Scan barcode
A review by hailslynn
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Sometimes I really appreciate a book that does all of the thinking for me. I've often found myself exhausted with reading a book because there is so much that the author wants the reader to figure out with foreshadowing, riddles, connecting plot points, etc. And Water Moon does quite literally the opposite and it's such a nice change of pace. It allows you to really settle into this whimsical world and just enjoy the atmosphere.
What really knocks this book down is the pacing. The characters have little to no sense of urgency throughout the book causing you to often forget that they're continuously being chased by monsters trying to stop them from solving the main mystery. But, on the other hand, also helps the book because the passage of time is off compared to what's happening on page that it allows you to get stuck in this Ghibli-esque world without a means of escape, adding to the ambience.
I have nothing to really say about the characters as they, for the most part, are pretty cookie cutter. Not in a bad way, just nothing truly extraordinary about them to rave about. They're well thought out with stereotypical flaws, and their development progresses on par with the storyline. The main relationship is quite beautiful and almost tragic. But the one piece of in your face foreshadowing luckily tells us how that relationship eventually plays out (and yes it did still make me cry.)
I think this was a great book, and I can definitely see myself coming back to it in the future when in the mood for some lighthearted whimsy. This was my first time actually reading Japanese literature, and I can see myself reaching for other popular titles now that I've read this.
What really knocks this book down is the pacing. The characters have little to no sense of urgency throughout the book causing you to often forget that they're continuously being chased by monsters trying to stop them from solving the main mystery. But, on the other hand, also helps the book because the passage of time is off compared to what's happening on page that it allows you to get stuck in this Ghibli-esque world without a means of escape, adding to the ambience.
I have nothing to really say about the characters as they, for the most part, are pretty cookie cutter. Not in a bad way, just nothing truly extraordinary about them to rave about. They're well thought out with stereotypical flaws, and their development progresses on par with the storyline. The main relationship is quite beautiful and almost tragic. But the one piece of in your face foreshadowing luckily tells us how that relationship eventually plays out (and yes it did still make me cry.)
I think this was a great book, and I can definitely see myself coming back to it in the future when in the mood for some lighthearted whimsy. This was my first time actually reading Japanese literature, and I can see myself reaching for other popular titles now that I've read this.