Water Moon | By Samantha Sotto Yambao
Book Review | Fantasy | Magical Realism
Categories: 2025, Book Reviews, Fantasy
Tags: Fantasy, magicalrealism, mystery, samanthasottoyambao, watermoon
Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Transworld Digital
A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel. On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only 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 its 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—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and 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 that she will never be able to take back. (Goodreads)
My thoughts
Narrative and Plot
Water Moon was one of my surprise reads of the year. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. It was reflective, thought-provoking, and raised so many hypothetical questions about life that you could go on discussing them all night—or for several nights, for that matter. We follow Hana and Keishan, the protagonists of this story, on their literal journey.
The plot might seem whimsical and even simple on the surface, but this is the best use of magical realism in a fictional story. One moment, you are standing in line in front of a ramen restaurant. The next, you are on a cloud of thought, contemplating what life choices led you to that exact moment.
Characters and Conflicts
Hana and Keishan are characters you can easily root for. They don’t quite fit into their world, and they both come across as selfless and kind. Yet, they are flawed in their own ways. The way the story teases and engages with metaphor is fascinating—it feels as if each chapter is a think piece.
The conflict in the story is simple. However, the journey to resolve that conflict is filled with questions and complications. It is immersive and takes you to another world, one where you can raise questions you might never have asked yourself but always wanted to know the answers to.
Conclusion
Overall, I truly enjoyed Water Moon. I think this is a great pick for a book club or a buddy read, especially if you’re the kind of reader who enjoys debating eternal questions like “Is life pre-ordained?” or “Does free will actually exist?”
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