Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an e-ARC of this book for an honest review! All comments and thoughts are my own.

"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."

Has Axie Oh fast become one of my favourite authors? That would be a resounding yes! She is what I like to call a genre-chameleon, who can skip from action-packed dystopian to fluffy romance to lush fantasy seemingly effortlessly.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is a beautiful story based on the Korean folktale Shim Cheong, the girl who jumped into the sea. But this novel turns it on it's head - what would happen if someone took Shim Cheong's place, and she never sacrificed herself to the the Sea God to stop the annual storms that plague her people? What would happen if instead of the beautiful Shim Cheong, raised to be the Sea God's bride, it is Mina who falls beneath the sea and ends up in the otherworldly land of the gods?

"In another life, you might have found a more welcome shore than this. As it is, the sea is dark and the Sea God sleeps, and the shore is too far to reach."

Not only does this book spin a wonderful new version of a cherished and beloved story, there are other familiar Korean folktales woven in as Mina's stories, which she tells throughout the book. The descriptions of the city of the gods, inhabited by hundreds of spirits, are so vivid I really felt I was there with Mina.

There will no doubt be comparisons to Spirited Away - a human girl in a city of spirits and gods, the imminent danger of her fading away, beautiful dragons and curses to break. But this is in no way a copy of that beloved film - it is it's own fantastic tale with action, friendships, love and the red string of fate.

"I was angry at the fate I'd been given. Because I realised that in order for you to have what you want, I'd have to lose the only thing I've ever wanted."

This book had a whole host of characters you can't help but love, from stoic and serious Kirin, to flirty and witty Namgi and the trio of spirits who help Mina on her journey - Mask, Dai and Miki. And then there are Lord Shin and the Sea God himself, both handsome and mysterious, and Mina finds herself strangely drawn to the two of them.

I read this book in 24 hours and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy when it releases - both the US and UK covers are so incredibly beautiful, it's hard to decide which I love the most!

4.5 stars
The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is a captivatingly lush and utterly compelling, feminist retelling of Korean legend Shim Cheong. YA fantasy fans are going to love this, it’s absolutely stunning!

For generations deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland. Her people believe the Sea God who once protected their land has now cursed them with death and despair.

To appease him, each year a girl is chosen to be thrown into the sea, in hopes that one day a ‘true bride’ will be chosen and end all their suffering. But the chosen ‘bride’ is the girl Joon (mina’s brother) loves and his plan to interfere with the sacrifice is a death sentence. To save her brother Mina takes Cheong’s place.

Swept away to the spirit realm (a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts), Mina finds the Sea God trapped in an enchanted sleep. With help from the mysterious Shin and a motley group of demons, gods and spirits, Mina plans to wake him and finally end the storms once and for all.

This was absolutely amazing! Axie Oh’s writing is exquisite and the world building was utterly breathtaking, I loved how vividly detailed and otherworldly it felt not to mention the slowburn (and emotionally intense) romance which was utterly divine!

Mina was a remarkable protagonist: strong, compassionate, willing to sacrifice herself to save the one’s she loves—and it’s that selfless and empathetic nature that made her one of my fave characters (alongside Shin, Mask,Dai, baby Miki, Kirin and Namgi-trust me your gonna love them all.)

I did figure out the identities of a few characters about halfway through the book but, the reveal was so well crafted (I literally cried happy tears) that working it out beforehand didn’t lessen my enjoyment at all.

I’m also impressed with just how effortlessly Axie Oh has reimagined a story that heavily involves sacrifice into an empowering and heartwarming tale love and family that just I didn’t want to end.

Overall, this masterfully written retelling is full of love,perseverance, friendship and above all, hope. If you loved Studio Ghibli’s Spirited away then you’re gonna absolutely love this—it’s soo good!

Also thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and Netgalley for the e-arc.

•~Book Review~•
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"Your people suffer not because of any great will of the gods,but because of their own violent acts. They wage the war that burn the forests and fields. They spill the blood that pollutes the rivers and streams. To blame the gods is to blame the land itself. Look upor your reflection to find the enemy.
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The girl who fell beneath the Sea is not just a fantasy fiction that transports you to some.magival world of adventures. On thr contrary, it grounds you down with the turmoil going around in this world, compelling you to think. In thr garb of a magical fantasy, it speaks of the underlying issues and most importantly raise the questions : Has god truly abandoned us to face such hostility? Or Is it our lack of belief, love and understanding on them and on ourselves that has brought us to war, famine and such issues that plague us.
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The story begins with Mina Song who jumps into the ocean, this readily sacrificing herself to calm the wrath of the sea god, who has abandoned her village every since their emperor was killed by a conqueror, whom he loved more than anything.
Every year a bride is chosen and sacrificed on the day of the unearthly storm to appease the sea god so that the land regains its glory and to put an end to their misery. Shim Cheong, the love of Mina's brother Joon was selected as the sea god's bride. Seeing their perils, Mina sacrifices herself, only to find herself intact with a red glistening ribbon attached to her wrist and connected to something or someone she doesn't know.
Where is she? What is she going to do? Can she as the sea god's bride calm the sea god down and bring back the long lost prosperity of her land?
Read the book to know more.
This book is very much recommended by me and Thank you to Axie Oh and Netgalley for the e-ARC.
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" Beneath the sea, the dragon sleeps
What is he dreaming of?
Beneath the sea, the dragon sleeps
When will he wake?
On a dragon's pearl, your wish will leap.
On a dragon's pearl, your wish will leap. "

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read via Netgalley.

Beautiful storytelling in a captivating spirit realm, this tale of myth and fate was a joy to read. Mina takes the place of her brother's beloved as the annual offering of a bride to appease the Sea God, in the hopes of ending the cycle of death and destruction in her world. In this world of Gods, spirits, and creatures of legend she must take hold of her fate and unravel the Sea God's curse.

Strong sense of family and love throughout, this was a comforting quick read. The story time frame is quite short, and for me Mina felt older than she was.

Mina's little helpers were my favourite side characters, and a quote that stuck with me:

"There is no place you can go so far away from forgiveness . Not from someone who loves you.”

The girl who fell beneath the sea has the whimsical magical storytelling of a studio Ghibli movie, with the visuals and imagery of Raya and the last dragon. Every chapter was so detailed that it was easy to visualise everything in the book, from the street markets and food to the spirit realm and the characters in the book.

The main reason I was drawn to reading this book, was that it was so rich in Korean mythology and focused on soulmates and fate, the idea of visibly seeing the red string being attached, and changing depending on your destiny, was really unique and interesting to read about... the second reason was the cover, because wow.

Mina was such a strong-willed main character, and made every decision out of love, which was reflected in the strong family bond, I thought it was interesting to see how the family dynamic helped her make decisions throughout the story.

All of the characters were well written, there were many characters that were mentioned briefly but were still detailed, and I feel that really helped lift the story, especially when Mina explained their backstory or how she recognised them. I loved the way Namgi was written, and often found myself laughing at his wit, he was easily my favourite character, followed very closely by Miki, purely because she was a dumpling thieving baby (again, very strong Raya and the last dragon vibes there.)

Although I loved the characters, I struggled to see the chemistry between Mina and the love interest, as it felt forced and awkward to read at times. Mina’s relationship with her grandmother and brother, were so well developed, that I would have liked to see the same depth between Mina and her love interest.

The book was fast paced and therefore easy to read, I loved that the plot started immediately, as it kept me hooked, but there were moments where the plot felt rushed, or moments that should have been elaborated, but were skipped over. There was a moment towards the end of the book, where the big plot twist happens, and I annoyingly predicted it and so wasn’t that surprised when it was confirmed.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and the story will stay with me for a very long time, as it was poetic and had such a strong message of belief and hope.

What a fantastic book! The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a wonderful journey which will keep you guessing and reading until the end.

The book follows Mina, a young girl from a village by the sea…but it isn’t a nice place to live when the storms start. Mina’s people believe that the Sea God is angry and he is punishing them by sending vicious storms so they decide to send a young maiden to the sea to marry the God and stop the storms.
This particular year it’s the turn of Shim Cheong, a girl from the same village as Mina and also the sweetheart of Mina’s brother Joon. When Mina sees Shim hesitate to jump, she knows how upset Joon will be so she jumps into the water instead. Mina gets swept down to the Spirit Realm where she finds the Sea God in a deep sleep in which he cannot wake from. Mina must try to waken him with the help of lesser Gods and the spirits that live in the realm.
But it’s never as easy as it sounds and there are those that want the Sea God to stay as he is and will do anything to keep him as he is.

I loved the story of Mina and how she is determined to save everyone but herself. A magical blend of fantasy, adventure and romance all written with a beautifully elegant touch.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this story is so charming! Mina a girl who saves everyone but herself, a beautifully written tale with characters you will fall in love with and will be cheering on till the end. A tale of the sea god and the emperor, of sacrifices, young love and destiny all wrapped in a beautiful package. 5 stars you will not want to read this in one sitting!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina's homeland and everyone believed the Sea God cursed them. To appease him each year a maiden is thrown into the sea. When her brother's beloved is chosen to be the legendary Sea God's bride and he decides to interfere, Mina is ready to do anything to save him and decides to go into the water instead of the girl.
Into the Spirit Realm, a world made of lesser gods, beasts and magic, Mina finds the Sea God in an enchanted sleep so she and a motley crew try everything to wake him and stop the storms. But a human can't stay too long into the Spirit Realm and there are those who don't want to wake the Sea God.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a feminist retelling of a classic Korean legend, brilliant and feminist. I loved reading this book! The setting is evocative and lush, the characters so brilliant and complex and I loved everything! I was captured by the story since the beginning and between gods and demons and magic it was such a windwhirl of feelings!
The girl who fell beneath the sea was one of my most anticipated reads and I was so glad to read it!

The cover intrigued me but when reading I quickly realised it wasn’t particularly the genre I enjoy. I always keep an open mind but couldn’t finish this

Happy Wednesday Friends🎉❤️

Today we're going to talk about the absolute magic that is The girl who fell beneath the sea!!🌊

This was such a wonderful read! Trust me when I say the story starts with a bang and does not disappoint 😂💖

The book follows Mina our main character who sacrifices herself as the Sea Gods Bride in order to save her brothers beloved from the very same fate. (and let me tell you friends, Mina was such a delightful character to read about!!)

The writing in this book is so beautifully poetic I found myself being swept away just as Mina was.

Something that I really appreciated was the theme of family in this story, it was so intricately done weaving in such important themes of love, loss and hope.💖

I was absolutely obsessed with the descriptions of the spirit realm, the mythical creatures and the beautiful festivals, it was all so incredibly atmospheric!! 🌊

The girl who fell beneath the sea releases on 22 February 2022 (everyone mark your calenders😂❤️)

Also can we all please take a moment to appreciate this beautiful cover 😭

I am in love.

It takes a lot for me to love a book. I give out 2-starred-reviews like popcorn because I am incredibly picky, especially when it comes to YA Historical Fantasy like this. I read this ARC blind, only have read the description briefly, and have stared at the cover for 24h, because I truly didn't have any expectations. I requested this ARC solely for the cover, so I started this book with a "meh whatever". Instead of a mediocre sandwich I had expected, I got a whole feast with everything I have ever wanted.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a story about Mina Song, a sixteen-year-old girl from a small village that had been ravaged by natural catastrophes. People believed that the suffering comes from the wrath of the Sea God. Every year a beautiful girl will be thrown into the ocean as a sacrifice to the Sea God. Mina has thrown herself in the ocean to save her beloved brother's wife. As a human in the Spirit Realm, Mina is determined to save her people before it's too late.

I cannot begin to describe how stunning the writing is. I have heard good things about Axie Oh's writing, but nothing could have prepared me for this. The prose is incredibly elegant, and it embraces the dreamy side of Asian mythology/fairytales. There are a lot of Asian myths in the book, which embellish the original story even more.

I adore every single character. They are lovely individuals, with the real motives that justify their actions. I adore Shin, Namgi, and Mask. Every character has depth, and I think that's why I love the romance so much. The soulmate trope in this book killed me and there was one passage so painful (featuring an unconscious Mina and Shin - if you know you know) that I ended up crying in the train.

Overall The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea has become one of my all-time favorites. I am glad that I have discovered it because the ride was just a magnificent experience.

Big regards to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4.5/5
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review—thank you so much netgalley :)
This book was so much fun!
The world was so incredibly magical and I loved discovering every nook and cranny. The writing was so atmospheric and throughout every chapter I felt as though I was there. It was also extremely fast-paced and I got through this book very quickly.
The characters were all so unique and interesting, I loved everyone in the large cast of characters. Namgi was my favourite, he reminded me a little of Tolya from Shadow and Bone (and other grishaverse novels). The relationships between the characters all developed naturally and progressed into beautiful friendships.
This book is advertised as Spirited Away meets Korean folklore and I definitely think that’s accurate.
So much happens! It really was so much fun to read and I can’t wait to buy the physical copy when it comes out in February 2022.
This story had so many tropes that I love in it. It’s a world full of gods, spirits, ancestors, demons, dragons and many other mythical beasts. It’s a world of mysteries, myths and legends. I loved every second of it!

well, it's not bad. i just think that maybe i'm too old for this. i like a good Korean myth retelling with a feminist twist, and i enjoyed it alright; however, i found it too.. average.

positives:
- the plot starts right away without preamble
- whimsy, studio ghibli vibes
- the main character is willful and passionate
- themes of family, fate, sacrifice
- quick and easy to read

negatives:
- i felt so rushed ?
- underdeveloped relationships
- plot holes (and why is everything so convenient?)
- unclear motivations of antagonists
- amateur writing style

it's not terrible, it's a pretty rudimentary YA fantasy actually (which would usually warrant 3 stars from me), but the pacing is just too fast for me to get attached to anything and anybody (it felt like someone was pushing me from behind). there is momentum to the plot and it keeps moving forward, but it sacrifices character and plot development. i didn't feel the romance at all (except maybe a liiittle bit during the epilogue) and i found the characters a bit lukewarm because of the simple writing style. and while it isn't a completely awful book, i wasn't amazed by anything either. it needs more grace and elegance is all. other than that, it's a pretty quick read (finished it in one day) and it is mildly enjoyable! i'm just not the target audience.

I received a copy of the book from netgalley.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh foolows Mina, who's homeland has been ravaged by deadly storms, lost villages to floods and the few remaining resources are fought over in bloody wars. Her people believe this is the Sea God's doing and to appease him, they send a beautiful maiden into the sea each year to serve as his bride hoping that one day the true bride will be sent in and end their suffering. It's believed that Shim Cheong is the true bride but on the night she is to be sacrificed, Mina takes her place as Cheong is the beloved of her brother. In the spirit realm, Mina finds the Sea God in an enchanted sleep and sets out to wake him. But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

This book was incredible, there was a big focus on family and some moments brought tears to my eyes. It explored loss, love and hope which made for a beautiful story. Mina was a great protagonist, she's determined, caring and focused on achieving her goals. There are a lot of side characters who were very sweet and I loved them all by the end. And the slow-burn romance between Mina and Shin was perfect.

The spirit realm was enchanting, I loved the descriptions of the houses, the festivals and the different mythical creatures. The plot took us on a captivating journey with many lovely moments and interactions. The twists felt natural and the action scenes were well written.

Overall, I think everyone would enjoy this, it's a beautiful book and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you Hodderscope, Axie Oh and Netgalley for giving me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book. This beautiful book. The imagery, the language, the flow, the characters, all of it was just *chefs kiss*. I am obsessed. It had a few twists, loveable characters (here's looking at you, Mina!) and let's not forget its beautiful cover.

I'm really looking forward to getting a physical copy of this book, Oh is definitely becoming an instant buy author for me.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is a book following Mina, who offers herself as sacrifice to the sea god in place of her brothers beloved and is thrust into a world of gods, spirits and curses beneath the sea.

Mina is to become the sea gods bride in order to break an ancient curse but soon learns events under the sea are a lot more complicated than they seem and she teams up with a mysterious young man and a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits to try and wake the cursed sleeping sea god and bring an end to the brutal storms ravaging humanity.

I enjoyed this book but nothing about it blew me away. I think the story/plot was really interesting but the prose left me feeling a bit detached from the characaters which hindered my enjoyment. I also ran into the problem I often have with YA in that the relationship was not developed at all - I think is partly due to the length of the book and not having time for things to develop organically but I just felt like I was being told about the relationship instead of actually seeing it.

Some of things the I really enjoyed were the spirits and some of those Mina meets and the role they turn out to have I love!! Additionally I really liked the themes of sacrifice, especially for your family and loved ones. I also liked how storytelling was woven into the plot and the elements of mytholgy tied in. I thought there were some major studio ghibli vibes - which I always love - and in particular it reminded me a lot of spirirted away.

I liked some of the friendships explored (especially Shin/Kirin/Namgi) and how these might be different in the spirit realm but again I would have liked to see more of them!! Mina was also a very likeable protagonist, if a little forgettable.

Overall I would say you will enjoy this book if you are a fan of YA and fast paced books with studio ghibli vibes and intriguing curses.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author, Axie Oh for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book follows Mina, a girl who sacrifices herself in place of her brother's beloved as the Sea God's bride. Finding herself in the spirit realm, a magical city, Mina seeks out the Sea God only to find him in an enchanted sleep. With help from people she meets in the spirit realm, Mina sets out to wake the Sea God.
This book is absolutely brilliant. What originally drew me to this book was the cover and the book did not disappoint. From page one, I was instantly drawn into the story and invested in the characters. The book doesn't wait around and jumps straight into the action, which makes for a well-paced book.
The writing style is beautiful. The author has a way of capturing wonder and intrigue and telling the reader in such a stunning way. I couldn't stop reading and ended up reading this book very quickly.
What really impresses me about Mina is that she is a well-developed, strong female lead who also has her vulnerabilities. I loved seeing the story through Mina's eyes and come to understand things as she does.
This book is stunning, heart-wrenchingly beautiful and touches on topics like grief, family and love. It made me feel every emotion and brought me close to tears.
The ending (no spoilers) is gorgeous and ties everything up perfectly.
I will be waiting to hold a physical copy of this book to admire and read it once more.

A fresh and exciting fairytale based on a Korean myth. This was deep (no pun intended) nuanced and exquisitely wrought. A charming piece of fantasy whimsy about family, duty and love. Read in two sittings.

This book has the most beautiful cover of all YA novels for 2022 I have seen till now! So that peeked my curiosity. However, I realised quickly that it wasn't for me. The book opens immediately in the heat of the action, where Mina sacrifices herself for her brother and offers herself als bride to the Sea God. Directly, the book had a dreamlike quality, but it all went so fast that I struggled with my suspension of disbelief. So after about 50 pages, I had to put it down. I personally needed more time to get into the characters and the world-building.

I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

"Don't chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you"
Meet Mina, 16 year old living in a world where people fear the sea god's wrath this much, to send him a new bride every year by sacrificing a young woman, with throwing her into the sea. She's never indifferent to the poor brides, but when it happens that the one to be thrown to the sea next is her brother's beloved she takes fate into her own hands.
description
"How can you save the Sea God, yet not save yourself?"
Arriving at the spirit world, Mina meets a bunch of people who at first she neither sees as friends or foes, but with time she realises each of us is less or more connected by destiny, and a string of fate.
description
"And what would the sea god's bride do, once she's found him?"
"She would show him her heart."
Her story started with a simple wish to save her borther's happiness sacrificing her own, but ambition grew with passing days and befriending her new encounters she realised there is a world to save and a greater curse to break. What I truly loved about this story, is even with Mina leaving her birth family in the very beginning, she found her very own one by her selfless act. And who says one has to choose between your blood and found kindred?
description
"Be angry at the goddess, Mina. But never"—she grabs my trembling shoulders—"never lose your faith in her."
Saving the world by becoming ones true love sounds simple and straightforward, but Axie Oh gave this plot so many twists and turns, I felt captivated from the beginning till the very end. Nothing is quite what it seems, and reader can unravel all the secrets following Mina on her journey.
description
"You have to believe in something to be the god of it."
If you're a fan of The Wrath and the Dawn, Beauty and the Beast or Your name please consider falling beneath the sea along Mina when the book comes out, my heart craving fantasy overflown with asian folklore and curse to be broken by love felt very content and would gladly stay in the spirit world for another adventure.