The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang is utterly charming. It is a rare book, worthy of adding to my all time favorites list along with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Phantom Tollbooth. The Rainfall Market follows a young adventurer named Serin to the fantastical Rainbow Market, which is a set of businesses operated by the magical dokkaebi people. If you patronize their businesses, you can ask for a magical orb that will give you a new life. Serin is joined by a magical cat with an enourmous appetite named Issha. The two explore the market, have adventures and discover something sinister going on. Author Yeong-Gwang strikes a great balance between adventure, mystery and comedy in this story. The characters are unusual and memorable for either their kindness or their villainy. Serin grows wiser and happier by the end of the story. Thank you to netgalley for gifting me the electronic galley for The Rainfall Market.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've been more attracted to reading cozy fantasy this winter. I really enjoyed The Teller of Small Fortunes and now, The Rainfall Market. The story was written in another language originally and is translated. The main character is a teenage girl, Serin, who has many problems disadvantages in her life. She hears of a ticket to the Market which is kind of like how Willy Wonka got a ticket to the Chocolate Factory. The method of getting a ticket though is to write a letter with the misfortunes in your life.

Serin does get a gold ticket and goes to the Market. There are many different businesses and the ticket holders go to them to find orbs which provide them with a new life instead of their old one. The Market is run by the Dokkaebi and there are shops like bookshop, perfumeries, hair salon, restaurant, casino and more. Each one has an orb with a different life. Serin ends up with a cat, Issha, who has been mistreated by humans but also can help find orbs that provide certain things and give a view into the orb so you can see the life it will bring.

Serin goes through the different shops with Issha, pursuing different things like freedom, a good job, lots of money, etc. Each time she realizes the life is not really what she wants. The pacing starts kind of slow and Serin is not very focused. Eventually she learns a lot and meets many of the Dokkaebi, and in her way, helps them. In turn, she learns about herself so she can choose the right orb.

The cultural aspects are different which adds to the charm for me, but also made the story slow at first. I enjoyed the character growth and adventures of Serin.

The Rainfall market is a fun read that is perfect for a rainy day on the couch or in your favorite reading chair. Serin is a student who has grown up with very little, and when a rumor starts circulating that there is a secret market where you can purchase your dream life she jumps at the chance.

The story and characters are a lot of fun and this is a pretty short novel that is immediately on brand for the "Healing Fiction" or whatever you'd like to call this sort of comfort read genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

This book was very sweet and cute and overall it was an enjoyable experience. However, this book reads like a middle grade or young YA story but it is labeled adult. The MC Serin is quite young and is trying to decide what sort of life she wants to live. This coming of age ploy is a very common theme in YA books. I definitely think adults can enjoy this book but having the adult label set the wrong expectations for me.

The plot is very simple and slow with our MC, Serin visiting various establishments. At each one, she has a very similar experience and has to complete a task. This got repetitive in the middle of the book and dragged the story down a bit. But the ending really picked up the pace and momentum of the story and I really liked the end. Serin as a MC is very lovely and her cat companion was probably my favorite part of the book.

If this book was actually MG I would probably rate it higher as I think a younger audience would really love this book. But as an adult book, it was just ok with the repetitive and rather predictable plot lessening my enjoyment. I would still recommend it, just go in knowing it reads young so you have the right expectations.

The Rainfall Market is a simple, predictable tale of a young girl who wishes for a better life. Serin is excited that she receives a ticket to the Rainfall Market, a magical place where she can exchange her life for a better one. Yet as she navigates the mysterious land and befriends the Dokkaebi, she begins to see that there are downsides to every perfect life. She is a victim of “the grass is always greener,” but is granted the ability to learn and grow rather than continue to chase unfulfilling dreams.

Marketed as a “Korean best seller,” with plenty of praise, I thought the book sounded exciting and interesting, however I quickly discovered two things:
- The back cover blurb doesn’t mention age, but the main character is school-aged, and the story is shared through the lens of a young person/child.
- The writing style and vocabulary is fairly simplistic. This could be due to the translation, which I cannot verify. It reminds me of watching an English-dubbed anime where you can tell it’s not as good as the original.
The entire story and reading experience hits at a middle grade level, which was a big disappointment for me.

The story is uplifting but entirely predictable. Serin discovers her self-worth, finds confidence, and learns the value of friendship and love. As she searches for a better life, she is shown the downsides of each desire, i.e. to have a high-power job you have to work endless hours and will probably sacrifice a personal life. And as she collects each Orb that contains a new life, she helps and befriends the Dokkaebi, learning that by being herself, she is “good enough.”

Overall, the translated writing is too simple and filled with oddities and contradictions like in Chapter 15, which opens with “Haku [a young Dokkaebi] was not difficult to find.” Then two paragraphs later “Finding a young Dokkaebi here would be like finding a needle in a haystack.” There are countless examples of either ill-fitted translations or (what feels to this reader like) poor subplot developments.

In the end, I would recommend The Rainfall Market to fans of middle grade stories. It would be a great book to share in an elementary classroom setting. However, if you are looking for an adult fantasy, you should look elsewhere.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Ace. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Fantasy, Asian Fantasy, Mythology, Magical Realism, YA Fantasy

THE RAINFALL MARKET is a romp through another world.

Serin wins a ticket to the rainfall market, BUT everything is not as simple as it seems. She gets caught in a mystery and is desperate to solve it. And what about friends? Well, she's not sure she has any—possibly not even the cat who tags along with her on the adventure.

There is a distinct difference between Asian American Fantasy and Asian Fantasy straight from Asia. This is the latter. It's surreal and whimsical and dangerous all at the same time. Fans of Ghibli Studios will love this book with its right amount of fantastical intersecting with normal problems and fears.

Happy reading!

I read the arc while listening to the audiobook on Spotify. This really immersed me into the story. I did enjoy my time while reading The Rainfall Market. I think if you are a fan of studio ghibli then this is the book for you.

3.75 stars

I was drawn to the cover of The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang and the tagline, “If you could swap your life for a better one, which would you choose?” Would I swap my life? Come follow Serin, in this coming of age fantasy with a touch of magical realism as she visits the Rainfall Market.

While I felt the story lost a little of the emotional connection because of the translation, this coming of age fantasy was magical and hooked me. Serin and her mother live in poverty and, like most young people, she wishes for a different life. They live in a condemned tenant and wear mended socks. Serin has heard of a place called the Rainfall Market and if you write, you could receive a ticket to attend. There you get the chance to choose a new life.

When Serin finds a book with instructions on how to get said ticket, she pours her heart out and mails off the letter. Imagine her surprise when she receives a ticket. She must arrive promptly on the first day of the rainy season. The tale that unfolds is filled with strange characters, talking animals and lots of choices.

When she arrives at the Rainfall Market, Serin is given a magical cat companion named Issha and the two of them visit book shops, perfume shops, food shops and explore forests. The market is delightful. The author brought it to life with vivid imagery and unique characters. I loved the glossary of characters at the beginning of the book with description.

There is something different about Serin’s ticket that gives her an advantage and better accommodations during her stay. I like Serin who, despite her circumstances or because of them, looks out for others and tries to assist. We get a little mystery and some suspense from an ominous threat.

The guests of the market are given, coin, a special watch and instructed to choose a ball from one shop. Within that ball is their new life. However, they must leave the marketplace before the rainy season ends or they will be lost forever.

Serin, like many, wants a better life for her and her mother, but isn’t all sure what that life looks like and the journey through the market helps her realize what she truly wants.

While this is marketed as an adult novel, it’s the perfect coming of age story for young fantasy readers. It will make you ponder the question, if you could swap your life for a better one, would you?

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 224 / Genre: Fantasy (should be Children’s Fiction)
Release Date: January 21, 2025
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

On Amazon, this book is listed under Paranormal Fantasy and Romantic Fantasy. Huh?! I think it should be listed under Children’s Fiction, of which I am not a fan. I went in expecting it to be a cozy mystical story about changing your life with magical orbs, which it was, but in a very slow, repetitive way. The writing is very simple. I don’t know if it’s because it’s been translated from Korean, but it really read like a kids book. I was underwhelmed—even with the magical cat.

Thank you, @BerkleyPub, @AceBooksPub, and @NetGalley for my free copies of this book.

You Yeong-Gwang creates a promising world and market for the dreamers of new beginnings.

The magical premise and its cover immediately caught my attention. The beginning of the story quickly introduced our main character, Serin, and the Rainfall Market itself. Its characters all have personalities of their own that reminded me of the bathhouse folk in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. I appreciated the character list and art provided at the front of the book.

I agree that this book is being mis-marketed in age. Currently it is being advertised as adult, but I believe it would be better suited in young adult (maybe even middle grade) given how its main character, theme, and story are constructed. I came in with that understanding.

This is a coming of age story for Serin, who is of upper high school age. Her story and message are meaningful for all, but this story lacked the depth I think older audiences, myself included, would be looking for. I felt throughout the story, we were only given the outer surface of Serin, the Rainfall Market, and its inhabitants. I think spending more time exploring or reflecting on Serin’s current life and what she could have (via the orbs) could have made me feel more connected. I never felt like we went deeper in her motivations and fears. In addition, I wanted to know how her story differed from the others there, especially given her extra perks. With the general simplicity, the ending felt rushed in connections/relationships between characters. It also felt like some aspects of this world were not completely told to the readers.

The translated writing was whimsical and simplistic. This is my first time reading a translated novel, so I’m not sure how much the translation affected my above comments or the author’s original meaning.

This is hard to rate because I think it’s character art, writing, and story construction are appropriate for a young adult or middle grade audience. But again, I’m being told this is an adult novel, so my rating is going to be lower because I wanted more depth and understanding.

Thank you NetGalley, Ace, and Random Penguin House for providing me with this digital arc!

DNF at 16%. I like the ideas here, but the writing did not captivate me. And with magical realism being a genre I typically don’t gravitate toward, I found this one to be a miss.

This was a whimsical and mysterious read that kept me hooked. I am a fan of The Midnight Library and was drawn to this story. In a world full of misery and bad luck Serin hears a tale of market where dreams can really come true. She embarks on a journey to another world full of magic, mythical creatures and wonder. Serin is on a quest to find a magic orb that can change her life for the better. I was easily drawn into the plot and wanted to cheer for the underdog to find her happily ever after. The novel makes you question what really is the key to happiness? As Serin explores this magical market and makes unlikely friends she’s faced with more dilemmas than just finding the perfect orb. This was a different novel than I’ve read before but I am so glad I read it. I was brought on an adventure that kept me turning the pages to find out what option Serin chooses.

When I started reading this book, I was expecting it to be a usual slow paced comfort read. But as I ventured into each chapter it was a surprise at every corner. Somewhere along the lines of surprises came the element of mystery. This turn of events brought excitement so much so that this book became a legit page turner for me.

The book is about a girl Serin, her life that is not as per her expectations. The story moves to rainfall market, the way she came to know about this market and her entry in it. To her this was a chance to reverse her misfortunes into good fortune.

Moving forward from that was a whole magical experience of Serin and her guide cat and their encounter with dokkaebies, search for orbs, and an amazing fortune.

If you are looking for a moderate to fast paced, healing read with a touch of unexpected mystery with one question in mind that when will happen next then I would recommend this book to you.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and You Yeong-Gwang for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

“Sick of your misery and misfortune? Sick of doing nothing but dream of the life you desire? Well, no more! Because we can make your dreams a reality!”

Serin is a girl left feeling hopeless from the toll of loss, lack of friends, financial hardship, and doubt of her own worth and abilities. Her one chance for a bright future is the Rainfall Market, a mysterious and magical place known to transform the lives of those fortunate enough to be invited. All Serin has to do is send a letter detailing her struggles and hope they have a place for her. She’s shocked to actually receive not just any ticket, but a particularly exclusive one, and thus begins her journey on the first day of the rainy season.

Serin’s journey throughout the Rainfall Market leads her on various adventures as she meets a host of interesting characters. While she has only one week to find and claim the new life she desires, she has unlimited access to visions of alternative lives she can choose as long as she barters with the occupants and shopkeepers of the Market for the magical orbs that will reveal these to her. As Serin struggles to narrow down exactly what she does want from her new life and finds herself helping the new friends she makes along the way, she doesn’t realize the danger that is quietly stalking her steps.

This positive is that this gave strong Studio Ghibli vibes. In particular I was reminded of Spirited Away and often found myself picturing Serin physically similar to Chihiro, while also getting When Marnie Was There related to the themes of loneliness and self deprecation. The negative is that this book didn’t hold my attention. While the concept and synopsis sound appealing, the writing is very simplistic, possibly due to translation, along with multiple plot points that weren’t explained or developed that resulted in parts of the story not making sense.

I’m unsure of the target audience the book is intended for. I think it would work well for middle grade, but as a general/adult fantasy it falls a little flat.

Unique. Cozy. Beautiful. Poignant. Each of these words describes The Rainfall Market but cannot capture the overall essence of such a masterful novel.

Serin is growing up poor. Her mother works constantly, her father is dead, and her younger sister is missing. She has no close friends and the only activity that she involves herself in is taekwondo, sponsored by the government. She wants nothing more than to attend the Rainfall Market where she can trade her sorrows for a better life. When her ticket arrives, she sets off for the market. Along the way, she meets a cast of other worldly creatures, who are not that different from humans. She must carefully examine what she wants from life, for she must make a choice before the market closes or be trapped forever. As things in the market grow tense due to a thief trying to find an elusive rainbow orb, Serin has the opportunity to change her life forever.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this novel. It was a fast and enjoyable read that I will ruminate on for years to come.

It is a great addition to any collection!

Thank you to Net Galley, Berkely Publishing Group, and Ace for the DRC! All opinions are my own!

✨ Review ✨ The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang; translated by Slin Jung; narrated by Rosa Escoda

Thanks to PRHAudio, Ace, Berkley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is a quick read (6 hours on audio) of super cozy fantasy.

Serin’s life is kind of boring and lonely, and so she takes her chances at finding a better life by seeking a ticket to the Rainfall Market. When she gets a golden ticket (willy wonka anyone?), she gets a chance to travel there for the rainy season to peruse alternate life paths.

While she's there, she gets a magical cat named Ishaa (honestly, the star of the show), and encounters a variety of the Dokkaebi, magical creators who inhabit this world. As she visits them, she gets to look at different orbs, possible lives she could choose to leave with.

The book has big coming-of-age / grappling with accepting the life you have vibes, but the book sort of shifted near the end, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Some of the book's message got a little murky here.

One of the things I loved was how Serin was able to help so many of the Dokkaebi she encountered, and this was really lovely. From giving them advice to helping give them advice, it felt like even while she was angsting, she was able to give something back to this world.

🎧 The audio is quick and easy to listen to as it immerses you into this world. I enjoyed the narration and was glad I chose to read it this way!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: cozy fantasy; translated fiction
Setting: a fantasy location of The Rainfall Market
Length: 6 hours
Pub Date: January 21, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ like cozy fantasy
⭕️ want to experience Korean folklore
⭕️ love quirky cats

A whimsical and delightful middlegrade read featuring a magical market, an adventure, and so much more. Serin is a young girl who finds herself being given a ticket to the Rainfall Market, a mysterious place where you can change your life. Serin sent in a letter detailing her misfortune and now finds herself with a ticket and Serin is determined to visit the market and change her life. There she meets a magical cat companion. In order for Serin to change her life she has one week to find her happiness or be doomed to never visit the market again... but what does a happy life look like and can she figure out the mysterious shadow that is following her? This was a really fun read and one I think would make the perfect rainy day read. It's the right amount of whimsical and cozy adventure. Its like a studio ghibli and coraline-esque vibe and I had fun reading it. I would definitely recommend it!

Release Date: January 21,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I did not have an introduction to Korean folklore on my 2025 Bingo list, but I am glad I got to check that box off. In The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, we join young Serin on her journey through the mythical market, where Dokkaebi guide her through their fantastical realm as she searches for a better future for herself.

Serin is lonely. The kind of lonely that haunts your steps, that you carry around with you like a heavy package. Her mother is always at work, the other children stay at arm's length, and the neighborhood she lives in is under constant threat of being torn down. She takes care of the small joys in her life, her classes, feeding a stray cat, but longs for a “golden ticket.” Not the Willy Wonka kind, but the actual physical ticket to the mysterious Rainfall Market, where it was said that any hopeless life could be completely changed. All you have to do is write your misfortune down and send it to a particular address. If chosen you will receive a ticket, and on the first day of the rainy season you will be granted entry to the market. Serin doesn’t just receive a ticket, she receives a rare, actual, golden ticket, which also grants her the assistance of a magical cat named Issha to help guide her through the market, searching bookstores, perfumeries and restaurants for the ideal life of her dreams.

Serin is a child, but this is not a child’s journey, and her final destination is one that most adults can spend a whole life in search of. The morals of the story are not subtle. You can see the lessons she learns at each stop in the market as clear as the nose on your face. But they are engagingly written, and you grow to care for the girl with each lesson she learns.

The Dokkaebi themselves are a wonderful thing. The book begins with a small guide to the main Dokkaebi that Serin will encounter. A pictorial key to some of the key players in her story, though their world goes far beyond the few that are highlighted here. Among others we are introduced to Toriya, The Rainfall Market gatekeeper:

“Although he is a mountain of a man with fists the size of boulders, Toriya is meek and gentle, and does odd jobs for the Rainfall Market. He is afraid of insects and adores flowers.”

And Popo, The gardner at the mischief-tree grove:

“An elderly Dokkaebi who brings flowers into bloom and raises towering trees with the sweat and tears humans shed in pursuit of their goals.”

The Dokkaebi collect things from humans and turn them into something else. One Dokkaebi collects forgotten memories and bakes them, another takes away the temptation to give up. At first it feels kind of sinister, evoking the same feelings I had as a child reading Roald Dahl’s The BFG and imagining the giants sneaking into the human world to eat children. But fears are very quickly assuaged as we meet more and more of these amazing creatures, the personifications of each of the human experiences that they steal. Ultimately we are shown that these mythical creatures are as human as we are, subject to the same wants, desires, loves, and troubles. Also that the things that they take form an essential part of our experience, and often help us.

“You’re the one who takes old memories from people so they don’t remember what it was like to be young” …
Tut-tutting Bordo retorted, “They’d never get married and have kids of their own if I let them keep those memories. They’d know how hard it is to raise children”

The story is beautifully told and propels you along in a lyrical adventure that makes you want to keep reading and not put the book down. Until she makes her final decision, I had no idea what decision Serin was going to make, but as she travels through the market and explores her own ideas of what life could be, you see more and more of her character, how kind of a person she is, and you desperately want her to make the right choice. It poses a question that will stick with you, that I’m sure everyone has wondered at least once when staring at the lottery tickets in the grocery store. If you could swap your life, or part of it, for a better one, would you?

The tone of the book, its warmth, kindness, and gentle storytelling, reminded me of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Tales from the Cafe series, which I devoured last year. For fans of that time traveling tale, this book is bound to appeal. I look forward to more from Yeong-Gwang, and will definitely be seeking out more tales and history of the Dokkaebi.

The Rainfall Market will be available on January 21st. GeekMom received a copy for review purposes.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

Lately, I have been indulging more in the magical realism genre. However, The Rainfall Market did not hold my attention. It is a whimsical and beautiful book, but I felt like introducing every character at the begining made it lose its charm. There was a lack of world building for the market so it was not mysterious anymore. I felt like the relationships were one dimensional and the mc's growth was stagnant. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this more if I was younger and did not read about the characters ahead of time.

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

The Rainfall Market is a wonderful cozy feel good fantasy inspired by Korean folk tales. Serin has heard tales of the Rainfall Market her whole life, and when she submits her life story she’s chosen to travel there and get the life of her dreams. But as she travels through the Market, she learns all about true happiness and love. and at the end she chooses her own best life.