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adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Abandonment
Minor: Abortion
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ghibli-esque, but not just in whimsy, but in tone. Grief and regret and choices, and a spiraling narrative with many plot twists. I regard this the same way I found The Boy and the Heron: dense in some parts, but lovely.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Body horror, Racism, Abortion
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Such a beautiful and evocative book. And a surprisingly romantic book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Abortion
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
**Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Posted to: NetGalley and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 16 January 2025
3.9 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars.
This is another one of those titles that I thought was going to rank lower than it did based on my grading metric. I am nothing if not honest though, and while I had my minor bone to pick here and there, I also can admit that the world building and the overall plot itself saved this read for me. I think the points in these categories really pushed the overall score up, because otherwise I don’t know how well this book would have done with me.
Let’s just jump right in (get it- cause they used puddles to travel in the book… Okay, I’ll see myself out…)
I want to start off by saying that this book snagged me in pretty early on. I had just come out of a different arc read that left me wanting (especially after being my first DNF at hardly 10%) and I was losing traction on this beta read that I had the honor of completing (no reason here, just a mild book slump that had left me struggling to finish reads). So I knew I needed a breath of fresh air, and Water Moon was just what I needed. It had a beautiful world unfolding before me, so vividly enough that I could see it (but the writing style itself wasn’t too flashy and over the top). I hadn’t even gotten to 10% here when I knew that it would be a keeper.
And then the romance came in…
I don’t know why I have such a bone to pick with romance lately! For this story specifically though, I think I know what the issue was. Hana and Keishin falling in love was cute and all, but there was a thread that steadily unraveled and I realized that I just couldn’t forgive this character for it. SPOILER BENEATH THE TAG FOR THIS If you must know/have already read the book so this won't be such a spoiler- it was the fact that Hana was already in an arranged marriage and Haruto was such a sweet guy. I mean, I had to put the book down to stop myself from crying when his last scene came up! What do you MEAN he says "Dying while I remember you is better than living a day without knowing your name." HELLO??? If he had been a b*tch or just an uninterested guy, then maybe this last scene could have been his moment of redemption, but all Haruto did was love. I miss him, dear reader. I hope he has a different ending in another life :(
So yeah… That and its almost insta-attraction base, it would have been fine. Again, the world and the plot was SUCH a lifesaver for this book. The writing leaned on the simpler side, but it was still able to lend this depth to the story that really gave it the push it needed to keep rolling. There weren’t any snags in the plot that made me stop (from what I can remember) and everything did solve itself pretty nicely while also making sense. Water Moon definitely does carry the vibes of a classic Ghibli film, and that really helped me find the wonder and the want to sit in this world longer and longer. I mean, there’s teahouses you can visit when you dream, paper houses of origami creations, the ability to travel on a song- everything was so unique and beautiful to me that I really did find myself falling in love with this new world! I have never wanted to see something in film more before than this!
There’s also the themes that the book tackles. I think what helped the main characters click with each other was the shared fact that both of their mothers were gone from their life somehow. That fact lended me a sliiiiightly less critical lens against the romance as it did give them a kernel of connection that they were able to nourish. Alongside this though, there’s deeper traumas and regrets that feel more universal and touching. It was all lit in a sort of dim, warm light that you wouldn’t be able to realize its importance until the growing brightness suddenly blinded you.
Water Moon held a lot more beyond its beautiful cover than what met the eye. It told a story that I wasn’t quite expecting set within a lush and lovely world that felt like I was dreaming. Truly, pushing all my issues with the romance subplot aside, I enjoyed this read. It had everything within it that I needed to avoid falling over the cliffside edge of a deep book slump.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy
Abortion and pregnancy are both in very brief mention. They are mentioned towards the end and both do not go in detail.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was really disappointing. I was really looking forward to a whimsical cozy fantasy, but this book was a chore.
I think most importantly, it needed editing. If you have 50 cool ideas, that's super great for you but you can't cram all of them into one book. It felt like the author just thought of as many whimsical fantasy elements as possible and then underdeveloped all of them instead of choosing a few and really making those few ones good.
I also found the characters to be very underdeveloped and lacking in personality, and their relationship makes no sense for two people who literally just met.
By the end I was so bored and frustrated and strongly considered DNFing.
Also not a fan of parenthood/pregnancy themes so I didn't love that.
I think most importantly, it needed editing. If you have 50 cool ideas, that's super great for you but you can't cram all of them into one book. It felt like the author just thought of as many whimsical fantasy elements as possible and then underdeveloped all of them instead of choosing a few and really making those few ones good.
I also found the characters to be very underdeveloped and lacking in personality, and their relationship makes no sense for two people who literally just met.
By the end I was so bored and frustrated and strongly considered DNFing.
Also not a fan of parenthood/pregnancy themes so I didn't love that.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
I read this book as an digital ARC from Netgalley.
This book feels like a dream, like a bittersweet memory from a happier time that hurts to revisit, like reaching out to hug a loved one and grasping at fog instead.
This story is creative and new yet reflective, where every reader can find a piece of themselves.
A discussion on choices, fate, regret, love, loss, dreams, reality, and hope.
The pacing of this book was unique and a little confusing; our main characters go on a journey to these fantastical places but aren't there long enough for the reader to really settle into and enjoy. We are told wonderful, beautiful prose, then whisked off to the next place, left reeling, still digesting the descriptions in the midst of another location.
The line between reality and dreams and headspace isn't just blurry, it's nonexistent. At times this adds to the books magical charm, and other times is confusing and I would need to reread passages or multiple pages to try to understand when and where we were.
Overall this book was enjoyable, with moments of reflection that were impactful and I'm sure I won't forget anytime soon.
For fans of Ghilbi, Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, and Six Crimson Cranes, pick this up. You won't be the same afterwards ❤️
This book feels like a dream, like a bittersweet memory from a happier time that hurts to revisit, like reaching out to hug a loved one and grasping at fog instead.
This story is creative and new yet reflective, where every reader can find a piece of themselves.
A discussion on choices, fate, regret, love, loss, dreams, reality, and hope.
The pacing of this book was unique and a little confusing; our main characters go on a journey to these fantastical places but aren't there long enough for the reader to really settle into and enjoy. We are told wonderful, beautiful prose, then whisked off to the next place, left reeling, still digesting the descriptions in the midst of another location.
The line between reality and dreams and headspace isn't just blurry, it's nonexistent. At times this adds to the books magical charm, and other times is confusing and I would need to reread passages or multiple pages to try to understand when and where we were.
Overall this book was enjoyable, with moments of reflection that were impactful and I'm sure I won't forget anytime soon.
For fans of Ghilbi, Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, and Six Crimson Cranes, pick this up. You won't be the same afterwards ❤️
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
a magical book about a pawn shop where you can sell your regrets. An odd day leads to a missing father, a strange new customer, and an adventure to solve the mystery and find her father. Primarily a fantasy, a little cozy (but not at times), and some romance. Loved the book! It had some twists I didnt see coming and totally held my attention the whole book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Immediately, the writing got my attention. It flowed so easily and had me flying through the first third of the book. The short chapters, the world-building, and the character development told through flashbacks, it was all so easy to digest and imagine.
However, the middle got bogged down by certain choices and an instalove romance that felt like it was forced into the story. There are reveals that make those two elements so much more interesting later on, but the logic didn't feel right as I was living it and it affected my interest in the story greatly.
That being said, the twists were insane and I loved how everything came together and fell apart in the end. It surprised me and really redeemed the story for me.
The fantasy elements of the story were very Ghibli-esque and I loved the little magics of Hana's world. As we get to see more and more of it, the ways of travel, the elements of magic, all feel so beautiful and fantastical. I think this would make for a cool animated film and I think the audiobook will add so much atmosphere and cool vibes to this story.
All in all, a solid fantasy, but the romance really pulled me out and I wish some other choices were made (despite the outcomes and twists).
TW: child death, murder, injury detail, blood, gore, violence, death; mentions pregnancy, abortion
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
ACR gifted by Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.
However, the middle got bogged down by certain choices and an instalove romance that felt like it was forced into the story. There are reveals that make those two elements so much more interesting later on, but the logic didn't feel right as I was living it and it affected my interest in the story greatly.
That being said, the twists were insane and I loved how everything came together and fell apart in the end. It surprised me and really redeemed the story for me.
The fantasy elements of the story were very Ghibli-esque and I loved the little magics of Hana's world. As we get to see more and more of it, the ways of travel, the elements of magic, all feel so beautiful and fantastical. I think this would make for a cool animated film and I think the audiobook will add so much atmosphere and cool vibes to this story.
All in all, a solid fantasy, but the romance really pulled me out and I wish some other choices were made (despite the outcomes and twists).
TW: child death, murder, injury detail, blood, gore, violence, death; mentions pregnancy, abortion
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
ACR gifted by Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Abortion