What a really beautiful story about life and love in its different forms! It was captivating and such a wonderfully vivid journey!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Kind of a tough one to review this, I really like some parts but not others. I really loved the world building, it really was like a Studio Ghibli film in a book. In general, the character side of things was a lot weaker in my opinion. I didn't like the romance aspects which felt very much like insta-love. Still, would recommend if you like whimsical fantasy!

"Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?" I've seen this book compared to the works of Studio Ghibli, which the author even references in the novel, and I'm inclined to agree. However, I do not want to sell the author short in this statement. Whilst there are some lovely echoes of Studio Ghibli works in this novel, it is a very original premise:

"A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel."

The sheer imagination demonstrated in this novel is astounding. Hana and Keishin explore so many different places, meeting a collection of unusual characters, and every new setting is refreshing and unique, ranging from idealistic and beautiful, to haunting and even outright sinister. The author keeps the twists coming, to the point where you're not sure who to trust, but Hana and Keishin still remain very likeable throughout this.

I was very excited to see that this isn't a debut from the author and that she already has several novels published - so please excuse me, while I go check those out!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC!

DNF at 10%. It's definitely "me". I keep pushing myself to read Japanese books but they're just not my vibe at all

Oh my goodness, what a magical book.
I loved the blurb for this and I have to say it did not disappoint. Beautiful and heartbreaking, whimsical and horrifying, and full of secrets that hurt as much as they heal.
The characters were wonderfully drawn, but it was the setting I fell in love with in this book. A world beyond the door of a ramen restaurant that ... is not a ramen restaurant. But only for some. A world of exquisite magic and horrifying monsters, where anything is possible except for choice.
Come for the cosy fantasy vibes, stay for the secrets and horrifying reveals. Just gorgeous.

This is a beautifully written book, the concepts and the fantasy worlds it delivers are delightful but I’m struggling to decide what rating to give it. Maybe it’s my frame of mind at the moment and I may have loved the book at some other time. I enjoyed the story but didn’t totally engage with the characters and at times had to reread bits of the story to remind myself of certain points as my mind had wandered.
There are some lovely quotes in the book and, on reflection, I think it deserves a reread when I am more receptive.
Thank you to the author for the lovely writing, to the publisher and Netglley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, but found the story a little slow in places, and often found myself having to flick back a few pages to clarify some finer points. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

this is genuinely one of the most incredible pieces of fiction ive ever read in my life. the writing style is so beautiful and the storyline is just fascinating. i can’t wait to get my hands on this once it’s published!

The story follows Hana, who takes over her father's unusual pawnshop in Tokyo, where people trade their regrets. When her father goes missing, Hana teams up with Keishin, a physicist, and together they explore a world where time bends, puddles lead to new places, and paper cranes fly.

The author's descriptive writing makes Hana's world come alive, and it's easy to get lost in the dreamy setting. The romance between Hana and Keishin is sweet, but it feels a bit rushed.

This book is a great read and perfect for fans of magical realism.

We are introduced into a beautiful and whimsical world in this book that is stunningly written. The worlds that we are introduced to were stunning and I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the story. The only caveat for me with this story was that the romance felt a bit hasten, even though the relationship between the two character was very lovely.

Thanks to the Random House UK and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity for me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Water moon as a book was such an exquisite experience for me a very mystical fantasy standalone!

I can say that I’ve immersed myself in the world Hana lives and lost myself in all the details that make it so intriguing and interesting to me 🫶🏻

Samantha Sotto Yambao’s writing was perfect and it can really make you live in Hana’s world,especially if you are a fan of magical fantasy and the studio ghibli vibes.This was my first book by this author but I can say that I will look forward to her next books!

Thank you so much to netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.


Thank you to Del Ray UK, Random House UK, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

What a lovely, strange book! I thoroughly enjoyed this dreamlike tale from Samantha Sotto Yambao- she paints beautiful, strange pictures of the adventures of a young woman searching for her father, the former owner of a magical pawn shop in Tokyo, dipping between worlds to unravel the mystery of his disappearance. The writing is beautiful and so evocative, the plot winding but faster-paced as the book goes on, with plenty of little twists. If I had one criticism it would be that occasionally it felt like series of vignettes loosely tied together by the story, but equally the plot brings them all together in an enjoyable and satisfying way. I will definitely keep an eye on what the author does next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this!

This was a highly anticipated read for me and I felt kinda underwhelmed sadly. I enjoyed the whimsy of the story, the themes that the author was trying to share but, there was just too much that didn’t work/vibe for me which really bummed me out.

The pacing felt off after a while for me and time in here felt off to me as well. Some details felt confusing, like contradicting sometimes. The romance although so cute at times felt too fast and sudden which I personally don’t enjoy. Even if the concept of fate was involved.

I really liked the story that the author was going for and there were good quotes and I did kinda enjoy the very end but It just isn’t for me sadly like I wanted it to be. I do think there are people that I know that would enjoy this more than I did. I’ll for sure still probably talk to them about it.

As soon as I finished this book, I knew that I would have to sleep on it before writing a review as I was left utterly speechless.
I was captivated from the get go by this whimsical tale that easily flips between the worlds of make believe and reality.
Samantha Sotto Yambao has created something just shy of a literary master piece. The world building and imagery was so vivid that I felt as if I was in a lucid dream.

Water Moon is a Ghibli-esque novel based in Tokyo and another world. We follow Hana, our mysterious protagonist, who is starting her first day taking over her families pawn shop. A shop that doesn’t trade in items or money, but choices. However when she finds her father has gone missing, and the pawn shop in disarray, she decides to go on an adventure to find her family.

I loved every moment of this book. From flying on paper cranes, to jumping through puddles and to even climbing up incredibly high ladders to visit the night market.
The chemistry between the main characters was a lovely addition to the tale. And I really liked every character they met on their journey too.

The book picked up its pace quite unexpectedly around the 80% mark and their adventure took a dark turn. With secrets revealed, betrayal and a fight for their lives. But the change of pace and stakes was quite welcomed by this point of the story.

I feel like I will be continuously recommending this book to everyone and anyone!

Thank you so much to Samantha Sotto Yambao, Random House UK and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book. The writing is so expressive and the story had me enthralled. Highly recommended reading.

The most whimsical book I read whole year. One of my all time favourite books is Alice in Wonderland, this felt like Wonderland on steroids....in a good way. Traveling via puddles, songs and rumours? Sign me up ;)

Wow! This book………. I mean, just wow!
From the beautiful cover, to the final page, this book just had me.
It’s an amazing piece of writing by the author, they’ve created a world so fanatastical, I completely lost myself in it.
The writing style, the characters, all have a whimsy with a touch of realism woven through.
Whilst reading it, I kept trying to slow myself down as I found I was racing through. Purely by accident, but it was that easy to lose myself in the unfolding tale.
I’ve had a bit of a reading slump lately and this one has managed to reignite my interest and passion. After finishing this, all I could think was, what do I pick up next? Where do I go from here? The excitement had returned and it’s thanks to this book, this author, and I cannot wait for more from them in the future!
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for allowing me this ARC.

Living paper cranes and jumping into puddles to get to other worlds.

This simply was the best magical realism I've read in ages.
Studio Ghibli meets The Starless Sea (both I love with my whole heart), with images so vivid each scene was like a wonderful and somewhat eerie painting in my head.
It took me at least a week to read this book, but not because it was boring, no. Because I didn't want the journey to end.
For once, I deeply cared for the characters, and I deeply cared about the world. For a start, the idea of a pawnshop where you can pawn your regrets is phenomenal. I don't need Narnia's door anymore, but send me to Hana's pawnshop instead.

I love books about choices, I love books that not only help you escape for a little while, but also make you realise that even outside the pages, every choice is yours, and significant.
And this book was so very beautiful, especially for those who like all things whimsical.

Did I forget to mention that in this story, if you put them to your ear, seashells tell jokes ?
(Honestly, I am so, so grateful I got to read this.)

Hana’s father is due to retire and hands over the pawnshop to his daughter however, this is a pawnshop like no other - most people walking through the door find themselves in a shop selling ramen noodles! On her first day as owner, she walks into find the shop ransacked and something very important - a stolen choice - is missing, along with her father. Then a man walks into the shop. Unusually, he does not want help but is taken by Hana and seeing that she is distressed, instead offers to help her. Thus begins a magical journey - together they travel in ways that are unbelievable. A wistful love story, full of fantasy, which meant I needed to read on way past bedtime.