Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a beautiful, atmospheric novel that blends the charm of a magical love story with the depth of a character-driven journey of healing and self-discovery. Set against a vivid backdrop, Sotto Yambao’s prose is lyrical, flowing like the water that symbolizes much of the novel’s imagery. The characters are well-developed and relatable, particularly the protagonist, whose emotional complexities add layers to the storyline.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its exploration of grief and hope, with a narrative that keeps readers hooked as they unravel each secret and reveal the history of the characters and the town they inhabit. Sotto Yambao deftly combines romance and mystery, sprinkling just the right amount of magical realism to create a sense of enchantment without losing the novel’s grounding in very real emotions and stakes.

While some parts felt slightly slow-paced, the story’s emotional depth and the immersive setting make it a rewarding read. Water Moon is for those who love poignant, beautifully told stories that remind us of the magic and resilience within ourselves.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this eArc.
Water Moon was such a beautiful read in every sense of the word! The prose had such a poetic quality that matched the story so well. While the story itself breaks and stitches you back together in the best way possible.
Although the main POV is Hana, you are very much discovering this fantastic world through Keishin's eyes. Each part of the journey was so startling unique, completely refreshing, and so vivd it was hard to put down.
I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy to read it again all over again.

Thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the chance to read Water Moon as an ARC! This story was presented as a Ghibli-esque, inter-dimensional fantasy, and I knew right away that this was something I had to get my hands on.

The description and premise of this book immediately hooked me- I have always been a lover of magical, whimsical, dreamlike stories, and I do think Samantha Sotto Yambao did a phenomenal job of bringing that intention to life. Truly imagining this novel as a Studio Ghibli production in my mind made this reading journey a visual experience as well, and was probably my favorite thing about this book as a whole.

Although I loved the *idea* and *intention* of this book, the execution fell a bit flat for me. Some parts of the plot felt rushed, and some interactions between main characters just didn't quite fit for me- but I appreciated this book so much for the visual aspect that I still felt three stars was warranted. This is a story about choices, about changes, and the risk and reward of both- and has the most PERFECT cover to match.

Water Moon will be released in January of 2025, and I am so excited to see it truly exist in the world. Even though there were some parts of this story that weren't for me, I am so hopeful that it will be for you- life is too short to not read magical books!

4 stars!

Thank you to Samantha Sotto Yambao and Dey Rey for an ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

If "charming young physicist and magical pawnshop owner" or "Howl's Moving Castle meets The Starless Sea" don't get you to read this, I don't know what will. It certainly worked on me, and this wonder-filled fantasy does a solid job of living up to those taglines. I really enjoyed it overall, although I had some trouble feeling engaged with the story, and admittedly I was the smallest bit let down.

First, all of the good stuff. I love this world so, so much. It really does give strong Ghibli vibes, although I was more reminded of Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series just because of the whimsy of the realms that Hana and Keishin visit. The descriptions of the world are really amazing and in general I thought the writing was very strong. I highlighted tons of lines. I really love a world that appears nonsensical but actually has some strict rules to it and I think that played well with Keishin's knowledge of physics in his world.

Now, the stuff that was a little weaker. Keishin is definitely swoony but the romance comes off a little insta-love-y. I think this is a result of Hana coming off kind of flat as a character, rather than the actual speed that the romance progresses. It might just be because Kei is so passionate and has such clear motivations and interests that Hana seems apathetic in comparison. I think a little more time spent on developing her alone could have made the romance and the book over all more engaging.

It's still gorgeous, I would recommend it for the creativity and beauty of the world and the writing alone. I was really excited for this book and maybe hyped it up too much in my head, but I just didn't really that deep connection that you get with a book you love.

Happy reading!

Hana and her father run an most unusual pawn shop where customers may pawn their deepest held secrets, wishes, fears and hopes for the peace that the Pawn shop's special gift of tea will give them. When Hana awakes one morning to find the shop vandalized and her father missing along with something precious from the vault she decides to set out to find him before the collectors of the items in their vault appear and exact a horrible price for not delivering everything that the vault contained.
Kei stumbles into the pawn shop on the day that Hana's father disappears, he has never met anyone like Hana who agrees to let him help in her search for her father and the item he stole. Kei has never left his scientific world for one such as Hana's where dreams are reality, water is a mode of transportation and origami birds soar, sing and talk. Staying one step ahead of the collectors leads Hana and Kei through magical realms and bends Kei's perception of reality.
Fantastic world building, prose and scenes that flow beautifully together, terrifying creatures as pursuers, "Water Moon" has it all. this is unlike any other fantasy I've read--Excellent!

Water Moon was such a magical read. The setting, characters, and the plot really cement this as an entirely unique story .This book really is so beautifully written. If you're looking for a dreamy read, you should absolutely pick this one up.

I threw my TBR away the moment I got this ARC, and I was rewarded so well for it. From the very first line, I knew this would be a beautiful read.

It's a whimsical, dream-like fantasy story about a pawnshop and its newest owner. It's about choices, fate, and the cost of regret. Nothing is as it seems in this story. The characters are endearing, and the plot has surprising depth for a cozy fantasy, with some good twists. This one's for the Studio Ghibli and Makoto Shinkai fans.

This evocative and charming story pulls you into a world of fantasy brimming with interesting characters and detailed world building. The lead characters are empathetic. The big questions and trials they are grappling with strike a chord. What would you do if you could give away your biggest regret? Is it better to have choice or the illusion of fate? The journey that they take is engaging and thought provoking - full of surprises. And as is said multiple times in the novel, not everything is as it seems.
I will also add that the twists at the end of the novel were truly surprising. I would happily visit the world designed by Yambao another time.

This was such a fun read! So well written I could feel the scenes come off the page for me. I love a good story and this one kept me hooked. I will be recommending this one to all my friends!

This isn't my typical read but the cover piqued my interest and then the blurb sold me. The book is written so well and it was truly just a *magical* reading experience. I am so glad that I ventured out to read this book! Highly recommend!

Firstly, I just want to say this book was so different from what I normally read. I usually go for your basic fantasy; quests, dragons, castles, and all that. But I saw one of my friends reading this and it was actually the cover that caught my eye! I read the synopsis for it and I was intrigued, which led me to requesting the digital ARC on NetGalley.

And now I feel like my life has been changed.

This book was SO much. In the best way possible. It felt like I was being pulled in every direction by the characters, visiting the craziest places, experiencing stuff that made so little sense that it actually did make sense. And I mean all this in the BEST WAY POSSIBLE!!!! This book was a roller coaster.

While there were a few parts I found a little hard to get through, I’ve decided to not even touch on those since the other parts that I loved were so much better and so much more frequent.

This book was so unique and the world was phenomenally crafted. I find myself wanting to go there and learn everything about everything! It’s just so good and I can’t say that enough.

And then there’s the characters. Keishin and Hana in particular—although even the supporting characters were brilliantly written—felt so real to me. The author, Samantha Sotto Yambao, really knows how to write people. They didn’t feel like any old characters in a book, they felt like real, living, breathing people that felt real emotions and made real decisions. Which is probably why this book had me tearing up towards the end. I felt for them so much.

I really really enjoyed this book overall and the ending almost destroyed me. ALMOST 😉👀

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC and to Samantha Sotto Yambao for writing such an incredible story that I will never forget 💙

Reading it was a lot of fun. It is an evocative and bizarre story. Both the setting and the world-building are superb. I like the abstract and fantasy elements, and everything was really easy to visualize.

Dear Author,

Simply, what imagination, what a story! I loved every sentence, every portal, every new way of seeing life. Thank you so much for writing this beautiful novel. I loved this fantasy adventure.

Yours truly,
J.D. McCoughtry

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey, for the chance to read this e-arc.

I have never highlighted text in a book as much as I have in this one. How is it possible to write sentences that stir so many feelings? No idea. And don’t even get me started on the world building, I cannot comprehend how it’s possible for a human to come up with this extraordinary adventure.

It's for books like this that fantasy as a genre exists.

In Tokyo, there is a magical pawnshop where people can pawn off their deepest regrets hidden inside of a ramen restaurant. Hana has been trained by her father since she was born to take over the pawnshop when he retires and that day finally comes. When she wakes up on her first day as the new owner, she finds the shop ransacked and her father missing. Her first customer also happens to be the first person who, instead of seeking help, offers help to find her father.

This story was whimsical and Hana’s world is dreamlike and magical. It was fun to imagine riding a rumor, flying on a paper crane, jumping into a puddle and landing in a completely new place. The story starts out as a search for her father, but its also becomes about searching for her own purpose and the things we are willing to do for the ones we love.

A thoughtful, leisurely paced fantasy magical realism read!

The main characters at first seemed very surface level but as the story continued on you can see Yambao intended their characterization to speak over the course of the novel and their choices, with choices being the major theme of the story. I thought the main characters' relationship was rushed at first, but I was pleased with the journey they took and growth over the course of the book. The supporting characters all had interesting backgrounds and professions that could likely be stories of their own.

It's hard to find a fantasy novel that's light and cozy while still being truly fantastical, and I think Yambao does a great job with this story. The world is interesting and unique, but each magical piece doesn't require a ton of world building and back story. It just is. Readers who crave a very fleshed out world with explanations and lore for each magical twist might be a little annoyed at this aspect, but I think it's a refreshing change of pace with the heavy high fantasy that's often popular. The prose is also simple and straightforward, and I was never confused or unable to imagine the delightful world Yambao made.

I really enjoyed this and thought it was thoroughly different from all the other magical realism books I've read. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes whimsical fantasy like Howl's Moving Castle or if you just want to be pleasantly surprised through the course of a short and sweet book.

Thank you, Random House, for the arc!

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao fits beautifully with the Japanese magical realism trend I've been following lately. Yambao's novel is set in a world in which people pawn their regrets like so many old brooches. Hana has inherited both the duty and physical shop that her father has maintained his entire life. The unnamed pawnshop is in an alternate world, but it shares a door with a Tokyo ramen restaurant. Most people open the door to find delicious noodles, but some, like Minatozaki Keishin, find themselves face to face with Hana instead. The novel's magical world is lovingly inspired by Japanese lore and culture. Portals are especially creative, with puddles, convenience store slushies, and origami featuring prominently. The novel, which is about confronting regrets and facing fears in order to move forward and heal, features beautiful writing, with strong character development and a sweet romantic connection, as well. I recommend this to those who like their Japanese magical realism with themes of love, loss, facing hard choices, and growing into the person who has faced those choices.

[Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

This was a stunning adventure of family, loss, and magic. Upon inheriting a pawn shop, it's ransacked and the new owner must traverse a magical world in order to find her way.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a story that mixes magical realism with themes of love, loss, and figuring out who you are. At first, it seems like it's just about a pawnshop and the things people leave behind, but those objects actually represent the tough choices people face in life. Even though the book gets into topics like Japanese mythology and science—things I don’t know much about—the author explains them in a way that’s easy to follow.

The world in the story is really vivid and detailed. Even though the book moves slowly, it never feels boring because something is always happening.

Although Water Moon is described as a cozy read, it dives into some deep topics like death and neglect, so it's not exactly a light read. Still, I’d recommend it for how emotional and thought-provoking it is. The way the author describes the settings and the characters' feelings really pulled me in, and the cultural references added a lot of depth to the story.

While I loved how immersive the world felt, some of the characters seemed distant, and the ending left me wanting more closure. But overall, it’s a beautifully written book that I think teens who like deep, emotional stories would really enjoy.

Thank you, Random House and NetGalley , for the ARC of Water Moon! I just finished reading, and wow—I’m absolutely thrilled! It was such an amazing ride from start to finish. I’m so grateful for the chance to experience it early.

Poetic and dream like, Yambao does a great job keeping track of what the reader is supposed to care about while adding more and more accoutrements to a great story.