige quickly finds herself entangled in the troubles of what’s supposed to be fiction, but is becoming far too much reality.

All the fairy tales Paige visited were such fun! Though they were familiar tales, they were entirely twisted and unexpected. Seriously, now I want this author to write an anthology of retold fairy tales. I loved all her unique takes on them!

I also liked how it showed the reality of stepping into books. Sure, we all think we’d want to visit our favorite stories, but in truth those worlds are dangerous and it may be a tad awkward going from our modern lives to fantasy worlds. XD

Then there was the ink magic! One of my favorite bits. I don’t want to say much as this book is fairly short and it’s best to be surprised by all the discoveries, but I thought the whole concept of how ink works in the world of stories was so clever and cool!

Paige herself was an endearing character. Unlike a lot of protagonists we often see, Paige suffers from a crippling case of anxiety. Though she is used to disappearing into books, she is not prepared to become a protagonist herself and be thrust into a life-altering adventure. I thought her fear and anxiety came through so well, and you can’t help but root for her as she tries to overcome it and do what must be done. She felt so realistic and relatable.

I also absolutely adored Markus! Paige’s childhood friend and total dork, Markus was just the best. With his carefree, sunny attitude, he was the perfect counterpart to Paige’s constant wariness. He was a riot!

Some of my other favorite characters are kind of spoilers, but let’s just say some people entirely surprised me, in the absolute best way! There were in-depth and unexpected arcs regarding one character, in particular, that may have been my favorite part of the whole book! I really hope we get even more of a certain complicated batch of characters in the next book because I am so intriiigued!

The entire cast was a ton of fun and colorful and relatable in so many ways, each character burdened with their own unique struggles, and I grew fond of every single one of them.

One thing that really stood out to me was how the parents were actually involved and knew things! It’s so rare to get a YA story where the protagonist doesn’t keep secrets unnecessarily from their parents. Like, there was actual communication going on. Craziness, I know!

I did kind of feel like some of the characters accepted all the weirdness a little too easily though. This is only book 1 though, so there may be a reason for that later to be explained. But I just felt like things often went too smoothly because no one was taking the time to question things.

It was also a pretty short book, and some things felt a little fast or simple or not explained as much as I would have liked. But, again, this is only book #1, so I’m sure much more explanations are to come.

Overall, it was just a fun story with endearing, relatable characters, really cool worldbuilding, and some delightfully unexpected twists that made me all that much more excited for the next book!

CONTENT CAUTIONS

This story was pretty much spotless, content-wise. There were some frightening scenes and maybe a touch of fantasy violence, but nothing over-the-top at all.

Due to its somewhat lighthearted nature and the fact that the main characters are only 15, I think this would especially appeal to the upper middle-grade age.

CONCLUSION

I’m so happy this book is officially out in the world! With characters to fall in love with, familiar fairy tales with unexpected twists, sweet themes of overcoming fear and always looking for the silver lining, and all sorts of surprises along the way, I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one.

If you’re looking for a story full of adventures, shenanigans, and fun as well as a clean read great for younger readers, Imprint is just for you! Plus, story jumping! Need I say more?

Does this one pique your interest? Who else LOVES the idea of book-hopping? If you could enter any one book, which one would you choose?

NOTE: Huge thanks to the author for sending me an e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.