Book Review | Water Moon

Water Moon

By Samantha Sotto Yambao

Transworld Publishers Ltd  |  2025  |  384 pages

'Would you rewrite your destiny if it meant losing a part of your past?'

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.

Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back.

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Oh, this book was an absolute treat. This had me smiling like an idiot, purely because it was like reading a book straight from the world of Studio Ghibli. Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m obsessed with Studio Ghibli and the whole world and vibes that it puts out into the world. I have seen all the movies, been to the museum in Japan, been to see Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro both in theatre… I am a Ghibli geek through and through.

And this book in particular? Gave me all the feels associated with Ghibli. 

I’ll strive to keep my review spoiler free because I really don’t want to give anything away. The twists and turns are part of what makes this such a refreshing read. It was everything. Well… almost everything since I’m sure people will read what I just wrote and say how I didn’t give it 5 stars. I’ll get to that but there wasn’t any specific reason for it to be honest.

The thing in this book that really captivated me was all of the different parts of Hana’s world. It is incredible just how much detail went into not only describing the appearance of the worlds that she and Keishin visited but the fact that every area of her world had their own story. You had the Night Market and you have a whole backstory that could likely be explained there with numerous side characters that could have been expanded upon. You have the pawnshop itself, you have the scroll realm, you have the field of children which was creepy as hell to begin with.

I just felt there were all these nooks and crannies within Hana’s world and the way that the author was able to thread from place to place was enchanting. It was so fun to read how they jumped into puddles to appear elsewhere and how they caught a ride on a rumour. This is a book that is made up of such abstract and yet completely whimsical ways that can only exist in a cozy fantasy book. 

Initially, I struggled to get into the book I won’t lie. I think in part, it was definitely me and just not setting time to really delve into the book. But, once I got through the first 10 or so chapters, I was hella invested. I read throughout the entire day and although I had only managed 50 pages over the 5 days since starting the book, I devoured the bulk of it within a day and I think that speaks volumes for the majority of the book. I suppose, that would maybe be my only teeny criticism and reason for not giving 5 stars… the first few chapters did not grab me immediately. Once the adventure got started, I was a lot more captivated in what I was reading and until that initial twist of why her father had disappeared was revealed, I was in no hurry to read further. Beyond that, I was in the deep end in love with this. 

I cannot fully express the magical vibes that this book gave me. I found myself excited to read more, to learn about whatever new place was waiting for the main characters. The enemy in this story was also captivating. Anyone that knows me also knows that I love something creepy and the Shiikurin were just that; from the first depiction of them in the pawnshop with Hana, I was intrigued by them and the monstrous reputation that seemed to follow them through the entirety of the book. 

Again, I love the way that everything was accounted for in this book. From my stance, there were no plot holes or anything that caused me to be confused or have questions once I reached the end. I felt the way the story was told was brilliant and the way the twists and secrets were revealed were done extremely well; explaining it well enough so that it was easy to follow but not so easy that the details seemed bland. 

The inked tattoos were beautiful to envision. As soon as it was mentioned that rain made them come to life, I could literally see it so clearly in my head. This book does a wonderful job of painting a picture in your imagination and it feels like you are right there with Hana and Keishin, falling through a sand drawn door into the unknown within Hana’s world. 

The plot itself was well done and well structured. I enjoyed that it wasn’t just one big twist at the end like a lot of books. There were several truths and secrets revealed that were peppered throughout the last 100 pages of the book, leading to the ending. 

Now, I did actually guess one or two of the twists early on in the book but again, I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few twists that I hadn’t guessed and that got me towards the end of the book. The book had me engrossed, turning page after page, wanting to learn how their adventure would end. I teared up at several parts and was softly laughing at others. It did an amazing job of acting as an uplifting read as well as having moments where I felt sadness and sorrow for some of the characters.

The very end, the last 10 pages had me grinning like a fool. I was so heartbroken towards the end and felt many emotions but then at the very end, I was smiling and kicking my feet with joy and it was just… such a lovely book overall. 

I would happily read this again as it feels like a book that you could pick up whenever you want to escape to a magical world full of imaginative scenarios so different to the real world. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Studio Ghibli, without a shadow of a doubt. That was what my brain kept referencing as I read. I don’t know if other people find it but Japanese translated fiction always feels so refreshing and lighthearted, even if slightly heavy topics are being discussed? I felt this way when I read Before The Coffee Gets Cold for the first time - it has ways of transporting you and your imagination to a faraway place filled with serenity and joy.

I really did love this book and I found reading it such a relaxing and otherworldly experience. Thank you Samantha Sotto Yambao. 💗