It's taken me weeks to read this book, I just couldn't get into it as it's not my usual genre.

I'd say the book is a bit sci-fi fantasy and would suit young adult readers. The story was nice and it had a nice moral, I think younger girls/ women would enjoy reading a book such as this one.

I wish the book every success and thank you to NetGalley UK and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a very sweet and charming book with a clear message behind it. I read it quickly as it was well written, kept you interested and had likeable characters (apart from that one). I enjoyed the story and the journey, it was easy to imagine and now I’d like a cat who can transform that easily.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What a delightful book this was! This will definitely get compared many times to Spirited Away and it’s merited.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was a charming novel about a girl who gets a golden ticket (very Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) to the Rainfall Market. Here she goes on a magical journey to find a Dokkaebi orb. This takes her on a journey of self-discovery through this fantastical world while accompanied by a charming cat like creature.

This world is whimsical and delightful and yet there are layers of menace. Although most of the individuals she meets are kind, and she is able to help and make meaningful trades with them. She does encounter some more sinister characters and there is a looming deadline.

I found this really charming. There was a beautiful journey of finding out what’s truly important to a person and learning who you are. It was really fast paced and exciting.

As much as I enjoyed this easy going read, I was left a little unsure about the target audience. I loved the concept of the market and the characters we met along the way were so different and interesting. I thought the way things came together at the end was really cleverly thought out but also a little predictable and untimely a little rushed, but that might be down to the translation as it may have come across better in its original language. Overall I did enjoy this book and think it would be one I could potentially recommend to my students as a dip into a magical fantasy setting and it does make you rethink choices in life and reminded me to be thankful for what I do have. ✨ Thank you to You Yeong-Gwang, Michael Joseph Publishers and NetGalley for access to the eARC ✨

What would you do if you could take all our hardships away and choose a new life? Would you take that chance?
In this modern day fable, wizard of oz-esq, is the grass greener?
Nice story, although somewhat predictable.

Thank you so much Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the arc of The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang. If you had a chance to trade in your life for a whole new life, would you? What would you trade for? The Rainfall Market is an infamous, myth and legend, that only a few have ever been able to visit. Made famous by a best-selling book written by an author who has actually visited the market and traded in his life for a new one.

Serin, is a young girl who lives alone with her mother in a rundown part of town that developers are looking to exploit. Her father has died, and they are alone in their struggles, as Serin feels isolated in her efforts to get through school, perform well in Tae Kwando and that ultimately, has had enough of her current life. Serin applies and to her absolute shock receives a ‘golden’ ticket to The Rainfall Market and ultimately a chance to swap her life for something ‘better’.

There was definitely a sense of Ghibli and Cosy Fantasy to the writing and the world of The Rainfall Market – I absolutely adored it as a world from the descriptions of the Welcome Hall to the Information Desk, and the multiple shops and businesses. The residing population of the market, the Dokkaebi people were totally intriguing and each well developed with unique personalities, from the shopkeepers to Serin’s magical companion Issha, the magical cat. Issha was just adorable, from their behaviours – most definitely a touch of puppy in their personality, to the development of the relationship between Serin and Issha, and of course Issha’s magical abilities!

The Rainfall Market takes you on a journey of exploration, discovery, friendship and of course a time bound need to make a decision about the future. Will Serin choose to swap her life? I’m not going to give you that answer but, if you are looking for a cosy, magical tale that will transport you to a market where anything is possible, definitely pick up The Rainfall Market.

A very charming fantasy book where I was transported to the rainfall market and was pleased to accompany Serin on her adventure. Serin is a wonderfully kind young woman who seeks the perfect live in exchange for her harsh lonely one. The magic of the rainfall market is vividly described as she meets lots of interesting and unusual characters on her travels. A little like Dorothy as she travels through Oz, Serin, helps those she meets and learns more about herself as she does. Serin is accompanied by the magical cat Isha, who it is hard not to fall in love with. As Serin discards the lives on offer she begins to realise that all is not as it seems in the market. I really enjoyed this escape to another world and was rooting for Serin from the outset, a very charming hopeful read.

Title: The Rainfall Market
Author: You Yeong-Gwang
Pages: 225
Rating: 4/5

Publish date - 28th November 2024

If you could trade your life for a different one, would you?

A warm uplifting story about love, family, appreciation. With magic, cats, bookshops and everything in-between.

This was a quick, simple, feel good read. Predictable but enjoyable and a reminder to not assume that the grass is always greener on the other side.

This was like a studio Ghibli film in a book with how comforting the read was and the whimsical characters and world building.

I loved the cat. It was just endearing and fuzzy. A lovely young adult fantasy read - and look at that cover!!!

You'll love this book if you like
- young adult fantasy
- south Korean reads
- books about cats
- feel good low stake read

An absolutely charming adventure into a fantastical world where invited humans can swap their lives for something better....or so they hope. Serin is poor and feels alone and hopeless, so this is her opportunity to get everything she ever wished for. Along with Isha the cat, they explore the world and what it has to offer. She discovers that everything is not as simple as what she imagines and finds new friends on her journey. She has to make a choice though, before time runs out. Beautifully told, with creativity, heart and imagination. You will want to adopt a cat after reading this!

This was such a sweet and enjoyable read. It honestly gave me studio Ghibli vibes and I absolutely love all the studio Ghibli movies so this was just incredible. I definitely think if people liked the midnight library they would love this! Such an enjoyable and quirky read with some soft cosy fantasy mixed in you'll get drawn into the story and enjoying your time.

The Rainfall Market is quirky, whimsy and atmospheric. I felt it was very much a YA about what makes a life good and I generally enjoyed the exploration. Although slightly superficial I did like the importance placed on gratitude and how impacting loneliness can be. The fantasy elements are fun and take you on a studio ghibli type adventure. Also a good read for those who like animal companions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This book has the cutest cover and an enticing story. There is an abandoned, run-down house in a place called Rainbow Town where you can potentially change your life. I was expecting it to be the kind of Korean fiction I have read in the past: a warm story, which teaches us about life in a subtle way.

The story goes like this: Kim Serin, being raised by her mother alone, lives a life of extreme poverty and has no friends at school. Their life is so tough that even her little sister ran away and Serin dreams of a happier alternative universe she could escape to. She reads about a place called the Rainfall Market where such wishes can come true, if only you receive an invitation! And by some miracle, her wishes are answered and she receives a golden ticket.

Once she arrives at the Rainfall Market, she enters a magical world with creatures and orbs, which show you alternative lives you may wish for, cats, which can change size and just maybe, if loved enough, be reincarnated in the real world. As well as the promise of a new, happier life, dangers also lurk in this place and Serin, as well as making friends, also finds herself having to defend herself and her new friends. Who will win and will Serin get the life she wishes for?

This is a short book you will get through quickly and if you like fantasy then I think this really would be a lovely read and I would recommend it. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t what I was expecting it to be but only because it was too far into the realms of fantasy for my liking. I do like magic in books but maybe just not on this level. Still I am happy I’ve read it and I genuinely would recommend it if you like fantasy. 3 star rating reflects my feelings but if I was a fiction fan I’d have given it 4.

☔️ The Rainfall Market | You Yeong-Gwan ☔️
★★★★.25

Read if you enjoy:
☔️ Cosy translated fiction
☔️ Interesting world building
☔️ Rosetti’s The Goblin Market
☔️ Sweet main characters
☔️ Magical cat companions

Serin leads a lonely and miserable life. So, when she receives a ticket to the mysterious Rainfall Market to swap her life for a new one, she jumps at the chance.

Serin finds herself in a time constraint to find the new perfect life for herself and as she explores her options, she also meets an eccentric bunch of characters along the way.

I adored this. It was original, enjoyable, sweet, cosy, had an undercurrent of intrigue, and a climactic ending. I will admit I cried like a big fat baby at the end 😂. Despite being allergic to cats, I LOVE cat companions in stories, and Issha is one of the best.

Worth the read and worth saving for a bit of warmth on a rainy day. 🌧️

A young girl called Serin has a dream of having a better life after suffering loss, poverty and discouraging comments regarding her activities that are not generally deemed as 'feminine'. This leads her to follow a rumour about a special place that can provide you with your dream life. After being invited to the Rainfall Market, Serin finds herself on an adventure where she meets incredibly eccentric characters, and is joined by a special little cat called Issha. The characters are fascinating humanoid-creatures, with accentuated features and fun personalities, which are the opposite to the tragic backgrounds of Serin and Issha - though I would have liked more character development. The world building is enchanting - a visual of beauty and dilapidation, with a variety of imposing weather and fantastical buildings, fauna and flora. The writing style is easy and fast paced, and I honestly didn't see the climax coming, though some of the smaller story arcs were predictable, nonetheless enjoyable. The plot was gripping due to a time limit imposed on our protagonist, creating an anxiety as you proceed along the journey with Serin and Issa, especially as it escalates, encouraging you turn another page, and then another, and then another. The relationship between Serin and the colourful characters she meets along the way was done nicely, earning these strangers trust and friendship, especially between Serin and Issha the cat. There was maybe a little hint of a sequel? I would certainly add that to my collection. 

"He can't be reborn until he's received enough love from a human, which he unfortunately seems to have a hard time absorbing because he was so cruelly abandoned in his past life."

Overall Thoughts

Although this is a young adult fantasy, I would also place this proudly in my 'cosy reads' pile for adults. It is a page turner, and becomes thought provoking for young adults but also for those of us who are perhaps in our late 30's onwards, contemplating life decisions and past dreams. It is perfect for that rainy afternoon, cuddled under a blanket with a hot drink, consuming the book in a single sitting. 

I am so grateful to have received the opportunity to read this wonderful advanced copy from Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House (via NetGalley). 

FAVOURITE LINES

"Some things are infinitely more precious than wealth ... I would spend more time with my loved ones."

"She thought she was hopeless. But at some point, she began to feel that she couldn't keep running away. That she had to dig in her heels."

"The truth is, it's never too late to start on your dreams. The present is the best time to launch yourself forward."

BOOK DETAILS

Released: 28 November 2024
Publisher: Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House
Pages: 203
Rating: (4.25 stars)
Genres: Young Adult/Fantasy

It's such a short book yet I struggled to finish it.
I love japanese fiction, I love studio ghibli (this has a touch of it for sure) but I certainly didn't love this book.
It's advertised for adults and yes, young adults, but I feel like it's more for children. I don't know if it's because of the translation, but I don't think it's for adults at all.
I'm really sorry as the premise was nice.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this.

This was a quick and fun read, perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. I feel like the writing was very simplistic, I'm not sure if something got lost in translation but I could definitely see this more as a kid's book than general fiction, although I did still enjoy it as an adult.
I liked Serin's journey to collect the orbs, although I wish her ideas for a dream life were slightly more varied. The moral of the story is obvious from early on, but it still works.
The characters were all unique and interesting, especially Issha and I enjoyed meeting so many of them. I would have liked some more development on the Dokkaebi, especially the role of the chief.
Overall this is an enjoyable read if you want something fun without much depth.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book would appeal to a younger market. I requested it thinking it would be similar to the likes of the time travelling cafe series or The Dallergut series etc but it just didn't draw me in the same way. The writing style just wasn't for me.

I appreciate the opportunity for early access

An absolutely wonderful novel that inspires hope. I loved the writing and the story here. I cannot wait to have this in my hands.

This book is I think, after reading, more for a Young Adult market. The premise is that once a year a Rainfall Market magically appears and for the duration of the rainy season, if you have been specially invited, you can enter and choose a new life. Sounds good. Serin lives with her mother, their life is hard and Serin has no friends at school. She would dearly love to find a new life and so when she receives a golden ticket to the Rainfall Market she goes. The market has an otherworldly feel to it and while some of the world building is really good, others left me no really seeing the ramshackle shops or the strange artefacts. The market is populated by the Dokkaebi and each 'shopkeeper' gives Serin an orb that contains a new life. She is accompanied on her trek through the market by Issha, a magical cat who, for me, was the best part of the book. I think that this had the potential to be really good but I came away feeling a little disappointed. Serin is young and the new lives that she looks into - how is a teenager expected to make such a choice? Also the lives shown were all negative which confused me a little. Surely the idea was to exchange her sad life for a better one - not one where she was going to be just as unhappy. The Dokkaebi also seem to have ulterior motives for 'helping' humans exchange their lives, but it was not fully explained. At the heart, I believe the idea - with its fantasy setting and it's sometimes peril - that making life-changing decisions is difficult is a good one. I just did not feel that engaged with Serin.

Thank you Netgallery for the opportunity for the arc copy of this book.

This story was warm and cosy fantasy read. I may be the wrong target audience for this book it was very YA.
Simple story telling the language did not translate well in my opinion. I felt something was missing from the storyline.