Unfortunately this book wasn’t what I expected, I really wanted to love it, I felt it was more YA than adult's fiction. Some bits I liked of the story but it didn’t capture me, I really struggled to follow the plot.

I enjoyed the story, but, it all seemed a little superficial. For me it needed more on the Dokkaebi and their background. Why are they there & running the rainfall market. Serin herself also seemed a bit one- dimensional, I like to understand more about the character flaws and all. As we headed through the story it felt a little like being bashed over the with the moral (be happy with what you have).

This book was adorable! It's such a warm hug of a book. I loved the characters that the main character Serin meets along her journey through the Rainfall Market, especially Isha the cat. It felt like such a magical place and I wish I could visit it too!

I loved the idea of this and was looking forward to settling down to a cosy read, Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Whilst the idea was great, I never felt like I got to know the characters well enough - maybe not enough background, maybe to do with the translation. I'm not sure, but it wasn't for me.

I kept thinking of Howl's Moving Castle as I read this book. There is a young girl who is sad, lonely and unsure. She encounters a strange and wonderful place where everything is not quite as it seems. I felt that you could read into it as much or as little as you wish and still enjoy the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC

A whimsical and lovely story with the most adorable animal companion. Give me a cat and I'm down. This was such a fascinating story and really resonated with me. I thought the writing halted a bit sometimes, maybe because of the translation, however it didn't take away from the beautiful story, nor my enjoyment of it.

If the Midnight Library was written by Studio Ghibli, it would be this book. Serin, a teenage girl who makes walking up steps a personality trait, writes a woe-is-me letter and gets chosen to visit a magical market to pick out a brand new life for herself. Kind of like X Factor, but she doesn’t have to sing. Her animal companion (who is the cutest) has the useful skill of being able to grow and shrink in size, invaluable when the path to your ideal life is being blocked by an impromptu gambling habit, trees with an attitude problem, and far too many spiders of unnatural size.

This was such a cute, whimsical fairy tale of a story. The pace was perfect and felt like the best kind of book to curl up with on a rainy autumn day.

I’ve seen a lot of books that play into a certain style and trend of sorts but this was a refreshing change in that it contribute something thoughtful and feeling. It wasn’t a particularly life changing message but it was a good one nonetheless.

This book remind me of Ghibi vibes, and The Midnight Library (?) where you can glimpse a bit of your life in the future. It’s an easy read, but i think we need more worldbuilding? Like the reason for the Dokkaebi wanted to rule the world. And i think it’s supposed to be targeted to middle grader, because i think Serin is not more that 18yrs old(?) overall, it’s an okay for me.

I loved the premise of this one, but sadly it fell a little flat for me. I have a feeling it was a case of the translation not bringing the nuance of the language properly which was unfortunate. It read very stiff and very young, and I imagine that a middle-grade to young adult audience would love it much more than I did.

It’s a bit odd to be reviewing a crowd funded book that’s already had a print run but here we go.

This had a lot of promise, the story is intriguing and the characters are interesting enough Serin doesn’t seem to be much personality beyond being sad. I think it failed in editing and at times just in basic sentence structure. It felt like a book of parables tied together with a rough plot and then a rushed ending.

Not the most enjoyable.

I enjoyed the book how ever felt that it had so much more potential, I would recommend it to people for a chilled easy read.

This book was a a light-hearted read and had beautiful imagery of Korea. I loved the premise of this story however I didn't take to the Dokkaebi. I found their dialogue and mannerisms a bit simplistic and even slightly comic--this book would be more suited for young readers or teens. That being said, it's a magical book with a lovely story and I particularly loved the cat!

3.5 stars

The premise is enticing and the story and themes were suitably entertaining but I did feel like either the writing style or translation were a barrier to me enjoying the book as much as I thought I would have.

Having said that I think if I had approached this book expecting almost a Light Novel, even middle grade experience, it would'be been a solid 4 star read. So I'm intrigued to see what a re-read would bring.

I found that I liked the premise, the world created by the author, the themes of friendship and loyalty. The translation however really let this book down, it was so clumsy that I wonder if it was done by AI. It stopped the flow of the book and wouldn't allow me to fully get immersed into the story. I read a lot of translated books and this was by far the worst (again to clarify, the translation, not the story!).

This is a real shame because the story has potential to be a 3/3.5 in my opinion and then clunky translation/language has bought it down to a 2.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the digital ARC of this book.

This was a sweet, joyful story and I enjoyed the fantasy premise. I’ve seen some comparisons to Studio Ghibli and definitely got those vibes, with the whimsical characters and unique setting. The language and structure is quite simple (perhaps because of translation) and it’s not clear how old the main character is, but she comes across as quite young, so I would probably only recommend this for younger readers. The characters and story need more depth and background for an older audience, and there are a few plot holes which are confusing.

I loved the fantasy elements of this story but the simplistic language brought my overall rating down.

I'm not sure I can put into words how wonderful this book was. A story of self discovery and friendship, of the importance of kindness and helping others, but above all - making the most of every moment.

Beautifully descriptive with a unique cast of characters, The Rainfall Market is perfect for fans of the Studio Ghibli stories.

Potentially my book of the year, I cannot recommend this highly enough. Easy to read and light-hearted. A wonderful debut novel from a very talented storyteller.

"The 'present' isn't just a moment in time, it's also a gift"

A magical story about the power of friendship and life's true treasures.

This YA book gets a 4.5-star rating from me.

I love the cover and the prologue drew me right in. It feels like it should be a Ghibli film, especially since the scenes and chapters are rather short and the whole book only takes a few hours to read.

Selin, the young protagonist, wins a coveted ticket to the elusive Rainfall Market, that takes place in an abandoned house during rain season each summer. It is said that the winners of a ticket get to exchange the misery in their lives for what they want most: a better future.

If you like magical settings, helpful spirit animals and a thickening plot centering around a young heroine, this book is for you. I loved the colourful settings, the Dokkaebi that were both mischievous and great friends to the protagonist and the lovingly constructed economy of the Rainfall Market.

While the voice is very much that of a child and sometimes the scenes feel rushed or on the nose to an adult reader, this book is very enjoyable and an easy read. I thought that the translation is clumsy in some places and would read more elegantly if not put into a somewhat petulant voice, but that might be a matter of taste.

I found it very interesting that the book seems to have been crowdfunded after multiple rejections by publishers. I can see why that might have been the case and would love to see a properly edited version of this, as the editing process could add more rich layers to the novel and deepen the settings and character development more.

This book is a great story for younger readers, with some graphic violence to be mindful of, and a lovely ending. If you want to know which future Selin chooses for herself, pick up a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read The Rainfall Market and join Serin on her journey there.
If I had to summarise this story in one phrase, it'd be short and sweet. I think that The Rainfall Market is the sort of story that can really reshape it's readers perspective on their own lives and the lives of others in a positive way and may be one that they might need to read to do so.
With its heartfelt story, loveable and unique cast, and overall message, The Rainfall Market is a story any reader, young or not, will enjoy and find comfort in. I myself found myself easily drawn into the story and the magic of the rainfall market and hope that others are too.

Another beautiful translated novel. It was a whimsical warming story. Nicely written and translated. At times it did feel a little disjointed but I feel this is very common with translated novels. I will be recommending this one.