I usually like this genre of book with a lesson of positivity in.
And also one of my favorite books is a Korean one, the bestseller Almond. So I was very excited to read Marigold mind Laundry.
Unfortunately I felt like some parts where not being well explained, considering it has so much magic on it, I would have liked to have more details about how everything works to understand it.
Also more details about the characters itself, because I felt like I couldn't really connect to them.
The idea of the book itself it's really interesting, and I can see the author is very creative, I see a lot of potential on her further work, but I finished this one with a feeling that it could have been kinda better.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

"Our feelings are ours to decide, and there's always happiness within us. The weather in our hearts is our and ours alone. By choosing to be happy, even when the days are filled with thunderstorms, the gentle moonlight in our hearts can still bring about peace "

What an absolutely stunning book! This quote above is so beautiful, honest and heart wrenching. This whole book truly was so beautiful. This kind of the reminded me of a cozy version of the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It was sad, humorous and full of the mistakes we all make throughout our lives. What is important is we see them, acknowledge them but we don't let them consume us and prohibit us from living our lives. Jungeun Yun quickly became one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to see what story she's comes up with next!

This book is a magical realism story about a laundromat owner who uses magic to wash away the stains people are carrying in their hearts. This is a very character driven book rather than plot driven. It was magical, even whimsical at times, but I also found it confusing as the book kept shifting character focus, sometimes so suddenly that I struggled to keep track. I also didn't fully understand the magic or the main character's situation. It had some good sentiments at times, but it failed to suck me in and get me invested in the characters. I think how often I felt confused played a part in that.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC in advance for an honest review.

I've only read one other magic realism book and I can definitely say the genre always brings about a unique storyline and vibe. This book focuses on Jieun, the owner of a magic laundromat that can help its customer wash away the stains in their hearts. However, she must also come to peace with her own inner turmoil before she can offer help to others


Although there was not much plot in the book, each character that was introduced were not dull or boring but had backstories that ultimately led them to finding the Marigold Mind Laundry. The book teaches important lessons about learning how to overcome painful memories and events from the past and moving on and living life to its fullest.

Overall this was a beautiful book and definitely for the readers who enjoy a story with cozy and soft vibes.

Born with mysterious powers, Jieun accidentally causes her beloved parents to vanish, seemingly from existence. She vows to live a million lifetimes to search for them. After being reborn again and again, growing more distant from humanity with the passing of the years, she establishes a business where suffering guests can literally cleanse their minds: The Marigold Mind Laundry. Five people in desperate need of help find their way to her, changing the trajectory of not only their own lives, but also Jieun’s.

The book does contain some words that remain untranslated due to most likely not having the same impact in English, but their context within the text is well-established and did not take me out of the story when reading. The characters were the focus and the highlight of this book, and it was apparent that a lot of care went into each member of the main cast. I always enjoy a book that makes me relate to characters with whom I really have nothing in common. The messages that it sends about grief and life are a little simplistic, but full of heart.

This story read half like magical realism, and half like a modern fairytale. It was a unique story with a lot to say in surprisingly few pages, and I found it a quick read. However, having so much to say, the story occasionally felt as though it was playing second fiddle to the moral exposition. While it got a little preachy near the end, the book’s message and empathetic portrayal of its characters was rather beautiful. I would definitely recommend this for fans of stories that deal with healing. Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and The Dial Press for this ARC. This is my honest review.

3.5/5 A book as comforting as the warm tea served to Jieun’s guests.

This is magical, whimsical and confusing. It's an interesting idea- that you can wash away your regrets and live life happily but this wasn't the novel I expected, This sort of thing is a new trend but this specific book didn't have the characters others have. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

DNF @10%

I liked the idea of the story, but I didn't like the writing style and the plot seemed all over the place.

A laundromat run by an enigmatic young woman with years of lived experiences behind her has the ability to erase painful memories of others but still needs to find her own peace before unlocking her full abilities in Marigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun and translated by Shanna Tan.
With mysterious powers within her upon birth, a young woman who takes up the name Jieun spends many lives wandering after accidentally causing her family to vanish but never gives up her search and aim of reuniting with them. Putting her powers to use, Jieun sets up the Marigold Mind Laundry and helps people by removing their deepest pain from their hearts by transferring it as a stain onto a T-shirt to be cleaned, dried, and blown into the wind as flower petals, leaving the customers with as much or as little of their pain as they’d prefer so they can find a sense of peace. Aiding a young filmmaker, a jilted lover, a spiraling influencer, a betrayed mother, a man who was bullied as a child, and a photographer with a powerful talent of his own, Jieun soothes the sorrows plaguing their hearts and minds, listens to their stories, and learns a valuable lesson about healing that allows her to accept the happiness available in each and every moment to unlock her full potential.
In a story comprised of episodic yet interconnected chapters that present a cohesive whole, a wonder- and emotion-filled narrative is built from the small cast of characters and the experiences of their lives. Jieun serves as the anchor point and more magical element to instill a sense of mystery and wonder, providing a foil of intrigue, behind the more relatable or commonplace reflections that each of the characters had regarding the impactful moments within their lives that they’ve been carrying with them that have shaped who they’ve become. The version of the world that Jieun’s family is from and she accidentally left all those years ago is imaginative but one that, intentional or not, doesn’t feel portrayed to the extent that it adequately depicts the full reality of the magic behind it, though there’s a bookended tie-in at the end as Jieun comes to a level of acceptance in her life that provides an idea that she’s not the only one who has wandered and offers a sense of optimism.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

1.5 ⭐️. This entire book could be summarized in a TLDR: live life with no regrets.

Maybe it was the translation, maybe it was the writing, but this book was so cheesy and so boring. While I was reading it, I couldn't help think that it was trying to do what "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" did -- entice visitors in a magical place where they can reflect back on their lives, confront their pain and find solace in their future, but with "Before the Coffee" did this successfully.....this book was a HOT mess. The storytelling would constantly shift into the focus of each character, sometimes within the same paragraph, and I could never follow who was speaking/ thinking. The characters felt like caricatures. Ultimately I did not get this book.

TY to Netgally, Random House Publishing and The Dial Press for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review Marigold Mind Laundry. I thought it was a cute and fun read with whimsical magic. Although I loved the story and characters, I feel like it was lacking something. I did enjoy the book thoroughly.

I didn't like this much.

Jieun's powers were not well explained, which is important because they're what kick off the entire story. I don't understand the petals. Jieun mentions living multiple lifetimes, but it seems like she's always an adult somehow and can just move on whenever she feels like it, so she's not living a full life. It's not really explained why she felt like she knew some of her customers.

At one point, Jaeha (an adult) referred to his mom as Ms Firstname and they walk away holding hands, both things I found odd.

This isn't a very long book, but it does feel like it is. I was also kind of confused most of the time, which probably wasn't helped by characters having similar names.

This could have been better if it just focused on the characters coming into the laundry and left out all the things about Jieun's backstory and her dream ability

I did like that Eunbyul cut out her toxic family.

CW: cheating, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, pregnancy, death from cancer, bullying

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an early release copy of Marigold Mind Laundry written by Jungeun Yun and translated by Shanna Tan.

Marigold Mind Laundry has an interesting premise to it but I’m not particularly impressed. I didn’t mind any of our characters or the story in general but I have to say this one fell flat for me. The writing is rather flowery, it’s trying to convey way too much in long confusing sentence that are suppose to be meaningful. There are also a lot of metaphors that are being used in order to describe how life can be difficult be but we have to push forwards. I know that this story is trying to come off as thought provoking but I found it to be rather confusing.

This is definitely a nice story. I don't know if these magical realism stories are a trend or just generally popular, but there seem to be quite a lot of these sorts of books out in the market. In this one, a woman skilled in empathy opens a laundry to wash the painful memory stains from the minds of her customers. It's cute, but I wasn't overly impressed with this one. I do love the cute cover which looks like a box of laundry powder.

Marigold Mind Laundry is a book entirely outside of my preferred reading genre and was definitely a gamble for me to pick up. However, this was such a fun, cozy, and magical little read! I generally have a tendency to read quite heavy, dark books and found this to be such a nice pallet cleanser. I'm very keen to read more from Yun as their prose is gorgeous and vivid, at times even bittersweet. I really enjoyed reading this and will definitely be recommending when the publication date rolls around!

Maybe I am missing something, but this book was hard to get into. It left me with so many questions and I always felt like I was trying to catch up. The beginning was full of confusion on my behalf.

This is a beautiful book about not letting bad memories or experiences ruin the rest of your life. Of learning how to let go and move on. This is a translated version from a Korean bestseller and it's just beautifully written! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

Marigold Mind Laundry was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Yun's prose is undeniably beautiful, painting vivid images and evoking a sense of melancholy that lingers long after the final page. The concept of a laundromat for memories is intriguing, and there were moments of genuine emotional depth. However, the story felt a bit fragmented, jumping between different characters and timelines without a clear sense of cohesion. I also found some of the symbolism a bit heavy-handed at times. It's a thought-provoking read, but it didn't quite fully capture my heart.

This was a quicker read than I expected. A girl grows up in a magical world where people are only good. But when she discovers her powers of empathy/healing and making dreams come true, she accidentally dreams away her life as she knew it.

She spends the next hundreds (thousands?) of years drifting through life trying to find those she’s lost.

However things begin to change when she opens a laundry service in a small neighborhood that promises to wash away hurts, sorrows, and painful memories.

Jieun begins to put down roots and relationships start to deepen as she meets and helps those around her.

I enjoyed this story. I did feel a bit of disconnect but I think that’s a product of translation and the speech pattern/cadence being different from what I’m familiar with.

"Capture it with your eyes and keep it in your heart. True beauty can't be preserved within a frame. Pictures are lovely, but if it's a moment meant to be cherished forever, you won't want to miss anything. Be present-wholly, unreservedly- and remember it with your heart."

Maybe I am reading too many "cozy" Asian novels, but I feel like once you've read one you've read them all. While there were definitely some great moments, like the quote above, this felt too similar to other books I have read in this genre. Make the most of life's moments, whether they be good or bad, they are all a part of who you are.

Such a lovely book that took me on a journey of healing and finding joy that I didn’t know I needed but now I want to read it again just to experience that feeling over and over again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to just enjoy reading at its best.