The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
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- Create Date：2022-02-23 07:19:44
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Axie Oh
- ISBN：1250780861
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Summary
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations。 Floods sweep away entire villages， while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources。 Her people believe the Sea God， once their protector， now curses them with death and despair。 In an attempt to appease him， each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride， in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering。
Many believe that Shim Cheong， the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride。 But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed， Joon follows Cheong out to sea， even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence。 To save her brother， Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead。
Swept away to the Spirit Realm， a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts， Mina seeks out the Sea God， only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep。 With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons， gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all。
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…
Many believe that Shim Cheong， the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride。 But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed， Joon follows Cheong out to sea， even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence。 To save her brother， Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead。
Swept away to the Spirit Realm， a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts， Mina seeks out the Sea God， only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep。 With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons， gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all。
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…
Reviews
Alexandra
，
“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”。I was charmed from the very first page。 The first evening I read 70 pages non-stop - which for me is a big and very rare deal！ I fell beyond the sea with Mina into the extraordinary， mesmerising world of Korean mythology。 Every turn of events was so fresh and unexpected， the characters - enigmatic and irresistible！ Shin， Namgi and Kirin stole my heart， I want to rea “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”。I was charmed from the very first page。 The first evening I read 70 pages non-stop - which for me is a big and very rare deal！ I fell beyond the sea with Mina into the extraordinary， mesmerising world of Korean mythology。 Every turn of events was so fresh and unexpected， the characters - enigmatic and irresistible！ Shin， Namgi and Kirin stole my heart， I want to read about their adventures and everyday-interactions all the time！Mina and her brother have the most heartfelt relationship。 And I was also so touched by the story of Dai and Miki。 I was so glad to unravel their secrets during the course of the book， very gradually and still having more surprises to come。 I have never read a book on Korean mythology before， and Axie Oh made me fall in love with it。 I am now hungry for such stories！There’s so much I want to say about The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea， and it’s only the good things。 How it’s sweet， and vivid， and wise all at the same time。Special awe is reserved for the team behind the cover - I cannot name any other book where outside and inside represent each other so perfectly！ The art and design are remarkable and magical！Reading this book was a pure joy。 I am both glad and saddened to have finished it， it was such a beautiful experience。 I hope the Goddess of Moon and Memory will let me keep all the precious details about this story。Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me fall in love with Mina's story！ 。。。more
Susanna
，
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a YA retelling of Hayao Miyazaki’s animation Spirited Away。 Mina， the sole point of view character， is a girl of sixteen living in a seaside village in a vaguely Asian world。 To save her brother from heartbreak， she sacrifices herself to the Sea God instead of the girl chosen for it to stop storms that have ravaged the country for a century。A dragon leads her to a world beneath the sea where the spirits of the dead live in a large city。 But instead of becomin The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a YA retelling of Hayao Miyazaki’s animation Spirited Away。 Mina， the sole point of view character， is a girl of sixteen living in a seaside village in a vaguely Asian world。 To save her brother from heartbreak， she sacrifices herself to the Sea God instead of the girl chosen for it to stop storms that have ravaged the country for a century。A dragon leads her to a world beneath the sea where the spirits of the dead live in a large city。 But instead of becoming the Sea God’s bride， her soul is taken away。 She has one month to find it or she becomes a spirit too。But everything is not well in the city of spirits。 The Sea God is under a curse that prevents him from ruling and stopping the storms。 Political machinations aim at removing him from the throne。 Mina sets out to break the curse， as it’s the only way to save her world。It’s a book about family， friendships， destiny， and of course fated love。 Bound to first one and then another inhabitant of the spirit world， Mina has to figure out her true heart in order to break the curse。The world is fairly simple。 I would’ve wanted more done with the fish and sea surrounding the spirit city and at times I struggled to remember the place is supposed to be Chinese， but everything described has its place。This is an easy read: the chapters are short， and the language isn’t complicated。 The plot advances organically and if there aren’t great surprises—at least if you’ve seen Spirited Away—the small twists and turns are where they should be。 Despite the age of the protagonists， it’s maybe a tad naïve for the intended audience， but it’s perfect for the middle grade readers and soft-hearted adults。I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Diana Luu
，
I received an ARC for an honest review and I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you。 IF YOU ARE SEEING MY REVIEW， READ， BUY， OR BORROW THIS BOOK。 This story wove SUCH an amazing tale filled with folklore， dragons， red string of fates and gods and goddesses。 And not to worry， there’s romance involved！ Mina who is our main character in chapter one， blindly jumps into the sea to save her brother and if that is not what hooks you， the world building will。 She is catapulted into a world who is out I received an ARC for an honest review and I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you。 IF YOU ARE SEEING MY REVIEW， READ， BUY， OR BORROW THIS BOOK。 This story wove SUCH an amazing tale filled with folklore， dragons， red string of fates and gods and goddesses。 And not to worry， there’s romance involved！ Mina who is our main character in chapter one， blindly jumps into the sea to save her brother and if that is not what hooks you， the world building will。 She is catapulted into a world who is out to kill her and every one is finding out that she is hard to kill with so much luck on her side。 She is in bad luck when Shin cuts off her “destiny” and steals her voice。She goes on a journey to find her voice and then along the way finds friendship， purpose， and love just in time to save her family & friends。 If that doesn’t help you get this book， there is a WHO DID THIS TO YOU trope， an enemies to lover， a I killed who hurt you trope 🤣 soul mates trope， AND forbidden lovers。 Honestly， the plot twist had me crying。 I was just crying cause I was so touched by this book。 I’m giving it five stars and I wish I could give it ten 😭 。。。more
Tayler
，
A beautiful story based off a Korean Fairytale！ i highly reccomend
Samantha
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I really enjoyed this！ Beautiful story telling， I thought the pace moved really well。 I only wish it was slightly longer and we got a bit more depth the h an H’s falling in love as it felt a little quick。 But I still really loved this story 😍
Ananya ♡
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I've seen a lot of reviews comparing this book to Spirited Away and honestly Studio Ghibli as a whole is my religion so I'm beyond excited to read this。 Also that cover， she's the moment。 I've seen a lot of reviews comparing this book to Spirited Away and honestly Studio Ghibli as a whole is my religion so I'm beyond excited to read this。 Also that cover， she's the moment。 。。。more
Jessica Paz
，
** thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me an early copy in exchange for my honest review **“I was angry but not at you。 I was angry at the fate Id been given。 Because I realized that in order for you to have what you want， I’d have to lose the only thing I've ever wanted。”I must confess that it was hard for me to get into this book but not the book's fault。 First， after reading the Daughter of the Moon Goddess， I fell into a slump， and secondly， I was readin ** thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me an early copy in exchange for my honest review **“I was angry but not at you。 I was angry at the fate Id been given。 Because I realized that in order for you to have what you want， I’d have to lose the only thing I've ever wanted。”I must confess that it was hard for me to get into this book but not the book's fault。 First， after reading the Daughter of the Moon Goddess， I fell into a slump， and secondly， I was reading this book at night when I went to bed and my eyes failed me and I would fall asleep。 The book started with a BAM！ as we entered the meat of the plot right in the first chapters。 After that， I struggled to get past each chapter， and I was confused as to what each character did and what was going on like it was diverting from the main plot。 As I got past the halfway mark I grasped the concept better and from there I could see the whole picture and how everything tied in together or did I？ Mina was such a sweet loving character， though at first， I was a bit frustrated with her I understood what the author wanted to do with her arc。 I liked how every character had a reason for being， they were not just the loyal friend or the funny side character， there was an underlying motive and I can tell you that the scene where Mina visits her ancestor’s house moved me to tears and books rarely do that for me。 It also gave a beautiful moment with Mina and the love interest that tugged at my heartstrings and I re-read those pages a few times。“Well？” I say， lifting my hand。 “Will you accept it？” But instead of taking the pebble， he slips his hand over mine， the pebble pressed between our palms， holding it tight。 “If I take it，” he says， “ I won't ever let go” There were some twists that I did not see coming but made a lot of sense， the author did a great job at connecting everything。 I would've loved a more dramatic ending but I still liked how it all tied up neatly and gave the reader a moment to engulf in the outcome of Mina’s adventure。 Overall， I would recommend buying this book that has a beautiful world with an eerie， dream-like setting that sweeps you away with an excellent story。review will be up 02/21 。。。more
Christi M
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"After all， not all storytellers are grandmothers， but all grandmothers are storytellers"An enchanting tale where a girl is whisked into the Spirit Realm。 Once there she must find a way to awaken the Sea God in time for her to return to the Mortal Realm。 "Down into the darkness we sink， until the sea above me is the sky， and we - the dragon and I - are like falling stars。" For generations， Mina's homeland has been cursed with deadly storms brought about by the wrath of the Sea God。 It is "After all， not all storytellers are grandmothers， but all grandmothers are storytellers"An enchanting tale where a girl is whisked into the Spirit Realm。 Once there she must find a way to awaken the Sea God in time for her to return to the Mortal Realm。 "Down into the darkness we sink， until the sea above me is the sky， and we - the dragon and I - are like falling stars。" For generations， Mina's homeland has been cursed with deadly storms brought about by the wrath of the Sea God。 It is believed that only the true bride of the Sea God can calm the storms and so every year they sacrifice one maiden。 This year， the girl who is being given to the sea is the one loved by Mina's brother。 But when the dragon emerges to take the girl away it is Mina who chooses to go instead。 Upon arrival into the Spirit Realm， Mina learns that the Sea God is not angry， but cursed。 Although physically present， his mind is lost， as if hidden behind a veil。 In his absence， it is Lord Shin who handles the affairs of the realm。 One of which is to take Mina's soul。 He gives her 30 days to find her soul before she is permanently trapped in the Spirit Realm。 While there， she also decides to use the time to find a way to free the Sea God from his curse and bring peace back to the Mortal Realm。 However， in the Sea God's absence， several groups have begun power struggles against Lord Shin increasing the danger for Mina and making her tasks more difficult。 Marketed for fans of Miyazaki’s Spirited Away， I was intrigued。 Secretly， I hoped for creatures such as the enchanted soot or No-Face。 While sadly The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea， does not have these characters， it did immediately remind me of what Spirited Away was like when the realm in that movie comes to life。 Going from a place that feels almost abandoned to one that is vibrant and full of market stands。 Brightly-colored fish swim in the breeze， lanterns floating in the water。The Red String of Fate also plays a part within the story。 While the red string of fate mythology most often ties a person to their true love， in this story the mythology is left more open to interpretation with "destiny。" That is， until the story reveals itself more。 Overall， I found the story charming and magical。 I loved spending time in the Spirit Realm and with all the little things that make it unique such as The Pond of Paper Boats and River of Souls。 I did have a couple of issues that mostly relate to the development of the love match。 30 days is not that long to get to know someone and the main couple fell with each other in much less time than that。 I also had trouble understanding the motivations behind the threats the main characters faced。 But， because of the story was so enchanting I was able to put these aside as I read。I also love this cover！ There's so much to look at and take in。Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group， Feiwel & Friends for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review。 。。。more
Jes
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Get ready to be swept away by this transportive， lyrical fairy tale that will keep you turning pages and falling for it's charming characters。 This retelling of the legend of Shim Cheong is a stand out fantasy that will have you longing to pick it right back up to start again as soon as you finish。[Read the rest of this review at Allusory Book Reviews]Disclosure: This review is based on a digital galley provided by the publisher through Netgalley。 Get ready to be swept away by this transportive， lyrical fairy tale that will keep you turning pages and falling for it's charming characters。 This retelling of the legend of Shim Cheong is a stand out fantasy that will have you longing to pick it right back up to start again as soon as you finish。[Read the rest of this review at Allusory Book Reviews]Disclosure: This review is based on a digital galley provided by the publisher through Netgalley。 。。。more
Emilia Dodge
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Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC of the ebook！ Mina makes the ultimate sacrifice by replacing Shim Cheong as the Sea God’s bride。 Her ocean side village has been plagued by storms， wars and flood for almost 100 years。 Each year her country sacrifices a young woman to the Sea God as a hope to appease him。 Mina arrives in the spirit world with the goal to marry him and save her people。 Once she realizes that the Sea God is under an enchantment， she make Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC of the ebook！ Mina makes the ultimate sacrifice by replacing Shim Cheong as the Sea God’s bride。 Her ocean side village has been plagued by storms， wars and flood for almost 100 years。 Each year her country sacrifices a young woman to the Sea God as a hope to appease him。 Mina arrives in the spirit world with the goal to marry him and save her people。 Once she realizes that the Sea God is under an enchantment， she makes it her mission to save him。 I loved this book。 I am a huge fan of myth retellings especially when they are as charming as this one。 I read Oh’s book XOXO and adored it。 Her writing style is charming and wonderful。 As I was reading it， I empathized with Mina and felt connected to her。 I have nothing but good things to say about this book。 There were some portions that reminded me of Spirited Away。 As I was reading， I felt as if I was in the story with Mina。 You can find my full review on my blog， hookandbooks。com 。。。more
Ashley
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This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be！ Pitched as a retelling of the Korean folktale of Shim Cheong meets Studio Ghibli （Spirited Away in particular）， the story initially follows the original story， where a village annually sacrifices a bride to the Sea God in order to appease his wrath。 In this deviation， the protagonist Mina takes the place of Shim Cheong in order to save her brother， who loves Shim Cheong。 What follows is Mina’s quest to discover the mystery behind the Sea God a This book was exactly what I was hoping it would be！ Pitched as a retelling of the Korean folktale of Shim Cheong meets Studio Ghibli （Spirited Away in particular）， the story initially follows the original story， where a village annually sacrifices a bride to the Sea God in order to appease his wrath。 In this deviation， the protagonist Mina takes the place of Shim Cheong in order to save her brother， who loves Shim Cheong。 What follows is Mina’s quest to discover the mystery behind the Sea God and save her people and the spirit world by ending his torrential storms。 While I don’t want to dive much into the plot to avoid spoilers， there were a couple predictable developments I could see coming much earlier， but I didn’t much care: I just loved the very tender way in which author Axie Oh tells this story。 The characters are all so distinct， and mostly fantastical in this spirit world beneath the sea， but they still manage to feel so human in their longings and motivations。 Mina is a brave and hopeful heroine to root for– sacrificial at the cost of her own happiness and her desire to protect her family。 The central romance is so soft and built up in a convincing way！ There may or may not involve a red string of fate， and it was interesting to see the writer’s take on this。 The world-building behind the spirit realm is sketched maybe a bit impressionistically， but I think the Spirited Away comparison is apt in this case and those who love that film will enjoy this。 I found the light， whimsical fairytale tone of the writing to be comparable to last year’s Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim （also an Asian retelling strongly rooted in family） or with Margaret Rogerson’s An Enchantment of Ravens。 I honestly loved that this book was a standalone fantasy; when duologies， trilogies， series are common in the genre， it was nice to read a cohesive story with a comforting atmosphere to pull you right in for a day。 Thank you to Feiwel and Friends and Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Grace Viteri
，
A young woman is sacrificed to the sea every year in order to determine if she is the “true bride” of the Sea God。 If she is， marrying him will break the curse that lurks across the lands。 Cheong， the girl who is chosen this year， is in love with Mina’s older brother Joon。 Mina can’t bear seeing her brother in heartache， so she jumps into the sea to sacrifice herself instead of her brother losing his true love。 Spirited Away， Mina finds herself in a magical city where secondary gods reside。 She A young woman is sacrificed to the sea every year in order to determine if she is the “true bride” of the Sea God。 If she is， marrying him will break the curse that lurks across the lands。 Cheong， the girl who is chosen this year， is in love with Mina’s older brother Joon。 Mina can’t bear seeing her brother in heartache， so she jumps into the sea to sacrifice herself instead of her brother losing his true love。 Spirited Away， Mina finds herself in a magical city where secondary gods reside。 She soon discovers there may be more to breaking the curse of her lands than just marrying the Sea God。 This story was completely enchanting from the first words written。 I felt immersed into this world that Axie Oh created and couldn’t get enough of the characters。 There are books that have great main characters with bland side characters and books where the side characters outshine the protagonist， but this book made me fall in love with everyone。 The pacing is fantastic keeping me enchanted throughout。 I wish more books were written this way。I adored reading about a story inspired by a Korean folktale！ It was a beautiful story about family， loyalty， and love。 I saw a lot of people saying this book had Spirited Away feels， and it sure did！ Hayao Myazaki is one of my favorite directors and the storytelling of this novel flowed so beautifully like his film do。 Ughhh this story was just so beautiful I can’t stop thinking about it and the characters ！ I can’t wait to start seeing some fanart for this masterpiece！！ ***huge thanks to Netgalley for an ARC*** 。。。more
Ashe
，
Advertised as being perfect for fans of Uprooted and Spirited Away， this book delivers！ Each year a beautiful maiden is sacrificed as a wife for the Sea God to appease his wrath and bring an end to the storms that ravage their homeland。 When Mina's brother goes after his beloved， this year's sacrifice， she follows and sacrifices herself instead to save his life。 This story hits the ground running and never really stops。 There are certainly welcome lulls in the action， but I could not put this on Advertised as being perfect for fans of Uprooted and Spirited Away， this book delivers！ Each year a beautiful maiden is sacrificed as a wife for the Sea God to appease his wrath and bring an end to the storms that ravage their homeland。 When Mina's brother goes after his beloved， this year's sacrifice， she follows and sacrifices herself instead to save his life。 This story hits the ground running and never really stops。 There are certainly welcome lulls in the action， but I could not put this one down！ The characters themselves are all interesting and mysterious in their own ways。 I loved the little hints set out throughout the story。 It was not easy to predict what was coming， although I did make a few guesses along the way that turned out to be true。Further， I loved all the little bits of folktale woven into the story。 I fell in love with the world。 The characters。 The story。 Every little bit of it。 Definitely will be reading more from this author—and sorry to have missed out on it up to now！Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Rosie
，
Oh my god。 This book！！！！ I don’t know how but I feel like my heart is broken but also ready to burst。 The cover is astonishingly beautiful and it perfectly mirrors what’s inside。 Every sentence takes your breath away， it’s lyrical but not to the point of annoyance or causing misunderstanding。 I loved it！ If I had to say anything I didn’t like， I did guess one of the bigger plot twists which was actually quite exciting！ And I think it could have been longer， because I could spend weeks in that bo Oh my god。 This book！！！！ I don’t know how but I feel like my heart is broken but also ready to burst。 The cover is astonishingly beautiful and it perfectly mirrors what’s inside。 Every sentence takes your breath away， it’s lyrical but not to the point of annoyance or causing misunderstanding。 I loved it！ If I had to say anything I didn’t like， I did guess one of the bigger plot twists which was actually quite exciting！ And I think it could have been longer， because I could spend weeks in that book and not get tired。Without a doubt it’s going to be one of my favourite reads of 2022！ Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this gifted e-ARC！ You rock <3 。。。more
Whimsy Dearest
，
Deadly floods and storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations， and her people believe it’s because the Sea God curses them。 Every year they send a human bride to him in hopes of appeasing his wrath。 But this year， the cycle might finally change。 Mina chooses to sacrifice herself and flings herself into the sea so as to spare her brother’s true love。 However， to her surprise， when she arrives to the spirit world， she discovers that the Sea God has long been under a sleeping enchantment。 W Deadly floods and storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations， and her people believe it’s because the Sea God curses them。 Every year they send a human bride to him in hopes of appeasing his wrath。 But this year， the cycle might finally change。 Mina chooses to sacrifice herself and flings herself into the sea so as to spare her brother’s true love。 However， to her surprise， when she arrives to the spirit world， she discovers that the Sea God has long been under a sleeping enchantment。 With the help of the Sea God’s trusted guardian， she must find a way break the spell in order to restore balance to both realms。 However， the spirit realm is not meant for mortals， and she only has thirty days to accomplish the task before she herself turns into a spirit。 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a whimsical and heartfelt tale about love， determination， and forging your own fate。I was initially skeptical of the comparison to Spirited Away in the blurb since it’s one of my favorite movies of all time， but this book earned it。 Axie’s writing is so vivid， and the story is utterly magical and immersive。 It’ll whisk you away to a fantastical world filled with gods， spirits and all sorts of mythical creatures—including a dragon and even a gumiho。Overall， The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is thoroughly captivating and it’s the sort of cozy story you’ll want to snuggle up with on a raining day and just get lost in。 Thank you， NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends， for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kimmy
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This story was absolutely captivating and beautiful。 I loved how hard Mina fought constantly for those that she loved。 I loved reading about the impact that her grandma had on her， and seeing the way generations cared for each other。 I highlighted the heck out of this whole book， but one of my favorite lines was the one about how ancestors care about their descendants。 What beautiful imagery to see how we all impact those before and after us。 I loved all the stories that Mina told and how due to This story was absolutely captivating and beautiful。 I loved how hard Mina fought constantly for those that she loved。 I loved reading about the impact that her grandma had on her， and seeing the way generations cared for each other。 I highlighted the heck out of this whole book， but one of my favorite lines was the one about how ancestors care about their descendants。 What beautiful imagery to see how we all impact those before and after us。 I loved all the stories that Mina told and how due to this gift， the magpie represented her soul。 The only thing that fell short for me was the love aspect。 Eventually I could tell that the feelings were definitely strong and I loved that， but the development of it was lacking。 It just sort of appeared out of thin air and I wish we could have seen how the love actually sprouted。 。。。more
Stacey Bookerworm
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a phenomenal book。 Read more of our review here: https://www。bookerworm。com/reviews/79。。。 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a phenomenal book。 Read more of our review here: https://www。bookerworm。com/reviews/79。。。 。。。more
Karen Cohn
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Mythology as a basis for fantasy is a rapidly-growing sub-genre， and this is an excellent example of it。 Axie Oh has used the Korean myth "The Tale of Shim Cheong" as the basis for wonderful fantasy story about a girl who is sacrificed to the Sea God to save her country， the 100th such annual sacrifice。 Instead of succumbing quietly to her fate， however， Mina fights against it， not accepting her fate quietly like the 99 brides before her， each sent to appease the Sea God and calm the storms he s Mythology as a basis for fantasy is a rapidly-growing sub-genre， and this is an excellent example of it。 Axie Oh has used the Korean myth "The Tale of Shim Cheong" as the basis for wonderful fantasy story about a girl who is sacrificed to the Sea God to save her country， the 100th such annual sacrifice。 Instead of succumbing quietly to her fate， however， Mina fights against it， not accepting her fate quietly like the 99 brides before her， each sent to appease the Sea God and calm the storms he sends when agitated。From the very beginning， Mina is different from the other Sea God's brides; first， she is not the intended sacrifice， but rather volunteers herself to save her brother's beloved Shim Cheong， the designated sacrifice for the year。 Recognized as different - if not quite how different - from her arrival in the Sea God's city， Mina goes on a quest to find a more permanent solution。 Mina is a different sort of protagonist， in a wonderfully endearing way。Readers who enjoy fantasy， gods， or mythology - and especially readers who enjoy all three - will be enchanted by this volume。 Recommended for upper elementary to adult readers， this novel would make a wonderful read-along or read-aloud。 。。。more
Robyn Little
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I was given a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。what an opening。 Immediately draws you in wanting to know what is next。 this fairytale of sacrificing yourself to the sea as a bride only instead of drowning， you find yourself in the Spirit Realm of the Sea God。 the mountain of creativity is positively Miyazaki。props for a beautifully illustrated cover。
Lottie （The Disney Bookworm）
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a magical， mythical tale with endearing characters and dream-worthy worldbuilding。 Oh’s writing is vivid and musical， encapturing the reader from the very first word and not letting them go until well after the last page is turned。Mina is the perfect protagonist: not considered typically beautiful nor brave in her small village and certainly not one of those chosen to be the Sea God’s bride but， through Oh’s use of first person perspective， she takes us on an The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a magical， mythical tale with endearing characters and dream-worthy worldbuilding。 Oh’s writing is vivid and musical， encapturing the reader from the very first word and not letting them go until well after the last page is turned。Mina is the perfect protagonist: not considered typically beautiful nor brave in her small village and certainly not one of those chosen to be the Sea God’s bride but， through Oh’s use of first person perspective， she takes us on an incredible adventure full of magic， gods， demons and spirits。Mina’s kind， humble and selfless personality directly clashes with the Sea God’s melancholy as well as Shin’s mysterious nature and dubious loyalties but this makes their characters and relationships all the more complex。 Mina’s stubborn nature really resonated with me and you know I love any novel with a healthy dose of humour and sarcasm， meaning I automatically loved the characters of Mask and Namgi。But most of all？ I loved the story！ The descriptive prose， easy interactions within characters and slow reveal of the spirit world surrounding Mina creates an amazing YA fantasy novel with a sweet romance。I have to admit， I spotted some of the plot twists coming and the romance itself did feel a little bit forced proximity trope-y to begin with but I simply didn’t care！ This gorgeous novel is a page turner and one that I will definitely find myself reading over and over again。Now all I need is a physical copy and if it has a map？ Oh， I’ll be in heaven！ 。。。more
Amandainwonderland
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A wondrous feminist retelling of the Korean myth of Shim Cheong。 Each year one girl is chosen to be the Sea God's bride。 She will be thrown to the sea to appease his wrath。 To save her brother's beloved， Mina will take her place and throw herself into the sea。 She will follow the Red String of Fate into the spirit realm， to the Sea God himself。。。and that will only be the beginning。 I loved the wondrous feeling Axie Oh created in the spirit realm。 It reminded me of one of my favourite film's， Hay A wondrous feminist retelling of the Korean myth of Shim Cheong。 Each year one girl is chosen to be the Sea God's bride。 She will be thrown to the sea to appease his wrath。 To save her brother's beloved， Mina will take her place and throw herself into the sea。 She will follow the Red String of Fate into the spirit realm， to the Sea God himself。。。and that will only be the beginning。 I loved the wondrous feeling Axie Oh created in the spirit realm。 It reminded me of one of my favourite film's， Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away。 I admired Mina's determination， kindness and strength， but above all， her devotion to her family。 Mina is a storyteller and makes us consider how through stories we can see the truth and learn about the world and ourselves。 More than that， this retelling upends the traditional， making us question the nature of fate， choice and sacrifice; is it sacrifice if it is the only thing you can do "to breathe？" This myth was new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling。 An enchanting， adventurous tale that made me want to find out more about the myths。 Favourite quotes: "It is true that a wish is a piece of your soul。 Because a true wish is something that if it never came true， it might break your heart。""Nothing extraordinary is ever done out of reason or logic， but because it's the only way for your soul to breathe。" 。。。more
Abbie
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A wondrous feminist retelling of the Korean myth of Shim Cheong。 Each year one girl is chosen to be the Sea God's bride。 She will be thrown to the sea to appease his wrath。 To save her brother's beloved， Mina will take her place and throw herself into the sea。 She will follow the Red String of Fate into the spirit realm， to the Sea God himself。。。and that will only be the beginning。 I loved the wondrous feeling Axie Oh created in the spirit realm。 It reminded me of one of my favourite film's， Hay A wondrous feminist retelling of the Korean myth of Shim Cheong。 Each year one girl is chosen to be the Sea God's bride。 She will be thrown to the sea to appease his wrath。 To save her brother's beloved， Mina will take her place and throw herself into the sea。 She will follow the Red String of Fate into the spirit realm， to the Sea God himself。。。and that will only be the beginning。 I loved the wondrous feeling Axie Oh created in the spirit realm。 It reminded me of one of my favourite film's， Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away。 I admired Mina's determination， kindness and strength， but above all， her devotion to her family。 Mina is a storyteller and makes us consider how through stories we can see the truth and learn about the world and ourselves。 More than that， this retelling upends the traditional， making us question the nature of fate， choice and sacrifice; is it sacrifice if it is the only thing you can do "to breathe？" This myth was new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling。 An enchanting， adventurous tale that made me want to find out more about the myths。 Favourite quotes: "It is true that a wish is a piece of your soul。 Because a true wish is something that if it never came true， it might break your heart。""Nothing extraordinary is ever done out of reason or logic， but because it's the only way for your soul to breathe。" 。。。more
Christy Broderick
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GAHHHH！ ❤️ This book was one of those stories that has you engaged the entire way through， throws in an amazing twist that of course， I didn’t pick up on， and then makes my heart burst with happiness 💕 Thanks again to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback。 I truly enjoyed this story， getting to follow Mina into the sea， sacrificing her life to save loved ones and to save her homeland from deadly storms that GAHHHH！ ❤️ This book was one of those stories that has you engaged the entire way through， throws in an amazing twist that of course， I didn’t pick up on， and then makes my heart burst with happiness 💕 Thanks again to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback。 I truly enjoyed this story， getting to follow Mina into the sea， sacrificing her life to save loved ones and to save her homeland from deadly storms that are caused by the Sea God。 In sacrificing her life， she is destined in becoming the Sea God’s bride （like many possible brides before her）， which will hopefully stop the curses that are causing suffering in Mina’s village。 While in the Spirit Realm， Mina meets spirits， gods， and demons that encounter her on her journey to wake the Sea God; however， Mina runs into many obstacles that make her time in the Spirit Realm shorter each day that passes。 If she can’t fulfill her task at hand， Mina could disappear altogether。 To share some of my favorite moments: I enjoyed the Studio Ghibli feel of this story， along with the spirits that helped Mina along the way！ They provided many laughs when needed， along with showing Mina love and protection at the most opportune times。 As for Shin and his loyal friends （Namgi and Kirin）， they would be friends I’d want in my life forever 🤗 I seriously fell in love with this book and can’t wait to have the actual copy in my hands ❤️ 。。。more
Sarah Halter
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I was instantly drawn to this book because of its gorgeous cover and feel like this book would be perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and period K-Dramas。I was excited to read this after hearing that it was similar to Spirited Away， but I felt like it fell short for me。 I loved the Korean folktale that was woven into the story， but there was so much more potential for the world building， especially in the Spirit Realm。 Mina’s character was also quite underdeveloped。 There were many I was instantly drawn to this book because of its gorgeous cover and feel like this book would be perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and period K-Dramas。I was excited to read this after hearing that it was similar to Spirited Away， but I felt like it fell short for me。 I loved the Korean folktale that was woven into the story， but there was so much more potential for the world building， especially in the Spirit Realm。 Mina’s character was also quite underdeveloped。 There were many opportunities throughout the book for Mina to express her feelings during tense situations， but her reactions never had any depth to them。 I liked this book， but felt like it was only a fraction of what it could have been。Synopsis: Mina’s village has been ravaged for decades by deadly storms believed to be the wrath of the Sea God。 In an attempt to end the storms， the village sends a maiden to the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride。 To save her brother’s beloved， Mina takes her place and finds herself in the palace of the Sea God who rests in an enchanted sleep。 Mina must wake the Sea God to end the storms once and for all， but deadly forces seek to keep him waking。 Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Sarah Bittel
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This is very different from so many of the things I read usually， but I loved it。 This is a retelling of a folktale that introduces the reader to a wonderful， strong young woman named Mina。 Mina has sacrificed herself for the love of her family to be the next wife of the Sea God。 Her journey is long and full of many interesting characters， and the red sting of fate。 The twists and turns of Mina's story are a delight to read。 This story is beautifully written with powerful messages of love and ho This is very different from so many of the things I read usually， but I loved it。 This is a retelling of a folktale that introduces the reader to a wonderful， strong young woman named Mina。 Mina has sacrificed herself for the love of her family to be the next wife of the Sea God。 Her journey is long and full of many interesting characters， and the red sting of fate。 The twists and turns of Mina's story are a delight to read。 This story is beautifully written with powerful messages of love and hope。 It was a mesmerizing read and I look forward to more from this author。 。。。more
Kristen Bowman
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Wow。。。Just WOW！ I have no words。 This books is beautiful， stunning， heart wrenching， and so rich。 I was on the edge of my seat from the very first page and it held me in it's grip until the very end。 I LOVE this book， honestly it may end up being my favorite read of 2022 because it's going to be very hard to top it。 Mina was such a wonderful， strong， compassionate and relatable heroine and all the other character were just as great。 Don't even get me started on Shin - my newest book boyfriend！Th Wow。。。Just WOW！ I have no words。 This books is beautiful， stunning， heart wrenching， and so rich。 I was on the edge of my seat from the very first page and it held me in it's grip until the very end。 I LOVE this book， honestly it may end up being my favorite read of 2022 because it's going to be very hard to top it。 Mina was such a wonderful， strong， compassionate and relatable heroine and all the other character were just as great。 Don't even get me started on Shin - my newest book boyfriend！The writing was so incredible- the world and lore that Axie Oh created weaved a incredible tale that was whimsical and lovely。 I hope she writes more book in this world because there's so much to explore！ I knew I would like this books when I heard it was a Spirited Away retelling but I didn't expect to love it this much。 The ending had me in tears （the good kind！） and it's the kind of book that you can't stop thinking about day's after you've read it。I can't recommend this book enough， READ IT！ 。。。more
leni
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Was this perfect for fans of Miyazaki’s Spirited Away？ Absolutely！ This was wonderful and magical， and I enjoyed it so so so much！ It has the Ghibli vibes， but exists in its own right。 Loved the characters and the spirit world！
KitKat The #BookNerd KBbookreviews
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“Beneath the sea， the dragon sleeps …”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 5 out of 5。4。75 StarsSynopsis: When Mina sacrifices herself in place of her brother’s beloved， Shim Cheong， to be the Sea God’s Bride she is swept into the Spirit Realm。 Determined to break the Sea God’s curse and save her family and her people， Mina must fight against those who want the Sea God to stay sleeping。 But Mina is human， and the world of Spirits is no place for her。The Girl Who Fell Benneath The Sea， by Axie Oh， is a beautiful beautif “Beneath the sea， the dragon sleeps …”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating: 5 out of 5。4。75 StarsSynopsis: When Mina sacrifices herself in place of her brother’s beloved， Shim Cheong， to be the Sea God’s Bride she is swept into the Spirit Realm。 Determined to break the Sea God’s curse and save her family and her people， Mina must fight against those who want the Sea God to stay sleeping。 But Mina is human， and the world of Spirits is no place for her。The Girl Who Fell Benneath The Sea， by Axie Oh， is a beautiful beautiful book。 Inspired by Korean mythlogy/tales， this is a gorgeous tale of fate， love and loyalty and I was truly and completely swept away。Oh’s witing is gorgeous。 From start to finish the book is intensely vivid with stunning descriptions that paint incredibly evocative settings。 And yet， even with all of the beautful descrptions the prose still flows easily and is incredibly light and engaging。 The prose perfectly draws you in and lets you read with ease while building intricate settings and scenes。 Not only does the prose have depth， but the pacing is also perfect for the story。 The book is relatively short and yet packed with so much emotion， and action， and stories all of which are perfectly balanced so that the book’s pacing feels perfectly balanced。 This is only solidified by the dialogue throughout the story， with a careful balance of heartfelt conversations as well as wit， humour and sarcasm， everything in Oh’s prose works cohesively and beautifully。The story is told from Mina’s point of view， she is the main character and quite the driving force in the story。 I loved Mina’s perspective， being a human swept into the Spirit Realm we only have her human knowledge of Spirits and the Gods/Goddesses， so it was incredibly fun and interesting to watch her and learn with her in the Spirit Realm。 Her perspective worked well to maintain mystery throughout the book and made the twists and turns enjoyable， shocking and emotional – I also really loved getting to know all the other characters with her！ Mina’s perspective worked perfectly with the plot and the pacing， giving us just enough information at just the right times。 I also really enjoyed her memories and stories， especially her stories passed down to her from her Grandmother – the familial aspect of the story was strong and beautifully incorporated， the stories and Mina’s perspective really gave you the heart of this book。 Both the prose and POV really make you connect with this story because you can feel the love， the heart， beneath it – the book is infused with it。So the plot！ I LOVE mythology， So when I saw this had mythological inspirations I had to investigate。 The plot has influences from Korean Mythology， namely the Sea God and the tale of Shim Cheong， however， this story is entirely its own with the focus being on Mina， a girl who choses to take Shim Cheong’s place。 Mina is 16 and takes Cheong’s place to protect her brother from losing the one he loves， but also for her own goals too。 When Mina follows the Red String of Fate to the Sea God she comes to realise there is more to the Sea God’s curse than her and her people believed， and that some in the Spirit Realm do not want to see him wake。I absolutely loved the plot。 It felt traditional and unique all in one。 I loved Mina trying to figure out how to wake the Sea God， her working with Shin， meeting Namgi and Kirin， and other Spirits too like Mask， Dai and Miki！ While Mina has assumed the role of the Sea God’s Bride， she has to tackle more than if this is truly her fate。 As Mina fights for her own soul and the Sea God， she unravels the truth of the Sea God’s curse， but not without the threat of assassins， vengeful Gods and the truth about her own fate。 From the start I was engaged with this story and everything about it。 I loved the mystery， the idea of fate， the puzzle and the twists and turns the story takes。 But mostly I loved how the story deals with love， fate， loyalty and family。 From choosing your fate to having your fate choose you， to the stories that are fiction but reveal bittersweet truths， to the love of family but also of friends and romantic love – the themes woven into the story are strong and heartwarming。SLIGHT SPOILER:: I was worried actually about the emergence of a love triangle in this book （because I am not a fan） and yet Oh actually sidesteps this trope in a way I found compelling and emotional – I really liked how it was narrowly avoided and yet the dynamic was powerful and worked well to explore what it truly means to love， and that love is more than just romantic 。::SPOILER END！Ok So I just really loved the plot， the story， the mythology。 And I really loved Mina’s little stories that were told thoughout as well。 There is a lot of depth to this story that while magical and beautiful on the surface， it holds so much more beneath it。Characters。 Let’s talk about this stunning cast of characters。 Mina， the MC， is fantastic。 She is stubborn， headstrong and determined but soft and full of love and hope。 Every decision she makes is one born out of a desire to help her family but also to follow her own heart。 I loved Mina’s character a lot， from her warmth to her stories to her love for others but also for her cleverness， her wit and sarcasm。 She is a great heroine for this story。 All of the other characters are equally well developed too – from Shin who get’s off to a rocky start with Mina， but has a void in his own heart and mind。 Shin is sharp and to the point but has a vulnerability to him that was sweet。 then we have Namgi and Kiring， who were fantastic additions from their bickering to their polar opposite personalities， and I loved their dynamic with Mina too。 Then we have Mask， Dai and Miki， a trio of Spirits that you can’t help but love。 Their mischief but seemingly good intentions makes you warm to them quickly。Then you have the Sea God， sleeping from a curse and yet a character we come to connect with。 The Sea God is a character that is complex and intriguing in a unique way that i’ll leave for you to find out youself！ But we also get to learn more about other Gods/Goddesses too which add so much more to the world too！ All of the characters are well written and you can’t help but connect with all of them over the course of the book。Overall， The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea， by Axie Oh， is a beautiful and captivating story of Gods， loss， love， family and fate I would highly recommend this to fantasy lovers who enjoy a beautiful story full of heart。*I received an eARC via #Netgalley from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review -Thank you！！*https://kbbookreviews867789450。wordpr。。。 。。。more
Alex | alexwithabook
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This whimsical fantasy inspired by a Korean folktale whisks readers away on an epic adventure full of love and loss。 Our protagonist， Mina， sacrifices herself to become the bride of the sea god in place of her brother’s love。 Mina finds herself in the Spirit Realm where the sea god is trapped under a curse and Mina must race against the clock and the spirits and gods who seek to destroy her if she’s going to break the curse and restore balance to the human world。This vivid world is full of lush This whimsical fantasy inspired by a Korean folktale whisks readers away on an epic adventure full of love and loss。 Our protagonist， Mina， sacrifices herself to become the bride of the sea god in place of her brother’s love。 Mina finds herself in the Spirit Realm where the sea god is trapped under a curse and Mina must race against the clock and the spirits and gods who seek to destroy her if she’s going to break the curse and restore balance to the human world。This vivid world is full of lush detail that will delight fans of similarly fantastical tales such as Spirited Away。 Peppered with mythical creatures and lovable characters， the Spirit Realm is a place you won’t want to leave。 I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the world that Axie Oh created in this book and would be thrilled to read more tales in this set in the same land。If you’re a plot-driven reader， this is the story for you。 Not to say that this book does not include rich character development， it certainly does， however the fast pace and compelling plot make this the perfect story for readers who love to be kept on the edge of their seat。 From the first page we are dropped right into the adventure and it never slows down。 I really enjoyed the way the Oh peppered in backstory throughout the novel instead of giving it all to the reader up front。 The first chapter gripped me and from there I found the book nearly unputdownable。 The only difficulties I had with the book were keeping track to the timeline and justifying the progression of the romance within the confined timeframe of the plot。 I am hopeful that in the final copy of the book， those timeline clarifications will be made and it will be easier for readers to track the amount of time Mina has spent in the Spirit Realm as they go along。 As for the romance， it’s not my personal preference for a romance plot line progress so quickly， but I understand the need for the sake of the story。 While I enjoyed the love interest character， the relationships that shone in this book were the platonic and familial ones。Overall， I think this book is perfect for fans of fast-paced， whimsical YA fantasy and I will be recommending it often！ 。。。more
Banana_Bookworm
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