Reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away and The Little Mermaid, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea possesses a fairytale-like and dreamy quality, similar to the stories that Mina tells the Sea God within the book. However, the believability of the relationships the characters formed and the trials they go through suffer due to it's length. At just under 350 or so pages, it is a relatively easy and short read despite it's complexity and rich worldbuilding.

Plot, Prose and Pacing: A Familiar Story Told At Breakneck Speed

Unlike most fantasies, everything in The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea happens at breakneck speed although there was a bit of a crawl in the middle. Plagued by violent storms that destroy everything in it's path believed to be brought upon by the Sea God's wrath, the ancient belief is that only his bride is able to temper his anger and bring peace to the earth. And, every year, a maiden is sacrificed in the hopes that she is the destined one to stop the storms once and for all. That year, Shim Cheong, the love of Mina's brother's life, is the chosen one. To save both Shim Cheong and her brother, Mina sacrifices herself in Shim Cheong's stead and enters the Spirit Realm, a world she knows only through her grandmother's stories. However, Mina discovers that the Sea God is in fact trapped in an enchanted sleep and his brides have never been able to wake him up or fulfill their destinies. But Mina is desperate to save her home. Accompanied by a brooding and mysterious man, Shin, and a colourful cast of characters, she sets out to wake the Sea God. But there are those who would see the Sea God continue in his eternal slumber and would stop at nothing to ensure Mina doesn't achieve her goal.

[Non-plot spoilers ahead]

The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea is surprisingly fast-paced and short for a story and world that is so rich and complex. There are multiple elements and plot lines introduced that are not fully expanded upon such as Shin stealing Mina's voice when she first enters the Spirit Realm — I still can't understand what was the point of stealing her voice only to have it returned almost immediately. It seemingly served no reason at all except to have the both of them meet and end up working together.

Furthermore, the tensions introduced (Mina's humanity expiration date and the Sea God's enemies) felt completely lackluster. Human souls can only last about a month in the Spirit Realm before they become spirits but we don't see the effects of this tension; nothing happens to Mina despite being told that she'll become a spirit within a month and won't be able to return to the human world. This is a similar concept to Disney's Coco whereby Miguel slowly becomes more translucent over time but with Mina, there's nothing. She doesn't weaken, she doesn't lose some human senses etc.

What frustrated me the most, however, was how Mina was constantly attacked and hunted down by the Sea God's enemies but the fights are almost ridiculous with how unnervingly quickly they begin and are then resolved. The Sea God's town was seemingly attacked but we don't see the repercussions of the attack. There is no lasting fear and no apparent threat. It feels like a waste — is it because I've been spoiled by epic fantasies that are drawn out over weeks, months with epic and violent fight scenes and even more devastating consequences. The villains are incredibly one-dimensional and have no reason to want to keep the Sea God asleep nor any reason to even be his enemy; they seemed to have been thrown in for the sake of the "aesthetic". The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea would have been a stronger, more poetic story if it had focused on creating tension through Mina's humanity rather than introduce a villain whose name I can barely remember and whose motivations are pretty much non-existent.

One thing I do want to note is that I predicted the ending way before it came, which is unusual for me. I'm normally quite simple-minded when it comes to books and I never predict any endings no matter how obvious they may be. But I saw this one coming from a mile away! Take that however you will.

I do believe the breakneck pace with which The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is told and it’s length meant that there left little room for multiple things such as character growth and richer worldbuilding, contributing to a very surface level story told and a very rushed ending that was not satisfactory at all.

Characters: Underutilised and Unappreciated

None of the characters are completely unlikeable but this is because the book is so short yet crammed so many elements in, there is no space for the characters to develop beyond the way they were introduced. Save for Shin and Mina, the rest remained fairly mundane and tended to blend into one another.

Just to give you an example, Shin has two loyal friends and followers who go where he goes but beyond the fact that one is a grumpy and the other is a flirty sunshine, there is little to no backstory nor personality beyond being Shin’s squad. And their personalities barely had any weight to the story; one of the characters has a tie to the Sea God’s enemies but the relationship doesn’t carry much weight. Without the connection to the enemy clan, he still would have been able to play his role.

The cast of characters in The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is extensive, rich and colourful but they’re so underutilised that it’s disappointing! That’s my only gripe with the characters: they’re so wasted in the grand scheme of the book. They show up for the scene and a specific purpose and are then relegated to the background.

However, what I do really love about Shin and Mina is how beautifully Oh writes their relationships. Despite me complaining multiple times about how short it is and how the book suffers, Shin and Mina’s relationship really shone through and I fell in love with them over and over again as the book progressed. The enemies to lovers but are stuck together and need to survive together is a tried and true formula that works here and manages to succeed at it's goal of making you feel for their relationship.

Worldbuilding: Underwhelming But Still Beautiful And Complex

With a concept and fairytale-like quality that feels utterly complex, I had expected a rich, mythology laden story spanning multiple realms featuring dashing adventures and colourful characters. Instead, I got a watered down fairytale that delivered on the feels but lacks a lot of the finesse to compete in today’s YA landscape. And by finesse, once again, I mean length. It takes a superbly skilled author to be able to craft a rich and detailed world in so few pages. While I don’t doubt that Oh is incredibly talented at their craft, I can’t help but feel like something is missing.

There was little explanation given to the process the brides undergo when they enter the Spirit Realm nor what happens to them. We meet one other Sea God bride but we don’t learn much about her story.

Early on, Mina is declared as a storyteller but there’s no prelude to that! She was never truly shown to be a storyteller at all.

We are introduced to a couple of gods who reside in Houses but we’re not given an insight as to how these Houses came about, what’s the hierarchy

We’re introduced to the ring string of fate but it’s a concept we’re expected to know; we’re not given much information about it’s implications within this world

We’re introduced to a fascinating process about how spirits come to reside in the Spirit Realm but not much more; it becomes a tool for a little action instead of a concept

The lore behind the magical and spiritual creatures is introduced but barely explored; it serves only the plot and then disappears after

However, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea expects you to accept and take all these details at face value without truly expanding on them.

I can go on with just how these fascinating elements are introduced but only as plot devices and then tucked away neatly once they have served their purpose. It’s incredibly frustrating as I know there’s potential for so much more, especially as The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a retelling of the Korean folktale, “The Tale of Shim Cheong”, which Mina recites to the Sea God in the story. It is loosely a story about filial piety which unfortunately, fails to hit its mark in terms of themes. Mina doesn’t exactly demonstrate filial piety in her actions but rather acts as a reluctant Chosen One.

Did I Enjoy It?: Conclusion

Contrary to what my review says above, I did quite enjoy reading The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. It is a super beautiful and lush story and world, vividly described and experienced. It was intended to be a feminist retelling and while I can’t really see how it is inherently feminist (calling a YA book feminist this days lacks a lot of the shock value it used to carry — the genre in itself is feminist) , it is a story about strong and independent women. I really loved Mina’s devotion to her family and how she carried herself with so much fierceness, grace and poise. I also really loved how it revolved around family and duty, two themes so ingrained into Asian culture and heritage.

Although The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea suffers in multiple avenues and I wished it would have been so much longer so we could learn more about the Spirit Realm and the characters, it is still a worthwhile read if only to temporarily experience the ethereal word that Oh has crafted.

I will be honest with you. I picked up this book because of its cover. While reading it though I came to love it.
It is an Asian mythology retelling and I really liked the author's writing style and interpretation of the myth. It is a whimsical story that reads like a fairytale. I lived the characters and the setting / world building. The dynamics between the characters was really good. There are some satisfying plot twists that made me gasp but they answered many questions.
The fated love and the chosen one tropes are in the story. So , if you like these tropes as well as retelling you will like this book too.

Fell in love with this book as soon as I saw the cover and I thoroughly enjoyed the story within the pages of this gorgeous cover!

It was imaginative, mythological and I was wrapped up in the story from the first page and I just love it when that happens.

Thank you to Netgalley, author and publisher for my Earc.

This was a stunning, fast-paced and imaginative story that had all the warmth and worry of Spirited Away and Studio Ghibli in a spirit Realm beneath the sea.

In a small village on a coastline that has been ravaged by deadly storms for 100 years lives Mina. Raised by her grandmother and loyal to her brothers and sister-in-law, Mina would do anything to keep them safe. Including sacrificing herself as the Sea God's bride, so that her brother can stay with his love.

But below the sea is the Spirit Realm, a magical place, but still one where sprits war with each other for power, where spirits can die, and where they too wonder whether the Sea God will ever awake.

For Mina, it is more than about waking up the Sea God and saving her family, however. The true Emperor also disappeared when the Sea God raged, and it has caused decades of upheaval and misery across the land.

It's been years since I last watched Spirited Away and reading this book felt like coming home - so much was gently familiar, but with slightly different details that still made things feel fresh and new.

I found some of the rules of the Spirit Realm a little confusing and rushed, especially relating to the Red String of Fate, but I soon allowed myself to get swept up in the whole story and loved it just as well.

4.5 stars overall.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a gorgeous book. Beautifully written, full of love, mythology and bravery. I'm in awe. The way its written draws you in from page one, the world building is phenomenal and so full of imagination and creativity. The characters are immediately likeable and relatable.

I've seen a few people compare this to 'Spirited Away' and I can kind of see why, but it definitely stands on its own.

I adored everything about this book. 10/10. Will 100% be rereading.
Overall rating: 5 stars⭐

I really enjoyed this book, the story felt almost familiar to me, it was well written and keeps you hooked.

This was a fun read!

We follow Mina, who takes the place of the next sea god's bride and ventures into another world- the spirit realm. There she meets friends and foes and finds love in an unlikely boy after her soul is trapped. I really loved the writing- it was beautiful anf whimsical. I really love how this book is compared to Studio Ghibli, because I really got that from it, as Mina finds friends in spirits and sees many beings who reminded me of animation from for example, Howl's moving castle. I really liked Mina and Shin's relationship. Although I found that the romance was too fast for me, I was rooting for Mina to return back home. There was a lot of travelling in the spiritual sense in this book, and I'm glad that it's a standalone as it wraps the story up really well.

The pacing for the first half of the book was quite slow as we get to know more of the world, but it got better near the end as all the loose ends were being tied up. The world is so large, but I did want just a little bit more. We got a lot of history and mythology and I liked the descriptions of clothing and the settings- they were so magical and imaginative.

Overall, this is a great book for someone starting off with light fantasy reads. It's magical and wonderful, and makes you want to root for an MC like Mina!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc.

OMG i loved this book so much!! it was so magical and whimsical and ugh, i loved everything about it! axie oh delivers again with an amazing book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've never read any of Axie Oh's work before, and I wasn't completely swept away by the writing style. I felt we didn't really get enough character development for my liking, though this is perhaps understandable for a standalone novel of less than 300 pages. However, Oh's worldbuilding is very impressive and I did like the plot and particularly the ending.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a Korean folktale inspired fantasy retelling. The book is narrated by Mina, an ordinary girl living in a village by the sea, who sacrifices herself for her brother's love. She takes the place of the chosen girl to become the bride of the Sea God. She has to work together with mythical creatures to wake the Sea God and save her people.

I personally love folktale retellings, have read a lot in the genre. This was the first I read that was inspired by Korean folktales, so everything came as a surprise. Probably someone who is more familiar with these stories would have had a different experience, but I went into this completely blank.

I really liked the book, mainly because the characters were lifelike and relatable. Mina was a great main character, her narration style was easy to follow and engaging. I loved her budding friendship with Namgi, and also the romantic plot line was nice. The writing style was poetic and flowery at places, but it was very fitting to the vibe overall, it did not break the immersion the story created.

After reading this book, I am excited to read Oh's other books she had published before. I'm also excited about the prospect of buying this book for myself, as the cover is gorgeous, and I need it on my self.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea follows Mina, who grew up listening to the tales of the Sea God and the countless women who have been offered to him as brides in order to appease his wrath and the annual storms that he sends. This year, Mina sacrificed herself instead of Shim Cheong, who was believed to be the Sea God’s true bride due to her incomparable beauty, in order to let her beloved brother Joon live a happy life with his only love.

What Mina doesn’t know is that her small sacrifice will soon turn into a riveting adventure, one where she’ll have to wake up the Sea God himself and face the gods while unravelling mysteries that have been long buried under the majestic ocean.

“My grandmother always says to pay attention to stories, for there are often truths hidden within.”

Mina was a perfect protagonist to follow; she’s brave yet sympathetic and never fails to learn and grow from the smallest of things. Though everyone might think that she’s a typical YA protagonist who sacrificed herself to save the world, she’s much more than that. She truly cares about the people she loves and is willing to go to great lengths for them—even if it’s dangerous for her.

I really liked how compassionate she was towards her mission. No matter how difficult things got, Mina never let them stop her from doing her best to break the Sea God’s curse and free him from his loneliness and despair.

“That’s just like a human to think the world revolves around you, to think the rivers are for you, the sky, the sea is for you. You are just one of many parts of the world, and in my opinion, the one that blights them all.”


When an author writes about relationships–whether they may be romantic or platonic, with several dynamics, it always adds a touch of reality to the story, as relationships can’t always be idealistic. Axie Oh managed to create immaculate bonds between all the characters in this book, my personal favourite being Mina, finding people with whom she can resonate in a scary and unfamiliar place.

I really liked how the concept of the red string of fate was incorporated into Mina and Shin’s romance. Though I feel that their romance progressed a bit too fast, it was very genuine and enjoyable nonetheless!

“Which destiny belongs to me? Which destiny will I grasp on to with both hands and never, never let go?”

Axie Oh’s prose is very magical and flowy. It will instantly transport you into the vivid and gorgeous world that she has created. With descriptions being spot-on and easily digestible, you’ll find yourself longing for more and more.

This story is also a reimagining of the Korean legend of Shim Cheong. Even though the book retells this myth from a different perspective, it is flawlessly able to capture the vibes of the original tale whilst also creating an assortment of original storylines.

Overall, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a tale of love, courage, and fate woven together with the perfect thread. With a strong female protagonist and extremely lush descriptions, it is sure to draw you in for a fast, action-packed adventure into the sea realm.

“Don’t chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you.”

This is probably the easiest five star I’ve ever given!

I am mesmerised by how this book was so complex and intricately detailed while also being such an easy effortless read.

The writing is so astonishingly beautiful and the story has a lot to teach about courage.

I loved every second I spent with my head inside this book and I can guarantee this is a lifelong favourite!

"I am the maker of my own destiny."

This was such an addictive story. It is so beautifully written which made it so hard to put down. Mina is such a brave character who grows throughout the story and has continued faith and determination to save her family and her people which I really admired.

I loved all the spirits that we meet. Mask, Dai and Miki offered a nice amount of comfort to the story which Shin, Namgi and heck, even Kirin, brought a different sense of friendship and togetherness.

I was absolutely bawling my eyes out by the end.

I say that this book would be perfect for lovers of myths, sea gods and other worlds, and badass main female characters.

Thank you so much to the publishers for providing me with an eArc of the book in exchange for my honest review!

The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea tells the story of Mina, who sacrifices herself to become the Sea God’s bride and save her brother’s beloved. I absolutely adored this book and it’s easily in my top reads so far this year.
The world building was luscious and detailed, and I could easily picture the fantastic world beneath the sea. I really liked the whole cast of characters, from Miki, Dai and Mask, the trio of spirits that help Mina in her efforts to break the curse placed on the Sea God, to the mysterious Lord Shin, serious Kirin and light-hearted and flirty Namgi.
If you enjoy re-tellings, Asian folklore and Studio Ghibli aesthetics (I have seen comparisons drawn to Spirited Away and fully agree that it evoked this vibe), then you will love this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an electronic copy in exchange for a review!

I'm not sure what it was about this book that just didn't work for me. Almost right away I knew I wasn't going to enjoy it and whilst I pushed on, it just continued to not work for me. I couldn't connect to the plot or characters at all and it just went over my head. I struggled to keep up with what was going on because I couldn't stay interested in what was happening. I think it has a lot of promise and has a lovely whimsical feel but this just wasn't the book for me at all.

Growing up one of my favourite things to read were folktales from around the world. So when I found out this book was inspired by a Korean Folktale, honestly that was all I needed to know to make it one of my anticipated releases of 2022. And I loved it! The author brings to life Mina's world with such lush imagery that its a joy to visualise. I loved that we were plunged into the heart of the story from the very first page. It starts with Mina sacrificing herself in the place of the one her brother loves, to appease the Sea God. When Mina wakes in the Spirit Realm we finally find out the cursed fate that has befallen the Sea God, the repurcussions of which her people were feeling back in the mortal realm. The adventure Mina goes on in the hopes of finally succeeding where a hundred Sea God Brides before her have failed tests her to her limit, but she has determination and unlikely allies and friends along the way to help her. Mina was such a pure soul, all that she did was driven by her love for others and it was so easy to root for her. It was also easy to see why so many were drawn to help her too. I loved seeing the Spirit Realm and finding out how it all worked, how the spirits ended up there and how gods, creatures and spirits co-existed. The author does a wonderful job of weaving these explanations in the form of remembered folktales and past conversations so that it felt like we were getting stories within stories. This was a joy to read from start to finish. I found it easy to get lost in this world full of gods/goddesses/spirits and luscious story telling. Utterly captivating. Highly recommend to all.

3.5🌟
I found this so hard to rate because at times I loved it then at times it really didn't do it for me. I found it hard to get into as there is no build up to the story were just thrown into Mina going below the sea and plonked right into the story. It took a while to get my head around who was who and what was going on but I did eventually get into it and enjoyed it overall but I thought there could have been bits that were built up more. I really enjoyed the relationship between Mina, Shin and his friends and I liked the overall outcome of the story. Would definitely like to try another book by this author in the future.

This was so endearingly wholesome 😭 the start was a bit of trek to get through but it picked up after 80 pages or so and I'm glad I didn't DNF. You've heard this a lot but this really is reminiscent of Spirited Away. Its as though the movie exists in book form until the author puts her own spin on the legend of Shim Cheong and bestows on us a truly moving story of family, love and sacrifice. Theres also drama and twists galore so if you like a little chaos in your books, check this one out! I really appreciated the different loves explored, especially the one between Mina and her family members. I didn't know I could be moved to tears by the immense love family and ancestors have for each other and I'm really glad I got to experience this. We often see romantic love explored in this genre but it was refreshing to experience a change.

Thank you to Hodder for gifting me an ARC for review!

A mythical tale of courage, loyalty and sacrifice.

The story begins on a night when the Sea God's bride is being sacrificed and thrown into the sea. But Mina jumps into the sea in her place, to save her brother from heartbreak. She lands in the Spirit Realm, where she meets Shin, the master of the Lotus House and learns that the Sea God is cursed, asleep for a hundred years. In response, Mina decides she will find a way to lift the curse and save the god and her people. She's aided by a group of unlikely and sometimes inhuman allies and some mysterious spirits.

'The girl who fell beneath the sea' felt like a folklore story. With the dialogues often filled with grand words and moral remarks, while we went through multiple challenges and meaningful meetings at a quick pace. I enjoyed the characters we got to meet, including some mythical beasts and fierce goddesses. What's more, the world building was really intriguing, and I wish we had more time to spend exploring the Spirit Realm. The plot felt like a set of separate tasks Mina had to go through to solve the mystery, like ticking off boxes more than organic development. But despite that, the whole story was truly engaging and captivating, I had a lot of fun following this story.

For me this book was pure joy from the start to finish. I really really really like the idea of mortal girl being entangled with a deity. But it's very rare to see it done right. In my not-so-humble opinion, with the exception of Gods of Jade and Shadow, this is the only book that got it right.

This book has literally everything I want, a fast-paced story, an immersive setting with very strong visual elements, and of course, a slow-burn romance that at times seems impossible. It's so rare to see a debut author getting all of these elements right, but the way these are woven together in this book is nothing short of magical.

I re-read this right after I finished reading it for the first time. So yup, it's that good. Just read it already.