Water Moon by Samantha Sotto YambaoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
On the day Hana inherits the pawnshop, she wakes up to find the shop in disarray and her father missing, along with the last item pawned. The simple solution is that her father had interrupted the theft and gone to reclaim the stolen item, but things aren't what they seem in Hana's world.
Keishin returned to Japan to start a new life, but his short transit in Tokyo to visit a ramen shop throws him into a whole new world - one of portals to another world that follows its own fantastical rules while being limited by an overwhelming sense of purpose and severe lack of choices. Still, he cannot help but offer to assist the enchanting pawnshop owner in her quest to find her parents.
Water Moon is a whimsical tale of a pawnshop that exists between two worlds. It doesn't trade in goods, but past regrets, choices that were discarded along the way. Hana's world is truly fantastical, following rules that don't make sense in the real world. Paper cranes come to life, museums showcase the capsules of time, and unbelievable ways to travel. In some ways, it reminds me of a Japanese version of Haroun and the Sea of Stories - but for adults - plus some of the wonderful literalism from Roar.
There was a little bit too much insta-love for my liking. It's obvious right from the moment that Keishin is introduced that he would fall in love with Hana, for no other reason than he wants to help her like some kind of knight in shining armour and that he is stubborn. And because of Fate. Hana, at least, has a little more complexity - and her some of her strange choices are explained in the book's resolution.
At its core, this tale encourages you to slow down, live in the present and let go of the past.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Transworld Publishers via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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