4.8 / 5.0

Water Moon should be the next Studio Ghibli production. This exquisite story, about a magical ramen shop in a back alley of Tokyo, will give you all the feels and leave you pondering your own adventure as the reader. I felt like Bastian from The Neverending Story in how the themes of Water Moon are presented and explored.

This is one amongst many books I have read this year that really made me think critically and steep myself into the complexity and wonder of humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to the eARC.

This book is best consumed while imagining it like a Studio Ghibli movie. You should let yourself suspend reality and let your imagination take the reins. I never knew what was going to happen next, and yet every time, it was kinda in awe to read what the author thought of next. Don't think too hard about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eArc!

I was so excited to read Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao, a Japanese fantasy/magical realism novel. The lyrical prose allowed me to float along with this dreamy story, keeping up with the brisk pace. I was enchanted with the paper cranes, time travel train, and the pond magic. To avoid spoilers I suggest reading the blurb, but stop there and jump into the book. The range of emotion that Yambao pulls from her readers is intense, yet satisfying. I would recommend this lovely read to those who enjoyed The Kamogawa Food Detectives and, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai. Samantha Soto Yambao. Or to any reader of magical realism, fantasy, or cozy other- worlds.
A big, heartfelt thank you to #DelRey, #RandomHouse and #WaterMoon #NetGalley #SamanthaSottoYambao for sending an e-ARC of this lovely book.

A modern day Alice in Wonderland that follows Keishin through a ramen restaurant's door into a pawnshop from another world.

Water Moon introduces a magical world parallel to our own where nothing is as it seems. The world is whimsical and fun, however at times it can be a little overwhelming as Hana consistently introduces Keishin to new parts of her world. I think the author has a wonderful imagination I just found it a bit hard to retain all the info being introduced.

There are many lovely quotes and sentiments throughout the book (I've never highlighted so many lines on a kindle book before), however the character development leaves a little to be desired. I didn't feel particularly strongly about either of our mcs or their relationship and would've been fine with any ending to their story.

My favorite part of the story was how Samantha Sotto Yambao connected all the pieces. As a reader I truly appreciate when things come full circle.

3.5⭐️
This book was so unique and whimsical! I enjoyed the magical world and the imaginative places and people, such as the town that placed the stars in the sky. I thought that the pacing could be a bit odd at times. It was fast paced at some points and dragged on at other times. Overall I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy literary fiction with magical realism.

Watermoon transports us into a paradoxical world of typical humans with every day normal decisions to make, alongside a world of magic and wonder. But everything is not as it seems. Hana runs a pawnshop in which clients pawn their choices and regrets. Upon Hana's first day in charge of the pawnshop, she finds things are awry when she enters the stop to find her father missing and a choice stolen from their vault. A client that enters as Hana begins to speculate what may have happened, appears different than most clients, and offers his help to help her solve this mystery. This was a book of wonderment, magic, and had some romance sprinkled in as well.

Net galley arc review:
Some key standouts
- Teleportation through puddle jumping
- Riding on paper cranes
- Night markets amongst the stars
- Traveling through memories via song

The story is about Hana, a girl who lives in another world running her family pawnshop. A pawnshop where people go to pawn their regretted choices. Hana’s father has gone missing so she and a new customer go on a journey to find him.

While the atmosphere was charmingly whimsical, the plot got too bogged down by heavy handed “lessons” and forced dialogue. I did enjoy the thrill of the mystery unraveling. However, it ultimately felt hollow in terms of character development and I was never really able to buy into the romance.

This book was cozy and also made you feel all the ranges of emotions. If you liked "before the coffee gets cold" I think you will like this. This best way to describe this book for me is a warm hug but from someone you will never see again.

Wow wow wow! I've been needing a good five star read and I finally got it! From start to finish I was absolutely hooked, I couldn't put it down. What a joy to read!

Water Moon is a tale of an epic adventure through another world, following Hana as searches for her missing father. The story has themes of generational trauma and emphasizes the impacts of the decisions we make.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the chance to read a copy of this!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
This read was such an adventure and felt quite different from other fantasies I’ve read. The novel read like a Studio Ghibli movie and has plenty of fun twists and turns. In addition to beautiful writing and complex characters. I would definitely recommend if that interests you. 4.5 stars

As the magical, dream-like Water Moon begins, we meet Hana who is about to take over her father's pawn shop. But it is not an ordinary pawn shop. Hana's pawn shop trades in choices.
On the morning of her father's retirement Hana wakes to find her father missing, the pawn shop ransacked, and the front door unbelievably wide open to the real world. In walks a tall stranger, Keishin, and with his arrival our mysterious tour through Hana's world begins.
Water Moon traverses realms of time and space. Keishin, a physicist, seeks answers in science, in the physics of why. In Hana's world he finds that nothing makes scientific sense.
Here time can be folded backwards, jumping into a puddle leads to other dimensions, and you can ride to your destination on a rumour or on a flock of paper cranes.
Together Hana and Keishin embark on a magical mystery tour.
The author's writing matches the ethereal settings and we are immersed as if in an exquisite dream. The pacing is slow and detailed. The plot meanders, but in a way that totally mesmerised and enmeshed me in the magical world the author has conjured. If you are a fan of magical fantasy with a love story, or fans of Studio Ghibli, you will enjoy this book. I have rated it at 4.5 and would have been 5 stars however I felt the ending was way too rushed.

On the back streets of Tokyo you will find a restaurant with a secret door to a pawnshop. The pawnshop has magic. I was a bit dazzled and sometimes confused by the magic in the book. But I did love Hana and Keishin as they made their way through the strange underworld to find Hana’s parents.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a Japanese-inspired magical realism story about a young woman who inherits her family's pawnshop where visitors can sell their regrets. On Hana's first workday as new owner of the pawnshop, she wakes to find that something has gone awry. She cannot find her father and it seems as if the shop was broken into. A charming scientist, Keishin, enters the shop and is unlike any previous customer, offering help instead of seeking it. The story progresses as the two end up on a journey together: Hana, on her quest to find her father, and Kei, on his quest to learn that there are not answers for every question he has. Their preconceived notions about choices, fate, and regret are turned upside down as they discover more about their worlds, themselves, and loved ones.

This was truly a magical read. The author creates a dream-like world that is full of whimsical imagery. A lot happens in this story and it is fast-paced, but not too fast to where you don't develop an attachment to the characters. I found myself rooting for the two as the story progressed. Nothing is as it seems in this parallel universe and the plot has surprising depth for a cozy fantasy. The cover art matches the vibes of this story perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an eBook ARC. Water Moon is expected to be published on January 14, 2025.

There is a pawnshop like no other in Tokyo, you won't be able to find, but it will find you if you need it. When you come in the owner will tell you an unbelievable story of why you are there and you will, because it's the owners job to ensure you do, sell him something, something that can never be recovered, he will buy your choice from you. But he, is retiring and now his daughter, Hana, must take over and on her very first day as an owner she will open the door to her shop and standing in front of her will be a man, and because of this man for the first time in her life Hana will have to make a choice.

This book is the reason I read. This was a beautiful story of the choices we make and the regrets we live with and those that crush us under its weight to the point that we would do anything to rid ourselves from its burden. It was an amazing story about feeling like you don't belong anywhere and one that forces us to suspend our beliefs and trust what we see right in front of us. This, by far, did not only exceed my expectations, it smashed through them. This is not only one of the best books of read this year it is one of the best books I have ever read.

Water Moon would not be as amazing as it is without references to Japanese mythology and folklore. Sotto Yambao describes a world full the fantastic in such breathtaking detail that scenes of fields filled with papercranes and a Nightmarket existing on the clouds held up by only crows come to life in amazing detail as you read this. For that reason alone, this book is stunning. But it's not just that. The way that Sotto Yambao uses this mythology to confront the very idea of choice and regret is nothing short of genius. Her use of language and quite honestly simple, relatable phrases to express complex ideas make this a story that will easily resonate with any reader.

The reality is that there is a difference between a storyteller and an author. As readers, I think most of us understand that on a fundamental level that we can't put into words. I read a lot of authors, I even love their books, storytellers are on a completely different level, though. I read very few storytellers. These are not just books, and they are not just authors. The stories they write are meant to be passed down to share with others because they have changed your life. Maybe it's not a huge change but a change nevertheless. Sotto Yambao is a storyteller. She is one of those authors that, as a we reader, thank our lucky stars that she chose to pick up a pen and put her thoughts down on paper.

Overall, if you read one book this year that I recommend, I'd make it this one. It is simply stunning in its simple approach to a complicated topic that we all face almost daily in our lives: What if?

And yes, if anyone's wondering, I 200% vote for Miyazaki to turn this into his next film.

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the eArc!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc! This book is so beautiful and magical i absolutely loved getting lost in this world. This book is different from anything I’ve ever read and is so creative.

Soft DNF at 52%.

I think the writing in this book is atmospheric and wonderful. The scenes are set so vividly and the worlds that the author creates are unique. I was very interested in the premise and I did like the characters.

However, the book gave me the same feeling as when I was reading “Le Petit Prince” in high school. To be more specific - the setting kept changing so drastically that it was hard for me to become emotionally attached. The mystery was confusing to me, and the scenes got repetitive. The two characters would travel to another place, meet someone, ask for help, get a clue, and move on. I wasn’t emotionally invested once I noticed the pattern.

Additionally, the connection between the two characters felt like “insta-love” for me. Not even halfway through and the man would die for her. There wasn’t enough buildup for that to be realistic in my mind. I thought the “my fate is inked on my body and you are not my man” element was cool, but I could tell that they’d end up together anyway. This, coupled with the jumpy, repetitive plot, dissuaded me from continuing on.

However, I wouldn’t be opposed to picking this back up! It definitely has potential, I just have other books I am excited to read right now.

“And you are an ocean, Hana. Gentle and quiet, yet powerful enough to sweep away any man or ship. I drowned in you a long time ago and I did not even know it.”

A woman inherits a magical pawnshop in Tokyo where people can sell their regrets. On her first day, she finds the shop ransacked, its most precious item stolen, and her father missing. A charming physicist offers his help, and together they journey through a mystical world to find her father and the stolen item. As they uncover the truth, she must reveal a secret and face a choice she cannot undo.

I did not expect such a philosophical experience, I highlighted nearly every page in my kindle. This was so beautifully written, with hidden messages that were more profound than the next. I loved the characters so much and how each chapter of the book we were able to know them on a deeper level.

It was one of the most creative books I’ve ever read in every single scene the level of detail was incredible. We need to study the authors brain because the intricacies of each magical element were so original and imaginative. I would picture everything and it was as if I was watching a movie.

It’s a crime everyone has to wait until January to get their hands on this! Including myself I need the physical copy living in my library.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this beautiful book.

i love everything about this book! the cover, the concept, the characters, the writing, EVERYTHING. i'm so impressed with samantha sotto yambao for not only coming up with a fantastic premise (a woman inheriting a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets) but for her flawless execution in writing it. unique and thought-provoking - i couldn't recommend it more! this will 100% be one of my favorite reads of 2024 and i know i will think of it often. it's set to release on january 14, 2025.

thank you to netgalley and random house publishing group - ballantine for providing me with an eARC of water moon in exchange for an honest review!

Water Moon is the story of a young woman who inherits a magical pawn shop and unravels the mystery behind her father’s disappearance. The world is very whimsical and magical, similar to Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, except that the MC knows all the rules. I thought that the worldbuilding was fantastic, the idea of being everyone being fated for one job — or else — was horrifyingly interesting, and the conversation between characters did generally feel true to the flow of the Japanese language.

Unfortunately, these beautiful points in the story were not enough to outweigh the instalove and general flatness of the plot. I am aware that instalove is not a trope that everyone dislikes, but I was hard pressed to feel anything but annoyance towards these characters when only a few hours after meeting each other, they were unearthing insecurities and secrets and claiming that they would do whatever was needed for each other. The plot, on the other hand, while not being problematic in and of itself, felt like never-ending side quests without lulls to emphasize the highs.

This wasn’t the book for me, but I believe that it would do well with fans of Studio Ghibli or readers of books similar to Lonely Castle in the Mirror.

Water Moon is set to be published January 14, 2025 🎑

Thank you to Del Rey Publishing and NetGalley for an arc of Water Moon in exchange for an honest review.

Water moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is a mesmerizing exploration of love, regrets, and the intricate tapestry of human emotions set against a beautifully crafted backdrop. The novel follows the story of Hana Ishikawa, whose seemingly neatly predetermined life takes unexpected turn on the morning of her first day as the new owner of a magical pawnshop. Hana makes a startling discovery, her father, the previous owner of the pawnshop has gone missing. The pawnshop has been ransacked and an item is missing from the vault. What follows is a whirlwind adventure as Hana and a mysterious stranger, Keishin race to solve the mystery left by her father’s disappearance. Her personal tragedy leads her to rediscover the essence of her own heart through an unlikely romance.

I must say, I was not sure where the story was going, but I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. Although the elements of the story are quite fantastical, what I appreciated most was the journey the main characters went through to uncover hidden truths about themselves and each other, leading to a poignant and transformative experience.

The descriptive passages are rich and vibrant, bringing both the characters' internal struggles and the picturesque setting to life. The novel explores themes of healing, personal growth, and the transformative power of love. It also delves into the idea of rediscovering oneself after loss and the ways in which human connections can bring about profound change.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s creativity and vision. The world building, each place they visited was more fantastical at every turn. It definitely gave Studio Ghibli vibes, with all the whimsy and unique characters and settings. The book did leave me with a lot of questions, maybe a second reading would make things a bit clearer. All I know was it was a fun and exciting read.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!