I really lovely whimsical read! A quick book although i think some of the translation means it feels a bit more YA. I saw lots of reviews with Studio Ghibli comparisons and can understand why!

A short book following the main character as she navigate the course of life and deciding where to go from there. This book is light and only during the final half of the book where the story starts to pick up. The first half for me was kinda dull snd boring so I enjoyed reading the end. All in all, I won't recommend this book.

What a gorgeous read! The concept of the rainfall market was so intriguing and the story did not dissapoint. Isha the cat was a great characte.

I really enjoyed this one, I’ve recently been reading translated books and finding a few very good ones. This story is a true adventure of finding what you want in life and realising that sometimes it is better to have people who care for you than all other materialistic elements. I truly enjoyed Serin as a character and was very thankful to see her realise her relationship with Issha.

While I liked the premise for this, I found the writing rather clunky. The world building is limited, and the character development is limited meaning I never really felt like the story was fleshed out enough. Serin reads as very young and immature, yet I never felt confident in her age and therefore who the target audience was.

Fast read, interested story, but this lacks the depth and development of othef Korean whimsical literature I've read previously.

This was quite a quick read for me which was refreshing from my usual longer style books. I did find that the genre labels are mistaken as this felt more aimed at a younger audience, however.

I will state what many others already have, I felt that this was reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, so the voice appealing more to a younger audience is understandable. I think it was naive of me to expect the book to be as exciting to all ages as Ghibli is.

Though the story was interesting, I didn’t feel I could relate to the main character at any point due to the ambiguity regarding her age. I do, however, think that this issue may have been a result of the translation to English.

I read this book quickly as I had time, but it wasn’t one that would have be desperate to pick it up if it had been a slower read. I don’t think this is a bad book, I just think some of the charm may have been lost in translation and I am not the correct audience.

I enjoyed this book. It was light-hearted, good fun and it had a happy ending. Everything I could ask for.

This book reads like a Ghibli film. It's weird, it's cutesy, it's episodic and probably contains too much slapstick for most readers, but these are its charms. You are stepping into another world.
There are lots of comments that the translation is clunky. I agree and found it off-putting at first but later that, like everything else, became part of its anime-like appeal.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing and ARC for this book!


This book follows a girl who writes a letter to gain access to the rainfall market, and learns many lessons along the way.

I loved this!!!

The writing is simple, yes, but it feels like you're sitting somewhere warm and someone's telling you a story. It's lovely. I think it's definitely for a younger audience, but I still enjoyed it immensely. It reminds me a lot of the movie Whisper of the Heart, which is one of my very favourites.

I don't really know what else to say about this, other than the fact that it's lovely and sweet, and has a wonderful message. I will 100% be purchasing a hard copy when it becomes available!

It was delightful story. And yes it was written quite simply [works for someone who's english isn't first language, like me ;)]. But i don't think it took anything from the story and message that it gave us at the end. I think this book is perfect for all kind of ages really.

The writing is very basic and illogical at times. Leaving a note for you mum (not to mention her other daughter is already missing) and lying to her by telling her you will be 'staying with a friend for a few days' with no way of contacting you is so cruel.

The main character sounds a lot younger than she is. I think this book would have worked better if she was aged down and the book marketed as a middle-grade.

What Serin says to Issha at the casino was so unforgivable.

I don't really get why her sister left? And neither her or her mother seemed very effected?
The more I think on it the more questions I have about it all.

Overall I feel like this is a really good idea but it needs more work, it didn't seem finished.

The Rainfall Market by Yeong-Gwang You and translated by Slin Jung is a wonderful story about learning about yourself, your identity, being grateful for what you have and considering the future. It’s a magical realist story set (mostly) in a liminal space within our world and follows Serin as she adventures through a Dokkaebi (goblin) market that only appears to those invited on the first day of the rainy season.
I was really excited by the premise of this novel because I love liminal spaces within different novels including things like The Night Circus, The Midnight Library, the bathhouse in Spirited Away, that become metaphors or allegories that offer insight into real life issues. Though, I didn’t get exactly that, I did get a really lovely coming of age story about how some of the things we want may not always be right for us as individuals whether that be going to university, getting an office job or becoming a housewife. The message of the story was clear, that happiness may not be where you thought it would be and comparing yourselves to others happiness is not the answer.
Having not read the original (and not being able to considering I’ve never learnt Korean), I had no problems with the translation. I thought it was simply written, but I don’t think writing styles necessarily suggest who the author intends works for. I quite liked it. The themes within the novel, on the other hand, did feel like they were much more appropriate for a coming of age story rather than someone at any age figuring out their life.
One of my favourite parts of the novel was Serin and her growing friendship with Iisha, the cat. There were some really warms scenes with the two of them and I’m glad that they had each other through the Dokkaebi market.
Overall, I liked this book. I thought the story and message were well told and many of my questions were answered. I did expect a little bit more from the Dokkaebi market but appreciated it for what it was considering the message of the story.
Thank you Netgalley for offering me this book in exchange for a review.

i wanted to read this as i often felt the desire to be able to change my life in some way
this is a sweet readable fantasy can be compared to the midnight library in message i particularly liked the relationship between serin and cat Ishaa i always love a cat companion and the friendships which serin develops throughout is very nice its relatable in ways that when your young you may struggle to know what it is you want and how you could fit in and also what you like would make you happy isnt always want it seems to be I I also like that there is real conflict in this story but it still retains a cozy feel it is book you would want to read when its raining outside

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book. I very much enjoyed the general concept and story idea of this book, the descriptions were great. I did feel like this was more of a YA/Childrens book than the genre initially advertised. I loved the descriptions but I wasn't a huge fan of the way it has been written and I think some of the magic/ mystery was taken out but abrupt mentions of potentially sinister things at the end of chapters

Concept and plot of this story is great, I'm sure it felt more meaningful in Korean, but the English translation doesn't leave much to desire and almost feels like it has stripped the story of its magic.

Hooked in an instant! The Rainfall Market is a translated Korean book following Serin - a worried teenager from an poor family who, unhappy with her current life, opts to change it by trading at the Rainfall Market. She soon finds that things are not what they seem when she is transported to a magical land where lives take the shape of orbs and animals are not all that they seem. Here, Serin tries out new lives in search of her perfect life.

The book gives off a lot of Ghibli vibes, particularly Spririted Away and it felt like the literary equivalent of wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket. I loved every minute of it. My only gripe is that this isn't general fiction as it has been advertised, but instead has more of a Teen/Young Adult feel to it. Not that adults can't enjoy it, of course!

I was super excited to get my hands on this one as I love translated fiction, ever since I read Lonely Castle in the Mirror.
The book is steeped in atmosphere, was easy to read and had a good opening plot point. I found it similar to Spirited Away but the world building was not as developed as I’d hoped it would be.
Serin came across as very young and whiney which led to me not liking her as our main character.
I think if this book was targeted as middle grade/young adults, the review would be higher, but as it’s targeted towards general fiction my review is unfortunately lower.

Thank you Netgalley for my review copy. 2nd Netgalley this year which is a record for me, I'd just usually rather wait for a book to come out in paper because I'm not a fan of reading on my phone. However, this was one I made an exception for as I really liked the sound of it and didn't want to wait. Wasn't disappointed. Very gentle read but good storytelling which is always what I look for in my Japanese translations and Slice of Life stories. Definitely giving Spirited Away vibes and I just lapped it up. Cool story, cute characters and I will definitely get this in paper too when it's published as I'm happy to have this on my bookshelf to read again in the future. Also...that cover... Love.

Serin, poor and unhappy, wins a ticket to the mythical Rainfall Market, where she gets to choose an orb which will give her a new life.
This is a difficult book to review because I picked it up thinking it was an adult (or at a stretch young adult) fantasy novel, but the story feels like a children's book (maybe a middle grade or teen story). The rest of this review assumes it's aimed at children.
The writing is lyrical and the fantasy world of the market is beautiful and fascinating. Serin's story is essentially a quest to find the rainbow orb. She searches for the things she feel she should want - a place at university, or a good job, or a lot of money, before realising that all those things don't bring happiness with them.
I loved her cat companion Ishaa. Who doesn't like a magical cat that can change size dramatically! I also liked how she made friends in the Rainfall Market along the way. I don't know much about Korean mythology, so it was really good to see creatures that were outside what I was used to.

I enjoyed reading this book (Thank you Netgalley and Micheal Joseph). If this was meant to be a children's book, then it's a very good one.

Firstly thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book .

I have read a few Korean translated fiction books and the is one was just ok for me . Felt a bit basic so maybe a YA genre as opposed to adult fiction . It’s not a bad book just not for me sadly .