56 pages 1 hour read

Inkling

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

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Summary and Study Guide

Overview

Written in 2018 by Kenneth Oppel, the middle grade novel Inkling employs magical realism to relate the story of a sentient ink splotch who helps a family to cope with the long-lasting grief of losing a family member. Inkling received several awards after its publication, including the New York Times Notable Book, Sundogs Award, Amazon Best Book of the Year, and Quill and Quire Best Book.

This guide refers to the 2018 Kindle e-book edition which was published by Knopf Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Sydney Smith. 

Content Warnings: Both the source material and this guide contain descriptions of grief, depression, and the loss of a family member.

Plot Summary

Peter Rylance, a famous comic book author, has experienced a complete writer’s block for two years due to his long-term depression after the death of his wife, Olivia. He feels stuck, and his depression makes it difficult for him to get out of bed sometimes, let alone take care of his children, Ethan and Sarah. Ethan, a sixth grader, is left to pick up the slack, filling in for his deceased mother and struggling father. Ethan also experiences many difficulties due to the expectations that his family and friends place on him.

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