While Water Moon is very atmospheric, I was pretty disappointed in the overall plot. It's a book that feels pretty forgettable which is really disappointing as I was so excited to read it. The mystery didn't grip me and the ending was a let down. With that said, I really liked the world building.

The comparisons to the Studio Ghibli films are limited to the imagery that is present in Water Moon. But that is where the similarities end. One key feature of Studio Ghibli films are their moments of stillness in between dialogue and plot movements. Water Moon lacks these still moments and instead moves through each new setting like it’s a theme park ride. The fast pace takes away from the character development as well. Neither one of the main characters felt fully realized, especially Hana, who pales in comparison to many of the Ghibli leading ladies. I understand that Water Moon is its own story from the author’s mind, but when the marketing for this book is dependent on comparing it to one of the most beloved and artistic film studios operating today, it should be expected that the reader will make these comparisons. Many have made favorable comparisons, I am not one of them.

This book is absolutely stunning. A magical realism novel set in Japan and a parallel world, Water Moon follows Hana, the daughter of a pawnshop owner, who takes over the family business. But this is no ordinary pawnshop: instead of trinkets and valuables, this one trades regrets for blissful forgetting (and some tea). One day, when her father and a regret go missing, Hana teams up with Keishi, a customer who's just stumbled in, to find him. Along the way, there's mystery, budding romance, and so many fantastical elements.

The prose is absolutely beautiful, and I found myself highlighting so many sections. The magical realism is delightful; there's everything from flying paper cranes, a museum of pivotal decisions in history, memories inside pearls, hope kites, a mystical night market in the sky, and so much more.

A major part of the novel deals with opposing views or perspectives on the world, embodied by Hana and Kei. Kei is a scientist studying neutrinos; he values what he can see and measure. He's also from our world, where choices are myriad and cause a cascade of effects with each one. Hana is a native to this fantastical world where nothing seems to obey the laws of physics, but there's also a rigidity to the social rules, expectations, and view of one's choices (or lack thereof) in service of a predetermined future. It was surprisingly philosophical on top of being a fun adventure/mystery novel, and I enjoyed it very much.

“Water Moon”dropped me right in the middle of the most exquisitely vivid world. Behind the doors of a seemingly normal ramen shop there holds a pawn shop in another universe where you can travel through a puddle in the ground and fly on a paper crane.

I will admit that while thoroughly enjoying this book, I did also struggle to read it. I kept picking it up and putting it down, not to return to it until months later. However, once I picked it up during my last reading session I got captivated and finished!

The main selling point of “Water Moon” to me is the setting. There is such a fantastical world that is easy to visualize in a vibrant way. I found myself wanting to be in the main character’s world and doing the things they were able to, such as seeing the stars being created.

The plot was also very well crafted. There were twists and turns, but everything came together nicely. The book features two different points of view, and at no point did I find myself strongly preferring one point of view over the other.

If you’re looking for a truly whimsical story, something akin to a Studio Ghibli universe, “Water Moon” by Samantha Sotto Yam

Thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was very interesting. Just when you think you have a grasp of the world something new happens and changes that world. I enjoyed when they would slow down in limbo on the train. That is when the two main characters really tried to know each other and readers are just witness to it. I feel like if the author writes more stories in the world, I would read it.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is one of the most magically gorgeous books I have ever read. If you are a fan of Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli films this book is perfect for you. When you open the door to a ramen shop in Japan you may find yourself in a magical pawnshop that will take away a choice you made in the past that has left you with a lifelong regret. This is the case with Keishin (Kei), a physicist, who finds himself unexpectedly in the shop that looks to have been torn apart with a young woman named Hana who insists he must leave. When she ends up telling him what she believes to have happened to her shop and missing father he insists on trying to help her. Little did he know he had stepped into a magical world where travel is accomplished via rain puddles, songs and even rumors, as they try to keep ahead of the Shiikuin, the keepers, who may have taken her father and are most certainly trying to catch Hana.

Netgalley ARC

This was a lovely Studio Ghibli-esque book, but I fear some of its beauty was lost in the translation to English. The story follows Hana whose father runs a pawnshop disguised as a ramen shop in Tokyo. It's one of those places that you can only find if you're special somehow. When he goes missing, the shop ransacked, she agrees to let a stranger help her look for him.

They embark on a fantastical adventure - finding themselves riding paper cranes, traveling through puddles, and using other whimsical methods of transport along the way. That fantasy element was really fun, but the overall worldbuilding was a bit confusing.

The story has solid themes around the human experience. I think the more you know about Japanese culture, the more this book speaks to you. My knowledge being limited, it was very clear I was missing some key insights along the way.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Water Moon by Samantha Soto Yambao
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

“Love is something that people are taught to want. But all we really need is to not be alone when we come home and to have someone to wave goodbye to us at the door when we leave”

“No two people unshackle themselves from the same choice. Each person has his own idea of what freedom tastes like”

This book is beautiful! No other way to put it. From the world building to the visuals, this story is gorgeous.

One of my favorite moments is the Museum of Education. The concept of a place where every insignificant moment that leads to significant moments is cataloged and on display is a beautiful and terrifying idea. There are many moments that make this novel one of a kind but this one in particular that stuck out to me. I also enjoyed the Night Market and finding out where lost things end up as well as the Library of the Lost. Incredible story and worldbuilding as well as engaging and interesting character arcs. Definitely a unique story!

Actual rating 3.5-4.0 stars.

Water Moon is Manila-based author Samantha Sotto Yambao's fifth book and first fantasy, inspired by a trip to Kyoto and the role of pawnshops during the COVID-19 pandemic. A standalone (for now?) novel, it follows Hana, the daughter of a magical pawnbroker who buys regrets and choices, and Keishin, a physicist who has come to Japan to do more than study neutrinos. Their adventures will change everything they once thought they knew about their worlds, themselves, and each other.

Firstly, this book's cover gets an enthusiastic five stars! It's gorgeous in that it can be examined from every single angle (except for sprayed edges and fore-edge illustrations, but maybe those can be added for future editions). It truly does bring out the magic of Yambao's worldbuilding, a world that I would love to see visualized, either as an animated film or as a graphic novel. Her settings and magic system (including the tattoos) feel like a love letter to Studio Ghibli and Makoto Shinkai's films, gorgeously rendered and nostalgic for Cool Japan and cultural traditions. That--and Haruto, origami master--were some of my favorite parts of this book. There were also some plot twists that I did not see coming. It took me a while to accept the romance plotline though, as I'm not a fan of the 'twenty-four-hour-soulmate' trope--it's just not believable for me. However, in this case, it did eventually make more sense. I also disagreed a bit with the usage of the term 'real' family here, though there are some cultures who have similar fears to those presented in this book. Overall, this was an enjoyable, cozy-adjacent fantasy.

Readers may also enjoy: The Haunted Bookstore: Gateway to a Parallel Universe by Shinobumaru, Spirited Away (2001), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Lee Miye, The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, Your Name. (2016), and Weathering With You (2019).

Soft, cozy, and Ghibli-inspired, this was a great read for anyone who likes a low stakes fantasy with an interesting story and lovable characters.

At its core, this book is a tale about how the human ability to reflect upon the past is a double-edged sword. Regret, grief, trauma are the sharp side of having memory. This is a genre-altering, clever fantasy that essentiall walks readers through coming to terms with the good and bad in their life, past and present so that the unknown future can be embraced with confidence.

This was a really interesting fantasy. I read a lot of fantasy novels and yet there were really new and fresh ways that the characters could perform magic. I liked both main characters and many of the side characters, but feel like the sparse style of the writing didn't quite hit for me. I wish the writing had given us a little more so that I could have been more emotionally invested in the outcomes. I really liked the book and talked about it with friends, but feel like it could have been more than it was.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

On the morning a woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, she finds the shop ransacked and her father missing. With the help of an unlikely stranger, she sets out on a mystical journey to find her father and possibly her dead mother. It took focus and imagination to follow the journey through all the many layers.

If you are big fan of Ghibli movies , this book will take you to the similar world but with a different story (obviously). Th idea behind having a pawnshop where one can surrender their deepest regrets was quite eye-catching for me and the vibes were magical indeed!!
The author beautifully wrote a new world where you can travel to different realms with the help of hidden doors. The world building was really good but the characters were very shallow or should I say not well written. I was not able to form a connection with them as much as I was able to do with the world.
the concept was quite unique but in terms of characters, I guess we could have seen and read much better with adding more depth and layers to them in order to connect with them!!

I really enjoyed this book! The author has created such a beautiful, and sometimes scary, fantasy world based on Japanese culture and myth. There were several twists and each one surprised me, so this book kept me guessing until the end.

It was a little more romance-based than I expected it to be. I love a good romance, but I feel like the story focused too much on that at times when it could have been exploring the amazing world a little more deeply.

Definitely a fun read for romantasy fans looking for something different.

This book was weird in all the good ways. The story kept me guessing as to what would happen next. The world was crazy and anything, I mean ANYTHING, was possible. Probably not for everyone, but I really liked it.

Water Moon was such a journey and I went into it expecting something completely different. It managed so many different things at once that I found it to be even more impressive. It was light and whimsical but with some heavy themes. It was solidly fantasy but more ethereal and dreamlike rather than dark and gritty but kept the tension throughout with secrets, unknown motives, chase scenes and villains all within a beautifully painted world full of wonder and magic.
It was a different type of fantasy rife with elements of its Japanese cultural and it really captured something special for me.
This book was such a joy to read and I’m so grateful to have been given the ARC to read in advance.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a fantasy novel set in Japan. I am not usually a fantasy reader but I do love alternate reality tropes, so I loved the alternate world and the magical realism used to create it. I absolutely loved the beautiful writing and the Japanese mythology. There were so many plot twists and gasp-worthy reveals that I had to go back and read the ending again. I am still not sure I fully understand all of the layers of this tale, but trust me when I say that didn't matter. In the end, the beauty of the writing made the journey alone worth the time and effort to read this story. Perfect for fans of Days at the Morisaki Book Shop by Satoshi Yagisawa, What You Are Looking for Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this e-galley.

I can see why it works for some people, especially who loves cozy fantasy. It is a pretty book, with beautiful synopsis and whimsical world building, but it just didn’t work for me. The first few chapters actually really hooked me because I really enjoyed getting to know Hana and her routine, as well her hesitation to actually inherit the pawnshop. While she understood how important it was, there’s this underlying fear that got me curious and hinted how things are not as magical as it seems. I also enjoyed getting to know the patrons and learning how the magic works. Then the love interest walked in and refused to leave, the whole spiel of “I feel like I know you” etc etc which immediately frustrated me and took all the good feelings I have for the story. I want to settle more into the story and characters before we immediately jump into the romance because it was an insta-love.

This one took me by surprise and threw an unsuspecting reader into a mysterious and thrilling journey through an enchanting world where reality and illusions blended together.
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I really enjoyed reading it, it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland and Starless sea. I found myself going back and forth to reread some of the events, it was really magical.
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This portal fantasy had Hana and Keishin from two completely different worlds teaming up to find her father. Even though the contrasts between their worlds seemed to intrigue both of them, Kei was the one who was utterly enchanted by Hana's world. I was riding along with Kei when they went on discovering the magical and enchanting world where Hana spent their entire life.
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I completely recommend this to those who love magical realism and the enchanting worlds with Studio Ghibli vibes reminding us of the value of life and keeping alive the curiosity of our inner child.
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