If stories have a meaning, then this story is saying that to do nothing, however reckless an action may seem, can leave you with a lifetime of regrets. This book is based on a Korean legend which seems to have elements of Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast, although in this case the worlds above and below the sea are in danger.
We first meet the protagonist Mina as she runs to the shore to try and protect her brother Joon, who is himself trying to protect his beloved Shim Cheong, who has been chosen to be the bride of the Sea God. She is the latest of many brides who have been given to the Sea God to try and appease him, so the storms and misfortunes will end in Mina’s homeland. Mina becomes the bride in Shim Cheong’s place and falls into the Spirit World beneath the sea. Whether she can bring the Sea God back to himself and perhaps find love for herself is the crux of the story.
There are many things to like in this book, it celebrates love in many forms, it gives character and motivation to previous brides, the descriptions of both worlds are vivid, and I even liked the changing wave motifs that act as section headers.
Many readers will work out the mysteries of the book before they are revealed. But that is not such a drawback in a legend as it might be in a thriller, since there is an expectation in legends which is satisfying when fulfilled. And I also think the legend format makes Young Adult books very readable for adults, who might not otherwise be interested in teenagers.
I found this a lovely satisfying read which I’ll revisit in the future.

I had a copy of this book early through NetGalley.

I am quite a new reader to this type of fantasy. This, in fact, was only my second read and I absolutely loved it. I read to escape and this certainly allows that pure escapism. A world of myths, legends and song where the sea god cursed the lands. Every year they sacrifice a girl to be the sea gods bride. Shim Cheong was meant to be this years sacrifice but Mina saw the love her brother Joon gave her and jumped into the sea and sacrificed herself. A truly magical story that had me hooked from start to finish.

Every year a bride is sacrificed to the Sea God to appease his wrath from blighting the land of Mina’s village. When the next Sea God bride to be chosen is none other than the love of Mina’s brother’s life, Mina offers herself as an alternate sacrifice, to spare the young lovers from being heartbroken. Mina is then taken by the sea god’s dragon deep beneath the sea to the Spirit Realm, to fulfil her purpose as the sacrificial bride. Or so she thought…
It turns out the wrath of the Sea God is outwith his control until he is freed from a curse by his soulmate, which is a mighty challenge, seeing as all of the past brides and now Mina, are kept far away from him. But Mina is determined to save her village, her family and the boy she dreams of.

I was completely swept up and away with this book - I read it in one sitting! I was besotted with the characters and the world Axie Oh created. I should say I found the entirety of the plot predictable (with no knowledge of the myths being retold) but it didn’t detract from how much I adored this. Moreover, I would say it reads on the younger end of the YA scale. But what an enchanting read this is. Undeniably, Oh has written a mesmerising book full of love, family, friendship and self-worth, captured through a beautiful fairytale narrative that felt truly whimsical.

I really liked Mina; her determination to define her own fate was inspiring. Through Mina and her title as sea bride, we explore the idea of changing one’s fate and taking control of their own life. Truly, Mina’s love for her family and her bravery left me in awe. And following Mina every step of the way is the Head of House Lotus, Shin, who is the person responsible for keeping the Sea God safe from his enemies. I have no shame in saying I fell in love with him from the moment he started talking with Mina. He was so perceptive and sneakily clever, and as the story goes on, a complete soft boy who I desperately wanted to smother in hugs.

The side characters delivered great personality. There’s Namgi and Kirin, who are Shin’s sidekicks, who reminded me of the dynamic of Rhysand/Cassian/Azriel from the ACOTAR world. Namgi is the comforting and sassy to Kirin’s standoffish yet caring persona. Then there’s the mysterious and cheeky spirits, Mask and Dai, who don’t hesitate to help Mina on her mission to save everyone.

All in all, this was a delightful read that provided great escapism. If you’ve read Six Crimson Cranes (which if you haven’t, you definitely should!), then this will be right up your alley. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a very loving story, in more ways than romance, and left me feeling joyous and with a big smile on my face.

Thank you kindly to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

P.s. what a BEAUTIFUL cover!!

Magical, colourful, and cute. This book has it all!
As we follow Mina through her travel, we discover an underworld full of colours and lovable companions. This book also covers some deeper thoughts, such as loosing loved ones, saying goodbye or making the right choices.
One tiny thing I would add though: the world building is not super deep, as it is standalone and not a serie. I didn’t have an issue with it, but some might wish for some extra pages.
An absolute delight! Would recommend to anyone in need of a bit of magic.

*Thanks to NetGalley and HodderBooks for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

Axie Oh has given us sci-fi and contemporary YA novels in the past, and now, with The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea, we have her first fantasy! I’d only read XOXO before picking this one up, though I do want to read the Rebel Seoul duology, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one. But I know I was pretty excited and was lucky enough to be granted an early copy of this book in e-book form through NetGalley.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea follows Mina, who decides to sacrifice herself to the Sea God in place of her brother’s girlfriend. Once in the Sea God’s city, she discovers that the Sea God isn’t just ignoring them as she thought and something else is going down. With the help of gods, mythical creatures and spirits, Mina decides to do all she can to stop the storms and save her people before any other girl has to throw herself into the sea.

I actually didn’t love this book as much as I had hoped. That summary alone excites me, and it makes me want to give this novel a second chance, but it just wasn’t great. It definitely had some good aspects. I enjoyed the characters and the weaving of Korean lore and folktales into the story. Especially when those stories were told within the book itself. It gave the book an almost dream-like atmosphere, and this world sounded beautiful and sad. It was fun seeing some of the stories and thinking about the western counterparts and how different each story is. It’s lovely to see how different cultures tell similar stories, yet each could have a different meaning. I love it.

The romance wasn’t great. I want to say it’s kind of insta-romancey, but it isn’t really. I could have accepted that with the red string of fate, even if it’s a trope I hate generally. Instead, it felt like the romance progressed quickly, yet nothing happened. I didn’t really feel anything about their relationship. You barely got to see Mina interact with Shin, and I just- sigh. Their romance could have been very emotional and made me cry. The possibility was there. But it is hard to care when two characters barely interact, yet we are supposed to believe they are in love. To be honest, there was barely any interactions of any kind that were more than surface level. After seeing the friendships in XOXO, that was a disappointment. There was also a twist with three characters, but I called it pretty early. So when it was revealed, it was kind of meh, and it did not really add anything to their relationship. The confirmation did not really change anything when it should have. Yet everything after was just still very flat.

I didn’t really like how the red string of fate was handled either. Now, I’m white. My knowledge of it mostly comes from manga and game fandoms. So maybe the strings between people can change and disappear so quickly. We are given a reason within the plot at the end and it kind of made sense. But I was still bugged. Again though, I do accept that I could be wrong there.

Overall I wasn’t a big fan of this book. I got through it quickly, at least, and the writing could be stunning in places. Unfortunately, it also felt very shallow and slow to me. I will still be reading Axie Oh in the future, but I won’t be recommending this one.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh is a standalone YA fantasy that chronicles the story of a girl who would do anything for her family and those she loves and believes in, even if it means jumping into the sea, into a world of unknown, with an immense task that might just cost her her life. More than that, this books highlights what it means to be a family, a friend, a sibling, a god, and to face a destiny that is not your choosing.

My first reaction while reading the book was amazement at how beautifully written it is. It's not just the book cover guys, the magic's literally in the words. Axie Oh definitely makes it to my priority authors to read from from now on.

Plot-wise, I love how unpredictable it was at the start of the novel, it's really like navigating a new world, until you've familiarized yourself with the characters and the plot, and that's when the plot twists start to drop. It has anime vibes too, I swear! I can imagine the scenes animated vividly while reading. Someone adapt this book already, please!

Apart from those, I also like the discussion of the relationship between gods and humans, especially with how the Mina's character has grown. Sometimes it hits you hard when something you've always believed in turns out the other way around, but the important thing is, you should keep believeing in what is good.

Finally, the romance. Oh, I died. The lines that were said? Deserves an award. Countless times have I screamed in shock in agony due to those.

Final verdict: 5 of 5 stars. I definitely had a few issues with the pacing at some point, but I freaking enjoyed it, so it's a 5 for me.

I recieved an early reviewer copy of the book from the publisher through Netgalley, nevertheless, it doesn't affect my review and all thoughts are my own.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh comes out February 22, from Hodder & Stoughton!

Beautiful, a poetic tale filled with myths coming alive, true love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
I got so invested in this world and the characters that I read it in one sitting, the story flowed easily, and the pacing felt just right. Plus, Axie Oh did a wonderful job in describing the settings/location, the Spirit Realm felt mystical and real, I really fell into this world as much as Mina did.
Mina is a wonderful heroine, she's written as not the most beautiful, strong, or wisest but she is by far the most loveable and relatable - her loyalty and love to her family shines through and fuels her bravery and strength. The other characters are wonderful compliments to Mina and help her with the journey but I felt we could have been given more depth into their lives and motivations.

I enjoyed how this book managed to avoid a lot of cliches, mainly with Mina, and how although she wasn't the "chosen one" she chose herself for the sake of her family. I didn't mind the ending it felt peaceful and well rounded. Purely selfishly I felt there were times within the book things could have been explored more (romance building with love interests, depth into side characters, more explanation into the gods/myths) but I can't fault how easily this book sucked me into this tale. A really wonderful read that deserves all the hype for its publication.

Plus the cover is stunning, I'll definitely be trying to get a physical copy upon publication.

After seeing the beautiful cover and reading the plot synopsis of 'The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea', I was really excited to request this book. Overall, I would recommend it for younger readers (it is a YA book, but I reckon that it would be appropriate for middle schoolers as well) who are looking for a fantasy read with a unique setting. Comparisons to Spirited Away are definitely very apt - I think my favourite aspect of 'The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea' was the whimsical setting of the spirit world.

However, overall, this book wasn't really for me. I felt that the plot and the development of Mina's relationship were both very rushed. I didn't really feel like there was any chemistry between Mina and her love interest. Additionally, because the plot was so rushed, a lot of the emotional beats didn't quite land for me (for example, when she sacrifices herself to save her brother and her brother's fiance at the start of the novel, it was hard to really care). There were also a lot of YA cliches that I have personally read too many of (e.g. a protagonist who is not like the other girls/kind of shy and quiet at the start).

I still gave this book 3 stars because I felt that younger readers would enjoy it, and I liked the setting/atmosphere. However, 'The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea' wasn't really for me.

The Girl Who fell beneath the sea was one of my most anticipated reads ever since seeing the gorgeous cover and reading the intriguing synopsis and also that it was compared to having Spirited Away vibes. It delivered really well and I loved it so here are 5 reasons you should pick it up as your next read:

Atmospheric and Magical Setting

This book was compared to having Spirited Away vibes and as a Ghibli fan I was definitely excited to read it and I’m so glad it delivered on this part. The setting of the human world and the underwater Spirit Realm world are stunning, written beautifully in a way which will instantly transport you to the world.

You know how in movies we see specks of gold in the air in and around magic? Reading this book gives you that feeling. The world building is amazing and all the different realms are described so well too. This was my favourite part of the book. The covers for this book are so gorgeous and the inside of the book exactly matches the vibes of the cover.

Fascinating Characters

This book had multiple characters and all of them had their part to play in the plot, even if it’s a small part it somehow tied together in the end for all of them. The main character is Mina, who jumps in to the river instead of Shim Cheong as the Sea God’s bride, as Shim is her brother Joon’s beloved and she wanted to save them. So right from the start we see her braveness and love for her family. I loved reading about Mina and her character was splendidly written.

Mina then meets Shin, Namgi and Kirin who her navigate the underwater realm. Namgi becomes fast friends with Mina though Kirin is a little reserved. Shin takes some time to weave himself in the hearts of readers and Mina but he’s definitely one of my favourites. The next trio is Dai, Mask and Miki who always appear when Mina needs help and Mina trusts them easily and their characters remain intriguing till the end. The Sea God’s character is mysterious and will keep you wondering.

There are gods, demons and spirits in the book and you’ll have to read the book to find out more but as I said earlier that every character plays an integral part, however small and ties in really well with the plot and it really impressed me at how well it was done.

An Intriguing Plot to keep you hooked

The story is inspired by Korean mythology and the author does a wonderful job of weaving this part with the story and the world. The plot starts with Mina’s homeland which is ravaged by deadly storms and wars and they think that the Sea God , who was once their protector has cursed them, In order to appease him, every year a maiden is thrown in the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride. This time Shim Cheong is chosen but she loves Joon, Mina’s brother, and when Joon tries to follow her, Mina jumps in the sea to save them.

Mina is then swept in the world of Spirit Realm where, through the Red String of Fate, she finds the Sea God in an enchanted sleep and in trying to figure out how to wake him and save the village she crosses path with Shin, Namgi and Kirrin. The plot is intriguing and though at times predictable it only makes it more enjoyable as you read how it all unfolds. There are politics and betrayals and curses and it adds that perfect mix to make the story more alluring.

Beautiful Writing

The writing is really beautiful and it matches really well with the vibes of the character and the world. I always try to notice this in books of whether the writing matches the voice and vibes of the world and this book does exactly that. It makes the magical part of the world also shine through its writing and thus making it an overall gorgeous read. The pacing is also pretty good and it flows really well as you read.

Themes of love, family, friendship and loyalty

The Girl who fell beneath the sea focuses on family and loyalty not just from Mina’s side but also her family. We see the soft and delicate love blossoming for Mina, her friendships, old and new and how they help her throughout the book. The world of gods and spirits and curses is all written so well. All these themes are dealt with really well and it’s the kind of book which leaves you happy at having read it.

Overall, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was a magical, lush and atmospheric YA fantasy inspired by Korean mythology with Spirited Away vibes. It has beautiful writing and intriguing characters and I highly recommend this book especially for Ghibli fans and fans of soft, magical fantasy!

Axie Oh is my new favorite author. I absolutely devoured this book - it was cute, sweet, powerful, comforting and badass.
A fairytale story that I didn't know I needed in my life.

I loved the world Axie Oh has built in this and the ah-mazing characters.
I did not want this book to end!!!

If you're looking for a YA fantasy with mature writing, ease of readability, and a page length that won't keep you tied up for months or years (definitely no door stop here!), you need this gorgeous book in your life.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea tells the story of Mina, who decides to save her brother from the Sea God’s wrath when he tries to follow Shim Cheong when she is about to be sacrificed as the Sea God’s bride. Mina throws herself into the sea instead and is whisked to the Spirit Realm, where she finds herself connected to a red string of fate, which is believed to lead someone to their destiny.

To unravel the mystery of the sleeping Sea God, Mina is swept on a journey meeting demons, gods and spirits.

The writing is poetic and elegant, filled with whimsy which fits well with the fairytale/folkloric vibes of the story, and the imagery of the Spirit World was otherworldly beautiful.

What I loved the most about this book was the focus on family and the exploration of love, hope and loss. The cast of characters the book follows are delightful to read about. Mina was a well-developed, empathic female lead who was determined and compassionate. I was also impressed with the depth and motivations of the many supporting characters introduced throughout the story.

All in all, this is a beautiful, fast-paced standalone about perseverance, family and love and sure to please fans of fairytale retellings.

I received this e-arc thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

I'm a big fan of Asian mythology, and I'm so excited to see more being published. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a welcome addition to the growing collection of Young Adult fantasy retellings, though I did personally find it a bit too heavy on the instalove tropes of its age range to be wholly engrossing.

It sits comfortably in the YA category, however at times almost felt Middle Grade; the characters behave sort of weirdly (reacting too much or not enough), and were generally a lot more intent on minor things that fell into their path than their actual overarching goal and needs. I loved the rare bits where we explored (and had described to us) the spirit world under the sea and the various gods, spirits and demons that reside there. I feel like that was something that could've really enriched the story, had it been utilised more than setting the scene. I also would've liked that to have informed Mina's development more than her instalove storyline (both for her love interest and the friends that become very intimate when they hated her not so long before).

I was a little confused as to what the story was aiming towards for most of the book. The plot was mostly Mina following around other people, visiting the Sea God's palace every now and then and then getting thrown into dangerous situations. As mentioned, the protagonist's quest didn't seem that pressing for the most part which led to this sort of mish-mash of a load of side quests that were sort of having an impact on the main narrative, but only conveniently. Really, Oh was focused on making the characters involving, and while the whole ensemble was really sweet and had potential for those iconic 'bands of brothers' (whatever the non-male-centric version is), it was all a bit rushed to be able to buy into that.

All being said, the last chunk of the book was fantastic. I saw the twist coming but it was still clever and satisfying, and it felt like the most planned part as lots of little things from across the book were demystified in ways that really rewarded Mina's patience (she didn't do that much actively throughout the book, but patience is still a virtue). I look forward to reading more from Axie Oh, just with the hopes that there'll be a little bit more time for depth to the characters and their relationships in the future.

I think I have a new favourite book.

Mina's home has suffered for many years. Once a year, the people sacrifice one girl to be the bride of the sea god and ease the life-threatening storms and floods for another year.

This genre-bending story was spectacular. I quite literally have almost no words to explain how much I loved it.

I'm so, so sad it's over but really looking forward to more from Axie Oh❤️

This book was mesmerising. Such an eloquent delivery of a mystical and dreamy account of a young girl who sacrifices herself for the sake of her brother. Mina was such a strong character who stood firm for her beliefs and was not afraid even in the face of danger. There were so many small details in this book that just added up to the beauty of it all. I was thoroughly captivated throughout, the pace of this book was so quick and made the book so easy to read and I couldn't believe I had finished it once I got to the end. The narrative is so well written and is such a powerful retelling. The characters were easy to connect with and I would love to see more from them. I found the Red String of Fate a beautiful view on fate and soulmates but my main take away from this book will be to chase my own fate and not follow a path that may have been written for me.

Get ready to be transported into a whole new world!

The first half was a bit lackluster despite a strong opening scene, but I really enjoyed the Studio Ghibli vibes. The world-building is definitely one of the strongest aspects of the book. I loved the vivid descriptions about the various realms, food, outfits, culture and more.

On the downside, there was so much mythology, backstory and characters but all lacking in detail. I wanted to know more about the different lords, goddesses and houses. I wanted to know more about the Imugi. I wanted to learn more about Kirin and Namgi's backstory. But we don't get any of that. All the supporting characters felt like they existed just for the two main leads.

I loved all the characters but when it comes to the two leads, I wasn't really onboard with their romance until towards the end. It didn't feel like there was any chemistry or romantic connection between them for most of the book.

The story does redeem itself in the second half as there were lots of surprises that I didn't see coming and really enjoyed. However, conflicts were also very easily resolved without the stakes ever being too high. In fact, a lot of it happens off-screen.

Overall, this was a satisfying read despite suffering some flaws that I hope can be improved on in the author's next book.

The Girl who fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a retelling of a traditional Korean fairytale. It follows the story of Mina whose homeland is in peril from deadly storms, war and grief. They pray to the Sea God to help them and to stop the damage and pain that is happening to their land, but he does not answer.

Every year the people sacrifice a beautiful young woman in hope she will be the Sea God’s true bride and an end will come to the devastation he is causing. When Shim Cheong is chosen to be sacrificed, Mina’s brother is heart broken and so Mina takes her place.

You are then transported to the spirit realm which is full of dragons, serpents, demons, thief’s, assassins, mystery and a Sea God who appears cursed. Mina has one month to change the fate of her homeland.

I absolutely loved this story, the writing was whimsical and the spirit realm was both beautiful and frightening. The story is full of grief, strength and is just completely heart warming. It is one I will return to again and again.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Loved the vibes, but felt let down by pretty much everything else.

This book starts off with a bang. There's no easing you into anything; when you start reading, our main character, Mina, is in a boat on the stormy sea, and a few pages later she throws herself overboard. Most of the book is just as fast-paced except for a lull somewhere in the middle, but I'm going to say something that I have never said before in a review:

This book needed to be longer.

The problem with the fast pacing is that it didn't give me enough time to just be with the characters, even though the impact of the story is in the relationships Mina develops with the people she meets in the world beneath the sea. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to feel invested in any of them. I missed the small moments that forge a connection in-between the plot points. Like the rest of the story, the romance felt like it developed too fast. It wasn't insta-love, but I didn't believe the chemistry between the main couple. And it isn't only the romance that suffered. By the end of the story, one of the characters tells Mina that she is "the very best" of friends, and all I could think was: did they even interact in any meaningful way to make that even remotely true?

Also, and this could just be me, but the relationship between Kirin and Namgi felt like I'd stepped back in time to 20 years ago, when queer couples were more scarce in media, so fans would jump on any meaningful interaction and invent an entire queer romance around it. The way Kirin and Namgi interacted felt like representation teasing. Again, maybe it's just me, but I definitely felt some kind of romantic tension there, but it is never confirmed.

I also felt as if the story wasn't always consistent. The red string of fate seemed especially wishy-washy, and the ending almost felt like it wasn't what the author originally had in mind. The mystery behind the sea god didn't get explained enough for me, and when I was done my main thought was, "wow, that was chaotic".

That said, I had a pretty decent time reading this book, and most of that was due to the immaculate vibes. Fans of Spirited Away or other Studio Ghibli movies will love the setting, and there are some definite K-drama inspired romantic moments in here, too.

Mina's country is ravaged by storms and her people send a young bride each year in attempts to appease the Sea God. Mina saves her brother by falling into the sea in the place of his love who was chosen to be sacrificed. She finds herself in the Spirit Realm and discovers that the Sea God is in an enchanted sleep. She makes it her mission to break the curse and stop the storms.

Full of soft lyrical power, the narrative feels like a fairy tale colored by myths and creatures of East Asian culture. It starts by putting us right into the action, showing us Mina's sacrifice. The worldbuilding is exceptional, steeped in intrigue and wonder, presenting descriptions that have you 'floating' in the colorful, vibrant dreamland that is the Spirit Realm.

The POV is so personal and in touch with the protagonist's emotions, a protagonist that is relatable, that you will like and admire from introduction. The evolution of the character comes from all she goes through and an unlikely alliance which I accepted with glee and a smirk. An incredible thought-out plot, there is the curse but also the hunger for power, machinations, conspiracy and betrayal. We are also gifted with loyalty, duty, the desire to do what is right.

Except for the main goal of waking the Sea God, there is no way to predict the direction of the story and that makes it even more exciting. The action is described in a heart-pounding, straightforward manner. Full of beautiful, intelligent sentences philosophizing on life and characters you will grow to adore like Shin who is honorable, fierce and brave, and the trio of Mask, Dai & Miki who I think represent her conscience and her reasoning.

It deals with the existence of soulmates and in extension the existence of a soul. Also with faith, hope and the power of love.

This story played a wonderful melody with my heartstrings, was undeniably entertaining, and had revelations that will make you smile with your soul and bring tears to your eyes (I admit I was bawling). I got so immersed in the world I forgot I was reading! Axie Oh is a master storyteller and I thank her so much for this book.

This was such a magical, well-written story. Perfect for anyone wishing to be transported into a fairytale right from the very first page. The author created such a magical world of her own, the pacing is great and very easy to get through. The characters, friendship and family dynamic with a little bit of romance integrated so well with each other, you just can’t help but be magicked away into the story.

Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a short fun magical retelling.

Great Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eArc!