I have some mixed feelings about this book. It reads more like poetry than a traditional story, with a lot of vivid imagery and poetic phrasing. While I can appreciate the beauty in that style, it’s not really in my usual comfort zone when it comes to reading.

I did enjoy the life lesson woven into the narrative—that part resonated with me. But the way it was written made it harder to connect with. There was a lot of unnecessary wording that, for me, bogged down the message.

Overall, while it’s not my preferred style, I can see how others might appreciate it for its poetic nature. If you enjoy lyrical writing and abstract storytelling, this could be a good fit.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cool concept and story, but something just felt disjointed for me. I felt like I couldn't quite sink into it. Could totally be a "me" problem!

This book reminded me of The Full Moon Coffee Shop! It has that same cozy mystery/magical realism vibe! I highly recommend it!

When I began reading Marigold Mind Laundry, I expected a cozy and inspiring story similar to books such as The Full Moon Coffee Shop. In fact, the book did follow a similar formula, in having a series of characters visit the Mind Laundry to heal from various traumas and regrets. However, I felt that most of the character’s stories were lacking depth, and the writing style in general was rather detached.

The book began with a prologue which wasn’t the easiest of reads, where a girl who comes to be known as Jieun discovers that she has the magical powers to both heal people and have wishes come true. The same night that she learns this, she accidentally wishes her parents away, and has to live a million lives trying to find them again. I’m not sure if this prologue felt so strange and disjointed due to the translation or the original writing, but it felt like I was reading the outline of a prologue rather than fully flushed out writing, and I didn’t fully understand the town of magical powers because it was explained rather poorly. However, perhaps that was intentional because the town was dream-like and surreal. I’m not sure, but it just didn’t work for me.

As I continued reading, the book became easier to read, but I just wasn’t really impressed with any of the characters. Jieun’s idea was to use her potentially last life to help others heal by opening a laundry mat which cleansed the soul. The book followed a series of characters who visited the laundry mat and needed events erased from their lives. It felt like the author tried to think of a diverse set of characters, but it just fell a bit flat, and each character’s introduction just felt rushed.

Toward the end of the book, there was a lot of self-reflection on Jieun’s part. She comes to the conclusion that she needs to live life for the present to be happy instead of being so obsessed over the past, and it’s a sweet premise, but does go on for quite a while. There’s also some sweet reflection on what it means to create a family from friends. For reader’s that enjoy reflection and reminders to live life to the fullest and help others, I think this could be a pleasant book to read. Personally, I’ve just read too many similar books, and while the book had potential, it ended up a bit too formulaic and basic for me.

Okay so the concept of this book was so interesting to me: Jieun is on her millionth (this I’m reasonably sure about) and has decided to open a laundry (unclear if this is the same as a laundromat) where she can clean pain and negativity from people’s souls if they choose. Along the way, she learns the meaning of her own life through interactions with the town’s residents.
I absolutely adored the first half of this book and learning the backstories of all the characters and the pain they wanted to ease. The writing was so comforting and heartwarming. The last 50% was a little bit harder for me to get through and I ended up skimming a lot of it because it was moving so slowly. Which was the point of the book, kinda like a soup, slow to a simmer so you can enjoy it more. Unfortunately that’s just not the ideal pacing for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House’s The Dial Press for the opportunity to read this! All opinions are my own :)

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wish such a place actually existed.

An extremely special read, albeit "clunky" at times due to the nature of translation and unaccounted for cultural difference. An illustrative story that would map well onto a stage production. 4 Stars.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i did not care for this at all. i didn't think the writing was good, and i am not a fan of magical realism. i'm sure there will be an audience but i am not one of them.

This was such a pleasant book to read. Unlike many other East Asian cozy, magicak realism books, The Marigold Mind Laundry had more substance behind the magic.

I enjoyed how each of the characters interacted with one another and grew together.

I cant wait for the sequel!

Marigold Mind Laundry by is a whimsical and wonderful tale. The story follows Jieun, who was born with two magical powers, with one of them being to make her wishes come true. When she was young and couldn’t control her abilities she ended up wishing her parents out of existence. So to search for them she wishes to live for a million years.

After a long time of searching to no avail, she decides to do something for others. And wishes Marigold Mind Laundry into existence, a place where people could come pour their pains and regrets into clothes and then wash them away. Multiple people come and find solace but will Jieun find what she is looking for?

Some stories are sad while others are happy and kind, but all of them are heartwarming and melancholic. In the end, you are left feeling fuzzy and warm.

I absolutely adore the concept of this story! There were some meaningful lines in this one. Like this:

"We’re taught that sadness and pain aren’t beautiful, while happiness and joy are. But what if the opposite were true.”

The beginning of the story was wildly depressing. There were so many lines about feeling helpless and wanting to end things. Those poor characters were really going through it. Like this:

“I get out of bed because my eyes are open and I keep going because I’m alive. Don’t you feel the same?”

Now while I liked the story and found the writing thought provoking, it was a bit disjointed. I couldn’t tell if the translation aspect was the issue or if it was the writing flow. I often times got confused on who the speaker was because the book didn’t employ “he said, she said” language. Also there were phrases that were repeated multiple times. All that aside, I did like the concept and thought the overall story was beautiful.
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ʏᴏᴜʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
•Asian lit
•self help fiction
•deep conversation
•found family
•magical realism

*thank you to NetGalley and to The Dial Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review*

Both hopeful and melancholy, this magical story asks and answers the question, “What if we could wash our hearts the way we wash our clothes?”

This book is about grief and hope and found family. And while each chapter features the story of a different character, it felt so connected and whole.

Admittedly, I feel that some of the splendor of this story is lost in translation. It’s like I can feel that there’s something uniquely beautiful or profound happening, but it’s missing some kind of connection for me. Knowing what I do about translated work, I think the English language just lacks that final link that would make this story perfect.

It’s very lightweight in terms of plot line and character development, but it has a meaningful message that makes it feel complete and intentional. Overall, very heartwarming and full of beautiful descriptions.

This has that really whimsical yet grounded style of writing that I usually love but I just really failed to connect with this story very much. I think this is a book you need to make your own opinion of so while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it I think if the blurb speaks to you maybe you will enjoy it more than me!

This was cute, but I wasn’t totally invested.

The book itself is very readable, with a world-building that is easily understood and good pacing. I liked it, but didn’t love it and wouldn’t read it again.

A mysterious element here draws the reader in and makes them want to find the source of the main character's sorrow and better understand her current work. Additionally, I kept reading to find out how her powers work. I am basing my rating on my overall feeling thus far.

Unfortunately, I am unable to finish this book at the moment. I am having great difficulty connecting with the main character and struggling with the third-person view. Perhaps I will pick this book up again in the future when I have more leisurely time to read. I am finding that I am lacking context clues (maybe due to the translation) that make the world building seem difficult to understand.
I intend to read this book in the future and will update this review at that time.

2.5⭐️ rounded up. Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. This was a cozy read, gives lots to think about in regards to living in the moment, not fretting about the past, and trying to always be happy. I liked the characters and how each section was a different story that got connected. All in all, cute, but also slow.

Gentle, beautiful, and timeless--this book is a wonder. It's healing and thoughtful. It reminds of slower times and of the most important things in life. The characters' healing journeys mirror the journeys we long for ourselves.

I wish I could write more, but this book kind of left me at a loss for words. Just a beautiful little book with a heartfelt and lingering message.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

2.5 stars
a charming story about being able to wash away unwanted memories, a skill i think anyone would want, and find happiness in life. cute, cozy, mystical, but unfortunately a little bit dry. this was just okay
thank you to the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoy being able to try out translated works, and I enjoyed this cozy, magical realism story about being able to wash out the stains from someone’s heart. As a therapist, I really loved the analogy for healing and the important role of family and friends. I did feel it was a bit repetitive repetitive towards the end and slightly self help preachy

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

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

The Marigold Mind Laundry is a delightfully cozy fantasy set in a neighborhood in Korea with a very special visitor. If you had the opportunity to wash away a bad memory or experience, would you want to? The diverse characters each make their own choices and find happiness in their own way.