The girl who fell beneath the sea was one of my most anticipated releases for 2022, and I can tell you that it did not disappoint at all.
The story itself is beautiful, well-paced, well-written and keeps you thoroughly captivated throughout. I loved how Mina, the main character, was not only strong but selfless.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC of this amazing beautiful story.

I loved the writing style of XOXO by Axie Oh so when i heard about this book i knew i would love to read it!!

Lets just say it did not dissapoint at all. I love Feminist retellings and i'm also learning korean currently so this whole book was so interesting to me.

This story was full of friendship, love, compassion and strong powerful characters that melted my heart. I loved this book and i plan to re read it once its released!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC of this beautiful story!

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, and I'm over the moon to report that it did not disappoint at all. Managing to capture a sense of wonder that rarely ever can be found within the confines of written word, Oh's work is nothing short of mesmerizing.

The comparison to Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away - one of my personal favorite movies - could not be more accurate. The reader, much like the protagonist, navigates the magical setting with childlike wonder, in awe with the imagery Oh is able to create. One truly feels submerged in this magical city below the sea, slowly unraveling a tale of loss, love that should not be, wishes that cannot be taken back and indifferent gods turned benevolent.

I particularly enjoyed Mina as a protagonist. She shows a lot of agency, letting her head guide her while never ignoring the path her heart urges her to take. This makes her very compelling, as her deep faith in the innate good is her strongest power, yet she's never truly naive or lacks insight.

While it takes a few pages for this story to grow into it's full potential, once it does, it's a book you won't want to put down and a world you'll find yourself missing once you've completed the story. Highly recommend if you're looking for a Ghibli-esque, magical getaway that feels like a warm, magical hug.

This story is both captivating and beautiful, Mina is strong, courageous but also vulnerable and human, and the other characters are varied and vibrant, pulling the story together wonderfully!

The ending was sweet (although I would've liked to have read about a wedding), satisfying and not completely expected.

Perfect for fans of myths and legends

Real rating: 4.5 stars

Inspired by the classic Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong", Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an exciting and enticing story about a girl who sacrifices herself to be the Sea God's bride in order to protect her family and save her people. Axie Oh's brilliant, gorgeous writing style deftly weaves into this story the importance of stories, love, and belief. It will keep you glued to the pages from the very beginning and it won't disappoint!

I found Mina to be a fantastic main character, not only strong and selfless but also almost entirely unpredictable which made this book even more exciting. Although we only glimpse a bit from the secondary characters, like Namgi and Kirin, I loved their little interactions and would have loved to see more from them! The romance subplot felt a bit rushed, but it was a love born of a sense of duty and companionship between these characters and it was lovely!

Overall, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a fantastic book and I recommend it with all my heart.

Feminist retelling of the Korean myth of Shim Cheong? YES PLEASE.

Mina’s home has been devastated by deadly storms for years and the town believes that it’s down to the Sea God having cursed them, so now every year a girl is chosen to be thrown into the sea with high hopes of being his true bride that will end the years of suffering and devastation. When the next girl is chosen is happens to be Mina’s brother’s girlfriend and he plans to interrupt the ceremony so that he doesn’t lose her, in order to save her brother and his lover, Mina sacrifices herself and takes her place as the chosen bride. After being taken to the spirit realm Mina discovers that the Sea God is actually trapped in an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken up. Mina enlists the help from a group of gods, spirits and demons to wake up the Sea God and put an end to the deadly storms.

So will Mina be able to wake the Sea God and put a stop to the storms still cursing her home? You’ll have to read this wonderful book to find that out for yourself! Trust me, you won’t regret picking this book up. I loved every second of this beautiful book, Axie Oh really has such a stunning way with words and the story just flew off the page and into my mind the second I started reading. I fell in love with Mina very quickly, she’s such a sweet, strong, compassionate heroine. I mean she sacrificed herself to save her brother’s lover (and him from doing anything stupid), so beautifully selfless. This story is full of friendship, love, compassion and strong powerful characters who will melt your heart into a gooey mess.

I love this book, I can’t wait to re-read it when my hardback is here. Thank you so so much to @readeatretreat @hodderscape for sending me a copy.

Honestly, when I requested this book, I hadn't read the synopsis at all. It was the cover that caught my interest.
Once I started the novel, I did not expect an extremely smooth and calamitous story.

The people of Mina's village believe that, the Sea God, once their protector, now hates them. They think there is a curse on them that leads to death and despair.
Sacrifice, a rather common idea in the past, they think can be a great solution to their problems.
And so every year a young girl is sacrificed, thrown into the sea, unexpectedly chosen to be the god's bride and thus end the suffering.
When Mia's sister is chosen as the next "sacrificial victim", she jumps into the sea with her to save her.
Where she lands, however, is not the abyss, but the Kingdom of Spirits, a magical city.
And it is here that Mia finds the Sea God, trapped in an enchanted sleep that triggers everything that happens on land.
Mia wants to awaken the god and put an end to everything, but she doesn't have much time.
It is impossible for a human to live long in the Kingdom of Spirits.

Following Mia's adventures in a world unknown to her was, pardon the pun, adventurous.
In the time of the gods and goddesses, it was customary to associate curses with some disrespect done to those above them.
Just as it was customary to sacrifice something to remedy said rudeness.
I really enjoyed the development of the story, the characterization of the characters, but especially that of Mia.

A strong and combative girl.
And nothing, as soon as possible, read it!

We really enjoyed this book. It is good to find a story about a strong female lead. An adaptation of an old folk tale but beautifully and sensitively done. Good moral tale, a delight with a feel good vibe.

I spend a fair amount of time on #BookTwitter. It’s really heartening to see how many teens and young adults are as excited about books as older adults. However, I noticed a tweet the other day which gave me pause.

It highlighted the seemingly large number of teens, and even pre-teens, who are lured into reading what the tweeter called “porn” by the peer pressure of today, social media, namely BookTok (book influencers on TikTok).

Despite loving YA fiction I’m not really up to speed with the kids’ hottest flavours of today, so I don’t have enough knowledge to know how unsuitable this material actually is for this young crowd who typically type in all lower-case online.

But the tweet did get me thinking: is it more harmful for 11+-year-olds to read fictional sex scenes or watch real ones that are oh-so-accessible online? And is today’s accessibility of sexual imagery to young people creating a new, more overt trend in the literature marketed toward them?

Having two young daughters myself, that would be a sad outlook. There is so much more in the world, and out of it, to explore in books than unrealistic sex.

And that is why I was delighted to read an ARC of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh.

Overview

For a hundred years, fierce storms, floods and wars have devastated the land and its people. Each year, the villagers sacrifice a young woman, throwing her into the sea as an offering of a bride to the Sea God, hoping she will appease him enough that the devastation on land ends.

Sixteen-year-old Mina follows the boat sailing the next bride, Shim Cheong, out to her fate, along with her older brother, Joon, for whom the chosen bride is his beloved. Knowing that he will be killed if he is seen with the bride, Mina offers herself in Shim Cheong’s place.

She is cast into the Spirit Realm beneath the sea, full of spirits and gods, where she races against time, and her heart, to solve the mystery of the Sea God’s wrath and restore peace to her people once and for all.

Review

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a retelling based on a classic Korean novel: 심청전 (The Tale of Shim Cheong), which itself was adapted from the pansori 심청가 (Shimcheongga), a stage-performed musical storytelling.

The original versions focus on Shim Cheong, who cares for her blind father. She throws herself into the sea in the hope that her sacrifice will cure her father’s blindness.

I saw multiple other reviews stating that The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea also took inspiration from the Japanese Spirited Away. I am fairly new to Studio Ghibli (thanks for putting me onto the game, Netflix).

I have seen Ponyo and My Neighbor Totoro numerous times (my girls love them a lot!) but have been doing other things on the times they watched Spirited Away. So in the interest of giving as rich a review as I could, naturally, I watched it.

In Spirited Away, ten-year-old Chihiro finds herself thrust into the Spirit World while moving house with her parents. She makes a deal to work at the spirit bathhouse in order to free her parents, who were turned into pigs.

Chihiro is befriended by the mysterious Haku, a boy who tells Chirhiro he has known her for many years and who we later discover can morph into a dragon.

At the end of the movie, Chihiro remembers that it was Haku in dragon-form who rescued her when she once fell into a river. Haku then remembers that his true purpose was to serve as the spirit of Kohaku river.

I haven’t seen The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea marketed as inspired by Spirited Away but I have seen Axie Oh share reviews on Instagram that say so, so I think it is safe to say that she is not at all affronted by the comparison.

I would say there are similar elements but The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea stands up strongly on its own without needing its readers to wish for Spirited Away fanfiction.

The two share kindred spirits in their marketplaces, employment economies, male characters who can morph into mythical creatures and female protagonists risking themselves to save their loved ones. After that, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is its own.

Girl is a pacey story balanced beautifully with delicate narration. It features a gently-simmering love story that featured scenes of such precious, intense intimacy but which were almost always non-contact, and certainly always non-sexual.

Going back to my opening remarks, I’m absolutely not a prude. But I think it’s really important for teens and young adults to be able to explore romance and relationships through fiction without exposure to unrealistic sexualism that the adults the scenes were probably intended for are experienced enough to know are for dramatic effect.

I also love folk and fairytale retellings and am currently learning Korean (아미, 안녕하세요! ^o^), so stepping into Mina’s spirit world and experiencing the colours, textures, clothing, decor, architecture and food felt extra magical to me.

I thoroughly appreciated how Axie Oh didn’t write Mina to be a typical YA heroine who is ‘beautiful but doesn’t know it (until a guy shows interest in her)’.

Throughout the book, Mina and numerous other characters remark upon her plain looks – no one looked upon her and immediately made it their life’s goal to pursue her at all costs.

But that doesn’t shrink her. It doesn’t stop her from battling to save what she holds dear. It doesn’t give her a shy tic, no mouth covering or hiding behind her hair.

It doesn’t make her silent, waiting for a boy gives her ego enough of a boost to speak (even when she actually physically loses her voice). And I think it’s only when you actually read female protagonists like this in YA that you realise how infrequently it’s done.

I also loved the personal strength which Mina draws from her matriarchal line throughout the story. Mina’s grandmother and great-great-grandmother have a crucial influence on the integrity she relies upon, particularly during pivotal scenes when she goes against what is asked of her.

Axie Oh writes with gracefulness, adding another layer of glorious whimsy to this fantastical tale. I especially enjoyed how colours were associated with different perceptions towards the characters and events, and how these perceptions transformed throughout the story, my favourite symbol of which being the Red String of Fate.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea explores what it means to keep faith in something you believe in when it seems to be actively working against you. But I think the bigger message to take away from Mina’s story is: never lose faith in yourself.

Wow! A fantastical, young adult read to stir the imagination and captivate your mind. This was so cinematic I’ll be surprised if it’s not a film in the next couple of years.
I absolutely loved it and fell in love with the mysterious world.
This is oddly enough the second book I’ve read this year in which young women are thrown into the sea (The Seawomen) but while both amazing the two are completely different.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was an absolutely magical read. On the surface (pardon the pun), it is a story about a brave girl who takes the place of her brother's beloved in sacrificing herself to appease an ancient Sea God. But this novel delved into so much more than this.

It is a story about (found) family and faith. The protagonist, Mina, is a very strong character and her unwavering faith in being able to change things around her and her belief that she is able to forge her own destiny brought me to tears a few times during this read.

We are thrown into the action right in the first chapter, where Mina is already jumping into the ocean. And from there on, the story's pace doesn't let up. What Axie Oh has crafted in a really masterful way is a tale that is both lyrical and yet moving at a break-neck-speed.

The prose is lush and beautiful, especially when describing food and nature (sky fish?! hell yeah!). But the writing is concise as well and never strays too much from the red ribbon that is woven through the story.

A standout in this novel were all the likable and diverse side characters. I came to care for all of them, but especially the chaos trio that is Mask, Dai and Miki.

All in all I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves Hayao Miyazaki films and/or Sarah J. Maas-esque YA fantasy.. Did I already mention that this book also has an epic romance going for it as well? Because it absolutely does.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea kept me up reading well into the night because I did not want to put it down

And side note: the cover is so stunning! I can't wait to add this to my physical shelves when it is released.

(Thank you to NetGalley, Axie Oh and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC for this book in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions in this review are my own.)

Beautifully written YA fantasy seeped with Korean folklore and mythology.
It has a cute romance and great worldbuilding!

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a truly spectacular novel. I loved reading about the spirit realm infused with Korean myths and legends. Mina was an amazing protagonist and I instantly fell in love with her. She was compassionate, cared a lot about her family and her people. Being plunged into the spirit realm caused Mina to face some harsh truths and secrets, but she handled them as best she could with the help of some friends she made on the way. Shin was also a great character! His arc was fleshed out well and I absolutely loved him!! Speaking on Mina and Shin- their relationship was so magnificent I could not get enough!! I also really loved other side characters like Namgi, Kirin, Mask, Dai and Miki. They were all funny, interesting, and very well written!

Each year a maiden is sacrificed to the Sea God to hold back his storms for another year. This year the Sea God’s Bride is the girl that Joon loves and his sister will not let them be separated. Minna is not the prettiest girl in the village, or the most graceful, or the most talented, but she will not let this stop her taking the place of the Sea God’s Bride and jumping into the sea herself. When she arrives in the spirit realm, it is not as she expected. The Sea God is asleep and her red string of fate seems confused about which way to lead her. After a series of emotional events, Minna must end things exactly how she began: by choosing her own fate.

The red string of fate is a continuing motif throughout this book and, whilst it might seem a cheesy concept, it is beautifully done. Bringing an outdated trope to life in physical form worked to reinvent it into a powerful tool of love and sacrifice and choice. The time-old battle between love and duty was also given new life in this book as Minna approaches the issue with minimal fuss and a simplicity that highlights the true strength of her character. It is these choices that shape the book, creating a hugely inspiring overarching theme of free will.

Even the unique setting of the book works to assert free will as the river that runs through the spirit realm offers a choice and most of the characters are present only through their own choices to free themselves from the river and live a second life a spirits in this realm. From the brash and loyal Namgi to the unassuming Dai and baby Mikki, each and every character steals your heart in their own way. Minna, of course, steals the show with her generously given heart, her quiet confidence, and her unwavering determination. The characters of Shin and the Sea God are woven out of mystery and watching Minna work to unravel both their mysteries is a real treat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc.

For as long as Mina can remember, her homeland has been ravaged by storms and endless wars. In desperation a young maiden is cast into the unforgiving sea each year. Her people believe that one of these maidens is fated to be the Sea God's true bride and believe that by uniting the pair their troubles and despair will cease to be. Their curse lifted.

On this particular year the maiden to be cast away is none other than Mina's brothers true love, Shim Cheong. Not wanting her brother to be without his beloved she makes the brave choice to take Shim Cheong's place and dives into the waters.

When she finds the Sea God, led to him by the Red String of Fate, she realises that the curse is larger than anyone thinks. Before she can do anything however her soul is taken by a god known as Shin. What Mina isn't prepared for are the events which inexplicably tie hers and Shin's fates together, as well as the fates of both their worlds. They each must overcome their own obstacles whilst discovering a way to save the Sea God and Mina's world.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a YA retelling of the Korean folktale, The Tale of Shim Cheong. It is a standalone fantasy story that follows Mina, a sixteen year old girl, who becomes the Sea God's Bride to save her brother and his loved one. This book contains a compelling story, a vivid world and wonderfully written characters. I loved seeing the character development throughout and there are so many wonderful characters within this story. This was so enjoyable to read and I definitely recommend checking this one out. I highly recommend.

3.25 ⭐

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea vividly reminds me of Spirited Away, particularly its world-building, which helped greatly in visualizing the events of the book. The struggles the characters faced in terms of sacrifices and their relationship with faith deeply touched my heart, it made me empathize with them. The cover is also very stunning and effectively reflects the atmosphere of the book–magical, beautiful, and full of hope.

I couldn't resist this book. First off, the cover is absolutely breathtaking, secondly, the characters and the storyline were so magically crafted I couldn't put it down.
I normally can predict the way a book will go based on the tropes it features but this kept tripping me up and changing my mind! I gasped, laughed and even cried at this book.
The main character had such a fantastic development, at first, I thought she was quite silly and brash but then I began to understand her.
I was really worried about how this would end as well considering it's standalone but Axie Oh did not disappoint at all. Her other work XOXO is now top of my TBR.
Highly recommend if you enjoy KDramas, Mythology, The Little Mermaid and Studio Ghibli movies.

Disclaimer: I received an e-Arc for this book from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley, in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Plot
Every year, Mina's home sacrifices the prettiest girl in the land to be the Sea God's bride. When Mina's older brother's girlfriend is chosen Mina takes her place. She is transported to the land of the Gods and the Spirts, and has to save the Sea God before it is too late.

Thoughts
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars

Unfortunately I did not like this book.

Things I liked:

The representation and rich culture shown in the book, is great. I liked the world that the author created for this story.

The friendship, and family relationships. I love a good friendship/family in a book, and this book did represent those relationships throughout.

Things I disliked:

This book is described as a 'feminist' retelling, but I had problems with the representation of the female characters as belonging to the men/male gods. Even the protagonist has barely any personality outside of her trying to save the Sea God and help her people/family. I believe that 'feminist' stories should pass the Bechdel Test, It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. I don't believe this book passes the Bechdel Test.

Mina has great chemistry with every single character, literal you could pick any of them to be the love interest. The one exception - the love interest! He was dull, boring and had barely any personality/character development throughout the book. I just didn't care about their relationship at all. I was very disappointed by this, as I read the author's contemporary, XOXO last year and I loved the relationship between the two romantic leads.

Overall, I was disappointed by this book, I hope others are able to enjoy it more than I did, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Representation
- The Author is Korean-American
- Retelling of the classic Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong"
- Korean/Asian cast of characters
- LGBT: mention of Gay side character

Mina's homeland has been under the Sea Gods wrath for over 100 years. With a sacrifice of a bride each year being sent to the god in hopes of breaking a long time curse. Mina however takes the place of this years bride in order save her brother.

Now in a magical city Mina must help the Sea God return from deep cursed sleep to protect her home and those she loves and with the help of a few mystical creatures and other spirits she sets out to discover the long lost truth of what's really behind the Sea Gods Wrath.

The character's were an interesting bunch however the relationships didn't hold much depth and I really struggled to feel the connection between anyone. I'm a huge character reader so its really important for me to connect and feel the emotion but for me it was just lacking in this area.

The world building is well done. there's plenty of imagination in the detailing and I can see why it's been described as a Spirited Away vibe.

I did enjoy the mythology parts, the story had such potential I just feel like it needed fleshing out a little more. I enjoyed the pace of the action but the flow of the story just didn't work for me, so many parts felt too rushed.

I liked that we got straight into the plot and I liked Mina as a character and I'm all for family bonding troupes. I think the reason I'm giving this a 3 star is because it was very on the YA side of fantasy, I enjoyed it as a quick read.

Thanks so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an advanced e-arc of this one.