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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Book Summary:
Hana Ishikawa has lived her whole life in a small pawnshop. She knew that one day she would become the owner of this shop, regardless of how she felt about it. That day finally came yesterday, and things have gone horribly wrong.
The first morning the shop was hers, she woke to a disaster. The shop was ransacked, her father had gone missing, and their most precious treasure was gone with the wind. Hana will have to pick up the pieces and solve this mystery if she wants to find her father.
My Review:
Water Moon is easily one of the more whimsical novels I’ve read this year, and I enjoy a good amount of whimsy in my books. It’s magical and ethereal at times, unafraid to use magic and lore to explore deeper concepts and meaning.
The core concept of this story is absolutely fascinating. The pawnshop trades in regrets, which in themselves have many deeper meanings. Much of the story revolves around these regrets and their meanings, and while it gets heavy at times, I wouldn’t change a thing.
These messages sit almost in stark contrast with the more whimsical elements. They’re borderline discordant, but not quite. Samantha Sotto Yambao did something magical here, in getting these two elements to weave together.
The main reason I can’t rate Water Moon any higher is that I didn’t love the pacing. It was all over the place, as different adventures within the novel set different paces. It made the whole book feel a bit wonky at times, and not in a feat of whimsy.
Highlights:
Magical Realism
Fantasy Romance
Rewriting Destiny
Magical Pawnshop
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Reedsy | Storylace
Hana Ishikawa has lived her whole life in a small pawnshop. She knew that one day she would become the owner of this shop, regardless of how she felt about it. That day finally came yesterday, and things have gone horribly wrong.
The first morning the shop was hers, she woke to a disaster. The shop was ransacked, her father had gone missing, and their most precious treasure was gone with the wind. Hana will have to pick up the pieces and solve this mystery if she wants to find her father.
My Review:
Water Moon is easily one of the more whimsical novels I’ve read this year, and I enjoy a good amount of whimsy in my books. It’s magical and ethereal at times, unafraid to use magic and lore to explore deeper concepts and meaning.
The core concept of this story is absolutely fascinating. The pawnshop trades in regrets, which in themselves have many deeper meanings. Much of the story revolves around these regrets and their meanings, and while it gets heavy at times, I wouldn’t change a thing.
These messages sit almost in stark contrast with the more whimsical elements. They’re borderline discordant, but not quite. Samantha Sotto Yambao did something magical here, in getting these two elements to weave together.
The main reason I can’t rate Water Moon any higher is that I didn’t love the pacing. It was all over the place, as different adventures within the novel set different paces. It made the whole book feel a bit wonky at times, and not in a feat of whimsy.
Highlights:
Magical Realism
Fantasy Romance
Rewriting Destiny
Magical Pawnshop
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Reedsy | Storylace
"Life is about finding joy in the space between where you came from and where you are going. I may never get to where I want to go, but I can look back on my life and say that I did not waste a second of it being bitter that I was not someplace else. Happiness does not exist in a place. It lives in every breath we take. You need to choose to take it in, over and over again.”
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It isn't offensively bad, but this for sure wasn't what I thought I signed up for.
I think Water Moon got hyped ONLY because of the cover. And don't get me wrong, the cover is absolutely STUNNING. But it's also the only stunning thing about this.
The main issue was that it felt all over the place. Pacing wasn't consistent whatsoever and it also felt like the stakes weren't real. I still don't really know what I just read, to be honest.
If you love the cover art, see if you can get a print of it somewhere or if you can buy a dust jacket for cheap. Don't get the actual book, it would, honestly, be a waste of shelf space.
I think Water Moon got hyped ONLY because of the cover. And don't get me wrong, the cover is absolutely STUNNING. But it's also the only stunning thing about this.
The main issue was that it felt all over the place. Pacing wasn't consistent whatsoever and it also felt like the stakes weren't real. I still don't really know what I just read, to be honest.
If you love the cover art, see if you can get a print of it somewhere or if you can buy a dust jacket for cheap. Don't get the actual book, it would, honestly, be a waste of shelf space.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-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:
Complicated