Inkling

Kenneth Oppel is a Canadian author who is famous for writing middle grade and young adult fiction. Oppel’s work has won multiple awards, including The Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature, The Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award, and the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award. Oppel wrote his first novel, Colin’s Fantastic Video Adventure, when he was only 14 years old, and a major theme of his work is his celebration of the artistic abilities of young people; this is also a unifying idea in Inkling. 

Oppel prefers writing children’s literature because, as he states, “No book you read as an adult - no matter how excellent - will ever have the same effect on you as the books you first loved as a child” (“Hans Christian Andersen Award Dossier”). Oppel references this nostalgic sentiment in Inkling whenever the characters strongly relate to certain books. Specifically, before her death, Olivia finds comfort in reading a battered copy of The Secret Garden while she is in the hospital. Likewise, most of the books that Inkling reads are classic children’s books like Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and Roald Dahl’s The BFG. Following in the footsteps of such literary heroes, Oppel makes it a point to support his fantastical storylines with “a foundation of realism” (Oppel, Kenneth. “Author Profile: Kenneth Oppel.” ReadingZone). He prefers “fantasies in which the fantasy itself is doled out sparingly,” believing that overwhelming the plot with fantastical elements causes such creations to “lose their wonder” instead of “stand[ing] out as truly marvelous and exciting” (“Author Profile: Kenneth Oppel”). This stylistic preference is demonstrated to great effect in Inkling, for the novel’s nuanced exploration of grief constitutes the central conflict. Within this framework, the unique concept of a sentient ink splotch allows the author to leaven the serious topics of grief and loss with a splash of whimsy. 

In addition to such fantastical elements, Oppel is also famous for creating realistic and relatable characters, eschewing the idea of building characters that are clear-cut embodiments of good or evil. While the story’s antagonist, Karl, arguably comes closest to embodying evil, Oppel provides enough background information about him to evoke an element of sympathy for his motivations, if not his actions. Likewise, while Peter proves himself to be a poor parent during much of the novel, Oppel’s portrayal of his ongoing struggle with grief and depression forestalls harsh judgment to a certain extent. Most importantly, even the main protagonist, Ethan, struggles with moral dilemmas, and Oppel’s conscious choice to make all of his characters morally ambiguous results in the creation of a dynamic and compelling plot with realistic ad believable characters. Throughout the novel, Oppel explores several themes that recur throughout his body of works, including the themes of identity and belonging, as well as complex family dynamics and ethical dilemmas. Ultimately, Kenneth Oppel has emerged as a distinguished author who is widely celebrated for his unique contributions to middle grade fiction.