The Dallergut Dream Department Store
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.57/10 overall

Characters - 7
The characters in this book were interesting and had unique personalities. It was cool to see Penny's journey as she grew more comfortable in her role over time.

Atmosphere - 7
The atmosphere in this book was quite pleasant. However, the world that the Dallergut Dream Department Store inhabits felt lacking. How things work outside of the store was not explained well too.

Writing - 7
The writing in this book was reasonable. Since this book was translated, I think it was hard to articulate the same meanings and connotations as eloquently in English. My guess is that why some of the word choice and sentences felt a little disjointed and slightly confusing to me.

Plot - 6
Ngl, I was hoping for more of a consistent plot. It felt like each chapter was it's own mini-story instead of one overarching story. I didn't hate that aspect, but it wasn't what I was expecting

Intrigue - 7
I was fairly intrigued by this book. The synopsis sounded quite interesting and the cover is amazing. However, my actual intrigue once started the book fluctuated, since some sections were more engaging than others.

Logic - 6
This book has a fair bit of logic. I thought the explanations for certain types of dreams were well thought-out and helped to enhance the story. However, I never got past the fact that we didn't get to see much of the world Penny lives in other than Dallergut's store. I also thought it was odd that Penny and the rest of the workers at the Dallergut Dream Department Store seem to emulate human lives (going to cafes, the bank, having gatherings and awards ceremonies, etc.) but they are clearly not human or they wouldn't be able to work there. Yet they can still use the dreams that they produce? That part messed with me a little.

Enjoyment - 6
I enjoyed the overall premise of the book, but the execution was a little rocky. Still a short and sweet book.

This is a cozy, whimsical tale centered around the peddlers of nocturnal and nap-time dreams with glimpses into the impacts those dreams have on their customers’ lives.

It is the perfect read for when you are in need of a calming, soothing bedtime story.

I received a copy of the ebook from Harlequin Trade Publishing and HTP Hive. Review opinions are my own.

I adored this novel about a store and community that specializes in making and selling dreams. The characters are delightful and the world-building is whimsical and sweet. I loved how the story weaved together the stories of the employees of the department store along with the stories of some of the people receiving the dreams. I hope there are future installments in this series.

A creative world that lives inside of all our dreams Dallergut’s Department Dream Store is the place everyone goes for all their dream needs. This book was entertaining enough but I feel like I had more questions than anything and most of the characters in the “real world” I felt like were left unfinished.

What I loved most about this story is how light and heartwarming it is. The way Miye Lee builds this dream world is imaginative and fun, almost like a mix between fantasy and cozy slice-of-life. Even though the concept of selling dreams could easily turn dark, the book stays upbeat and full of wonder, making it a feel-good experience.

I absolutely adored this book. In the Dallergut Dream Department Store, we follow Penny as she gets a job at said store and learns more about buying and selling dreams, who the dreams are for, who makes the dreams, and why dreams are important. This novel is more of a series of connected short stories that take place over the course of about a year. It feels very cozy and is a light read. The cast of characters felt fun and full of life. I loved it and much like the translator, sincerely hope there are more books in this universe.

4.25⭐️s

I feel like I already need to re-read The Dallergut Dream Department Store. Though, I think I'll wait until winter hits. Not that it's necessary, but winter is peak cozy reading for me.
Picture a big, fuzzy, warm blanket and/or favorite lounge wear or pjs. Add a comfy (insert prefferred reading spot) couch, steaming hot (insert beverage of choice here) tea, a pinch of soft, dreamy music (or movie), and fav candle.
Voilà! Prime reading conditions for Miye Lee's dreamscape.
(Bonus Points for a sprinkling of fresh snow.)
TDDDS gives you plenty to think about.:
Where do dreams come from?
What is the purposeof dreaming?
How do dreams affect us?
Can dreams help/hinder us?
Can dreams define us?
Etc.
And yet, simply put, TDDDS is a very calming, imaginative, sweet story about stories within stories. Dreams within dreams.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for the eARC!

Penny has just gotten her dream job, literally. She is a new hire at Dallergut Dream Department Store. Yes - there are department stores to sell dreams that one visits while asleep. Read this book to follow Penny's in her new career and learn about this somnambular world.

One of my favorites I've read this year. I really enjoyed the slice of life aspect of the story, while also mixing in such a diverse cast of characters to make it a larger narrative. I loved all of the different dreams and why/how we all connect to our dreams and interpret them. Chapter 9 is what made this one of my favorites and an absolute five star for me. The grandmother and grandson dream hit so close to home reading this the week of the anniversary of my grandmother's passing. It was so beautiful. I love nearly every magical realism book I read, but this one felt extra special.

What a delightful little tome! I don't know that I came away from the story instantly changed or affected, but I feel as though I will constantly refer back to this book as time goes on. Like it will teach me things in the future that I'm not ready to see yet. Wisdom, quirk, charm, heart, it is really wonderful.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store was a fun, whimsical novel. I liked the character exploration and the writing was propulsive.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a delightful translated novel (from Korean) fantastic for anyone who loves dreams. While I thought it ended rather abruptly, I had a wonderful time following Penny around as she begins her new job selling dreams to dreamers. This is whimsical, but also rooted in the things that make us human. There are happy dreams, sad dreams, dreams that make the dreamers think and wonder, and dreams that inspire, and everything in between. I loved the idea behind this novel; I just wish it had wrapped up a little better.

There’s a place dreamers go to when they fall asleep, a place where they can stop by different stores and buy a dream. The currency is the emotions the dreamers experience upon waking, at which time they’re collected by the store the dream was purchased from and then the store can deposit it in the bank or use the emotions for various things. Penny lives in this place and longs to work at the Dallergut Dream Department Store. When she gets an interview, she’s ecstatic, but anxious about passing it. Fortunately, she does, thanks to a tip about remembering a story regarding the past, present, and future. After exploring her different options, she opts to join Weather on the first floor, learning from both Weather and Dallergut about dreams, dreamers, and dream makers throughout the novel. As dreamers come and go, as her shifts come and go, Penny learns all about the different kinds of dreams, from the generic to those custom made for special occasions, and gets the chance to fangirl over her favorite dream designers.

There isn’t much of a story to The Dallergut Dream Department Store. It’s mostly focused on Penny learning about this special business and finding her own place in the department store. Where it could have come across as massive info dumping, this was instead whimsical and enchanting, letting Penny lead the way, walking her line of knowing and not knowing. She’s enthusiastic and eager to learn, and Dallergut is just as eager to tell her all about his business. This offered a lovely and charming way to think of dreams, and I thought it was a nice touch when the story gently veered away from Penny and let the dreamers themselves explore their need for certain dreams, their experiences with that dream, and what it brought them in their waking lives. It comes off as a little episodic, linked by Penny’s narrative, but I loved the softness to the story, and it made me a little me thoughtful about my own dreams.

Penny was an absolute delight. She’s young, enthusiastic, and loves her new job and what she gets to do for the out of towners (the dreamers). I loved that she dove in head first and was always eager to learn, asking questions and volunteering wherever she could. I loved watching her settle into her job and in with her co-workers, all of whom are different and fascinating in their own way as well as perfectly suited to the types of dreams sold on their respective floors. We don’t get to know much about her personal life as the focus is on her job, but there does seem to be a new dream maker who might have an eye on her. The romance is barely hinted at, and I was disappointed this book ended with no real future mention of him, but this is the first in the duology, so I look forward to when the second book is translated and becomes available. But Penny on her own was a lot of fun to follow. She’s bright and cheerful, and I just loved how much she loved everything about dreams. She’s over the moon when she gets to meet famous dream makers, and I loved when she got to interact directly with them. It was also a lot of fun to get to know them and the kinds of dreams they created.

I don’t recall if this place was given a name, but it, too, felt quite whimsical and magical, but still functioned like any other little town. There are just big furry creatures that run after unclothed dreamers to clothe them, dreamers who wander the town completely unaware of where they are, and stores that sell dreams, and leprechauns who have taken to selling shoes and flying dreams. I found it charming, and a little difficult to imagine. But I was still charmed, and I love the warm glow in my mind that thinking about it conjures. It’s soft and fun, and just feels like the perfect place to visit to buy a dream.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a charming, soft story about dreams, how they’re created, the different kinds of dreams there are, and how the dreams impact the dreamers. I felt like it covered just about every kind of dream I could imagine. It was fantastic getting to know Penny, and I loved that some of the dreamers got to tell their stories. The interconnectedness between them was a thoughtful, fun touch, and I look forward to what the second book has to offer, especially since this one ended rather abruptly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Lee Mi-ye
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A whimsical, poignant novel about the inner workings of a department store that sells dreams in a mysterious town that lies hidden in our collective subconscious.
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This story was definitely whimsical. I enjoyed the lore of how the dreams themselves came to be.
We follow Penny, who manages to land a job at the Dream Department store. There are several different floors with different types of dreams for sale. Penny guves us a view into what kinds of dreams people are looking for, and how those dreams can help or influence them once they wake.
I really liked the parts of the story where we met the different dream designers, the people who MAKE dreams.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you love whimsical books then I can recommend reading about Dallergut’s store!

I would have loved this book if it had been published when. I was in middle school! It had the same energy as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. I liked the cozy, whimsical atmosphere in this, and I especially liked the folklore of The Time God and the Three Disciples as a history into why people have dreams, as well as the subsequent conversations of dreams throughout the story. This was a short, quick, cozy fantasy that I would recommend! Thank you for the arc!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

I really enjoyed this book! It's a quick read, that explores the world we go to when we dream. Our protagonists live in the dream realm, faced with an existence much like that of the real world. Penny works to get into a department store that sells dreams. As dreamers enter, it's up to the sales people to find just what they need.

Told in a series of vignettes, each one pulling at heart strings in a different way, I loved this. The only thing that kept it from being a five star read is that it felt like the protagonists were always taking a backseat to characters we only get to see for a chapter. I'd have loved to see a fully story about Penny and Dallergut.

This is such a magical book!! It takes place in the collective subconscious where we all go to choose our dreams for the night. The book largely focuses on Penny, a new employee at the department store, and how she interacts with customers and clients. It's a very lovable story and I look forward to reading the next book.

This book had an intriguing premise, but I found it challenging to engage with. While I appreciated the concept, the pacing felt slow, and certain aspects were confusing.

If you crave the cozy, low stake vibes of My Neighbor Totoro this is the book for you.

In this translated book the reader is introduced to a world not dissimilar from ours where those who sleep can shop for their dreams and there's no better place to go than Dallergut's Dream Department store. The reader is introduced to a shop girl who gets a job at Dallergut's. We are then introduced to a wide cast of characters including dream makers, sellers, and even Santa Claus. There is little conflict in this book, the journey is the destination, and what a fun ride it is.

I will say firstly I did not get to finish this book as the dates on the release changed however, it’s a cute and cozy fantasy, I loved the overall idea of this book. It’s translated so some of the wording is a little awkward.

Favorites: the dogs and there nap dreams

Least Favorite: Pacing, very slow

3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for a review!

In a realm apart from our own, where dreams, fantastical creatures, and figures from our childhood reside, sits a department store where all manner of dreams are sold. Penny, an enthusiastic new hire, learns the ins and outs of dreammaking and selling, along with some life lessons along the way.

This was a very cute, fantasy-lite novel that’s perfect for people in the mood for cozy, low-stakes magical realism. There’s not so much a plot as distinct chapters that tell their own stories about a certain type of dream and impart a “lesson” or message about why our dreams are so important. It’s a feel-good, whimsical book that was super easy and fun to get through.

The setting of the tales was intriguing, but I wanted a little more from the world Penny lives in. Is it another plane of existence? Are they dead (like angels?) or mythical beings? Penny and her friends also sleep and dream, but are cognizant of the dreammaking, unlike regular humans. I would have loved to hear a little more about the other shops on the department store’s street, the other characters of the story (like Assam) and how this world really relates to ours.

There was also some clunkiness to the story progression that tripped me up a little. There would be abrupt switches between the store to focus characters’ dreams or waking lives, then back again, and this could be jarring. I’m not sure if there was additional formatting to help distinguish this in the final version, but even still, these adjustments could be jarring.

Fans of “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” and other low-stakes books that ruminate on human nature through magical realism would probably love this.