3.5 stars

Water Moon is a whimsical magical realism adventure reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli story. This book is overflowing with creative ideas and dream-like settings. Though I was pleasantly surprised by how everything came together at the end, there were a few things about the execution of the story that often had my interest waning.

Admittedly I am not a fantasy reader who gravitates towards soft, contemplative books. Though I found this whimsical book (that really is the only way to describe it) a nice change of pace, I wanted a bit more tension and agency from the story. The main characters are being chased for most of the book, yet it still feels like the story lacks tension. They are trailing after another, off-page character’s plot decisions while flitting between magical realms. This leads to odd pacing and an extremely convenient ending.

Hana and Keishin were a bit one-dimensional as characters and I really struggled with their instant connection. Though I understand that the quick escalation of their relationship was necessary for plot reasons, I struggled to suspend my disbelief. I often found myself thinking that this story would have been more impactful as a solo journey of self-reflection for Hana. Keishin and his ignorant wonder at the magical world dominated the story leaving little room for Hana’s character arc. Though Keishin’s role makes more sense in the end, the twists aren't enough to support the story.

Water Moon is a melancholy, reflective story about choice, identity, family, and regret. Some lines were beautiful and thought-provoking, but often the book felt like it was just trying so hard to be deeper than it actually is. The dialogue in particular was often awkward and stilted with some incredibly repetitive conversations.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but all of the whimsy in the world could not make up for insta-love.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing group for this arc of Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao.

In this novel, we dive into a world where a young woman, named Hana Ishikawa has to take over the family business, pawnshop, that happens to also be disguised as a ramen restaurant. That is, until one morning she awakes to destruction within the shop and her father missing. From there the adventure begins when her and a man named Minatozaki Keishin, who has walked in, go into the magical realm to search for her father. From here, so many secrets, learning lessons ,discoveries and love are uncovered.

Through this journey, as the reader, I felt like I experienced everything with them. From jumping in puddles, running from monsters, riding through the rumors and so much more. This was different from anything I've ever read and was truly delightful. I felt like I was not only experiencing the whimsical feeling of it but also felt like I was watching it. It brought warmth, comfort and even heartbreak. Such a dreamy and creative story that I'll be thinking about always. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who loves adventure, finding yourself, learning your own way and just a magical time.

From this, I take the lesson of following your heart, changing your path for what it's meant to be, don't let what society, your family or anyone determine what's best for your life path. Also, that two individuals can seem like they are from different walks of life, but might end up actually being the perfect matches for each other. Everything is not always what is seems and it's what is inside your heart and what you believe is what matters and makes it true.

5/5 stars! such an excellent and beautifully delivered novel.

(1.5)

for me, water moon’s huge potential was undermined by its awkward writing and one of the least developed romances i’ve ever read. even though its plot and world work overtime in an attempt to save it, i spent most of my time with this book sighing and rolling my eyes instead of being swept up in whatever magical adventure the premise promises.

i’ll start with what i liked, if only so that i can complain without stopping later on. i think the world in this book is very original and imaginative. admittedly, people who prefer organized worldbuilding where everything has some logic behind it might not enjoy it, as there’s not much explanation, but i personally thought it was fun to read about all of the different realms that the main characters traveled through. i also liked the fast-paced and adventurous nature of the plot.

unfortunately, these things lost all of their impact due to the fact that the writing in this book is, in my opinion, absolutely awful. it’s so clunky and monotonous that it ended up ruining all of the book’s biggest moments for me because i never felt invested in the story. instead, i felt like the author was just telling me about everything that happened in the most lifeless way possible, with random interjections that try to sound poetic but end up being bizarre. there’s a part of this book that includes the words “the last few minutes of sleep were always thicker, creamier, and more delicious” and it’s still haunting me while i write this review. how can sleep be creamy? am i missing something that everyone else has understood this whole time? please let me know.

on top of that, water moon’s romance (which really takes up way more page time than it should) is arguably even worse than its writing. not once in this book did i care about hana and keishin. they are so boring that one of them could’ve exploded on the spot and i wouldn’t have blinked. i remember basically nothing about either of them, and i have zero clue why they’re even in love because they start sighing over each other and whining about how they can never be together about 0.2 seconds after they meet. despite barely knowing each other, they pine like they’ve been married for a million years and divorced for another million. their relationship was honestly excruciating to read about and reminded me a lot of the romance in sue lynn tan’s immortal (which i…did not enjoy, to say the least). i think i would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more overall if the characters had just been friends.

i really wanted to like this, so i’m disappointed to say that i (clearly) didn’t. still, i have to give the author her credit for coming up with such an interesting universe. for this reason, if she writes something similar in the future, i’ll most likely check it out (but only if there’s no romance in it).

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc.

Water Moon is a beautiful, soft novel that manages to combine the coziness and whimsy I love in novels translated from Japanese with the magic and sharper edges I love in fantasy novels. It speaks to what free will is, as well as how the choices we make shape us while taking the reader on a magical journey alongside Hana and Keishin as they search for her missing father. It did sometimes feel like the story was lost now and then in the maze of world building, but I adored how soft and beautiful the storytelling is, and I loved how connected all the pieces are.

Hana lives in a world outside our own, where the only doorway into it is through the pawnshop her family has run for years, whose door is sometimes on the other side of a door to a ramen restaurant in Tokyo once in a while. She’s set to start her first day as the owner after her father retires, but discovers the pawnshop ransacked, her father missing, and, worse, the regrets people from our world have given up largely missing when the mysterious Shiikuin, beings who collect the regrets, are due to arrive in three days. At the same time, Keishin appears in her doorway, offering to help because he sees Hana needs it. He’s newly arrived in Tokyo, trying to reclaim memories from his childhood before his mother abandoned him and his father and they chose to move to the States before he starts his new job. He doesn’t count on being swept into a wholly new world, one where his scientist brain always scrambles to understand and explain everything and generate new ideas to use in his world, but Hana’s hiding something that could ruin both the friendship and the romance blooming between them.

Water Moon is just so lovely and soft that sometimes the terror of the Shiikuin hunting them sometimes didn’t feel quite as ominous as it should have, and yet the story never lets the reader forget that time is ticking, and sometimes blood is drawn. Hana and Keishin are running for nearly the entire novel, either to outrun the Shiikuin or to find Hana’s father. It’s straightforward, but following the clues while also running for their lives proved to make things a bit more complicated and tangled. I had terrific fun traveling with them, studying the clues, and looking for answers. And yet my brain never felt like it was working overtime to figure it all out. It enjoyed this trip through an unknown world, where whimsy and magic existed at every turn. It didn’t just inspire awe in Keishin; it did so in me. This world was fascinating and strange, but stopped just shy of explaining anything in our own world. It was beautiful in its own way, even as horror flickered around the edges.

There were times when I felt like I was more on a sightseeing tour than trying to follow clues. I wasn’t so much a fan of how the story sometimes bent to spend time world building as I grew weary of jumping into water with Hana and Keishin to reach a new area. Sometimes it felt like they were just jumping through in order to show Keishin, and the reader, something new and interesting. It did come together in the end, but I wish it had been done a little smoother so I had felt less like I was going sightseeing. What I did love, though, was how the thread of the story always felt like it was there. There was always a ticking clock in the background, even as Keishin took time to be in awe of everything in Hana’s world. I felt that awe, too, because Hana’s world is strange. It’s dangerous, but beautiful, with a touch of magic that lent whimsy and terror to it. Everything managed to feel both lovely and scary, and yet I loved the ideas in it and the way reality bent and could be bent. It was fascinating, and I found myself wanting to spend more time in her world.

But the story always tugged me, and Hana and Keishin, forward. There’s almost constant forward motion as they rush ahead to find Hana’s father. It’s a simple story, and it said a lot about what a husband and father will do for his family. There’s sacrifice and there’s desire, and, always, an exploration of what free will is, because the people in Hana’s world don’t have it. Hana and Keishin were such an interesting couple to follow through this novel because Hana only knows that her entire life has already been mapped out and Keishin only knows free will and the freedom to make choices. They presented an interesting dichotomy, making it sometimes difficult for them to really connect, but I also felt like they took something of each other and each other’s world with them the more time they spent together, and I really loved seeing them together.

Hana and Keishin, despite coming from different worlds, really felt like they fit together perfectly. Hana did sometimes feel a bit defeatist, which makes sense considering her entire life has already been mapped out, but I think Keishin had a really strong impact on her, and his hope, faith, and willingness to help and trust were exactly what she needed to grow and become the woman she needed to be in order for the novel to end the way it does. She wasn’t always my favorite character, and sometimes she was a little tiresome, but I did admire her strength and willingness to both lean and do what she had to. And yet she keeps an ace up her sleeve, and that was a little heartbreaking. Keishin, on the other hand, was perfectly lovely. I loved that he wasn’t two dimensional, serving as the supportive guy behind Hana. He had his own hurts, his own needs, and yet he stands so steadfastly by her side, staying true to his heart throughout the entire story. I loved his amazement of her world, and how enthusiastically he threw himself into it, and I absolutely understood his wonder and thirst to know and experience more. Despite the hurts from his past, he really turned out well, and I adored him.

Water Moon isn’t perfect, but it’s beautiful. I loved the softness, the whimsy, the magic, and the soft connection between two souls. It somehow felt both cozy and a little ominous and cutting. There’s a part towards the end that broke my heart, but it really spoke volumes about the lengths to which family will go for family.

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

I needed an escapist, cozy hug of a book to soothe all of life’s rough edges. Water Moon delivered famously. A perfect pick up for fans of

Immersive Japanese culture
Outsiders who never fit
A mystery / quest
Just enough slow burn
Magical, cinematic worldbuilding

This dual narration follows K, returning to Japan he has spent his entire life using physics to explain the universe around the hole of his missing mother and Hanna who has just inherited a magical pawn shop. They meet on the day that K wanders into the pawnshop looking for ramen when Hanna discovers the pawnshop ransacked; her father missing; and one of the most valuable choices runaway. The panshop trades relief for customers who no longer want the consequences and heartbreak of decisions that have burdened their life.

Just enough slow burn to give depth to the characters but not enough to distract from the magical, cinematic, live in your brain world building. Hanna and K travel INSIDE the story written in a scroll, to a teahouse you can access only thru dreams inside a giant autumnal tree interior cozily lit by fireflies, ride a rumor to an impossible destination often using puddles as portals. I loved everything about this book .

Perfect for fans of stories that investigate whether fate decides for us and how much we control; curious about the choices not take and especially fans of N. Gaiman’s “totally average human steps sideways to an alternate universe” stories. Added perk: chapter titles like:

The Pawnshop of Almosts and Ifs
Tuna Casserole, a Blue Tie, and a Stranger in a Box
The Sky, the Sea, and a Song

One of the first books of 2025, I anticipate this five start read will end up in my" best of" list at year end.

Whimsical and strange, Water Moon whisks it's readers into worlds that will both enchant and inspire!

Readers follow Hana Ishikawa as she wakes on her first day of inheriting her families peculiar pawnshop. As the day unfolds, Hana soon learns that her father is missing and nothing about the disappearance is what it seems. Together, with a charming and mysterious stranger, Hana explores her families past by barreling head first into mystical and unexplored realms.

For my taste,a great story is all about balance and Yambao presents a masterclass in just that with Water Moon. The writing is lush and lyrical but the story still has a sharp and gritty edge. The characters are nuanced and well developed while still maintaining a touch of mystery. The plot is unencumbered from convolution with it's simple quest like narrative and yet it stays engaging through the final page. I found myself dreaming of this world and it's characters each time I had to stepped away from the story, a telltale sign of something spectacular.

I try very hard not to play the comparison game but I think it is safe to say that fans of The Night Circus and The Starless Sea will find this well suited to their liking. Magic Realism, done to this caliber, is hard to come by and I am so pleased to know that I have another auto buy author to add to that specific genre list!

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Del Rey, and author Samantha Sotto Yambao for providing an eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I've seen reviews mention the borderline stereotypical romanticizing of Japanese concepts and practices such as ikigai and kintsugi. Instead, I'll talk about what I noticed that hasn't been talked about much: this is an incredibly dark story in disguise, is lazily written and recycles the same patterns, and my biggest issue: is very staunchly pro-life (or, maybe better said, anti-abortion).

Water Moon is a horror story hiding behind Ghibli-esque whimsy. (In fact, if you'd like to play a drinking game for this review, take a shot every time I say "whimsy" or "whimsical".) For every seemingly charming event or phenomenon, there is a sinister monkey's paw twist to accompany it. Yes, memories can take physical shape in the form of beautiful pearls, and they must be carved out of your flesh, sometimes from deep within your muscle or organs, and there is no magical healing; have fun stitching yourself up. And it's true you can travel to a teahouse by falling asleep and turning right at the end of your second dream, but if you don't cross the Midnight Bridge which connects night and morning, or if you you fall into the river below the bridge, then you don't wake up and, yeah, die. You can also get pulled into, or pushed into, the river and murdered, so you'd think you could just avoid the river, but no, since you must cross the bridge to wake up. The train station has a pop-up tent village surrounding it because the trains don't adhere to a schedule and arrive when they arrive, much like Gandalf or the Queen of Genovia so it's entirely possible to spend a lifetime waiting for a train, to fall in love, get married, start a family at the train station, only for your spouse to be like "Oh shit, my train's here, bye," and leave. It seems to me readers aren't noticing the darkness behind the whimsy. Reminds me a bit of The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror VI segment "Attack of the 50ft Eyesores"

Reading comprehension matters. And I'll touch on this more in a moment.

But first, I want to talk about the chapter endings. They're formulaic. I identified a minimum of 16 chapters (flipping through on a kindle is a bit tricky, so I feel confident I might've missed some) that all ended with dialog statement, dialog question, dialog statement that is either shocking or nonsensical or cliffhangery. I won't include all the examples (dear god) but here's three-- keep in mind this is from the ARC so it's not final-- to give you an idea:

1. Chapter 8 ends with: "Because I lied to you too." The woman backed away from him. "About what?" "Who I really am."
2. Chapter 25 ends with: "My father wanted you to turn back time," Hana said. "No, Hana." Haruto sat at a table and pulled a small sheet of paper from one of the colorful stacks laid on top of it. "He wanted me to fold it."
3. Chapter 44 ends with: "Soon. There is something that both of you must do first." "What must we do?" Keishin said. "Drink."

It's giving soap opera/telenovela and it's done so often I started trying to make predictions if the chapter ending would follow this formula.

Circling back to reading comprehension and how remarkable it is to me that no one seems to be commenting on the violently glaring trigger warning, this book, for touting on about how choices are important and choices matter and choices are sacred and choices are beautiful and choices are what makes us human... the big climax, the big reveal, the big plot twist is the MMC was the choice that the FMC's mom stole, and she stole it so it could be returned, because the MMC's mother aborted him and she regretted it, so that was the choice she pawned: her choice to abort her pregnancy so she didn't have to be a teen mother and give up the future she wanted. But abortion is wrong, and it's so much better that that choice was undone and now the MMC is alive and the world is a beautiful place because he wasn't aborted.

“Because in a vault full of choices, you were blinding. You are meant to do great things, Kei. Not for your mother. Not for revenge. For yourself. You will find answers to all of your questions, and those answers will change your world."

This is a recycled version of "Don't abort your fetus, what if they grow up to discover the cure to cancer?"

This really didn't sit well with me. I'm still not sure I feel good about giving this a three star rating, but one star wouldn't be fair, either. The story was fine, if tedious, until this point, although not the most well-written (surprising, given this is the author's fifth work). I don't really want to downrate the whole book based on this one event, even though the book spends the entire length leading up to this point. I feel very conflicted, and so might end up changing this rating at a later time after I've had a while to sit with it. At any rate, I'm still convinced everyone who gave this book a 4 and 5 star rating didn't catch this event. It's never explicitly stated, rather danced around with flowery allusions and implied, although talking about being able to chase your dreams with the help of a wire coat hanger feels pretty fucking loudly telegraphed to me but if someone was skimming, then they could have certainly missed it.

Although I'm giving this a three star rating, it's really just because nothing else feels appropriate and three stars is the equivalent of "average", neither good nor bad. For now, I won't be recommending this book unless it comes with trigger warnings and a disclaimer, and the marketing tactic changes from "look how cutesy and whimsical and fantastical this is, uwu ramen shops and origami" to "look how some things that seem beautiful can truly be sinister, let's explore facades, and beware that all that glitters is not gold."

4.5- this was a surprising and very enjoyable read! I am loving translated works, and this is no exception. This story had a little bit of everything, romance, mystery, and fantasy. It had a very dreamlike and whimsical quality that is not super common to other novels of this genre which I feel really enhanced the story. Well developed, fast paced, and exciting plot with a very satisfying conclusion. The story demonstrated a beautiful allegory for the power of choice and the ability for humans to create their own destiny. Even though the romance was a subplot, I still felt invested in the romance and felt the relationship moved the story along. Overall, I very much enjoyed!

Thank you to Random House Ballentine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

first book of 2025! this comes out in a few days, and it was whimsical and lovely and I was tearing up by the end. a read that goes down like a warm cup of tea

Water Moon tells a tale of self discovery in a whimsical world that takes fantasy to a new level of scenery. The unique settings such as the bridge between midnight and morning make this story a breath of fresh air.
Thank you Del Ray and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

“The last few minutes of sleep were always thicker, creamier, and more delicious than all the hours that came before them.”

I cannot properly state my love for this book. This was INCREDIBLE. The characters were so human and the imagery was so tangible. I’m in awe and will be promptly purchasing a copy to hold.

This was such an unexpected hit for me! I wasn’t really sure what to expect but requested the ARC when I found out it was going to be the January book for one of my SE boxes. It did NOT disappoint. In the description it likened it to a Ghibli film and it was right on the mark with that comparison! The writing was super descriptive (without being overly descriptive) and made it so easy for me to picture this world. The twist at the end of the book was fun- I wasn’t able to guess a portion of it, but some of the events took me by surprise. Water Moon was so whimsical, and the world building was so intriguing, I found myself wanting to know more about the world instead of feeling bogged down by all of the details. This has definitely inspired me to pick up more works by this author in the future!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group; Ballantine; Del Rey. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all thoughts are my own.

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Asian Literature, Asian Fantasy, Mythology, Magical Realism
Spice Level: Fade to black (with one comment outside of the black)
Structure: Flashbacks, parallel world


**WATER MOON** is already receiving my guess for being the most unique novel of 2025! Here's why: it exudes Studio Ghibli vibes, the parallel world is sweeping and unique, and the monsters caught me.

I was expecting something similar to some of the other Japanese novels I've read where someone comes to the shop and through the magic finds solutions. This novel still has the feeling of vignettes that link together with overarching themes of resilience, choice, healing, change, family expectations, fate, and love. Some readers are going to say this isn't for them because of the dream-like quality. It's much more of an idea book than a character driven story, and to me, the characters are the vehicle for the reader to move through the ideas. Think allegorical.

The language and imagery in the book is lovely. The ideas are thoughtful. There was a moment when I was reminded of *The Little Prince* and another where I felt like I had a dash of *Piranesi*, and then throw in a little TJ Klune, and even a bit of *Cloud Cuckoo Land*. If any of these stories are your jam, you should definitely pick this up.

I also feel like *Water Moon* is insightful into the Japanese culture with the sense of honor and family and the mythology behind the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read more by this author. My rating would be between a 4 and 5 because I would have liked a little more with the characters (especially the insta-love) in addition to the ideas.

Happy reading!

Water moon is whimsical, charming, and enchanting. This is a good book, but I think that it wasn't for me personally.

I appreciated and loved the aspects of Japanese culture in this book. The torii gates, konbini, and the Hana cards that I grew up playing was so special to read for me. I loved seeing Japanese names, even my grandma's name Emiko in the book.
I think that it was just a little bit too cozy for me. The science aspects were a tad too overpowered towards the beginning and the romance was too insta-love for me. I was confused at how fast the characters developed a connection, it almost came out of nowhere. The plotline kinda lost me for a bit and I struggled to stay invested in the story.

Although I rated this a 3 stars, I would still recommend this book to others because I can totally see its appeal. If you liked "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" then there is a good chance that you'll like this one too. I wasn't a fan of that book and it gave me similar vibes. I just think that the writing style in this book just wasn't my preference.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing, Del Rey for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds. But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.

This was quite different from anything I've read before, and I loved it. What a creative story! Well-written, well-executed wild ride. I will definitely be keeping my eye on this author - I look forward to reading more from her!

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars

What a lovely book. The writing is soft, reflective, and very readable.
The world is whimsical yet dark. Love the way the author reveals the plot, character development, and world-building in layers.
If you like the movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once, chances are you will enjoy this book. Water Moon would also make a great Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli film. It's got a lot of the quirky, emotional, reflective, and metaphorical ingredients that fit a Ghibli film.
This book is something to return to time and time again, to be enjoyed at all stages of one's life.
The one aspect that could have been better is the ending. It was still a good ending, just felt a bit rushed and a little too perfect.
This book seems to have multiple points where the book could have reasonably ended. And one of those other points may have made a better ending. But all in all, a wonderful read.

For more in depth thoughts, check out our spoiler-free podcast episode: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/SP2aI7LB0Pb

Water Moon is a magical, heartwarming adventure that whisks you away to another world. It was like a dream - familiar, but I also had no idea what sort of enchanting thing would happen next. Throughout this adventure it explores choices, regrets, and destiny.

Thank you Del Ray and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

This book feels like a dream, like a bittersweet memory from a happier time that hurts to revisit, like reaching out to hug a loved one and grasping at fog instead.

This story is creative and new yet reflective, where every reader can find a piece of themselves.

A discussion on choices, fate, regret, love, loss, dreams, reality, and hope.

The pacing of this book was unique and a little confusing; our main characters go on a journey to these fantastical places but aren't there long enough for the reader to really settle into and enjoy. We are told wonderful, beautiful prose, then whisked off to the next place, left reeling, still digesting the descriptions in the midst of another location.

The line between reality, dreams, and headspace isn't just blurry, it's nonexistent. At times this adds to the books magical charm, and other times is confusing and I would need to reread passages or multiple pages to try to understand when and where we were.

Overall this book was enjoyable, with moments of reflection that were impactful and I'm sure I won't forget anytime soon.

For fans of Ghilbi, Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, and Six Crimson Cranes, pick this up. You won't be the same afterwards.

Some of the people who walk through the door of a ramen restaurant instead find themselves in a pawn shop that purchases regrets. On Hana’s first day running the pawn shop after her father retires, she wakes up to find the shop ransacked, her father missing, and a mysterious stranger who has come through the door not to pawn a choice but to help her. This is the beginning of a magical adventure.

The author’s creativity shows in Hana’s world, where you can travel by jumping in a puddle, being folded in a piece of paper, or carried on a rumor or a song. Here, there are no choices; everyone knows and follows their path. There’s a whole museum dedicated to the choices made in our world that changed the course of history - a cautionary tale.

I enjoyed the writing, the unusual characteristics of Hana’s world, and the philosophical question of what it would be like to live in a world without choices. I was not a fan of the romance, and I didn’t particularly like the resolution of Hana’s search for her father. This book would make a cute and fun movie.

I could very easily picture the story of Water Moon as a Ghibli movie. It gave me the same otherworldly, dream-like vibes of Spirited Away and the spirit world from Avatar: The Last Airbender. I loved how unique and fantastical all of the different locations were, while still being so easy to imagine. Traveling through puddles, bargaining with memories, and how it all connects to the human world was so fascinating to me. I would’ve loved to step out of the story and dive deeper into the world just so I could explore it more on my own. For most of the story I felt like I was simply along for a wonderful ride, but in the end, it really hooked me. I enjoyed the ongoing theme of choices, regrets, and memories. I saved so many quotes that made me pause and reflect while reading.

Overall, for me, the pacing felt a bit quick and I would’ve loved if this story had been expanded to a duology. However, I can also see how the quick pace adds to the dream-like quality of the story. But this was a wonderful fairytale that I think everyone can get something different out of and will enjoy.