Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao🐾
Hello, lovely people! Welcome back to Boots’ Bookshelf with Nalicia and Boots!
This week’s book, paw-picked by Boots, was Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao, a new release that I was excited to read because of the cover alone! Boots and I curled up together and finished the book within a week.
But, was it a cat-tastic read or did it leave us hissing? Let’s find out! 😻📖
Quick Look
Genre: Fantasy, romance, magical realism
Release Date: 2025
Page Count: 332
Vibe Check: Enveloping with the perfect blend of romantasy and Ghibli-vibes!
Purr Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 (5/5 Paws)
The Plot sans Spoilers
Ishikawa Hana inherits her family’s pawnshop, a place located on a backstreet in Tokyo where those who are lost can sell their regrets for peace of mind. Only chosen ones, those needing guidance, are able to find the shop, which masquerades as a cozy ramen restaurant.
When charming young physicist Keishin stumbles into Hana’s pawnshop, he never expects to embark on the adventure of a lifetime when he offers to help the enigmatic young woman find her missing father.
As the duo journey through a magical world that is more than it seems, Hana begins to question what it means to regret and what it means to make your own choices rather than those predetermined for you.
Now it’s time for our 🐾Paws and Claws!
Paws
This book was mesmerizing and gripping! Yambao did a fantastic job pulling the reader into the story and bringing them along on this magical journey. The different settings were unique and each one magical in its own way.
Which brings me to the journey! A night market in the cloud, a world within a scroll, traveling through puddles, and hiding within memories immediately conjures up images of a Ghibli film and that is exactly the type of atmosphere that Yambao creates. Leaning heavily into Japanese culture, this story transports the reader into a magical world. I felt as if I was watching a Ghibli film the entire time!
The story featured a rich array of characters, from the main characters to the secondary characters. I liked the main characters but was more intrigued by some of the secondary characters and the roles that they played within the world.
My last paw was the concept behind it - I love books that explore philosophy and really make you think. The idea of a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets and alter your life was interesting because how many of us don’t sometimes wish we could rewrite some aspect of the past or right a regret?
Claws
The main claw I had with this story was the romance, which felt a bit forced and awkward at times. It felt weird that these two strangers fell for each other almost immediately - there wasn’t much build-up for their romance. However, if you read the book as if it was a movie, the pacing makes a bit more sense so I was able to get past the abruptness of it all. That being said, I was more in it for the ride than for the romance. I wanted to see where we would go next, not so much if the main characters would end up together or not but I was rooting for them!
The other claw I had was Keishin’s acceptance of everything he sees. This is someone who is a physicist and taught to question everything. I’m not a scientist yet I maintain a healthy degree of skepticism regarding certain things - I would have expected him to do the same. His acceptance of everything so easily along with his interest in recreating it just came off as strange sometimes and not fully believable. I thought it was great to make him a physicist because he would bring questions and try to understand everything alongside the reader. BUT, he was also a Ghibli-lover so it all made sense why he was so accepting of all he was seeing.
Boots’ Thoughts
My mom really liked this book and kept going on about Ghibli and Castle in the Sky and Howl’s Moving Castle and a whole bunch of other films I can’t remember.
I thought it was a cool idea and liked some of the animal characters, like the kitsune made of sand and the paper cranes! My mom said it had strong escapist vibes, whatever that means. All I know is she was happy and I got belly-rubs and treats🐾
Final Verdict
...
Final Verdict ...
Was Water Moon worth the catnip? Boots gives it 5 paws: 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
We recommend it to readers who like books with:
🐾 Magical, escapist vibes - Ghibli fans, this one is for you!
🐾 Japanese culture
🐾 Things that are more than meets the eyes
🐾 Alternative ways of looking at the world
🐾 Quests to find lost items
Purr-spective Wrap-Up
Ready to give this book a read? Let me know what you think in the comments—especially if your furry friends approve too! Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more purr-fect recs and reviews.
Until then, stay paw-sitive and read on! ✨
🐾Boots & Nalicia
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