I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

In Tokyo, some people think they are entering a restaurant only to find a pawn shop instead. Little do they know, they've crossed to another world where they can trade a regret--a choice--for peace as they move onward. This is the place where Hana has grown up, trained by her father to take over the shop someday, forever weighed down by the knowledge that her mother stole a client's choice and was killed because of it.

On the day after her father's retirement, she awakens to find the shop ransacked, her father gone. A strange man enters--a physicist from Earth, and someone who hasn't come to trade a choice. He insists on helping her--and continues to do so as they begin a fantastical quest to find her father and answers.

This is a mind-bending trippy book that put me in mind of the movie What Dreams May Come. Hana's parallel world to Earth doesn't operate as ours does. Something akin to magic imbues everything, and the plot unveils constant surprises. I'm a frequent fantasy reader and I struggled to track what was happening at times--I can imagine some people would be utterly lost. I found it to be a worthwhile journey, however, with a sweet romance and a satisfying finale.

It felt like my brain was cracked open so the author could use my dreamscapes as the ink to write this story. Such beautiful world building, creating these amazing and fantastic settings. Compelling characters that give you a reason to root for them and ways to relate them, flaws so valid and real even when flying through a fantastical setting on a cloud. I loved every moment, unable to put it down even into the latest of nights.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my days what a beautiful and magical read!
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto is a beautifully woven tale that captivates from the first page. The author masterfully blends rich imagery and poignant themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Sotto's lyrical prose immerses readers in a world where emotions run deep and characters resonate long after the final chapter. The narrative's unique structure keeps you engaged, while the exploration of cultural elements adds depth and authenticity. It's a poignant read that lingers in your heart and mind, making it a must-read for anyone who appreciates literary art. Can't wait for a special edition of this one!

Water Moon is an absolutely whimsical book with a cast of characters that would fit in a Studio Ghibli movie perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for a better story when it comes to reading my first ARC.

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

“It was easier to chew on misery if you did not know what happiness tasted like”

Set in two distinct worlds, the story follows Hana, from the, for lack of a better word, magical world, and Keishin, from our current day world. Keishin stumbles into what he thought was a ramen shop only to discover he walked into a pawnshop that has been ransacked. He soon finds out that it isn’t a normal shop, and instead of trading jewelry and collectibles, this pawnshop trades choices and regrets. He soon discovers that this world he has stumbled into defies all the laws of science that governs his own world. This is a quest-based story that follows Hana and Keishin as they run around searching for Hana’s father who has mysteriously disappeared.

In this story, we follow our characters as they fly in a sky of paper cranes, jump through puddles and land in a different location, and are folded into paper to get from point A to B. But we also hear about grief and stories of loss. I cried hearing about Keishin’s father and what cancer did to him. I deeply relate to the language that was used in describing how terrible cancer is and what it does to one’s body. Seeing what it does to your dad: “The man in the coffin was going to look like a stranger either way. Cancer had made a feast of his father, gnawing at him until all that was left was skin and bones.” While this was a relatively small part of the story, it had such a big impact on me. I saw myself in Keishin and how he has coped not only with the death of his father but also with how he has faced other deaths like </spoiler>his mentor’s.</spoiler> Grief is crazy, and it can result in coping mechanisms that you wouldn’t expect. I think grief was a common theme throughout this story, whether it was about a parent dying or a relationship ending. We saw characters ask, “How can you be at peace if a part of you is missing? It will be a hole that you will try to fill all your life without ever knowing why that hole exists in the first place.” And the the story also touched on the flip side of things, when someone isn’t dead: “I wish I could grieve you. Grieving ends. But I can’t grieve. You’re not dead.”

While I’ve highlighted some heavier topics that this story covered, I also want to say that it was fun and fast-paced. I loved the short chapters! I didn’t spend all my time crying or being sad—quite the opposite actually. There were so many dumb lines that had me laughing, with this one being a top moment:
“‘We will not walk into any trap.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Because we will be swimming into it.’”

There was romance and friendship mixed in with everything else in this story, and honestly my only critique is that I wish it had been more slow burn. I felt a connection between Hana and Keishin, but I would have loved a longer timeline. Granted, that isn’t super realistic considering most of this happens in what, a week maybe? I can’t take points off though because the story just made me feel so much in every other aspect. Definitely a book to remember, and I wm excited to see a physical copy once this releases!

I'm still processing this book weeks later. What a beautiful and emotional ode to the struggles and victories of life. This read like a Studio Ghibli film and I could see it all clearly in my mind. It added so much magic and whimsy to an already perfect story. Sotto Yambao writes with such mastery on the human condition. The world was so atmospheric and imaginative. Like I said, I'm still thinking about it because it makes me weepy. I would recommend this to anyone who deeply connects with or just loves the vibes of Studio Ghibli, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao follows the journey of Hana, daughter of a pawnshop owner in a mystical place, and Kei, a mundane physicist in Tokyo.

The world-building here is creative and dreamlike; I was fascinated by traveling on a song, listening to candles, and boating through clouds, and this was my favorite part of the story. I didn’t anticipate some of the twists in the plot and appreciated how things came back together by the end. There were some plot holes around the Shiikuin (otherworldly police?), soul formation, and the unusual children (trying not to give away too much here.)

Less successful were the characters and the relationships themselves. We don’t really know too much about Hana, and though she develops a little over the course of the story, this could have been deeper and more engaging. We get a little more from Kei. His meetings with his mentor were particularly effective. The biggest downfall is that he falls in love with Hana in a few hours. While this allows the narrative to move quickly into all the amazing, whimsical worlds, it doesn’t ring true. All the other characters are there in service to the plot rather than to make us care about any of them. Ultimately it reads very young adult, breathless first love, rather than development of a long-lasting, solid relationship.

All of that aside, I did really enjoy this fairytale. The themes of regret, power of small choices, and finding your place in the world all work well in the incredible setting. There are some magical moments and well-written prose. Those looking for something light and escapist should definitely take a look.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the digital ARC.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

Water Moon is a beautifully woven tale that transports its readers to a different world. I absolutely loved the world building and the way in which Sotto Yambao created Hana and Keishin's adventures. Both characters are flawed and working through their journey while learning more and more about each other.

I wanted to like this so badly, and it started out strong with unique metaphors and consistent lyricism, but once the plot gets moving all of that seems to get forgotten in order to keep the narrative going, which feels like an outline more than a fleshed-out story. The magic is interesting but the system of how it functions isn't explored enough for me to be convinced by it. The relationship between the mc and love interest happens too quickly and without much depth to make it convincing. Overall, i just got bored and decided not to continue.

Water Moon starts off with the disappearance of Hana’s father shortly after his retirement from the magical pawnshop their family runs. This pawnshop sits in parallel magical universe, and can only be found by those from our world trying to pawn their regrets. The imaginative and unique fantasy world building initially drew me into the book, and I enjoyed the imagery of the magical locations the characters travel to over the course of the book. However, I felt like the plot and development of the characters and their romance suffered at the expense of having them quickly flee from one quirky location after another. As much as I enjoyed the descriptions of the alternate world, I found some of the prose a bit overly purple and some of the dialogue clunky, especially relating to what felt like an instant romance between the main characters. The beginning of the book hooked me plot-wise and I enjoyed the ending, but the middle of book felt a bit one note as the plot seemed to take a back seat to introducing all these fantastical locations. Overall, this was a unique and imaginative fantasy book, and I enjoyed the Japanese folklore-inspired world building. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This book is a magical and enchanting journey through regrets and second chances. Hana’s adventure, alongside charming physicist Kristin, is filled with beautiful, dream-like imagery—flying on paper cranes, night markets in the clouds, and hidden worlds. The concept of pawning life choices adds an emotional depth that kept me hooked.

I cannot praise tips book enough. Such a magical story with little tidbits of mental inspiration all the way through. I enjoyed this book and it may become one of my top 10 ever reads!!

I have not read a book like this before.

A secret hidden world behind a ramen shop that you can only get to if you're intended to. If you have a regret to sell. Where Hana and her dad will trade it for you at their pawn shop.

This is the journey of Hana whose dad disappears. She and a random visitor that shows up the morning Hana's dad disappears, Keishin, go through a magical journey where they ride rumors, visit the market in the clouds and fold time all in the path of trying to find her dad and understand what happened to him.

This book is incredible. It's beautiful, visual, magical, and deeply visceral. It will stay with me for a long long long time. If you like Magical Realism, I cannot recommend this enough.

with gratitude to netgalley and Del Rey for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This was wonderfully intricate and moving. The writing is absolutely beautiful. The story is one of a kind and the words play like a cinematic masterpiece. I was so enthralled by (absorbed in) the story that I never bothered to think two steps ahead or try to find where any twists were going to come. I was fully present in every moment with Hana and Keishin. It has been a very long time where a story has captured my undivided attention like this and I loved every minute of it. Gorgeous. Fascinating. This was so much more than I expected it to be.

This was such a whimsically weird book, but I absolutely loved it. Felt like a Studio Ghibli movie and I’d love to see this adapted. So many twisty, strange turns but it all makes sense as you read more. It had such a cute ending aswell.

I adored this whimsical book of exploration and discovery! One of the best books I read this year, and I know the world is going to fall in love with this sorry and Samantha Sotto Yambao’s writing. I’ve linked my TikTok review below. Thank you Delrey and Penguin Random House for this early copy!

Wow. I throughly enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked from start to end. The writing is amazing, the plot line had me full of suspense, I loved every second of it. It was actually a very easy read and the information was easy to digest.

First off Thank you Netgalley, Samantha Sotto Yambao, and Random House Publishing for this eARC! I truly appreciate the chance I was given to read it!

This book was a roller coaster! A fun one! That’s the best way for me to describe it! There were so many twists, turns, and loops! I had no idea where the journey was going at all, but thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it! I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll leave it at that! I 1000/10 recommend this book!

4.5 stars, rounded up.

When we talk about atmosphere, we’re talking about this book. I’m not much of a cinematic reader and can’t usually picture much while reading, but this would make a stunning film. Hana’s and Keishin’s story is full of mythology and fantasy, traveling between realms through ponds, origami cranes, invisible tattoos mapping one’s fate, and so much more. It’s one of the most imaginative books I’ve read in a long time and I had trouble setting it down. The worldbuilding was intricate and beautiful. The themes of family, grief, fate, and duty came through strongly. I appreciated the Japanese influence and the setting. I raced to the end to understand the mysteries of Hana’s parents, her role as the pawnbroker of her realm, Keishin’s past as a Japanese man raised in America, and who the menacing Shiikuin (caretakers) were. The attraction between Hana and Keishin was a bit instantaneous, but the quest they go on bonds them deeply and their romance was believable. At times I felt like this book was doing just slightly too much. I always find this to be the case when a story crosses so many genres, and this one had fantasy, mystery, romance, and a small dash of science fiction. With a little of everything, I was sometimes left wanting more.

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this and was left wanting to pick it right back up again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishers for the DRC (digital review copy) of this upcoming release. All thoughts are my genuine reactions and reading experience.

From the moment I read that you can step into a pawn shop from a ramen restaurant's door, I was hooked. The author has crafted an incredibly detailed, delightfully magical book, and each new realm of her world is more fascinating than the last. Because her world is not entirely different from our own, but just...not as it seems...it is so easy to believe in it, to see it all in your mind, to think you just might be able to visit it some time.

I couldn't put this book down. It was Studio Ghibli magical.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this arc and share my honest review. This very well could be my favorite book this year.

This started off so well, and then went topsy-turvy for me. The first few chapters are masterfully done. Yambao introduced the concept of the pawnshop, and the complex relationship between Hana and her father, in restrained and effective prose. At this point, I was willing to go along with whatever the book threw my way.

Then the insta-love White Knight love interest showed up, and it all fell to pieces.

WATER MOON has an odd way of jumping back and forth between the past and the present. One chapter will be set in the past describing Hana or Keishin's interaction with some secondary character, and in the next chapter, we'll be back in the pawnshop with the mystery of the destruction and disappearance of Hana's father. While using flashbacks in the exposition is something I can understand, the fact that the book was still doing this when the action "picked up" threw me off the pacing so jarringly that I never recovered.

The fact is that the characters are rather bland, and so your enjoyment of WATER MOON really depends on how much you can set that aside and go along for the ride. I was okay when the third-person narration still followed Hana. But when Keishin (another equally bland character) showed up and was immediately struck by something about Hana, my attention just started to wander. It's fine if the MC is bland if the rest of the world and story is interesting enough, but throw in a bland insta-love and I'm out of here.

WATER MOON is said to have Studio Ghibli vibes. Ghibli films have my whole heart (I would often rather rewatch them than anything new), but maybe Ghibli vibes only work for me in film format? Ghibli's magic comes from the fact that not only is there a compelling plot, but the world around the characters is rendered in such magical detail that you can subconsciously absorb it all while still following the plot. In transferring that magic to book format, Yambao had the challenge of needing to provide enough detail to evoke that "magically cluttered" Ghibli feel, while also making sure the plot and pacing were kept up. It didn't work. I wanted to go along for the ride but kept on feeling like concepts and details were introduced out of nowhere simply to serve the plot. Case in point: the treasure room in the pawnship where customers' choices were stored, and the magic pond that is suddenly a portal.

Given the publisher's immense backing of this title (that to-die-for cover, the broad marketing campaigns, the hype), I am sure that WATER MOON will do well, especially for those who like both the "cozy cat Asian literature" subgenre and <b>concept-driven mystical quest novels. I think this will be a popular title all over social media. I needed more from characterization, world-building, and pacing, however.