Water Moon delivers quite a magical reading experience.  With thematic semblances from Needful Things, Labyrinth, Spirited Away, and The Adjustment Bureau, I could not get enough of this book.   When it was over, I was charmed and grieved at the same time.  Sotto Yambao’s writing transported me back to a childhood of make-believe tales where the world had magic in it everywhere; and anything, especially true love, is possible.

Readers familiar with Ghibli films will feel right at home in Water Moon.  In fact, Hana and Kei feel like reading an extended epilogue for Chihiro and Haku.  The romance felt very natural, organic, and believable.  Though the two characters displayed attraction at the outset of their relationship, I was delighted to read a book where the foundation on which the love they built for one another showed genuine development intellectually as well as physically.  

As much as I harp on the B5 romantasy market releasing something that isn’t more of the same, I’d be remiss if I didn’t assert that Water Moon is exactly what I was talking about.  The world building surprised and amazed me.  I’ve read so much fantasy and romance that I want something to appeal to my sense of wonder.  Instead of burning me out with the same inane plot devices, Water Moon made the world a character, and the world could do anything it wanted.  Puddles could be portals and doorways, dreams can take people to the perfect cup of tea, and sometimes, even after a few years, the person someone longs to see again really does just walk back into a person's life, finally.

My thanks to Del Rey/Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the DRC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

I cried while reading this. The story is beautiful and heartbreaking and magical and I loved all of it. I will be recommending this to everyone and will be buying a physical copy for myself.

Water Moon was so full of whimsy and character. I greatly enjoyed experiencing this book and seeing how Hana's and Kei's story flowed around each other. Hana is headstrong and interesting and Keishin is a great complement to Hana. The adventure they go on together is beautiful, even if a bit ridiculous, and it was fun seeing how an outsider would respond to Hana's world.

The world was fascinating and so creative--each setting in the book was full of spirit and they each deserve stories of their own. I'd love to see more adventures in the village where the night sky is created, or to follow sly characters making sneaky deals in the Night Market. There is just so much potential in this world and I feel a little sad that I've only seen a glimpse of it.

I think I would have given this novel 5 stars had the pacing been more consistent and for there to have been a bit more explanation with some of the aspects of the world, especially the aspects that were important to the plot. The story was sometimes hard to follow due to the inconsistent pacing and the confusing bits of worldbuilding that ultimately made some of the reveals fall flat. This didn't take too much away from my experience of reading the book as the world itself made up for a lot of these issues.

I'd say if you like a creative, Studio Ghibli-esque worlds, adventures, and tender emotions, then this book is for you.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for the chance to review this book early.

This is the kind of book that makes me wish I was better at describing beautiful writing. As I read, there were so many instances where I found myself highlighting lines that spoke not just to me but about life in general in such a perfect way, as if I was reading a book of proverbs. I genuinely can’t wait to see some of the popular highlights on Kindle once the book is released, and I usually ignore those.

I absolutely love how wildly inventive the world of Water Moon is. When Keishin stepped into Hana’s pawnshop, it was like Alice falling through the rabbit hole, but unlike Alice, wandering through Wonderland lost and alone, he had a guide in Hana. The places they visited and ways they moved through the world were always so fun and fascinating. Each location had it’s own special brand of wonder or whimsy, like the Museum of Education, which couldn’t be entered without a ticked purchased with a grain of time when you made a mistake, because its visitors learn from other people’s mistakes. As Kei and Hana traveled on their quest to find Hana’s father, I was invested for multiple reasons: I wanted to know where her father was, I wanted to see how Kei and Hana’s relationship evolved, and I couldn’t wait to see what Samantha Sotto Yambao would come up with next.

The romance between Kei and Hana is sweet, and at first I wished they had fallen just a little more slowly, but I can see why they were so easily drawn to each other. Hana had a lot of inner turmoil over her feelings for Kei having ground up in a world where people have no choice but to follow the path fate has set before them and that was central to a lot of her decisions not only when it came to Kei but throughout their entire journey. Which, by the way, I wasn’t expecting to be so dangerous! It was so exciting and a lot creepier than I thought it would be, and I loved that.

3.5 ☆

i have to applaud this book for its original concept and whimsical imagery. the main characters Hana and Keishin are opposites: he believes everything has a clear answer and can be solved through a scientific lens, while Hana’s way of thinking is more open and she knows that there’s shades of grey in every situation. i liked the idea of this book so much and i had a fun time seeing all the different scenarios the characters ended up in throughout their journey to find Hana’s father. i just found the execution to be all over the place and nonsensical in a way that kept distracting me. i understand that Hana’s world has endless possibilities but it didn’t feel like the plot had any progression because of that, it was a lot of snippets tied together randomly. i also could’ve done without the romance cause it was too insta love and i didn’t believe that they would go through all this for eachother when they’d literally just met. so overall, this was a mixed reading experience for me but its pros and cons are pretty even and I don’t regret reading it.

“Losing your way is oftentimes the only way to find something you did not know you were looking for.”

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with the digital arc in exchange for my honest review!

Water Moon is a compelling, magical story of adventure, love, sacrifice, heartbreak, and ultimately hope. Filled with whimsy and beautiful prose, this is a Studio Ghibli lover’s dream. It reminded me so much of Alice in Wonderland and Spirited Away. The story has a dreamlike quality and the writing was so lyrical. Our two main characters were also so charming and I loved seeing how their relationship progressed, despite them coming from different worlds. I loved experiencing the journey our characters went on and seeing all the different locations and characters. The author really encapsulated the feeling of whismy and that truly anything could happen. Although I enjoyed the romance, it felt a bit insta-lovey and at times took away from the main story. I still thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book.

I absolutely loved this book. This book was so unique and whimsical. I'm not usually drawn into books by their settings, but the setting in this book was so captivating and beautifully described; the author managed to paint such a clear picture in my head while reading and I loved seeing how the setting really informed and elevated the story. There was also plenty of action throughout this book that really helped drive the story forward and while I wish we could've spent just a few more minutes in each area, the urgency throughout definitely kicked in and kept things going at a great pace. I'm so impressed with how well these different aspects of the book were balanced and complemented each other throughout.
The characters were also very relatable and enjoyable. I really connected with both main characters and their individual motivations throughout the book. The emotional weight of this story was handled well and even parts that I normally would've found repetitive (Hana telling Kei he could leave) felt earnest and genuine--especially given the stakes--and never bothered me. I loved seeing these characters step into their own and embrace their own choices and grow.
There were a few twists and turns along the way that genuinely surprised me(especially near the end!!), but I love how intentional every aspect of this story ends up being and how smartly everything ties together. I finished this book and immediately found that I wanted to pick it up and start over with everything that I now know.
This is a beautifully written, lush, cinematic story that has a lot of deep character exploration and a great plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group and Del Rey for providing me with a digital review copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for this eARC!

I discovered about this upcoming release because of the book community on TikTok, and it was showing up in a lot of posts, being marketed as giving Studio Ghibli vibes (I'm a huge fan of Studio Ghibli). I was sold!

I cannot tell you how fast I read through this, and how much I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It was fresh, it was new, and it definitely had those Studio Ghibli feel to it. I highly recommend this!

3.75 rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao takes readers on a whimsical adventure through a magical pawnshop hidden in a ramen restaurant in Tokyo. When a young physicist is brought to this dream-like world, he finds the pawnshop ransacked and its owner injured. Together, they go on a journey that forces them to reveal dangerous secrets and make difficult choices.

Yambao's writing in this novel is enchantingly beautiful. There were so many quotes that I highlighted while I was reading. Her writing shows just how creative and insightful she is. It felt like it came straight out of a magical storybook that I wish I could live in.

The discussions of fate, choices, and regrets woven into this book were incredible. Fate is something I think about a lot, and this book explored it in a way I never had. The role choices and regrets played in this story made it so much more impactful for me. This is the type of book that I could spend hours discussing with other people.

Fantasy stories with mystical worlds where nothing is as it seems are some of my favorites. It adds a light mystery to the book that keeps me enthralled by the story. I love how the little deceptions hidden throughout the novel set up the shocking twists.

The ending was perfect. I was almost in tears while reading the final pages of this book. There is no better way this story could have finished. Yambao wrapped up everything so well. It was a magical ending to a magical tale. I just know the last few chapters of this book will stick with me.

I did consider giving this a higher rating at the end, but there were a few things that made me feel like I shouldn't. The main reason is that I didn't connect to the characters the way I wanted to for most of the book. I was enjoying the story while I read it, but I found that I wasn't thinking about it when I put it down. Until the last few chapters, I didn't feel much emotion while reading this. This is probably because of the other reason I didn't rate this higher. Short chapters are not my thing. I would almost always choose a 100-page chapter over a chapter that's under 10 pages. Of course, some books work better with short chapters, I just don't enjoy them. It's harder for me to connect to a story when the scene changes every 5-8 pages. They make sense for this story, but it doesn't work with my personal preferences.

This is a wonderful, whimsical cozy fantasy. If you're looking for a unique and magical story that will make you feel like you're dreaming, I would absolutely recommend Water Moon.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of 7/16/2024
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) expected 1/14/2025

While the premise of Water Moon sounded very intriguing and whimsical, unfortunately there wasn’t a whole lot I liked about the book. The book follows Hana who has just taken over her fathers magical pawn shop that trades regrets instead of objects. On her first day as the new owner she finds the pawnshop was ransacked and her father missing. Hana works with a strange man Keishin to solve the mystery.
The main thing I did enjoy about the book was the beautiful world and scenery but that's about it. I really wish all the unique places in the story had more of a purpose. It just felt like they were magical just to be magical. I ended up feeling less interested, because there was too much description. This is also how I felt about the characters. On Hanas journey we meet many different people but we don’t truly get to know anyone including the main characters. The entire book they felt extremely one dimensional and I could never connect with them. As a result I found it extremely hard to stay engaged while reading this book because I didn’t care about the characters and subsequently didn’t care about what they were trying to do.
Going into the book I expected some romance but I didn’t realize it was going to be insta love. There was a lot of potential for Hana and Keishin to get to know each other, but in such a short time frame they somehow fall in love? They had zero chemistry and it just felt so forced. Also for whatever reason the author felt like adding a super weird love triangle. If I’m being honest the second guy in the love triangle was the most interesting character in the book and the only one I actually found likable.
The idea for this book was so good, but the execution really ruined this book for me. Maybe it would be more enjoyable to someone who enjoys insta-love and romance more than me, or prefers character focused over plot focused books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for giving me this eARC

I applied for this arc not really knowing what I was getting into, but damn am I happy I was approved, because I don’t know if I would have thought to pick it up out in the wild, and I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this before.

It’s hard for me to put into words what reading this book felt like but it took me on a journey through whimsical visuals and a range of emotions. It was beautiful and humorous and dark and sorrowful, and hopeful. I’m genuinely sad it’s over. I don't know what Samantha puts in her books, but it's addicting.

This is the first of Samantha’s stories that I have read, but it won’t be the last.

𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍.
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Water Moon begins with Hana inheriting a pawn shop - one where you pawn off your past regrets in life. One day Keishin wanders in on the same day that Hana’s father goes missing.

I am in awe of the truly magical, whimsical and mystifying world that Samantha Sotto Yambao has created in Water Moon. This world where the stars are hopes flown by kites into the night sky. Where you travel through ponds, on rumors and folded into a piece of paper.

She does such a wonderful job of describing the world and its magic. It’s giving Studio Ghibli with higher magical/fanstasy realism. It truly feels like you’re in a dreamlike state while reading. Not once could I have guessed what whacky journey they were about to go on.

The book itself was fast paced and there was always something happening that it doesn’t even give you a chance to be bored. You’re just so excited to see the next part of their journey as Hana and Keishin look for clues to finding Hana’s father.

I think I was expecting more romance in this but it didn’t feel lacking in the least despite that.

I really enjoyed this! It begins with an intriguing premise and continues with a setting that is so unique and immersive. The writing is beautiful and the overall impression is very dreamlike. The author strikes a good balance in the world building. Because Kei is an outsider to Hana's world when she tells him some outlandish thing is about to happen and then we experience it for the first time with him we are pulled along for the ride. Because it does feel like a dream it is ok that the "rules" seem very illogical when compared to the real world outside the pawnshop. Overall, it is an enjoyable, propulsive fantasy adventure with a very satisfying conclusion.

“Every hope deserves to sparkle in the sky.”

What a whimsical adventure this story takes you on! It feels like a fever dream, in the best way. Water Moon follows Hana; she’s taking over running her family’s magical pawn shop, as her father is retiring. The pawn shop only appears to those who need it and people can only pawn their regrets. On her first day taking over, she awakens to find the shop ransacked and her father missing, along with one of the pawned regrets. Hana embarks on a dangerous and magical journey to locate her father before it’s too late.

The writing style is very poetic and beautiful and I love the imagery in here. Nothing is quite what it seems. I really enjoyed all the different “worlds” that they traveled between. For a cozy-ish fantasy, there’s actually a lot at stake here! The story jumps around timelines a bit, which takes time to orient to but it’s very rewarding when it all comes together in the end. I really admire the author’s creativity and originality.

Thank you to Netgalley, Samantha Sotto Yambao, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: abandonment, grief, death, death of a parent, pregnancy

“𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳.”

Thank you so much Del Rey Books and Netgalley for and advanced readers copy - the cover is just stunning!

Let me start by saying this is unlike anything I have ever read before. I rarely reach for books labeled fantasy and the few that I have read that are are light on it. This one is heavy with the fantasy and magical realism elements, and often you might think “this is out there” but ultimately it makes sense with the story. It’s ethereal and dreamlike at times, though being fantasy there is also suspense, big twists, and a few, brief darker moments. Maybe it’s my own unawareness, but perhaps the things and places it mentions is part of Asian folklore? Or purely all from the author’s expansive imagination.

Regardless, it was such a unique experience that has a lot of wisdom and truth in it. The way the story is woven and the clues, the reflections and metaphors, that fill it makes for a story worth reading and pondering. It isn’t one to rush through though at times I found myself so enamored I lost track of time. It’s been a while since a book has engaged me deeply like that. And though I don’t share the same outlooks that influence the majority of this story, as I said, there’s wisdom to learn from it. It is beautiful, the depth it addresses choices, regret, purpose, belonging, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love. Plus the dynamics between Hana and Keishin are so enjoyable; two people from two very different worlds with different worldviews and motivations, and yet you can relate to both.

It won’t be for everyone, especially if fantasy isn’t your thing, but I do suggest giving this one a fair chance. Content includes fantasy violence, mentions of deaths of parents, and a few sort of creepy moments. Honestly though, I found it surprisingly stunning and impressionable in many ways. With the writing style, the plot development, everything… it is my first 5/5 read of the year!


Other noteworthy quotes:

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.”

“𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.”

“𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭.”

“𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴…”

“𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.”

“𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”

Aggressively, exhaustingly whimsical. This is the weakest of 3 stars - I did not really enjoy the experience of reading this at all, but the concepts and ending were solid enough that I can't quite justify rating it lower.

On paper, this should be a perfect book for me. I love surreal, dreamlike fantasy. I love Ghibli inspired books and books that feel like fairytales. Unfortunately, Water Moon just completely lost me. It's less of a story and more of a loosely connected string of very twee settings and modes of transportation, like the author did a whimsical brainstorming session and refused to cut even a single idea that crossed her mind. Travel by puddle! Travel by rumor! Travel by dream! Travel by song! Travel by origami crane! Honestly, looking back, I'm not entirely convinced the characters needed to go to half of the places they traveled whimsically to. They spend the entire book chasing somewhat aimlessly after another character (with actual goals and motivations) who exists almost entirely off-page, chased by monsters that do nothing whatsoever to give the meandering pacing any sense of urgency.

The characters were one-dimension and fundamentally unrealistic and unbelievable to me. And the intense insta-love... didn't love it.

This book's desperation to prove itself as being profound and philosophical also works severely to its detriment. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural and uncomfortable, in the service of making A Point (tm) at every single opportunity. Example:

"You should go back home before it's too late."
"Home... it's a mapmaker's ultimate challenge, don't you think? A cartographer can craft the most detailed map, include every landmark, and draw the clearest roads. His map can help you get to almost anywhere you wish. But not home. You wont find it labeled on a single map in the entire world. You can live in the same place for years and memorize every bus, bike, and walking route back to it and never really know your way home. Maybe that's why you can't find it on any map. Because it doesn't exist."

Didn't that make you feel exhausted? They all talk like that. Every character is constantly talking like that. That's a DIRECT QUOTE.

It's been a minute since I've written a review so harsh I actually feel bad for writing it, but I'm genuinely struggling to produce something positive to wrap this up with. Once again, the concepts here are very interesting, and the sensory language describing all of these twee settings was strong. I enjoyed the way several elements connected nicely in the end, as well as some of the more bittersweet elements. I also didn't hate the overall themes and messages this book was trying to explore, I just found them to be clunkily delivered and insistently overstated.

... 2.5?

As my first dip into Japanese fiction, I am pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it!
I was immediately intrigued with the idea within the first two chapters and I loved that Water Moon sparked the debate of fate vs free will right off the bat.
Throughout the entirety of the book with Hana and Keishin’s journey, the level of pure imagination in this dreamlike world is mesmerizing.
While I do prefer a tad bit more romance in my fantasy and at times the dialogue seemed a little lackluster, overall Water Moon has a story that resonated well with me and is beautifully written and unlike any other book I’ve read.
Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts! Publication day is tomorrow, January 14th!

I've spent the last hour crying! It's so good! Gorgeous proes, hunting, beautiful, whimsical, & thought provoking. Water Moon just might be my new favorite book. Everyone needs to read this book so we can talk about it! Full review to come on SFFInsiders

First five-star of the year!!! This was an absolutely beautiful book. Not only was the plot unique, but it was also funny, romantic, and thoughtful throughout! I loved every minute of this and couldn't put it down. If you want to reflect on life while following a quirky adventure, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House—Ballentine/Del Rey for a copy of this book, which is out January 14th.

P.S. I will be purchasing it and tabbing it once I can get it physically (yes it is that good)

A luscious and whimsical fantasy with adventure and mystery rolled into one beautiful story, Water Moon was a pure delight from beginning to end.
Set in a mythical world adjacent to modern-day Tokyo, our story begins with Hana Ishikawa on her first day taking over a mythical pawnshop inherited from her father. The pawnshop, only accessible to those who need it via a ramen shop in Tokyo, barters for choices with people looking for peace from past regrets. When Hana wakes up to find the pawnshop in disarray, her father missing, and a previous customer’s choice stolen, she enlists the help of a very curious stranger who wanders into the pawnshop among the wreckage. The two embark on a magical journey to find her father traveling through puddles, being folded into time and space through paper, or making deals at the Night Market in the clouds. As their quest for answers leads to more questions, and their developing relationship leads them to want the impossible, both Hana and our stranger must decide how far they’ll go as the stakes get higher and higher.

❤️ What I loved: This book was such an emotional journey, with captivating twists and turns in the storyline that keep you guessing until the end. The writing matched the tone of the book perfectly and added a sort of ethereal and dreamlike quality to the whole story. The development of both characters was gratifying to see, and I loved the relationship that bloomed between them as the story progressed.
💔 What I didn’t love: With the book billing itself as a romance, I did find myself wanting more from the relationship between the two characters to make the connection feel believable.

I have a feeling I’ll be recommending this book to a lot of people I know, and I think it’s a must-read for those looking for a unique fantasy with elements of romance and a great setting.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers ✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Sotto Yambao, and Random House - Ballentine/Del Rey, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.