A review by thestorydragon
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

 1  🌶️

Pros:
✨Fun / Interesting Concept
✨End Twist

Cons:
✨Dialogue / Philosophical Commentary Felt Disjointed
✨Cool Ideas w/ No Follow Through
✨Underdeveloped Plot
✨Flat Characters / Character Development

 

I have so much, and yet nothing at all, to say about this novel. Which pretty much sums things up.

This is one where, if you step back, close one eye, turn your mind off, and go with the flow, it’s dreamlike and full of whimsy. But if you try to think about it AT ALL, the whole thing falls apart and feels pointless. Which is a crazy weird line to walk. The plot is all over the place, the characters are surface-level, and the goal of the main protagonist ends up being a wase of time, which in a way makes the novel feel a bit like a waste of time as well? That’s harsh, I know, but this is all vibes and nothing else. If that’s your thing, you’ll adore this!

I did like the twist. Very nicely done. And I also liked the concepts if they were individually presented and fleshed out. Like the the museum for education, which snagged my attention, but was never explored further than a few pages. This would have been an interesting collection of short stories. But as a novel, it was disjointed and jarring.