Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Have you ever read a book that has everything you love and more? That was this book for me. Based off a tale from Korean mythology, The title basically gives you the premise - the story starts off with Mina, who fell into the sea to take her sister-in-law's place as the Sea God's bride. Though I predicted all of the plot twists, especially who Miki, Dai, and Mask were and the identity of the Sea God, I think I would have been less satisfied if my predictions did not come true. This is a testament to how well-written this book is - the plot twists truly enriched the book, instead of being there just for shock value. To add, each character had their own role to play, each one being equally necessary to the flow of events, no matter how minor of a character they were.

This cinematic tale is a heart wrenching story of love, loss, and fate. There are so many layers, and each one of them tugged at my heartstrings. I appreciate how the importance of familial love was treated with equal respect to the love interest, because most YA books tend to favour chosen love over family.

My favourite character is definitely Mina, with Shin being a close second. Mina is not necessarily a brilliant warrior, or a super powerful being, but she's just a girl with a big heart. She does everything with her whole heart, going so far as to jump into the sea (and potentially drown to death) just for the sake of her brother and his wife. The stories that she told the Sea God to break his curse were also told with passion - you could feel how much she "felt" while telling him these stories, and how badly she wanted to save him. She is a great friend to everyone, putting all of her new friends beneath the sea before herself. And when she grew to love, she loved hard. She was such a light in the book amidst all the gloom, and she has become one of my favourite protagonists. Mina's superpower is definitely her generous love and tender kindness, a nice contrast to the typical YA protagonists nowadays.

Shin is the mysterious grump, the minimalistic warrior who introduces himself as a nobleman in the Sea God's court. He does everything dutifully, remaining respectful at all times. Though Shin does not reveal much through his words, the way he feels translates perfectly. He slowly begins to open up, and everything falls into place. Also, how could you not swoon reading Shin's lines towards the end? This warrior is a downright romantic, for someone who is supposed to be stone cold. All of his words went straight to my heart, and I was clutching my chest while reading the last quarter of the book. I am also a sucker for the one-year-later epilogues, and the way this one was written was just too beautiful for me to put into words, not just because of how it turned out for Mina and the Sea God, but for how it turned out for everyone. It almost got me teary-eyed!


I've quite literally just finished the book, and I can't find a substantial thing to critique. If anything, I wished for more character descriptions, but I don't think the book is any less fantastic without them. I know this is a standalone, but I wouldn't mind reading another book about Shiki and his court. He was a very intriguing side character, and I would love a glimpse into his side of the sea. I feel like there is a lot more to him than what we know!

In essence, you have slowburn, soulmates, found family, dragons, and a really interesting lore. What's not to love?

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is perfectly suited for the target YA audience. Definitely one of my most anticipated releases for 2022!

5 out of 5 stars!

This book made me so soft with the themes of fate and love in a realm of gods, spirits, and memories struck by cursed wishes. Everything about this romantic fantasy, from a young girl determined to calm down the sea god's storms through faith to a soulless lord heart-wrenchingly vulnerable to fate, is gorgeous. A detailed review will be published on the blog on December 15, 2021 and will be updated on here by then. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this early!

Absolutely stunning , every single word that Axie oh wrote for this book was so beautiful I will be talking about it for life .
Mina is not the sea God's bride until she jumps in place of the person who is and then her fate is tied to something or rather someone she never thought of.
The girl who fell beneath the sea is a retelling of a Korean folklore, of a God that has been curse , of people who are suffering for it and only the true bride of the sea god can mend it .
Mina was a strong , lovable main character, you find yourself rooting for her from the very beginning. Lord shin is the ever so charming love interest who was totally able to swoon me over with his beautiful dialogs and heartwarming character . The found family , one bed , caring for the hurt one , enemies to lovers all the tropes worked so well with one another making it a 5 star read and one of my favorite books ever . Even the plots twists left me shook and wanting to read more .
Even though the start was a bit slow , it gains pace and doesn't let your attention wander around .
I love Axie oh's books and this one was no different, thank you so much netgalley and hodder & stoughton for providing me an arc , will review it on all my socials closer to the release date .

I was so excited to be able to access this book early and it didn’t disappoint! Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early!

With Axie Oh’s previous novel XOXO being one of my favourites from this year, I was incredibly excited to receive an ARC of The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea. Unfortunately this book didn’t quite live up to my rather high expectations, but I still found it to be an enjoyable read.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea follows Mina, a girl who sacrifices herself to the sea god in place of her older brother’s girlfriend. She is transported into a world of spirits and gods where she must figure out how to return to her home before she too becomes a spirit after a month passes in this strange new world.
One of the main highlights for me was the character of Mina. She was very courageous and full of heart, and I thought that she developed well over the course of the story instead of staying one-note. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the other characters. The side characters felt very underdeveloped, especially considering how often they were on page. I really enjoyed the character of the sea god, but again, wish I had learned more about him over the course of the book. Though several plot twists and reveals fleshed characters out a little more, this often felt rather out of the blue, and not backed up by any of the previous events in the book.
On that note, much of the plot felt similarly unpredictable. There were many twists left unexplained and often solutions seemed to come out of nowhere at the perfect moment, simply out of convenience rather than anything that had been developed over the course of the novel. Despite this, the plot was largely enjoyable, it was fast paced and perhaps could have spent longer in some moments to flesh out characters and storylines further, but it never dragged or became boring.
The main stand out factor of this book, bringing it up to a four-star rating where it otherwise would have been three, was the writing style and atmosphere. This book has been compared to the Ghibli film Spirited Away, and to me it feels like a very apt comparison. The worldbuilding was stunningly whimsical, and the writing was lush and descriptive, really drawing me in. I wish the book had focused more on these elements than the slightly contrived plot, there didn’t need to be so much going on, and it would have had longer to linger in these quieter moments which were often the best parts of the book.
Overall I did enjoy this book, though the plot felt sometimes rushed and confusing, the stunning writing and atmosphere made it a joy to read nonetheless.

Axie Oh has done it once more!

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing book!
This was such an intriguing read that kept my heart beating throughout the whole book. The plot and it's premise, the characters, the relationships were all amazing! I absolutely loved it. This is certainly a great book to read and wrap my year with!
The chemistry and relationships between the characters was so sweet and cute, and the way that the romance built up along with the plot kept me hooked on. I absolutely love Mina and Shin! They are amazing, and so cute.
The plot was also well built and I loved how Axie laid it out and wrote it. The writing was very calming to me and it made me enjoy the book even more!
You should definitely read this book soon! It is amazing!!

For one hundred years, deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland. Each year a woman is sacrificed to appease the Sea God.
To save her bother, Mina sacrifices herself, dropping deep into the ocean and down into the Spirit Realm – a city of lesser Gods and mythical creatures. But her time is running out, in a month she will turn into a spirit herself; so she must convince the Sea God to help her people.

This is a story of hope, love and the bonds that tie people together.

I loved this book. It was so emotional, so magical to read. Mina was such a great character, and she was constantly surrounded by so many good people, and learning about their interesting or heart-breaking stories. The world was so gorgeous to see on the page. This is definitely a favourite of mine, it's so reminiscent of fairy tales, so magical and vivid; so it deserves the hype.


TW // death mentioned, injury

Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
It was AMAZING and truly magical experience even though the first person narrative will always be something I don't prefer, but the book deserves the 5 star rate, even with this issue. The beginning starts a little slow, but the moment Mina meets Shin, Namgi and Kirin the gears start to turn and from there on you're more and more engrossed by the story with every single page. The spirit world is described beautifully and makes you long to be there with Mina herself. The characters are mysterious, intriguing, deep, complex and totally win your heart over the course of the story. The story involves themes like the true meaning of fate and the importance of family love and bonds. We have rich magical world filled with complex gods and mythical creatures and slow-burn, bittersweet romance. The entire book is magnificent magical experience which I recommend to everyone!

Spirited Away is my favorite Studio Ghibli film and so I was really excited to read The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea . Having been a fan of Axie Oh's writing since reading her YA contemporary earlier this year, I knew I would love this book. And I did. One of my favourite parts about this book was the worldbuilding; the way the locations in the book were described was so beautiful.

Mina was a wonderful character; brave and courageous and so full of love for her family, that I knew she would become my favourite. The development she undergoes, as she traverses across the spirit realm and faces many difficult tasks and truths, was amazing to see. Another one of my favourite things about this book was Mina's relationship with Shin; it was full of tension and angst and I loved how things turned out for them. Shin was also an amazing, complex and well-written character with a great arc in the story. Mina also had, on her side, an incredible supporting cast of characters, all of whom played a part in making this book so awesome to read.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is the perfect, short and fast paced standalone fantasy that you can finish really quickly! I highly recommend this one and I cannot wait to hold a physical copy in my hands!

I absolutely adored the mythology in THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA. If you're looking for a diverse story that reads like a fairytale, with sprinklings of the wonderful world building of Elizabeth Lim's work then I suggest you look no further.

The action starts pretty much as soon as the story does, which I did find a bit off putting at first. I would have preferred more of a build up and to get to know our main character Mina a bit more before everything kicked off! The story upholds this breakneck speed throughout and I will say it does make for a very quick read, I'd finished over half the story without even realising it, I became that immersed in Mina and her adventures in the spirit world.

I loved all the characters that were introduced, especially the main Mina who consistently showed herself to be a very determined and resilient girl. I really liked the focus on family and bonds and the themes were lovingly explored throughout.

Overall I'd recommend this to anyone who likes books with a more fairytale-like quality. Oh has managed to write a story that has a lovely Ghibli quirkiness to it, with a very heartfelt message about fate and family at its core. I'll definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with the e-ARC.

Thank you to the publisher for my earc of this book! I was so highly anticipating this book and it didn’t disappoint.
With themes of fate, family, love, gods & faith and sacrifice, this was an immersive but easy fantasy read, with descriptive world building that wasn’t too heavy. Great for when you need escapism and reads with a fairytale-like and dream-like feel sometimes which I loved. Lots of important messages in this book too about love, respect and fate/destiny. Definitely recommend!

AHHHH I LOVE IT. Man, it’s been forever since I finished a book in a day— that’s how good this book is. Highly recommend it for anyone who likes Elizabeth Lim's writing (The Blood of the Stars duology, Six Crimson Cranes duology).

The story wastes no time plunging Mina into the Spirit Realm, immediately pulling you in at a pace that never faltered throughout the whole story. I ended up racing through the book without realizing it!

The story is tight and consistent with the way it applies the idea of storytelling. Mina grew up with a storytelling grandmother, and these stories give us a richer idea of the mythologies and beliefs in Mina's world. Additionally, her grandmother influenced Mina to be a storyteller herself, and it came in handy while overcoming her obstacles.

Now for some quickfire compliments: Mina is amazing; the Studio Ghibli reference is excellent; the romance, though slow to build up (which is good!), was cute; the supporting cast is fantastic and nuanced; and the ending, while bittersweet, is satisfying.

Overall, this is a beautiful fantastical retelling of Shim Cheong that places storytelling at its core.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with the e-ARC.

I'm afraid this one was a DNF for me. There wasn't really anything I disliked but it just wasn't working for me, I can't place my finger on why.

Thank you for the chance to try it, sorry I couldn't finish it. Maybe I'll give it another try in the future.

Book review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh 4/5⭐

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a beautiful retelling of the classic Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong,”

In this story we follow Mina, whose land has been disturbed by deadly storms for decades. Floods take away entire villages, which makes people turn on eachother for the scraps.
Mina and her people believe in the gods, especially the Sea God. The stories tell us that once upon a time he was the protector of the people, but now he will destroy them if he is not served a new bride every year.
So the villagers throw a maiden into the water each year, hoping that one of them will be his "true bride" and end the suffering of the town.

One night, the next girl is about to be sacrificed Shim Cheong. But she is the beloved of Mina's brother Joon. She does not want him to despair and loose his happiness. So she saves them by offering herself as the new bride, and ends up in the spirit realm going on a special quest before her time runs out and she will be stuck there without a soul forever.

The story is beautiful. Mina is such a loving character, the fierce love she feels for her brother and the theme of family and ancestors throughout this novel is well done.
Even though it is a short book, I love the introductions into the different gods and their motives as wel ad the different mystical creatures.
Mina's memories of her grandmother made me feel for her so much. How she retells her stories because she understands how important they are. How she experiences the lessons they bring, was beautiful.

To be honest, I need more Korean inspired fantasy because it is stunning!

A sumptuous fairy-tale world to dive into full of whimsy and heart. Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli!

Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

I liked the writing style a lot; it was an easy, good read because of it. The characters and world building were good. The way the reader gets information through stories told by the main character is also something I liked a lot because these are stories in the first place told by her grandmother and it’s a character I grew into.

There is only one thing I didn’t like and it’s something that annoys me more then when I was younger. It is when in YA books the main character, in this book 16 years old, has to marry someone. Let them grow up and find their own way without having to marry so young.

An absolutely beautiful retelling of a Korean myth with enchanting world building and a gutsy heroine. The story builds slowly, pulling you in to the magical world of gods and monsters and introducing a cast of characters both good and evil. There's a loving family with a wise grandmother whose stories are peppered throughout the plot, deep friendship, loyalty and love. Altogether an excellent, enthralling read.

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~•
🍃
"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.
🍃

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.
🍃
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.
🍃

" 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. "