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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a Miyazaki film wrapped in ink and paper. Its world feels a lot like you're traveling through one of his films. I did enjoy this book, though not as much as I hoped. I think the story just plodded at times and it sort of slowed the reading flow. I will say that many of the mysteries in the books were refreshingly a surprise and I think had the pacing been better I'd have rated it higher. However, if you're looking for a cozy book with the feel of Spirited Away, I'd recommend this book to you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Violence
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief
Minor: Abortion
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It took a while for me to get into the story. The style was strange to me, and it was hard to connect with the characters at first. By the end, it was worth it. The narrative was beautifully woven overall, and I finished the book with tears.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sooooo many twists and turns, you never know where you're going to end up this was a wild ride
Amazing imagination from the writer!
Amazing imagination from the writer!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book felt like a ghibli film/fever dream! The imagery was beautiful, and jumping around to different areas was fascinating. Definitely more vibes than plot, and some confusing choices throughout, but overall a fun time! Feel like I’ll like this more on a re-read now I understand the world better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Water Moon had so much promise, with a beautifully crafted world and a whimsical, almost Ghibli-like atmosphere that pulled me in. The concep - trading regrets in a mystical pawn shop - was intriguing, but the story meandered too much in the middle, losing sight of its core premise before finding its way back near the end.
The biggest drawback for me was the forced romance between Hana and Kei. Their lack of chemistry disrupted the book’s enchanting mood, making their relationship feel unnecessary rather than organic. It took me out of the story enough that I had to dock a whole point.
Despite these flaws, the novel still held a certain charm. The visuals it evoked and the magic in its setting kept me engaged, even when the plot lost its way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Alcohol
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
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Keishin had lived all his life believing that time wasn't something you could hold, but tonight it fit perfectly into the paper cup warming his hands. Fifteen minutes looked and smelled exactly like a steaming latte. At the end of this time, when he had sipped the last of his dark-roasted seconds, he was going to wake Hana, as she had requested, from the nap she was taking on his shoulder. She had said that they needed to be on their way before the sun was up, back to chasing clues. And being chased. But for now Keishin's cup was full, and he had time to watch Hana sleep.
thank you netgalley and delrey for the eArc!!
the absolute CHOKEHOLD this book had on me????
I could barely put it down.
this gives such exquisite Studio Ghibli vibes, specifically, having two characters stumble into each other in a seemingly random way but actually have more connections than you could have ever expected, traveling into a fantasy world that's not completely foreign to our own, and having rules that don't necessarily make sense, but you don't care. like it's almost more enjoyable when it doesn't make a lot of sense and you just take it for what it is and enjoy the story.
Water Moon follows a young woman named Hana who is preparing to take over running her father's pawnshop when he retires the next day. however, their pawnshop is not a normal pawnshop. this pawnshop is hidden inside a ramen restaurant. the only people who may enter are the ones the universe deems as having a choice that has weighed on them too heavily and they would be happier if they lost all memory of it. once they enter the pawnshop, it will be Hana's duty to explain this to them and hopefully convince them to agree.
however, when Hana wakes up the next day, the pawnshop is ransacked and her father is missing. then a man enters the pawnshop-Keishin. instead of trying to run business as usual, Hana accepts Keishin's offer of help and the two explore her world to try and find her father before the Shiikuin (hive-mind creatures in masks that enforce the rules of Hana's world) can find him.
what then kicks off is a magical adventure through puddles, pieces of art, museums, night markets, songs and more, all while Hana and Kei try to ignore the connection they feel growing between them.
plot： ★★★★★
this story is so unique. it's a huge reason why I felt like it was so fun to read. there's nothing out there that's quite like it. I also loved the added mystery element. the missing person's case and the mystery of Hana's mother, and really, even the mystery of Kei's mother.
writing： ★★★★★
the highlight for me was definitely all the fantastical elements. traveling through song and art and puddles, everything created such vivid imagery for me. I also love Kei's way of reasoning through things in his mind, but I didn't like how it felt like we rushed over what happened to Ramesh. it was obviously really impactful to Kei and it just felt like we flew right over that part of the story. there are other small moments where I noticed us rushing through things, like a paragraph break and suddenly we're jumping ahead by a little bit. it felt jarring to me whenever it happened.
pacing： ★★★★★
the story is medium-fast paced. the story kind of gives you the option to take it slow and absorb the writing more as you go. like... it's not a demanding read. if you wanted to binge this in a day, you easily could. but it's not so intense that it feels like you HAVE to keep reading at high speed to keep up.
romance： ★★★★★ （3.5 rounded up）
the romance was very sweet. I do wish we could have gotten a little more though, like. just more time. more scenes seeing them be cute together. bc it low-key bothers me that Haruto had the most top tier romantic line and he wasn't even the main love interest, like??? you're just going to let him outshine Kei like that???
the romance was very sweet. I do wish we could have gotten a little more though, like. just more time. more scenes seeing them be cute together. bc it low-key bothers me that Haruto had the most top tier romantic line and he wasn't even the main love interest, like??? you're just going to let him outshine Kei like that???
characters： ★★★★★
the story really keeps its focus on Hana and Kei. the side characters are definitely kept on the side, so we do not really get to know anyone else that well. that said, I really liked both of them. by the end of the book, I felt like I understood Kei and his feelings or motivations really well. he's very transparent with how he thinks and feels. Hana is a bit more withdrawn. I think this dynamic added some fun to their relationship throughout the story.
over-all： ★★★★★
while the vagueness of the world-building didn't bother me exactly, I did feel a little empty by the end of the book. I wanted to know more about why and how Hana was able to accomplish everything by the end. I didn't love how years of story happened completely off page. that said, I still enjoyed the book a lot and I would absolutely read it again someday.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment