More like a 3.75. Very whimsical and imaginative but fell a little flat. The writing style was beautiful and digestible and I thought the Hana and Keishin’s inner monologues were beautifully done, like some of the best I’ve ever read, but I also felt like it was lacking in depth at some points. Or maybe not lacking in depth so much as not eliciting the feelings I was supposed to feel? It felt difficult to connect with Hana and Keishin’s relationship and because that was the thing holding the plot together, especially toward the end, I ended up not really feeling a super deep connection to the book as a whole. The beginning also happened super fast, but I don’t think that was any fault on the author’s behalf. Overall, super mixed feelings (mostly positive) about this one and I’m excited to see what the author writes next!

I did not care for the plot line at all. It felt incredibly rushed making it hard for me to follow along, and I was especially thrown off by the initial characters at the literal beginning of the book being traded off for the actual main characters. The romance was very bland and eh, not leaving me invested. I just had a really hard time reading this and was left feeling like this was such a burden to get through.

Beautiful. Stunning. Underhyped. Obsessed. The whole book is a vibe to the point I bought a physical copy as well. Love love love. I need more books like this in my life

I understand what the author was trying to do with this book and I do think the world was very interesting, sadly, going in with the expectation (and being told) it was Studio Ghibli-esque, I found it very lacking in any type of whimsy. The world and characters were very flat and one dimensional. Not to mention I detest insta-love. The two main characters were already fawning over each other in less than a day and were kissing by day one. No thanks. DNF at 46%. 2 stars simply for the unique world-building.

This book is beautifully written but ultimately I was a little bored by the actual story. I loved the magical realism and concepts of the story: a magical pawnshops where you trade regrets, a father gone missing, a scientist searching for answers and a daughter trying to prove herself. The Japanese culture was beautifully woven throughout and the overall vibes feel like a studio Ghibli film. However, the pacing shifts were difficult to follow, I wasn’t fully convinced of the romance between main characters and there was no real action that took place beyond lots of movement from place to place.

Oooh boy this one is hard. I was very excited about this one because the cover is absolutely stunning and I loved the premise.

This book feels like it was meant to be a movie. The concept and the settings were delightful and whimsy and the writing itself was lyrical. If this was animated a la Studio Ghibli or ATLA, I think it would have achieved what it was trying to do. It was also dialogue heavy which can work, but the dialogue itself felt stilted.

The other thing I had issue with was the way books feel like they are written around tropes, this book felt like it was written around profound quotes to the point where they lost their meaning. I didn't love the romance and thought it detracted from the main character's journey as opposed to added to it. For a book that was less than 400 pages, it felt like it was too short and too long all the same time.

I honestly didn't think that I was going to love Water Moon after hearing about it at SDCC but I loved it!

this book was so incredibly written - filled with such vivid details of the picturesque world that Samantha Sotto Yambao created! the constant themes of discovering ones true potential, of hope, and love had created such a thought-provoking theme throughout the entire story.

i highly highly recommend this incredible read! it was beautiful, the characters, the world, and the story as a whole.

4.25 ⭐️

This was by far the most magical dream-like book I have ever read and it was so fun! I think a lot of studio Ghibli fans will adore this book just like I did. I felt the plot was fast paced and the written very lyrical. Would highly reccomend!

Water Moon features a slow build, which builds to a slow story, which almost seems to wander through the book. Maybe going for a cozy, reflective vibe—but I just found it dull. Slow, and dull. Human characters, but not interesting enough ones to keep me engrossed. Or, even, ever make me care about the story in any meaningful way. I'm amazed that this got such good reviews—but to each their own. This really didn't turn out to be my kind of book, so I didn't push through it to the end just to leave a grumpy, scathing review. Much better to bin it at the halfway point (or thereabouts) and chalk it up as 'not for me'.

An intricately thought out and detailed, whimsical novel. Beautifully written and crafted. Hana has just taken over running a different sort of pawn shop from her father when the shop is ransacked, her father is missing and a handsome stranger shows up, offering his help. What follows is a fantastical journey into a different world unlike any I have ever experienced.

This novel was incredibly moving while also leaving me wondering what on earth could happen next. My only qualm with the novel is that it was a slow start/took a bit for me to really get into it. But that could very well be be because I have never read anything like it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this title!

the writing style in this was all over the place, and it completely took me out of the story at times. the romance was also very shallow and, quite frankly, boring. i did not care about it at any point, which is a shame because it takes up a good majority of this book.

Unfortunately, I did not get to reading this as an ARC due to the holidays and flu and work. But I do look forward to reading this as a finished book.

Water Moon is unlike any book I’ve read before. It’s the type of book I recommend to people who want to escape reality. You feel like you’re in a magical dream. While most of the book is just excellent vibes, there is still a beautiful story being told.

Water Moon is perfect for people who love Studio Ghibli movies and whimsical stories.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a lovely book but - and I can't believe I'm saying this - was a bit too whimsical for me. The magical realism elements were charming, but as the story becomes more fantastical it starts to loose its emotional core. I also wasn't sold on the romance between Hana and Keishin, nor their characters. The writing style is beautiful but also fairly detached, making it hard to connect with the characters.

I haven't read many books where the storyline is based in Tokyo so I was excited to read this one. To be honest I was pulled in more by the cover and the mumbles I was hearing about it than the description. I had just a lovely time with this story! As a lover of pawn shops and reading magical realism, I am so glad I read this! The author did such a great of not only pulling the reading into the story but into this realm she must venture through to find her father. I can't wait for this to arrive at our library and get it in the hands of several students who I know are going to LOVE this!

I don't normally read books that come across as heartwarming and twee but in these dark times, Samantha Sotto Yambao's Water Moon sounded like just the thing I needed to get me through the long days.

In the story, a magical pawn shop can give you the chance for a redo on your big regrets but only if you're willing to trade in something of your own.

Truly a one of a kind story that's less about the specifics of how the plot works and more about the way you feel while reading it. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and it was a balm to my soul to read.

When I learned of the Studio Ghibli vibes the book encompasses, I immediately sprinted for an arc copy. I grew up watching Studio Ghibli and hold those memories quite fondly. So with a praise such as that, my curiosity piqued. And the statement holds true; Water Moon does carry Ghibli-esque elements, in particular Spirited Away. From the masked Shiikuin, the paper cranes that come alive, and the transporting through bodies of water, it embodies the dark whimsy qualities of Spirited Away nostalgically.

Hana takes over the mysterious pawnshop when her father decides to retire. She has never encountered the outside world, not until her father goes missing. Keishin is a physicist who returns to Japan for a new job and ends up stumbling into the pawnshop. Unlike Hana, he is from the outside world. So when Hana takes him into her own (forbiddingly), he discovers a whole other existence like nothing before. Their fast development for each other felt jarring to me, especially with Keishin willing to sacrifice for Hana who is very much a stranger to him. I was also surprised by Keishin’s lack of questioning about Hana’s world given his scientist background. And because the reader is like Keishin who has zero knowledge about the context of Hana’s realm, it leaves us fumbling in the dark for answers. Perhaps it is a little too in keeping with “nothing is what it seems.”

I think if this were an animated film, the qualities that are lacking can be dismissed. But translated into text, the philosophical and melancholy nature of the story feels strained. So while I did enjoy the dreamlike setting immensely, I walked away wanting more about the whys and the hows and the depths of the otherworldly structure.  

Thank you NetGalley and Delrey for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A fun read that made me think of a Ghibli movie with adult protagonists, several moments in the book had me imagining the characters in Miyazaki's unique style. I hope one day this can get an adaptation that can do its beautiful descriptions justice.

Right off the bat, we are thrown into a world both like and unlike our own, a simple seeming pawnshop with a mysterious purpose, to let people be free from their regrets, just give up the choice that is weighing on you can let go.

Except, nothing is ever that easy, as Hana is set to take over the pawnshop from her father and we are given a view of her fantastical world through the eyes of Keishin, a man devoted to science who finds his world isn't all that it seems. How will he balance the fantastical with logic? Well, the answer really is, he doesn't.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the world building and how everything just worked. But the fantastical nature of everything is mostly taken at face value, Kei may ask a question, but Hana will say something about "well of course it does, it just makes sense here" and he goes along with it with a smile on his face as he is awestruck by the world. In some ways it had me thinking about Spirited Away and how Chihiro got swept up into the world. Not necessarily a bad thing, but why give him curiosity and a need for logic at first, if he is going to shrug it off as, well of course time is in sand and of course historical events are stored in origami, oh and travel by thinking about a song? It just makes sense because it does. Why wouldn't it be?

Now, beyond that gripe, I loved the story, each chapter drew me in more and more, as I held my breath to see what new fantastical thing would be shown and the beauty of the world was put on display, along with the darkness that came with that beauty, as everyone encountered staunchly stuck to their duty, immovable from their tasks, while the pawnshop may take our world's choices, this is a world devoid of choice, with everyone's lives decided for them from infancy. So how is it that Hana and Kei have managed to go on this quest? Well, spoilers my deal. Spoilers and twists.

The twists weren't entirely unexpected, but they did fit in well enough to still be satisfying as I devoured chapter after chapter.

Definitely a story I would recommend to others for a quick journey to another world and for fans of Ghibli's Spirited Away who are looking for an older protagonist.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley and Samantha Sotto Yambao for the ARC to honestly review.

Such a unique concept with wonderful world-building, Studio Ghibli vibes, and plenty of magical whimsy! The characters were lovely, though the insta-love aspect wasn’t my favorite. The pacing felt inconsistent, which made the story a bit confusing at first, so I found myself needing to take my time rather than reading it in one sitting. However, the stunning scenery truly brings the book to life, making it well worth the read despite its flaws.