REVIEW: Water Moon (Samantha Sotto Yambao)

Book: Water Moon

Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao

Premise: On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, where you can leave life choices and regrets. Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked and her father missing. Now she must journey through a mystical world – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, and to a night market in the clouds.

I adored this book. It's a magical journey to find Hana's father, all while being chased by the creepy overlords of the magic realm. I loved the fantasy elements and I could see why it was compared to Studio Ghibli because I could imagine this being a film. There's also a male protagonist who joins Hana on the quest and the romance there was really sweet. Honestly, one of my favourite reads of the year!