You Yeong-Gwang creates a promising world and market for the dreamers of new beginnings. 

The magical premise and its cover immediately caught my attention. The beginning of the story quickly introduced our main character, Serin, and the Rainfall Market itself. Its characters all have personalities of their own that reminded me of the bathhouse folk in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. I appreciated the character list and art provided at the front of the book. 

I agree that this book is being mis-marketed in age. Currently it is being advertised as adult, but I believe it would be better suited in young adult (maybe even middle grade) given how its main character, theme, and story are constructed. I came in with that understanding. 

This is a coming of age story for Serin, who is of upper high school age. Her story and message are meaningful for all, but this story lacked the depth I think older audiences, myself included, would be looking for. I felt throughout the story, we were only given the outer surface of Serin, the Rainfall Market, and its inhabitants. I think spending more time exploring or reflecting on Serin’s current life and what she could have (via the orbs) could have made me feel more connected. I never felt like we went deeper in her motivations and fears. In addition, I wanted to know how her story differed from the others there, especially given her extra perks. With the general simplicity, the ending felt rushed in connections/relationships between characters. It also felt like some aspects of this world were not completely told to the readers. 

The translated writing was whimsical and simplistic. This is my first time reading a translated novel, so I’m not sure how much the translation affected my above comments or the author’s original meaning. 

This is hard to rate because I think it’s character art, writing, and story construction are appropriate for a young adult or middle grade audience. But again, I’m being told this is an adult novel, so my rating is going to be lower because I wanted more depth and understanding. 

Thank you NetGalley, Ace, and Random Penguin House for providing me with this digital arc!