I loved this straight off 5 stars this should be treated as a classic folk tale beautifully written loved every minute of it, Also drawn to the cover. Will recommend this to friends

What an astonishing beautiful book, vivid and powerful, dreamlike and magical. Simply wonderful.

The book begins with Mina's sacrifice, to save her brother's love she jumps into the sea to become the Bride of the Sea God, but once she enters the spirit world, nothing is as it seems.

I absolutely understand the comparisons to Spirited Away, but there's more to this book than just that comparison. Through Mina's eyes the spirit world comes alive, and the depth the author gives to the world and the characters really helps to draw the reader into the world and make it seem real. Like a myth or a legend that began in reality.

I dove through the twists and turns of the story, falling in love with the characters and desperate to reach the end. A truly magical read.

Screaming, crying, throwing up right now. That was so beautiful! Gorgeous gorgeous girls read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. This isn't even released yet but I wanna gatekeep it so bad. I'm never getting over Axie Oh's fascinating storyweaving about the Water God and its bride. The perfect flow of the story felt as if I was watching Tangled, the one Disney movie I enjoyed so much, blended, of course, with Spirited Away. It's as if I'm transported into summer, doing nothing on a slow afternoon but watch Studio Ghilbi movies with my favorite cold drink. May I add that I also adored Mina so much! She's my girl for real! She's brimming with confidence and is decisive with her choices.. yea, that's my girl right there! I would also like to point out that I didn't particularly liked the concept of the red string of fate but I actually did love it in here? Idk, but it's probably because the red string isn't inseverable, It can be made and cut to their own will, which depicts that the people don't let what was tied to them to be their fate. It was a good symbolism. My 2nd book which I rated 5 stars for this year, and I hope isn't my last!

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton (my bestie fr) for providing me an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review!

I spent so much of this book thinking the title wasn't quite right. Then about half hour after I had finished, wiped some happy tears I suddenly got it. Perfect.

This book is a story of love, for family above all else but also of legends. Separating the truth out of a story can sometimes be hard but it's well worth the fight.

Whilst the characters don't really feel like they develop they do make you you pay attention which makes this book so readable. Can anyone save the sea god and the world above? Read the story and find out!

Mina lives in a land under a curse, beset by deadly storms and brutal conflict. Once a year a young woman is cast into the sea to appease the Sea God, in the hope that she will be chosen as his true bride and end the curse. Shim Cheong is the most beautiful girl in the village, and it has long been acknowledged that she will be the Sea God’s sacrifice. In order to protect Cheong and save her brother from a broken heart, Mina casts herself into the sea in her place, even though she is not sure she will be accepted as a suitable replacement.

Mina finds herself in a Spirit Realm ruled by gods and mythical creatures but the Sea God, her only hope for her people’s salvation, is in an enchanted sleep. Mina must work out how to break the curse with the help of a boy called Shin who has been tasked with protecting the Sea God. But Mina’s fate is a complex and tangled string, and her heart seems to be pulling her in a different direction.

‘The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea’ is based on a classic Korean legend, and the author beautifully melds dreamlike prose with a cleverly plotted story—updated to reflect a more contemporary feminist message. The Spirit Realm itself is surreal and slightly bewildering—I’m not sure I followed all of the complex mythology of the place, but the resolution was suitably satisfying. This story is also a romance, but Mina is no swooning damsel, and I loved the way that she defies fate and creates her own destiny.

‘The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea’ swept me away to another world—an enchanting and lyrical tale, perfect for fans of ‘Midnight in Everwood’.

A wonderful magical story about hope, family, love, grief and destiny. Join Mina on her enchanted journey in the spirit realm. You won't regret it!

I got this arc inexchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I finished this book a week before I could even get my thoughts together enough to write this review because I loved it so, so much.

I'm not sure I have ever read a book with a more accurate comp title than this. Spirited Away is THE perfect comp title and everything this comp promises, the book delivers. And then some.

Even the Howl's Moving Castle book doesn't deliver Ghibli vibes as well as this book does. So if you're here for the Ghibli stuff and the Spirited Away-ness of it all, STAY. This book is IT.

I am absolutely obsessed with how beautifully Korean mythology was woven into this book. Even people will little to no knowledge of Korean mythology (like myself) will have no trouble with this aspect of the book and will likely very much enjoy it (as I did).

I want more than anything for Ghibli to pick up this book and turn it into a movie because it deserves no less. It would be so beautiful and I would be as obsessed with it as I am this book.

Axie Oh knocked it out of the park again. And I will likely never shut up about how much I love this book.

I’ve been hearing a lot about this book on Twitter via author interactions, retweets etc and I was like cool sounds interesting. So naturally, when I saw that it was available on net galley, I requested it after reading the blurb and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Of course, there were some parts that I didn’t quite like and there are parts that I liked. I believe what I truly enjoyed about the book was the concept because it was something new and refreshing for me.

Starting with the book in general, I liked how everything flowed. it was well-paced, from the beginning leading up to the climax to the end. However, I initially found the world building slightly confusing. Perhaps, my bearings just aren’t accurate but I could exactly pinpoint the location of some places. I wished the book came with a map. Despite that little confusion, the environment described for certain places was interesting.

In terms of character development, I like Mina’s growth because it shows the maturity of her thought process and behaviour changes throughout the book as she realises what’s more important even if it meant sacrificing some things. I enjoyed reading how Shin and his subordinates slowly warmed up to Mina.

When the book was at its climax, there were a lot of things happening and once again, this brings me back to the world building which made it a little confusing for me. That aside, the ending & plot twist had me in shock and shambles.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it as it’s interesting, refreshing and unique. I would like to thank Netgalley for this E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

At the end of 2021, I read Rebel Seoul, and enjoyed it, so I always knew I would like this book as well. Axie Oh has a very easily readable style and balances character development, worldbuilding, and plot in a compelling way, such that none overshadows the others. It was a lot of fun to read.

The book throws you right in: you’re on a boat with Mina as she dives into the sea in an attempt to sacrifice herself in the place of her brother’s beloved. The pace doesn’t let up from there, really. And that’s probably what I liked most about this book. There’s no dwelling on things—events happen in quick succession (in a good way). Mina is thrust into a world she has to make sense of quickly: so must the reader also make sense of it. There’s no waiting around to the two-thirds mark for things to start happening in this one.

Which could have been an issue in terms of character and worldbuilding depth, but it’s really not. Axie Oh is so very skilled at balancing that fast plot with integrated character development and worldbuilding. All of it weaves together incredibly well, so that you’re neither stuck waiting for plot to happen while she describes something needlessly, nor are you wanting for more time spent on developing the world.

As for the characters, they carry the story really (as they must, given what it’s about). From page one, you’re rooting for Mina above everyone else. Not to mention, the side characters are all vibrant in their own ways too. I especially loved the spirits who helped Mina along the way (and the ending regarding them too!). Even Shin, who I grant I did not like at the start, became likeable to me (although, I wasn’t surprised by the twist).

If there are any teeny tiny complaints I’d make? It’s just that, for all I liked it, I didn’t love it. And that one, as ever, is just on me.

Beautiful, whimsical, magical. This story truly transports the reader into the mesmerising world of spirits, mythical beasts and mysterious curses. I will be purchasing copies for my libraries and recommending it to fans of enchanting and rich writing, mythology and fairy tale retellings, or fantasy romance.

3.5 stars

This bite-sized book follows a girl who sacrifices herself for her brother and village, and finds herself in a magical realm full of spirits and mythical creatures and gods. The magical realm is the godly realm, but it also has some overlap with the afterlife, which was a really fun dynamic.

There are factions at play, different gods seeking power - and now Mina is a route for them to gain it. Mostly by trying to killing her. The pieces of the puzzle are scattered around, so if Mina can just catch her breath, then she can put them altogether. Of course, no one is that considerate, so Mina has to try to work out what's happened while also dodging assassins, dealing with kind but morose lords, and not getting tripped up by ambitious goddesses.

It is a book that explores anger and love towards deities, how badly faith can be shaken when things go wrong. How can disasters be allowed to happen and how do we respond to these gods? I loved some of the outbursts where this confliction of emotions tumbled out, the anger and frustration, but also disappointment and yet a lingering sense of awe/respect.

The pacing is great - I raced through it - but there were a few little things that didn't feel well explained (and given the word count is low, there was space for a few extra clarifying lines to be added.) For example, I'm not sure the storms were ever actually explained - once the secondary mystery/plot with the Sea God was resolved, the storms stopped. The resolution of that plot thread undermined the original guess Mina had for why the storms had started, and then didn't offer an alternative explanation. It felt a little like it had been forgotten in favour for another goal at the end (get Mina and the others homes.)

this book was so magical!! i fell in love with the world and people almost instantly!

this book was inspired by Korean mythology and i just adored they way it was told and how magical (the perfect word to describe this book) everything was. i loved the characters so much, the friendship aspect in this book was so strong. Mina, the main protagonists, was just incredible and i loved her from the minute i met her. Her story telling skills were amazing and she just kept surprising me constantly.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh isn't a book for me. The pacing accelerated way too quickly covering multiple plots in a span of just a few pages. I understand that it tries to establish a solid story in the start but there were too many plot holes that I could not look away. I appreciate a good gradual character development that makes sense and believable, but in this book the character development was like an express train covering multiple arcs that is quickly resolved and quickly wrapped up. I certainly did not buy the character development at all. Though I love the concept and premise of the story the execution didn't hit the nail for me. I've read Axie Oh's contemporary romance XOXO and I did not like it. I thought that the problems I had with XOXO would improve in this romance fantasy reimagining. Because I've known renditions of the legend of Bride of Haebaek in the past, by far this rendition isn't for me at all. Maybe if a younger audience read this book would've loved it more than I do.

This book was amazing. I heard it's compared to Spirited Away and now, i want to see it. But talking about the book. This book is inspired from a Korean fairytale and it's a great one. We have gods, dragons, cities under the sea, lost brides, love and friendship.

The story is about a girl, Mina, who sacrifice herself to the Sea God. She jumps in the water and she wakes in a different realm, underwater, and the Red String of Fate ties her to the Sea God. But the Sea God is not what she thought it is.
The story is so beautiful, you get pulled in it withouth realising it. You just start to read and read, and 3 hours later, you cry because of the jaw dropping moments. The twists and turns keep you engaged with the story and you just can't put in down, cause you'll want to know more.

I liked that the story starts immediately, you don't have time to be bored, because something is happening on every page. I loved the stories told by Mina, i loved how she was looking for the right answers in them. Her grandmother has a great role in this book, even if we don't see her very often, but you can't forget that she's there. The characters were just lovely, they took Mina and showed her the unseen part of the Spirit Realm. How some Gods and Goddesses don't care about the human realm, how the human prayers remain unheard and unanswered, and how the gods forgot them. The fact that Mina still loved the Gods is so innocent and pure. She tries her best to do something for her family, and for the spirits. She has such a big heart, i love her.

<i>"You claim the gods should love and care for humans. I disagree. I don't think love can be bought or earned or even prayed for. It must be freely given."</i>

You think you know who the love interest is, but you don't. I feel sorry for the Sea God, is hard not to. Everyone is blaming him, sometimes even Mina, but in the end, he's not what it seems.
The romance is not cringy, or angsty or spicy, but it's everything i want from an YA book. You just root for them to be together, and this romance part made me me love the book even more.

Mina is so compassionate, she loves her family so so much, and not just her family, but the whole world. She wants what's best for everyone, and she can't hate the Gods (even if they deserve them, i hate especially one Goddess from this book). I love the characters she meets on the way, i cried at some emotional moments, i really thought someone will die :)..... and i cried in the train while reading this. I loved that, even the romance feels like a love-triangle, it's not. Mina follows her heart, she's smart and she's not scared of her choice.

All in all, this book was beautiful. That's the word, beautiful. The writing, the plot line, the characters.. these all make this story magical. Oh, and i loved the dragon.

TL;DR
I am in love. This emotional and heartfelt retelling is everything you want in a standalone fantasy book.

THE JUICE
As a kid, I was convinced I was a mermaid in a past-life. If anyone was trying to find 7-year-old-Jen, you’d just need to look in the deep end of the swimming pool where I’d be dolphin kicking underwater and living out my underwater fantasy life.

So when you plonk this book in front of me, I didn’t stand a fucking chance. Here’s what you’re in for:

✨ A Sea God causing a bit of mayhem
✨ Yearly sacrifices of girls to said Sea God
✨ An underwater world full of magical things including yet more gods and mythical beasts
✨ One bad-ass powerhouse called Mina who I’d love to be pals with pronto

Every year, a small village makes a sacrifice to the Sea God in order to avoid natural catastrophes which he is quite clearly in control of. Most people would presume that might involve giving the water lad some crops or a nice bracelet except you’d be very, very wrong.

In this world, they sacrifice 16-year old girls instead. Every year they scoot around local villages to find the most beautiful girl they can, fully kit her out as a bride and then yeet her into the sea in the hopes she might (emphasise on MIGHT) be his one true love and break the curse.

Mina (your main bestie) isn’t the bride, so technically she could have just gone about living her life, HOWEVER her brother’s girlfriend, Shim Cheong, was. Refusing to live in that timeline, she flung herself into the ocean before creating a self-sacrifice moment that rivals that time Spock repaired the Warp Drive.

Now in the spirit realm, Mina needs to figure out a way to wake the Sea God by gathering up a chaotic crew of demons, spirits and gods in a world completely unknown to her in an attempt to figure out what the hell is going on with him.


THE TAKE
Asian retellings. BEAUTIFUL bloody cover. The words Spirited Away whispered into my ear.

Combine those three things and I didn’t stand a chance. I knew I was going to sell my soul to these characters before I even turned the page and I am now a husk of a woman begging for more books by Axie Oh.

This book comes with a bit of everything, From a hint of action with a sprinkling of romance, right down to emotional family moments that will have tears creeping up on you when you least expect it. Whilst the twists weren’t exactly full of ‘OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED’ moments, it didn’t take away from the story at all.

It’s so insanely hard not to give away everything through pure excitement of this world.
I love it. And you will as well.

This book is marketed as perfect for fans of 'Spirited Away' and I have to completely agree. The book follows Mina who ends up transported to the spirit world, trying to navigate her way through it and honestly, it's rare for a book to have a large cast and for me to pretty much like everyone (who we're supposed to, at least)! Even the side-characters, who don't spend much time on page, get enough development for me to care about them. Honestly, I'd love a novella about the god of death and his wife.

This is a fast paced story and even though it took me a while to get through the first half, I devoured the last half in one morning.

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book, even if i did find it a bit too fast sometimes. as someone who's not familiar with the original story, i loved the atmosphere and the setting, and the story itself was very engaging. the theme of family was the one that resonate with me the most, which was surprising because i had a lot of expectations on the romance, and in the end, it was not what i loved. the second part of the book was definitely better than the first, and i absolutely loved the ending.

𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚋°•
➳ For generations, deadly storms have ravaged Mina's homeland. Her people believe that the Sea God, who was once their protector, has cursed them with death and despair. To appease him, a maiden is thrown into the sea every year in the hopes that one day the 'true bride' will be chosen and the suffering will end.
•
➳ Many people believe Shim Cheong, Mina's brother's beloved, is the legendary true bride. But, on the night Cheong is sacrificed, Mina's brother follows her, despite knowing that interfering is a death sentence. Mina jumps into the water in place of Cheong in order to save her brother.
•
➳ She is whisked away to a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, where she discovers the Sea God, who is trapped in an enchanted sleep. Mina sets out to awaken him and put an end to the storms once and for all, with the help of a mysterious young man and a motley crew of demons, gods, and spirits.
•
➳ But she doesn't have much time: a human can't live in the land of the spirits for very long. And there are those who will go to any length to prevent the Sea God from waking...
•
•°𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠°•
➳ Ohmygod! I'm madly in love with this book! I freaking love it! The cover?? AH, BEJEEZUS! *Chef's kiss 💋
•
➳ I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the writing is. Nothing could have prepared me for Axie Oh's writing, but nothing could have prepared me for this. The style of writing is exquisite, and it embraces the dreamy side of Asian mythology. The 2nd half of the book is filled with Dragons, Gods, and mythology that is both captivating and beautiful. I knew right away that this was going to be my favourite book.
•
➳ I adore every characters & The unique Gods and the funny beautiful & touching characters really fill this book and make it so captivating that I couldn't put it down. The soulmate trope in this book killed me, I don't wanna give away everything but trust me it's the best! Ahhh, it was just so damn good, and I want to read it again right now.
•
➳ Overall, The ending made me completely fall in love with the entire thing.
•
•°𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐°•
•➳ 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕/5

Magnificent and enthralling, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is everything I wanted and more from The Bride of the Water God, a manhwa I read (only to eventually drop as it wasn’t what I was looking for) roughly a decade ago.

Instead of being the chosen bride of the Sea God as Soah is in the manhwa, our protagonist of this book offers herself in place of the beautiful Shim Cheong who also happens to be her brother’s sweetheart. After being accepted by the Sea God’s servant, Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm where ghosts, monsters, gods and goddesses reside. There, one of the many things she learns is the fact that the natural disasters happening in the mortal realm is more deeply tied to the Spirit Realm (and the Sea God) than initially thought. Therefore, to save both, she must undo the curse on her betrothed.

Although Mina isn’t Shim Cheong and thus, this retelling of the Tale of Shim Cheong doesn’t contain most of its elements, the plot of this book is still pretty typical. I knew what was going to happen and how the story would end right at the beginning (if you’re a huge fan of fairy tales, myths, legends, etc. you’d probably have guessed it all early on too). There are also times when the story gets convenient and rushed since it’s more plot-driven than character-driven. Nevertheless, the engaging writing, the gorgeous imagery and the many emotion-provoking moments made up for all of that.

One thing I really liked is how the other characters come alive through Mina’s eyes. They grow and gain different facets—which is refreshing. However, in comparison, I feel that Mina’s growth as a character is stagnated. She’s consistent and has so many admirable qualities but nothing else. I also really liked the romance (surprise!). I’m not a fan of romance but it’s too well-written to deny here. The way it develops and the love interest are just…yes, more, please!

Fans of retellings and books with Asian rep, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a book you need to read ASAP!

“The Sea God isn't angry, Mina. He's lost. He's waiting, in his palace far beyond this world, for someone brave enough to find him.”

Beautiful story set in the Korean alternate fairy-tale world.

Every year a young girl from the village gets sacrificed for The Sea God and thrown into the Ocean.

Mina takes another bride's place, and jumps into the World of Unknown in order to save her brothers loved one.

She gets tied with the Sea God with the red string of fate, but that fate isn’t as easy as she believed at the beginning.

I loved the simplicity and beauty of this story. Author is retelling a lot of believes from Korean folklore during the main events. They mainly relate to Human/Deity relationships and how they affect each other.

Also, beautiful M+F romance is present.

No wonder this book is compared to #SpiritedAway , I could find a lot of resemblances, but at the same time author kept in unique.

A lot of beautiful quotes and metaphorical life questions.

I recommend this book for reading, especially if you like “dreamy” reads.