Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
Publisher: Del Rey
Released: January 14, 2025
Received: Own (BOTM)
Find it on Storygraph | More Magical Realism | BOTM
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
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