I can safely say this is unlike any other book I’ve read. For being billed an adult novel, it certainly has a very middle-grade children’s book vibe. The story is very sweet but simple and exudes magic from every angle. It imagines a lovely world in which an eager young woman goes to work in a department store that sells dreams. Each night every man, woman, child, and animal can visit and buy dreams of their choosing. They do not remember the purchase, but the dreams are experienced as designed. The cast of characters is as colorful as the cover art, and the concept is extremely compelling.

For about 80% of the book, things are light and breezy, as if we are floating through a pleasant dream that doesn’t really quite come together. It’s just snippets of moments. Then, abruptly the novel takes a very serious turn. It’s emotional and even a little dark, though extremely touching. I feel that this book would be an incredible catharsis for anyone who has experienced intense grief and is still on their journey to feeling whole in a life without someone who used to complete them. Frankly, this book is very difficult to describe so I fear I’ve done a terrible job. It’s something you have to experience to understand.

I can’t say it’s expertly written. This is, in part, due to the disjointed nature of the narrative. It skips quite quickly from scene to scene and it’s only in the end when you get a sense of the book’s purpose and things feel a bit more geared toward a mature audience. Of course, it is a translation from the original Korean, so we have to take that with a grain of salt. Interestingly enough, it was published through a crowdfunding platform, which I don’t hate. If anything, I give this author props for coming up with something truly original and magical. I would love to live in a world like that imagined by Lee, and I sure wish I could pick out my dreams. Let’s just say, if I chose even half the things that swim through my head at night, my head should be examined in great detail. Overall, this one is worth the read even if it isn’t a masterpiece.

Published July 9, 2024 by Hanover Square Press. ISBN 9781335081179. Hardcover. 288 pages.