What a beautiful book - I felt it was just so magical, mystical and sweet.
The writing was almost on a different level, like nothing I've ever read before.
I enjoyed it, it was like poetry and I wanted to see what happened next.
I think it might be the first Japanese literature I have read, and it certainly intrigued me.
It was just something special.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is going to be one of the most difficult to write and articulate my thoughts.
This is such a crazy and wild story, the plot is pure fantasy adventure. The worlds and concepts you explore are so unfathomable I found it to be pure escapism from the real world yet so relatable. I felt invested in the mystery, couldn't put it down past the halfway mark and this is the fastest I've read a book in a while.
The most important thing to note is that there are so many trigger and content warnings in this book and I never usually include these within a review but I think it is so important in this case as they are so graphically described and even after reading this book, I don't think this list is extensive enough (included below). I certainly wouldn't describe this book as cozy even though it has been marketed as such. There is a big focus on mental health in particular and so many quotes I personally connected with and honestly, the storyline helped heal me a little.
Whilst I did have gripes with some of the contents of the book, for instance some of the romance plotlines, this book was so hard-hitting and special to me that I'm honestly overlooking the negative criticisms. It will stay with me for a very long time I'm sure. Due to these reasons, I do think this is going to be a difficult one to recommend widely, even as a new favourite of mine.
5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Samantha Sotto Yambao for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Content warnings
Violence, Blood, Past death of a loved one, Injury Descriptions, Consensual Sex, Sexually Explicit Scenes, Religion, Cancer and talks of cancer treatment (affecting a loved one), Childbirth, Depression & anxiety, Grief and depictions of grief, Hallucinations, Infertility, Mental illness with psychosis, Mention of stillbirths, loss of children, Pregnancy, Divorce, Forced betrothal, Imprisonment, Isolation, Parent loss. [Source: Illumicrate]

Review posted to Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

With thanks to the publishers via NetGalley - an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A bit like the exchange at the mysterious pawnshop that all visitors make - a choice to pawn. This is 3.5 stars rounded up because there’s a reveal I didn’t see coming and I enjoyed it while I read it but felt no urgency when I wasn’t, which is nice in its way. There’s more plot and substance than in cosy fantasy even if it feels like a storybook world with odd possibly dream logic as Kei joins Hana in the search for her father. Both are also searching for themselves even though they are strictly speaking adults. It doesn’t feel like YA though, it’s gentle with monstrous rulers chasing after them as they escape through puddles and into dreams and on rumours. I liked it and it works, although Hana and Kei have definite motivations they feel a slightly flat and that’s what ultimately holds it back for me, even though I know their histories, their joys and their pains. The strangeness of the world is beautiful, Hana’s world that is not our world and it’s a good quest with a conclusive ending - whether you agree with the choice, well…

If you love the Japanese animated movie Spirited Away this fantasy book with the most amazing world-building is the perfect read.
Toshio and his daughter Hana run a pawnshop in Tokyo but this is no ordinary store and it’s not in the world as we know it. The entrance appears as a ramen restaurant and only leads to the pawnshop if the customer needs it, no one finds this store by accident. Here they can pawn regretted life choices or discarded dreams that have become too heavy to carry in exchange for peace.
Toshio is retiring and handing over the store to Hana but on her first day in charge she wakes up to a ransacked shop and a missing father. Moments later physicist Keishin, who has just moved to Tokyo, wanders into the store expecting a bowl of ramen. He joins Hana on her dangerous quest to find her father.
It’s a whirlwind of adventure into a mysterious parallel universe that we discover with Keishin. This is a place where puddles are portals, there are markets in the clouds and one can travel on a rumour. But it’s also a dark story about regret, grief and self-discovery. There’s romance too which sadly jars with the rest of the story and sometimes it feels as if the adventure is moving too fast to allow one to get to know the characters but it’s easy to forgive as one journeys through this magical world that comes from a place of incredible imagination.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Magical, atmospheric and utterly charming. WATER MOON is a book not to be missed, it has everything you need to cosy up with;
- incredible world building with the most whimsical and dream-like elements
- a slowly building relationship between the characters
- longing and dreaming, the consequences of choice and sacrifice
- quotes that makes your heart sting, break and mend

I absolutely loved the setting, the yearning and endless possibilities presented.

If you like the whimsy vibe of Studio Ghibli movies, animes like Suzume and Kimi No Nawa, paired with the gorgeous prose and thought-provoking writing of Erin Morgernstern's STARLESS SEA, you'll enjoy following the plot of WATER MOON.

Thank you so much for the publisher and Netgalley for the chance of reading this book early.

This book was amazing! It gave off Studio Ghibli vibes, with its whimsical settings, magical characters, and magical animals. I loved Hana and absolutely adored Keishin! Hana was stubborn and a little blinded by what she was used to, but with Keishin he definitely changed her (for the good). The twists and turns in this book were just “chefs kiss.” Thank you for allowing me an arc of this book.

Water Moon falls between fantasy and magical realism. It’s partially set in modern Tokyo, but it could happen anywhere, as Japanese mythology doesn’t really play a part in the story. Hana and her father run a pawn shop that exists in a world separate from ours. Only a door to a ramen restaurant in Tokyo connects the two worlds. When a person really needs the pawn shop, they’ll end up there instead of the restaurant.

They pawn regrets, and no one ever returns to claim theirs back. Instead, the regrets have an important purpose in Hana’s world (it plays a great role in the story, so I won’t reveal what it is.) The regrets can never be let go. But Hana’s mother had stolen one when Hana was a baby, and has been sentenced to death for it, a trauma Hana and her father have never recovered from.

Now it has come time for Hana to inherit the shop. But on her first morning as the caretaker, she finds the place ransacked and her father missing along with the last regret he’d pawned before retirement. She doesn’t want her mother’s fate for either of them, so she sets out to find her father and the regret.

She has unexpected company. A man walks in the pawn shop, but not to pawn anything. He doesn’t really have any regrets to pawn. Instead, he wants to help. Keishin is a scientist with an interesting story of his own, which is revealed in small snippets. He’s stunned to discover a different world, but he keeps an open mind, eager to learn everything.

It’s quite an adventure through Hana’s world. It seems rather random at first, but bit by bit, they follow the footsteps Hana’s father has taken. But when they reach their goal and learn what has happened, the truth is something neither of them had expected.

This was an interesting, lovely and wistful story of grief, trauma, and self-discovery. Hana is a person with a purpose she can’t deviate from, literally tattooed in her skin. Keishin has an imaginative, flexible mind, and a big heart. Both were likeable, but while I expected a romance between the two, I wasn’t entirely convinced by it.

The narrative was interesting. Chapters were short, sometimes only a page long, and they only told exactly what the reader needed to know. The narrative jumped between past and present. I liked it at first, as the story advanced fast. But eventually I found it unsatisfying. Interesting concepts and imaginative ideas were briefly introduced in every chapter, only to be left behind and never properly explored. Action began and ended, without any aftermath, jumping to the next thing on the list.

Characters suffered from this most. There was no time for their emotions, the romance included, and no insight into how they felt at any given moment. There was no room for foreshadowing either. This really backfired with the revelations at the end, as they were pulled out like rabbits from a hat: they were interesting but with no emotional impact. The ending fell completely flat.

All in all, this was a four-star book at the beginning, but as I grew dissatisfied with it, I had to lower my rating. Still, it’s well-written and imaginative, so if you read for ideas, not emotions, give it a try.

I had high hopes for this one but ended up DNFing around 45% as it just wasn’t for me.

Technically this book is exactly how it is described, it is in fact a low stakes whimsical fantasy book (with a romance sub plot). Based on early reviews there are many people who love this book for a range of reasons. If the description sounds like your vibe then it may still be worth a shot.

The main things that put me off personally were the insta-love romance (I wasn’t prepared for it to be so romance heavy) in combination with the characters feeling underdeveloped. I also found the narrative to be a little disjointed at times which somewhat reduced the whimsy feelings.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

‘Water Moon’ is already getting a stellar reception and it’s not even out yet, and now that I’ve read it, I totally understand why.

I was initially lured in by the beautiful cover, tempted by the Tokyo setting, and was fully locked in with the comparisons to Studio Ghibli and the genre of healing fiction. I’ve dabbled in the genre briefly, but I’ve never fallen in love with it. If ‘Water Moon’ indicates a new iteration of the genre then I think I could definitely fall in love with it.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.

Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.

Step into the captivating and romantic fantasy novel that will sweep you away on an unforgettable adventure - perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, Erin Morgenstern and Before the Coffee Gets Cold!

I was immediately blown away by Samantha Sotto Yambao’s writing. There feels like there’s real magic in her words. It’s not just the character development and arcs of Hana and Kei, it’s the unravelling of this secret world hidden in a pawnshop behind a ramen shop and the jumping through puddles and being folded through paper doors to reach another realm. Every page delivers a new whimsy and a new note of magic, but underwritten by sadness and hope and longing in the most beautiful way.


The main motivation for Hana is finding her father and solving the mystery of his disappearance, but there’s so much more to it. This sub-genre of magical realism rarely has big twists and turns, it’s soft and gentle and emotional, but ‘Water Moon’ delivers a little bit extra in this way. There’s a moment towards the end of the novel that actually made me gasp. It revealed an undercurrent to Hana’s motivations that was completely unexpected and really added some depth and stakes to the whole journey where there aren’t usually in the genre.

There is some insta-love and the pace is pretty intense so I actually would have liked ‘Water Moon’ to be a little longer and to give us time to dwell in the magic, even though there’s real urgency in Hana and Kei’s task. Basically, I wanted to stay in this world.

This is Samantha Sotto Yambao’s UK debut and I really hope that this is the beginning of something for her as I’d very much like to read her backlist, or honestly, whatever she brings out next.

‘Water Moon’ is my favourite book of the year so far and I’m so, so glad that I read it so early on in the year. It’s sad, romantic, enchanted and utterly transportive; I can’t recommend it enough to bright and soften the hard, long days of January.

Thank you to Transworld and NetGalley for the review copy.

Written by Sophie

Thank you to the publisher for a beautiful ARC of this book.

Watermoon was a wonderful experience. I've only read a handful of Japanese fantasy novels and I've been so engrossed in the books everytime. It was so refreshing to see fantasy done in a way that is original, unique and truly feels like an escape. The world is unlike so many fantasy worlds and so it was so easy to get lost in it whilst at the same time feeling inspired and in awe at its beauty.

I would highly recommend this book.

Water Moon is a novel that weaves elements of magical realism with a poignant exploration of love, loss, and self-discovery. It follows a character's journey through a richly imagined world, drawing on cultural themes and personal experiences.

Yambao's descriptive prowess brings the story to life with vivid imagery and sensitive handling of themes like grief and healing. Her descriptions of settings and emotions are particularly striking and commendable. The cultural elements add a profound depth and authenticity to the narrative, making it a truly immersive experience.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the immersive quality of Yambao's writing, its pacing and thematic complexity may not resonate with everyone. Some characters felt distant, and the ending left me yearning for more closure.

Overall, despite its pacing issues and ambiguous ending, Water Moon is a beautifully crafted novel that captivates with its rich language and emotional depth. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and immersive experience.

31/2 stars for me.
This was not like anything I've read before. The characters were likeable enough, they jumped from place to place which sometimes took me a second to get my bearings.
I read it over a week in short intervals, so I didn't feel like it grabbed me right away. Maybe it would have if I had longer times to read.
Overall I enjoyed it

This is a cool, whimsical read about how even the smallest choices we make can change everything. I loved the concept of this book however I felt the storyline could have been a little bit clearer. The characters constantly jump from one place to another throughout the entire story and while each location was unique and fascinating to read about, it felt a little confusing and disjointed at times. I liked the characters but didn't love them and I feel like the romance wasn't necessary. Overall, I liked it and it was a fun read, but it took me a while to properly get into it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This is quite an inventive and fantastical tale! Full of magic and romance, and with a touch of healing fiction

The premise of Water Moon, with a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, sounded very much like another healing fiction book (which I'm here for), but the novel took a turn quite early on; it seems to play with our expectations of books of that kind to do something very different. Is it still healing fiction? In a way, I'd say yes, but it's also not (in a very good way!)

The pawnshop mentioned before is run by Toshio Ishikawa and his daughter, Hana. We meet them right on Toshio's last day running the shop, which he's passing on to his daughter. She wakes up on her first day running the pawnshop to find her father missing and the shop ransacked. In her journey to find her father, we readers discover Hana's world with wonderment, alongside Kei—a man from another world (and I mean that in many ways) - who helps her and who she also gets to know in amazement. However, Hana's world isn't all filled with wonder; it's also filled with secrets, regrets and guilt, all of which unravel as we go along this journey.

I really liked this book! I thought the world-building was quite incredible, and the cover definitely matched the tone of the novel. I was able to be a part of #TheDreamersBookClub, a buddy read promoted by Bantam Books, and it was amazing to read it alongside other incredible readers.

Thank you very much to Bantam Books and NetGalley for my copy of the book! #gifted

Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.

Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.

What a beautiful, whimsical and magical book. I absolutely loved it.

A cosy, low-stakes fantasy for fans of Studio Ghibli and Legends and Lattes.

I love a whimsical book but don't read enough of them. Water Moon was the perfect little fantasy for cold, winter nights. Beautifully written with imaginative imagery, it combined worldbuilding with Japanese culture with ease and made it flow. I personally loved the concept of the night market in the clouds, where all lost things eventually find a home.

Though the worldbuilding and storytelling were beautiful and rich, the plot suffered a little to get this done so well. The relationship between the two main characters felt a little rushed and wooden but just a little bit more of relationship building would have fixed this.

Special shout out to the cover artist as well for perfectly conveying the vibe of the story!

Thank you to Random House UK and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Bantam for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to read this book. I have seen a lot of reviews of people enjoying this book.

This fantasy mystery novel is a curiously compelling read that transports you beyond this world , for fans of Studio Ghibli, Starless Sea and Before the Coffee Gets Cold with a touch of Alice in Wonderland and Weathering with You. Certainly not lacking in excellent plot twists, but unfortunately in emotional depth which was a pity.

I think the songs that best match the vibes of the book are Ed Sheeran’s “All of the Stars” and Taylor Swift’s “Wonderland”.

Water Moon is Yambao’s 5th novel and first UK debut. I could tell from the stunning descriptions in the opening chapters that she has a natural gift for storytelling. One example is when Toshio is speaking to the mysterious lady who enters the shop about the pottery with kintsugi, she says that some people hide their damage better than others, and it is spoken “so softly it was as if she were worried that her voice might shatter the bowl” – it captures the essence of the woman here! She is desperate, she feels broken and fragile. Beautiful!

I think the Japanese culture was introduced and explored very well, with mention of the kintsugi technique which repairs broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold (a reminder to embrace imperfections – “Broken things have a unique kind of beauty, don’t you think?”). Hana also feels like if the pawn shop had a name, it would be Ikigai (which is Japanese for “reason for living” or “sense of purpose”). We also have a great paragraph about Studio Ghibli ruining Kei’s experience with buses ever since seeing the Catbus (couldn’t agree more!).

I really love the concept of this story! The different things that make Hana’s world different from ours were unique and reminded me of Alice in Wonderland: like the shells that don’t sound like the ocean but tell jokes instead, crane birds that are made out of paper, prayers that are listened to instead of spoken, trains that are not guaranteed to ever show up, even after 50 years (though, it could be argued that trains not running on time can sometimes feel that way in our world haha) – oh and if you are missing any socks, chances are they or any forgotten things have arrived at stall 510 in the market place. It was a lot of ideas thrown together and, while some are random, it worked rather well. Curiouser and curiouser, indeed.

However, from the moment when Keishin shows up, the beautiful descriptions I mention feel like they vanish and the pacing shifts drastically from slow to fast. Too fast, methinks. The bond between Kei and Hana is really sweet but missing a lot of depth so I didn’t feel for them as much as I’d have liked. I mean, take this example: “Keishin brushed his lips against her wrist. Hana’s cheeks flushed. She pulled her hand away.” This otherwise lovely moment feels super quick and even unrealistic! Surely there could have been more of a time-standing-still moment, how they feel in this moment. Please, don’t give us nothing!

The world-building happens as the reader goes, so we are essentially finding things out at the same time as Kei – which I consider a weaker aspect as there is no history or backstory behind a lot of it. Some thoughts: how did the Whispering Temple come to be? Why is it invisible? How is time folded into paper? It’s just a: this exists, this conveniently happens and that’s that.

Other than the obvious bad guys called the Shiikuin (“caretakers”), nobody was evil. I thought we would have had people who were actually working for them, especially since Hana is always talking about how things are not what they seem. I wondered if Haruto would be considering his initial description of looking “strikingly beautiful”. Yet not a single person snitched or double-crossed them? That’s not very realistic and is a wasted opportunity.

Now, don’t get me wrong, let’s look at this from an anime perspective, particularly the likes of Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky) and CoMix Wave Films (Your Name, Weathering with You, Suzume). Most of these films I have listed that these Studios made have straightforward (albeit sometimes confusing) plots with some interesting magical elements and a bond between the male and female love interests that could be considered not that deep just enough to show some chemistry. As far as I am concerned, this follows that sort of blueprint just fine.

The multiple plot twists near the end I wasn’t expecting and they were great, though it took me a moment to get my head around. There were so many I felt like “another one, thank yew” haha.

Haruto has to be actually the only character that struck me the most. Talk about a character who deserved the world: I have never felt more sorry or sad for a character in my life. The gorgeous man with incredible talents, the unrequited love, the sacrifice he makes anyway. I love you, sir!

🩵🩵🩵 “And you are an ocean, Hana. Gentle and quiet, yet powerful enough to sweep away any man or ship. I drowned in you a long time ago and I did not even know it.” 🥹

What an adventure this story was 😭! Going in blind made it even better. It took my breath away & sparked my imagination like never before - honestly, I’ve never visualised a book so vividly in my mind before. This was a wonderful story I wish I could read for the first time again.

Thank you for the ARC Bantambooks UK 💫

I looked forward to reading this book as I enjoyed the food detectives novels and others of this genre.
Unfortunately this book was not for me, I found it too whimsical and not engaging.
I have read other reviews and most people seem to live it.
Thank you NetGalley and Samantha for this ARC.