reflexivemagpie's review

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lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

sd44's review

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-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? No

4.0

Cute book, great idea. Definitely worth a read but it's not groundbreaking literature.

lisamchuk's review against another edition

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2.0

This quaint book is a cozy, slice-of-life, speculative fiction story that consists of short interactions with little overarching plot. Penny works for the Dallergut Dream Department Store, a store that sells…dreams. Over the course of the book we get to meet her, her colleagues and her customers - both human and animal.

This is an English translation, from the Korean original, and I thought the writing (translation?) was very basic - middlegrade even at times. I found the verb tense occasionally jarring, descriptions and characters lacked depth, and prose often tells instead of shows. Perhaps this was because I read an ARC, but I also noticed occasional continuity and grammatical errors. Overall, I found the writing to be frustrating and I almost stopped reading this altogether, but the concept is imaginative and I was curious what would happen next.

In the end, the whimsical concept was worth a quick read, but the writing was not for me. I don’t think I’d pick up the intended sequel, but do think someone should adapt this into a tv show!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

mxdmary1's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

booksavecelle's review

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funny hopeful relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

bethl's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted

4.0

#asianreadathon24 book 2 - South Korea 🇰🇷 

A very unique concept I thoroughly enjoyed. Will be ordering book 2 coming out later this year


engarcia2800's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

3.75

annemichellec's review

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lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

sippinpages's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It’s always really disappointing when one of your most anticipated releases doesn’t pan out the way you hoped. 

The Dallergut Dream Department Store, tells the whimsical story of Penny, as she navigates her new job in a world embedded in the subconscious of us all. Where dreams are manufactured, and each floor of her new place of employment offers a new and diverse set of dreams.

I loved the exploration of trauma and loss found in the dreams, and how to deal with such deep rooted emotions. And I found the story was at its strongest at the beginning during the sub plot. It begins to dive into how God and his disciples needed dreams to connect the past to the present…but unfortunately, that was just the first few pages of the story. After that it shies away from the complexity and ends up in a more mundane storyline. There is no plot or character development, it’s a very simple and cozy read. What really bothered me was having more time with Santa Clause than the original sub plot.

Overall, loved the beginning, lost interest in the middle, and found the ending to be okay. It’s a cozy read and a really interesting concept, the execution just fell flat for me. 

introvertisa's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

que delícia de história