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 .

I received an early copy of this and I found it sweet and enjoyable. I feel there is an increasing genre of cozy Japanese and Korean books and I feel that this fits into the camp. Its storyline is different enough to definitely worth a read and I would be interested in further books by this author.

Unfortunately this is not the best entry in the long series of feel-good books from Japan and Korea. The novel is highly formulaic, the main character has no depth or real interests, and normally I wouldn't want to really have any villains or fight in my cosy reading at all. Although the idea sounded interesting initially, I found the book meandering and unengaging, and the ending of it painfully obvious. Overall not the worst book, and I'm always grateful for a chance to read a translated work.

I've never read a Korean book before, and I really enjoyed the hints of Korean culture, interwoven into the plot. The magical storyline is beautifully developed and made me feel nolstagic for my childhood reads of "The magic faraway tree" by Enid Blynton and studio glibli creatures. I did feel that it was designed for a younger audience than it has been marketed for, but reading it as a nolstagia style read, I felt it was a heart-warming comforting read, even if I did get frustrated with the pacing at times.

It is a book I can imagine reading to my daughter when she gets older; it's a story of self-discovery, of magic, and being independent. I think we'd really enjoy exploring those topics together, whilst helping her broaden her horizons on other cultures outside of our own.

There are some plot holes, that I felt could be developed further, but doesn't take away from the magic of the book, if you approach it as a young adult read. I've rated it 3 stars - it's not a read personally for me, but I would enjoy reading it to my daughter.

For this review I'm going to bear in mind that as this a Korean book that it has been translated into English for the version I read and that could affect how the writing comes across.
I enjoyed the premise of the book as a short, lighthearted adventure of a girl who is unhappy with her current life and is presented the chance to change it, the characters were fun to imagine and the world did intrigue me into wanting more.
It feels like it hasn't decided if it's written as a teen or YA book, the plot took it nearer to YA but the writing and length kept it feeling teen like. It would have been better kept simpler marketed towards a younger audience or had more time spent on it to make it a bigger YA story. Certain plot points like the sister being missing felt like they could have been left out as it served no real purpose and raised more questions than answers were given to what happened, the book needed to be longer and more fleshed out to incorporate that into the plot properly. There are plot holes and things don't entirely make sense but if you approach the read as a simple, light one they can be overlooked and the story enjoyed for what it is.
Overall I did enjoy this book, the plot and the characters but more time needed to be spent figuring out who it was written for and checking what was actually essential for the story.

The cover of this book was the reason for my request, I loved the cover art and the mystery.

I really enjoyed the initial world building and understand of serins childhood growing up, I did struggle with the mothers behaviour, she just seemed so unbothered about the disappearance of her daughter (s), house up for eviction and even serin being up all night studying and her just going to sleep. I loved the concept of the stories being shared to receive a golden ticket.

I believe that this book would do well in schools for a YA genre, even used as school curriculum I did feel that the book was intended for younger audiences as opposed to general fiction.


*Thank you to NetGalley & Michael Joseph penguin random house for the opportunity to read and review this ARC*

The story follows Serin, a young girl (it’s not clear how old she is ) receives a golden ticket to the magical Rainfall Market. Here, she can trade her current life for a new one, hoping to find the perfect existence. As Serin tries out different lives—ranging from a spot at her dream university to having lots of money—she learns that these things don't guarantee happiness.

This book is perfect for teens and adults. It's written in a simple, easy-to-read style. If you love magical stories such as the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series then I’m sure you'll enjoy The Rainfall Market.

The Rainfall Goblin Market appears during the rainy season and allows guests to exchange lives for better ones. Serin a young girl, who hopes for a better life receives a golden ticket to the market.

I liked the social commentary throughout that no one is ever happy with what they have, and that even someone who had that ‘ideal life’, was still at the Market wanting a better life. Serin also wishes in, I suppose the ‘right’ order for the social commentary to progress, from something small like a place at her dream university (so is she older?) to freedom to money. At each instance seeing why having that kind of life might not make her happy. The subplot with the Goblins was confusing mainly as it all came to play in the later chapters, but it does play into the social commentary aspect of the novel.

The premise was great although I think the execution was a bit confusing, in the being you find that Serin is reeling from the loss of her sister and yet, Yerin is younger despite Serin readings as though she is twelve? I’m not sure if Serin is then older towards the late teens. Serins choices and mentality throughout the novel scream young. Also, I’m not sure if the premise or the cover said anything about Goblins?

I'm not entirely sure who the target demographic is for this book, I think it's marketed as a General Fiction (Adult) but I do think it's primarily Teens & YA and that's solely because of the writing style and the lack of in depth social commentary which makes this more suited to a younger audience, so because of that I've reviewed this as if The Rainfall Market was a YA book.

Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, You Yeong-Gwang and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.