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alanahcw's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
So DREAMY! A soft, sweet story that I absolutely loved :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief
cozyscones's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: War
autumn33344's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
lour28's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
juffnstuff's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
bjschafer's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was a fun romp. Not particularly deep or complex, but thought provoking enough to make it feel worth reading. Fun read too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
ginalucia's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
DallerGut Dream Department Store is a sweet, thoughtful, and very strange book. Think goblin market meets YA Ghibli, and you’ve got it.
It's incredibly low-stakes and message-filled. As long as you don't expect anything more, you'll enjoy it.
The only thing I’d like to see is more depth to the characters. More of what makes them tick, their real feelings and motivations. But other than that, it was a very chill and fun read.
For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
jayisreading's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
2.5
When I first heard about this novel, I was rather intrigued by the premise: a department store where you can purchase dreams? I figured there would be more to it than that, but I was taken to the idea and looked forward to picking it up. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed by the overall execution of the novel. There was very little plot (if at all), and Lee seemed more keen on crafting a novel that was more driven by “vibes” than anything. While I’m not one to entirely hate books that aren’t as clear about what direction they’re going, I do want to go somewhere… and that just doesn’t happen in this novel. In addition to the near-absent plot, the characters were incredibly flat and underdeveloped. I think the lack of character development was what really disappointed me, because if there isn’t going to be much of a plot, at least do something interesting with the characters, especially the protagonist (Penny). I didn’t even like or dislike Penny, because there just wasn’t much to her character for me to hold onto.
There were passing moments when something interesting came up, whether it be the type of dream that was discussed or a character actually had something worthwhile to say, but none of these ever panned out in a way that left an impression on me. Furthermore, I felt that there were instances when the author was a little too flippant about serious matters that could have been addressed with more time and grace.
Overall, I think this novel might appeal to some who are looking for something that fits the “feel good” vibe (and there have been a fair number of contemporary works by Japanese and Korean authors that encompass this). However, I feel that no amount of coziness that this novel exudes can hide the fact that there’s a lot left to be desired.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief
Minor: Ableism and Suicidal thoughts
idesofmarch's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death and Death
mariapatrickbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Death and Grief