This is a very original and imaginative story. It has the vibe of a Miyazaki film. You can never guess what’s coming next, where the characters are going, or what the intricately creative world has to offer. I deeply admire an author who has this great of an imagination, not just for world-building but for connecting and weaving together the characters and plot so satisfyingly.

This was such a beautiful book. The world is so charming and the descriptions in this book so evocative.

3.75⭐

Hana, set to take over her family’s pawnshop where choices are the form of currency, wakes up to find her father missing, the store ransacked, and a valuable choice stolen. That same morning Keishin finds his way into the shop (which only appears to those that need it) and, determined to help Hana, he joins her on a wild and fantastical quest to find both her father and the missing choice.

Water Moon shines, first and foremost, with its magnificent and rich world. From jumping into wormhole-like ponds and riding rumors, to ocean waves made of clouds and a town whose inhabitants are tasked with preparing the night sky, I can safely say I’ve never read anything so charming and magical. Sotto Yamabo has such a wonderfully lush imagination and it shines all throughout this novel.

Hands down, this was the star of the show for me. To the point that I felt like Water Moon’s captivating setting was the actual main character of the novel. I loved it that much.

I also found the prose itself to be strong; every word felt intentional and so much of this novel was thought-provoking.

By all accounts, I was fully expecting this to be a 5—maybe even 6—star read but I developed two gripes as I got deeper into the story. The first being the romance; it was far too quick and instant for my taste and I found myself (uncharacteristically) uninterested in that plot point.

I do wonder if there’s an argument to be made in favor of the romance: for some, the immediate attraction might work in a fairytale-like setting. As in, it might add to the whimsical atmosphere. But for me, it detracted from the otherwise incredible story. Their chemistry just wasn’t there because their relationship didn’t have enough room to breathe. And I felt, at times, that the story could’ve done without it and that maybe they should’ve become good friends, instead.

Which leads me to gripe number two: the pacing. Normally, a fast-paced plot isn’t an issue for me, but I would’ve liked to see this become a series instead of a standalone. Not only would it have given us a chance to immerse ourselves in this incredible fantasy just a little bit longer, but it also would’ve allowed for the romance to develop at a more measured pace.

Overall, Water Moon is a masterclass in building a vivid, whimsical, and imaginative world that readers can get lost in. You might find the romance unsatisfying if instalust isn’t your thing, but I would otherwise recommend giving this refreshingly magical book a shot.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Del Rey for providing me with an eARC of Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao in exchange for an honest review.

A lyrical and elaborately beautiful fantasy standalone by Samantha Sotto Yambao. A wonderfully unique world without being overly complex. Water Moon explores themes of regrets, choices, grief, and so much more. Though those themes sound heavy and intense, the novel manages a whimsical and light nature for a good majority of the time. It never felt depressing or overly sad, just thought-provoking and intentional.

I also enjoyed the world building in Water Moon. One of our main characters knows the world well while the other is just discovering it. This allows the knowledgeable main character to teach both us as readers, as well as the other main character, about all of this new world’s intricacies as we progress throughout the novel, without it feeling like the world is being info dumped on the reader. The world is certainly complex enough that receiving all of that information at the beginning would have been a major slog, so I commend Yambao for weaving in the information along the way. Overall, I though the world was beautiful, unique, and incredibly interesting to learn about.

I do think I’ve learned recently that I am not as much of a fan of cozier fantasies as I originally thought, so I think my overall enjoyment was less than it would have been if thematically it was more of a novel that I tend to really enjoy, though there were some faster-paced “action” sequences that helped with my enjoyment.

Dissecting the various interpersonal relationships is really interesting because they were all wonderfully complex within only so many pages, as this is a standalone. The dynamics between family members, the main characters, friendships, etc, are explored throughout.

Overall, I thought this was a wonderfully crafted Studio Ghibli-esque fantasy that is both cozy with darker themes woven throughout. I think many people will thoroughly enjoy this standalone fantasy and I can’t wait to recommend it to people when it hits the shelves in January 2025!

Keishin thinks he’s walking into a ramen shop, but instead he’s been transported to an outworldly pawn shop that deals in regrets and choices. And the pawn shop has just been ransacked. The pawnbroker Hana is the daughter of the former owner who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Keishin follows Hana through her weird, whimsical beautiful world in the hopes of tracking him down.

There’s a lot of beautiful imagery in this, and I think it will strike a chord with a lot of readers (and make for a lovely animated film). I enjoyed it a fair amount, but I found the romance saccharine and Kei and Hana’s adventures run together once I notice they followed a specific format: Kei and Hana have to get to a place in an unexpected and inconvenient way, Kei asks a question about why the place isn’t like the real world, Hana answers in a wise way that reveals how different the worlds are, we learn in tenuous detail how this place slots into this mysterious other world, rinse and repeat. So, each one is a lovely episode in itself and there’s clearly some connective tissue to join things together, but it doesn’t create a setting that feels real, spontaneous, or mysterious. Some readers will just enjoy the dreamy vibes, but I had trouble doing so for a novel-length work.

Some other reviewers have mentioned this gives vibes from other media like Studio Ghibli, Alice in Wonderland, Doctor Who, Little Prince, etc. The one that fits best to me is Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, a book that I found to also have tenuous architecture but stunning imagery.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 (rounded up)
Romance level: ❤️❤️❤️ / 5 (mostly innocent, a little steam)

[Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.]

I loved this book overall! The characters felt complex and real to me, and I loved how the main relationship developed. The world(s) and different beings felt like a mixture of Studio Ghibli and Alice in Wonderland - and I loved everything about it. I really felt like I was traveling through these crazy, unique places myself and could vividly see all the different environments. The romance was emotional and sweet and believable for the most part.

I took .5 stars off because I thought the pacing for this book was a bit off - it felt very slow for a good chunk towards the first 2/3, but the end felt rushed and jumbled. I also felt the dialogue often felt wooden/unnatural, despite the characters’ inner emotions being quite raw and believable.

All in all, a beautiful book that had more romance than I was expecting! I’d definitely recommend.

This book was utterly magical. Cozy and wondrous and mysterious, tinged with the perfect amount of darkness. The characters are well-developed, flawed, but lovable all the same. The romance was lovely, the world was lovelier. The world-building was lush and reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films. I wanted to know everything about it and more. I finished this in just a few sittings because the plot just flows and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. It's the best fantasy book I've read so far this year and maybe one of the best I've ever read. Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to reread it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the gifted e-arc!

This is one of those books that I would love to have several separate ratings for, because different aspects of it made very different impressions on me.

I absolutely adored the world building. There was so much of it, so many details and clever (and occasionally wacky) tidbits that it frequently made me want to stop and admire it some more. Traveling by rumor or song, markets in the clouds and libraries of lost things, choices pawned and kept as birds in cages, a village that spends every day creating stars that will shine in the night sky - just to name a few, and I loved it and the fairy-tale quality of it. That said, the stakes in the story itself seemed high and grounded it nicely, at least until a certain point.

This brings me to the part that didn’t work so well for me. At the core, we have a doomed love story involving two people from different worlds (literally) who meet under unusual circumstances only to almost immediately form an unbreakable bond that is talked about and reaffirmed at almost every stage of the quest. It’s probably meant as incredibly romantic and otherworldly but for me personally the story would have benefitted from less romance (especially the barely-there love triangle, the way it was handled) and more adventure. Undying devotion is great and all, but I don’t buy instalove, especially not at the expense of the plot: the resolution seemed very rushed and handwaved a lot of considerations. Very mixed feelings overall.

3.5 rounded up to 4.0 - I do hope to hear more from the author.

Wow this book was beautiful! This feels like if the Doctor and one of his companions (I'm thinking Ten and Martha?) went on a The Little Prince-esque adventure in a Ghibli inspired world. I don't know how that works, but WOW it does!

The prose this is written in is SO beautiful--it's descriptive without being overly so, and done in a way that simultaneously feels whimsical but still keeps the stakes in the front of your mind. The way Hana's magical world is described as so different from ours while also feeling like it COULD be real is just amazing to me. Keeping this as a cozy fantasy mystery with the stakes as high as they are is quite the feat, and I LOVED it.

I loved the dichotomy between magic and logic as well. Hana behaves logically in a world full of magic and wonder while Keishin behaves with childlike whimsy and carelessness despite coming from a world full of rationality and logical thinking. They're truly two sides of the same coin and complement each other perfectly. They're the perfect example of the dreamer needing a realist to keep them grounded, and the realist needing the dreamer to lift them off the ground, but which one is which changes throughout the book.

My only complaint is that the ending felt a tad rushed. After the main quest is completed, we get a short 1 year later chapter and a 5 years later chapter. I would have loved to have a little more insight into what happened during that time--especially from Hana's point of view. We do get a very brief explanation as to what she was up to, but I would have loved to actually read what happened.

This was such a beautiful story, and I think it's definitely going to stick with me for awhile.

3.75

This was a fun book. The twist at the end surprised me, which I always enjoy. I love it when an author surprises me, and Yambao did an excellent job. There were some hints, but I didn't pick up on what was coming.

Water Moon gives off Studio Ghibli vibes and was so enjoyable in that aspect. The world Yambao created on the other side of the pawnshop door is fantastical. I absolutely loved the journey. Hana, the new pawnshop owner, and Keishin, the boy from our world, went on because we got to see Yambao's imagination come to life. The downside to this was not a lot of explanation. Hana is basically the guide through their journey, and despite Keishin's questions, Hana tells him that's just how things are in this other world. I would have liked more elaboration on why things are the way they are in this other world.

Another thing that dropped the rating for me was the insta-love. I did not enjoy that. I find it hard to believe they fell in love so quickly. I wanted more foundation for a relationship, or I wanted Hana and Keishin to have a simple platonic friendship. There is nothing wrong with two friends journeying together and trying to help one another. It would have felt more genuine.

I think this is a fun fantasy adventure that has wonderful moments. I think an animated version of this would be so beautiful. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. I think the twists and the ideas Yambao had were fun and so out of the box.

This novel had such an interesting premise. A fantasy world with lots of twists and turns, where your life is already planned out for you, where a jump in a pond takes you to a scroll. There was so much going on in this novel, but the chapters were very short. The author did not elaborate on many of the fantasy aspects in this novel. As a reader, you were just told that you need to accept this. There were no elaborations, which made it hard for me to understand why you had to do things a certain way. For example, to see a grandmother in her teashop at midnight, one had to sleep in the same bed first. A lot of things did not make sense, and the reader had to trust the main character throughout this story. More elaboration into this fascinating world would have helped tremendously.

United States Publication: January 14, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Hana Ishikawa inherited her family pawnshop upon her father's retirement. This isn't your traditional pawnshop; it only appears to those who need it and specializes in allowing people to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets. When she wakes up on her first day of being totally in charge, she finds the pawn shop in disarray and a choice someone pawned missing. Stunned and in shock, Hana is unsure what to do when a stranger enters the shop. Mistaking him for a customer, Hana is surprised to find out he wandered in without a need to pawn a choice, and he's surprised to find himself not in the ramen restaurant he was hoping to be in. When he notices her predicament, he offers his help, and to her surprise, she agrees. What follows is a fantastical adventure that bends his scientific mind and exposes her quandary over the kind of life she is living.

This is a really imaginative book. It did not go the way I thought it was going to. That is, I didn't expect the fantastical adventure Hana and her stranger go on or the story that unfolds as a result. I didn't really like the book the further I got into it. I felt the longer the story went on, the more it dragged. I also had to re-read certain parts to ensure I understood the intricacies of the story unfolding. The rating is for the imagination and work it took for Yambao to create the characters and storyline she did.

What a sweet book. The writing is beautiful and the premise engaging. Who wouldn’t want to find the magical pawnshop to leave their regrets and to get the chance for different life choices. The only thing I did not enjoy as much was the romance, but overall this book still deserves a 5 star rating.

Water Moon follows Hana, who becomes the owner of the her father's pawnshop where clients discard their choices. But after her father goes missing, she embarks on a journey to find him and uncover their family's secrets.

This book was so beautifully written; I felt like I was immersed in a Studio Ghibli movie and could vividly imagine all of the places and people that were described in the book. I especially liked the beginning of this book about the pawnshop and how clients discarded their "choices". I thought the philosophical component was quite intriguing. The different places Hana and Kei travelled to were captivating - the author did a magnificent job at describing the places and evoked strong emotions with the readers. It felt very nostalgic and whimsical.

My only complaint about the book was with the love interest, Kei. He was an interesting character, but I personally wasn't too invested in their relationship. I think they were better off as friends and I would have appreciated an exploration of a platonic friendship more.

Overall, this was such a wonderful book and I highly recommend!

Hana and her father run a pawnshop inside of a door that to most leads to a ramen shop, but to others it is where they can give away a choice. One day Hana wakes up to the shop ransacked and her father missing. As she weeps, a man walks into the pawnshop and agrees to help her find her father. This is where Hana and Kei begin an adventure.

This is truly one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Each chapter is a new world that you can help but fall in love with. Finishing this book made me sad, because I didn’t want to leave it. This is one of those books that stays with you well after you read it.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for the gift of reading this ARC.

So, I really don't know how to feel about this book. I don't exactly love it, but I definitely don't hate it. I think in truth it's one I will need to read again to fully understand and appreciate. I felt sort of confused through some parts and thoroughly enthralled in others. I did begin to lose interest around the 25% mark, and I'm not entirely certain why. The book was very well written, and everything flowed in such a great way, I think I was just a little bored at that point. It did thankfully grip me again as I continued. The entire premise is not something I'd ever read before, and it did really add an extra layer of enjoyment. And I honestly did not see the reveals coming and that I really loved. I think on a re-read, I will enjoy it more than I did this time, and I will definitely still recommend it to friends.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a magical, dreamlike journey following Hana as she searches for her missing father and navigates a surreal world of regrets and second chances. The atmospheric writing and richly imagined setting felt straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. While the romance fell a bit flat for me, the themes of healing and self-discovery made this a memorable and enchanting read.

I loved every twist and turn in this book! The world-building was phenomenal and the adventures we went on with the MCs had me in a chokehold. This had much more romance than I thought it would and it surprised me pleasantly!

This work is a reminder that we may think our paths are laid out before us, but we still have the options to make choices that can completely alter them. It’s so important that we remember we have the ability to change things at any time. Small changes we make to our lives can greatly affect those around us… and the ripple effect could somehow eventually change the world as we know it!

Thank you Samantha Soto Yambao and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For anyone who enjoys all the heartwarming and whimsical literature coming out of Japan these days about cats, coffee, ramen shops, and telephone booths, this novel operates on similar magic yet follows a more traditional fantasy quest plot.

I would've liked the relationship between Hana and Kei to develop more out of friendship than instalove. With so much profundity scattered throughout the rest of the adventure, the lack of it in their romance made their chemistry a bit of a miss for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣 by 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙤 𝙔𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙤

A beautifully written, dreamlike story that captivated me from the first page. Set in Tokyo, it follows Hana, who grew up in a pawnshop that secretly offers people the chance to trade in their regrets. On the surface, it looks like a ramen shop to most, but for those who truly need it, its magic is revealed. Hana is about to inherit the shop from her father, but on the day she’s meant to take over, she discovers the shop ransacked and her father missing.

Determined to find him, Hana embarks on a journey with a mysterious stranger who stumbles into the shop at just the right moment. Their journey takes them into a dreamlike world full of magic and wonder, where regrets can be erased, and life can be changed in ways they never imagined. The world beyond the shop felt surreal, alive with magic at every turn, and the writing itself captured this ethereal quality perfectly.

What truly resonated with me was the book’s exploration of regret—how it shapes us and how letting go of it could change everything. Hana’s quest to confront her past and find her father is both emotional and transformative. While the pacing slowed in some parts, the depth of the story and its enchanting world made up for it.

Water Moon will transport you into a world full of magic, second chances, and the possibility of redemption. It’s a story that stays with you, lingering long after you turn the last page.