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.

Author Mi-ye Lee has created cozy, imaginative story about a department store that exists in our collective unconscious, and is the purveyor of dreams. One can only enter the store when asleep, and customers' responses to their dreams create Wonder, Flutter, and other important components that help a dream store continue to operate. The Dallergut Dream Department Store has a solid reputation, and is constantly busy offering a variety of dreams created by celebrated dream designers to humans and animals around the world.

Penny is the store's new hire, and counts herself as tremendously lucky to be one of its staff. She meets each floor's managers, who all have distinctive personalities. Each of the five floors offers their customers a specialized experience for their dream, such as ice skating, stardom, food, childhood memories, encounters with loved ones who have died, and flight, though flight is almost always sold out.

Over the course of this quiet story, Penny gets to know her benevolent boss Mr. Dallergut better, meets celebrity dream designers, and learns more about how the dream department store operates, and why it is so popular with dreamers. We also meet specific clients, seeking something from their lives, whether stardom or managing grief, that the Dallergut dreams satisfy. Interestingly, Mr. Dallergut also brings on a nightmare designer, which he instinctively knows will help some clients in their emotional growth.

This is an unusual and sweet story. It is not plot heavy, and the characters are quirky and gentle, which made this charming book a wonderfully soothing experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The story takes place In a mysterious town that lies hidden in our collective subconscious, there’s a quaint little store where all kinds of dreams are sold . . .

Day and night, visitors both human and animal from all over the world shuffle in sleepily in their pajamas, lining up to purchase their latest dream and adventure. Each floor in the department store sells a special kind of dream, including nostalgic dreams about your childhood, trips you’ve taken, and delicious food you’ve eaten, as well as nightmares and more mysterious dreams.

In Dallergut Dream Department Store we meet Penny a new hire and young woman looking for her future. Dallergut is the flamboyant owner of the department store and a host of characters who are the dream makers. Many funny and strange customers regularly visit the store. When one of the most coveted and expensive dreams gets stolen during Penny’s first week, we follow along with her as she tries to uncover the workings of this wonderfully whimsical world.

A captivating story that will leave a lingering magical feeling in readers’ minds, this is the first book in a best-selling duology for anyone exhausted from the reality of their daily life.
It is a fast and easy comfort to read. I gave it 3.5 stars.

5/5 Stars

When I saw the summary of this book, I was very intrigued. Once I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this. The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee was truly a dream, and I don’t use that word often to describe a book.

What if the dreams you had were purchased by you every night, even if you don’t remember doing so? The Dallergut Dream Store–the best store out there for the widest variety of dreams. Located in the collective subconscious of living things, all living creatures, because all dream of course, come in to purchase their new dreams for that night’s sleep. Penny, a new hire to her dream job, finds working here to be wonderful and, at times, scary. Throughout the book she meets a variety of characters, both coworkers and customers who seek to browse.

I really enjoyed this book! This story was so magical and submersible, something I personally love in a work of fiction, and really had me thinking about the dreams that I have and the experiences of déjà vu that have happened in my. I look forward to reading the sequel when it is released! This book half’s a special place on my shelf, I highly recommend reading.

[3.5/5 stars]

Penny is an enthusiastic new employee at THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE. As she works there, she uncovers the mystery of the most famous shop that sells dreams to their sleepy customers.

This novel has Before-the-coffee-gets-cold with fairy tale vibes - the story revolves around dream and its complexity. From self-encouragement to supreme wish, the narrative plays with one's subconscious, inviting one to unexpected places while raising simple questions that demand intricate answers. This is plotless, in which the reader wanders in the customers' unique experiences told from story within story.

Lee cleverly examines the dream world x real world, when the feverish excitement of the dream buyers leads to a deeper understanding of the dream, and therefore, their motives. There is also an interesting relationship between the dream with past/future, which glimpses of the consequences and boundaries feed one's curiosity while offer something for one to digest.

With captivating prose, Lee crafts an imaginative world-building populated by realistic characters whom one easily embrace. The story isn't emotionally laden however it's not devoid of some empathetic moments.

Utterly creative and dazzlingly magical, DEPARTMENT (tr. Sandy Joosun Lee) delivers a fun ride for those exhausted from the harshness of real life. A whimsical read perfect for summer vibes.

This whimsical gem of a story was the perfectly right book at absolutely the right time for me! It found me during a particularly difficult week, and served as the perfect escape to stop my mind from running in circles about life and just succumb to the delightfulness of this immersive dream world. With all of the cozy feelings, heartwarming storylines, and valuable, thought-provoking life lessons that we’ve gotten in similar books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold and What You Are Looking For Is In The Library, The Dallergut Dream Department Store was a fantastical warm hug of a book that I just need a print copy of so I can go back to it over and over again!

This slice-of-life story follows Penny, a new employee at the Dallergut Dream Department Store, as she starts her dream job (only a little bit of a pun intended) and becomes part of the team that keeps the store running like clockwork. The store is just as it sounds - it’s a department store in humanity’s shared dreamland that sells dreams to sleeping people from all over the world, with each floor of the store featuring different types of dreams from nap dreams and dreams for animals (yes, animals need to buy dreams too!) to nostalgic childhood events and “groundbreaking activity-based dreams” and more! Interspersed are vignettes from customers after experiencing dreams, and we get to see the lessons they learned along the way from those dream experiences.

The world-building of this magical dreamland and the department store itself was just fantastic and completely immersive, all while featuring a fabulous cast of characters alongside Penny that are completely charming and will all steal your heart. Featuring stories within stories, unique dreams that you’ll swear you’ve even had yourself, all sorts of emotions from start to finish, and a sprinkle of magic, everything about this super cozy book came together in such a perfect way.

This one is a perfect pick for when you’re looking for a book that feels just as satisfying and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? 𝘖𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥?

Step into Dallergut Dream Department Store which belongs to a shopping village where you can only enter when you're asleep. The 5-storey bulding offers unique dreams and helps people connect, reconnect, inspire, remind, and realize.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺...𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨.

This strange and unique world built around dreams where the currencies are half the emotions brought about when customers are satisfied with their dream purchases put me in awe especially with how Dallergut carefully offers dreams. While anyone can purchase any dreams they like, Dallergut has a special eye for those who need special dreams.

"... 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘯-𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥."

Told in the perspective of a new employee named Penny, we get to tour around Dallergut Dream Department Store and know about the different 'genres' of dreams and the colorful store managers in each floors, discover the wonders of different dreams from dreaming of your crush to finidng an inspiration to write a story and compose a song, from overcoming trauma to feeling inadequate, and sending a message to loved ones.

There's so much lessons to learn from this story that while the whole idea felt really peculiar for my taste, I was immersed into this world and made me appreciate more about what it means to dream - to feel freedom and wonder, to feel regret and loss, to overcome trauma, and to feel happiness. And while everything is possible in a dream, you get a chance to make it happen when you wake up - build a new perspective in life and find a sense of excitement to live.

I gave this book 4⭐.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

I wish this had more of a solid plot line throughout. The premise was solid. It was very whimsical and interesting, just hard to stay interested since I felt it was missing a main focus. It felt more like a collection of short stories. It definitely has an audience. Cozy fantasy, low stakes, book lovers would be so into this.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store follows Penny as she starts a new job at a store that specializes in selling dreams. The cover is beautiful and is just a glimpse of what is waiting inside.

This novel sort of feels like a Ghibli movie with its whimsical atmosphere. It feels like a warm cup of tea on a cozy afternoon but also has the hidden emotional punches that make you reflect on your own life. It's a slow story, without much of a driving plot or tension as it changes focus from events at the story to stories of their customers. This won't work for everyone, but fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold or Restaurant to Another World will love this.