The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
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- Create Date：2022-02-11 09:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Axie Oh
- ISBN：1529391695
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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
rebecca
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review。I appreciate this was a fairly short book， I do think some depth was sacrificed。 Some parts dragged， while others felt a little rushed。 I loved the magical nature of the story but wish the characters had been fleshed out a little more。 The romance in particular fell flat to me。 That said there were a few moments， specifically to do with Mina’s ancestors， that were very poignant and emotional。This was Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review。I appreciate this was a fairly short book， I do think some depth was sacrificed。 Some parts dragged， while others felt a little rushed。 I loved the magical nature of the story but wish the characters had been fleshed out a little more。 The romance in particular fell flat to me。 That said there were a few moments， specifically to do with Mina’s ancestors， that were very poignant and emotional。This was an enjoyable read but it’s only been a few days and is already slipping from my memory。 I’d still recommend to anyone looking for a whimsical YA fantasy。 。。。more
Annie H
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Thank you NetGalley and MacMilan Publishing for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This is a retelling of a Korean folklore tale and I loved everything about this book。 Seriously。 Everything。The writing is beautiful and descriptive enough to make the reader feel fully immersed in the story without being over done。 It brings this amazing spirit realm to life and heightens the emotions you feel as you read this story。The characters are fun and mysterious。 So much depth to each Thank you NetGalley and MacMilan Publishing for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。This is a retelling of a Korean folklore tale and I loved everything about this book。 Seriously。 Everything。The writing is beautiful and descriptive enough to make the reader feel fully immersed in the story without being over done。 It brings this amazing spirit realm to life and heightens the emotions you feel as you read this story。The characters are fun and mysterious。 So much depth to each character and a mix of humor and seriousness to keep everything well balanced。 I loved just about all the characters and to see them each learn about themselves was perfection。 I love Mina， Shim， Kirin and Namgi so much along with So many others。 I am so happy to have been given the opportunity to experience this book。 。。。more
Sophia
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This looks really good and the cover is stunning。
Christine Spoors
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This was such a stunning story and I couldn’t never guess what was going to happen next。 I loved the themes of family throughout and it had me in tears at one moments。 I really love this authors writing and was so excited to read this。 Definitely recommend， I’ve been in a slum with fantasy recently but this book really brought me out of that。
Karen
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RTF - pub 22/2
Diletta
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Mi sono divertita un sacco e con uno YA era un po' che non succedeva。 Comunque sia pure il plot twist mi ha twistato， quindi ok。 Mi sono divertita un sacco e con uno YA era un po' che non succedeva。 Comunque sia pure il plot twist mi ha twistato， quindi ok。 。。。more
Mandy
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I don't think I've experienced such a beautiful book before this。 I had originally only added it to my TBR based on that gorgeous cover without really knowing anything about the actual plot but then I was blessed with an audiobook ARC and my mind proceeded to be blown。The story of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is based upon a Korean myth of the Sea God and his bride。 There's adventure， a bit of action， family and a love story。 The characters were fantastic and easy to get attached to。 Mina i I don't think I've experienced such a beautiful book before this。 I had originally only added it to my TBR based on that gorgeous cover without really knowing anything about the actual plot but then I was blessed with an audiobook ARC and my mind proceeded to be blown。The story of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is based upon a Korean myth of the Sea God and his bride。 There's adventure， a bit of action， family and a love story。 The characters were fantastic and easy to get attached to。 Mina is so selfless and fearless， I admired her so much。 It was so easy to fall in love with Shin， his initial grumpiness drew me to him right away and then how he turns out to be so protective and fierce， my heart！ Namgi was so playful and carefree on the outside but the way he was striving to be different than that of his heritage was inspiring。 And Kirin。。。。why is it that every character I come across in fiction named Kirin （or Kieran） I just want to cuddle up to and give the biggest and fiercest hug to？ This Kirin was no different， he's so rough and stoic， but the love he has for his friends and the way he would give his life for them。。。oh lord I loved him so much！ The twist of Mask， Dai and Miki was so good， I would have never guessed it in a million years！ Again， these characters were fantastic！Rosa Escoda narrates this beautiful Korean myth retelling and I have to say I really loved her voice。 This is a beautiful story and Escoda's voice reflects that in how she tells the story with such inflection and care。 I could hear the feelings of the characters through her voice and it was amazing。 It seems she hasn't done too many narrations but honestly I would give anything she puts out a listen。 The pace of the audio was good， I didn't have to speed it up like I usually do when narrators want to give dramatic pauses when not needed or when they like to drag out syllables， Escoda's pace is perfect in this regard。 Overall she did a really fantastic job and I enjoyed this book much more because of her narration。While this isn't a typical "OMFG THIS IS AMAZING， FIVE STARS！！！" type book for me， I'm still hyped on it because of how gorgeous it is。 The words Axia Oh uses paint this really vivid and imaginative world and it's so elegant and beautiful （I know I'm over using that word but it's really the only appropriate one to use！）， you just want to be wrapped up in it forever。I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of any type of YA fantasy with a mature feel， a fan of Asian mythology， or any fan of just beautiful books because this one hits all those marks。Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for providing me with this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review， I really enjoyed it！ 。。。more
Ally
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Really enjoyed it。 RTC
Claudia ✨
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Even if Spirited Away is， and always will be， god tier to me， I can see why The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is being compared to it。 This book was lush， lyrical and dreamy - even if my expectations was a bit too high due to that comparison。 RTC。 Even if Spirited Away is， and always will be， god tier to me， I can see why The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is being compared to it。 This book was lush， lyrical and dreamy - even if my expectations was a bit too high due to that comparison。 RTC。 。。。more
Chloe
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3，5/5 stars。Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest review！This was incredibly sweet。 This is my second Axie Oh’s book and I really enjoy her writing， and how sweet and nice it comes across on the page。 Moreover the story was very interesting and I loved the world described！ I did predict the reveals， but I still enjoyed their unravelling。 To be completely honest， this almost felt more like a Middle grade book than a YA one。 I did find it a 3，5/5 stars。Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest review！This was incredibly sweet。 This is my second Axie Oh’s book and I really enjoy her writing， and how sweet and nice it comes across on the page。 Moreover the story was very interesting and I loved the world described！ I did predict the reveals， but I still enjoyed their unravelling。 To be completely honest， this almost felt more like a Middle grade book than a YA one。 I did find it a little too slow for me at times and I wish we knew more about the gods and goddesses， but this was a really nice book。 。。。more
Laura L
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Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。 I really enjoyed this， it had a lot of Spirited Away vibes。 The story is heavily inspired by Asian myths。 It gave me all the feels especially at the ending。
MJ
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a retelling of the Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong。” It follows Mina as she volunteers herself as a sacrifice to the Sea God instead of her brother’s love， Shim Cheong。 Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm， a city filled with gods and mystical beasts， only to find out instead of being a bride to the Sea God， she’s going to have to find a way to wake him out of an enchanted sleep to end the killer storms and save her village。 This story was so beau The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a retelling of the Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong。” It follows Mina as she volunteers herself as a sacrifice to the Sea God instead of her brother’s love， Shim Cheong。 Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm， a city filled with gods and mystical beasts， only to find out instead of being a bride to the Sea God， she’s going to have to find a way to wake him out of an enchanted sleep to end the killer storms and save her village。 This story was so beautifully written。 I was hooked from the very beginning， and went in without knowing anything about the story。 The twists and turns had me questioning everything until the end。 Without giving too much away， I loved Mina’s character development， and her interactions with the other characters。 This is a story I will come back to read again and again。 I highly suggest this novel if you are looking for a retelling， a vivid fantasy world， and themes of love， family （those you’re born into and those you’ve found）， and a strong female protagonist。 。。。more
Kenzie
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I really cannot describe how much I love this book！ After seeing the beautiful cover and reading the description I was desperate to read it and Im so glad I got the chance to。 This book was beautifully written， with twists and turns I didn’t see coming until they were right in front of me。 I love that every character ended up happy， and I just wish I could read more about Shin and Mina！ I would 100% recommend this book
M T
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early copy！I wasn’t expecting to love this book， as based on the blurb， it wasn’t really my thing。 Boy was I wrong！The characters were so amazing and charismatic， they pulled you in from the start。 You will be rooting for them to all get their happy ending。The way this book was structured was perfect - not too slow， not too rushed， you got all the relevant information at the right time。The way the author took an old legend and twisted it in a way Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early copy！I wasn’t expecting to love this book， as based on the blurb， it wasn’t really my thing。 Boy was I wrong！The characters were so amazing and charismatic， they pulled you in from the start。 You will be rooting for them to all get their happy ending。The way this book was structured was perfect - not too slow， not too rushed， you got all the relevant information at the right time。The way the author took an old legend and twisted it in a way that makes you believe this may have been what happened originally， but the wrong person received the credit for it， is truly magical。 This is what talented writing looks like。 I didn’t see some of the twists coming， which was a nice change and I was truly surprised at times。 I loved every minute of reading this book。I cannot wait to have a wonderful special edition of this book - as long as Fairyloot doesn’t make it a hideous shade of purple。 。。。more
thewoollygeek （tea， cake， crochet & books）
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This is such a fantastic read – I found it to have quite a folky/old school/mythy feel to it， at first it may feel like any generic YA fantasy romance but as the story unfolds it’s apparent ， I loved the fact the author kind of fooled me to start with abc then says oh no， this is something a lot more special。 The characters are very well-developed and continue to as the story progresses and more is revealed the more you learn about their backstories。 I loved the fact it focuses on family as equa This is such a fantastic read – I found it to have quite a folky/old school/mythy feel to it， at first it may feel like any generic YA fantasy romance but as the story unfolds it’s apparent ， I loved the fact the author kind of fooled me to start with abc then says oh no， this is something a lot more special。 The characters are very well-developed and continue to as the story progresses and more is revealed the more you learn about their backstories。 I loved the fact it focuses on family as equally as the romance and it is such a lovely and emotional read。 Highly recommended Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion 。。。more
bhoomi ♡
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I cried at least two times while reading this book。 Once in the first chapter， because it starts off with the main character holstering all the bravery she has to commit an act of love that is rivaled by a God’s power。 Second， because the theme of family runs so deep in this book and it made me miss my grandparents so much I started bawling。 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is such a lovely book and I’m so glad I got to read it。 I can see the Spirited Away and Uprooted inspirations。 I cried at least two times while reading this book。 Once in the first chapter， because it starts off with the main character holstering all the bravery she has to commit an act of love that is rivaled by a God’s power。 Second， because the theme of family runs so deep in this book and it made me miss my grandparents so much I started bawling。 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is such a lovely book and I’m so glad I got to read it。 I can see the Spirited Away and Uprooted inspirations。 It’s imagery was beautiful and explicit and I could picture the Spirit World very clearly in my head as Mina moved through it。 The story is so lyrical and fairytale-like， I can truly imagine how this might be something a grandmother passed down to her grandchildren。 I also have to should put the cover art， because I have never thought a cover tied better with a story。 Mina is a formidable young girl， and though her age shows in her naive hope， it’s also shown in her brave stubbornness， her love and her anger。 She can’t fight， she’s not particularly the most clever heroine I’ve read- but she’s far from stupid， and the strength of her heart makes up for all that she lacks elsewhere。 Her love for her family and her world drives her story， and makes it one of the most enticing books I’ve read。The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was one of my most anticipated reads of the year， and it lived up to what I expected of it！！ The book comes out on 2/22/22， and with a release date like that how can you not go get yourself a copy？ And thank you sm to Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for an eARC ♥️ 。。。more
Theresa
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea （Hardcover）by Axie OhA look in the legend and mythology of China。 Dragons and ancestors this is a great look into Chinese culture。 Its an story that will connect modern children to the story。 I can see the beautiful images explained in the story。 The world of ancient myths， of the land under the sea， the gifts of sea gods brides and the idea of pearl wishes。 I was entranced by the story， connected easily to the characters， making this a great book for young adul The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea （Hardcover）by Axie OhA look in the legend and mythology of China。 Dragons and ancestors this is a great look into Chinese culture。 Its an story that will connect modern children to the story。 I can see the beautiful images explained in the story。 The world of ancient myths， of the land under the sea， the gifts of sea gods brides and the idea of pearl wishes。 I was entranced by the story， connected easily to the characters， making this a great book for young adult readers。 。。。more
Gracie
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I planned on listening to the audiobook over the course of the week。 But once I started it， I couldn't stop。 The way it was written encompasses the feel of stories told to children every night until they memorize every word， and passed down from generation to generation。 The magic and romance were perfect。 This story was full of heartbreak and melancholy and so much hope。 I woke up today with a deep sense of longing and the kind of happy sorrow one feels at the end of a journey that you will loo I planned on listening to the audiobook over the course of the week。 But once I started it， I couldn't stop。 The way it was written encompasses the feel of stories told to children every night until they memorize every word， and passed down from generation to generation。 The magic and romance were perfect。 This story was full of heartbreak and melancholy and so much hope。 I woke up today with a deep sense of longing and the kind of happy sorrow one feels at the end of a journey that you will look back on and remember for the rest of your life， and it will bring a content smile to your face。 Very few books ever make it to that level for me。 TGWFBTS was truly one of the most beautiful stories I have had the pleasure to read and listen to。 This is my first book by this author， but it will not be the last。I preorder this audiobook on audible a few weeks back and I am so glad I did。 I will listen and read this story again and again。 I received an audio arc from the publisher through Netgalley。 。。。more
Heather
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This felt like a Ghibli movie omg。 If you like your books full of heart and writing that is cinematic AF， I'd definitely recommend this。 I finished it in a day too， it was so well-paced。 This felt like a Ghibli movie omg。 If you like your books full of heart and writing that is cinematic AF， I'd definitely recommend this。 I finished it in a day too， it was so well-paced。 。。。more
Raynee
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Thank you NetGalley for an audio arc of this book！ So excited to dive in！ （really my best attempt at a pun）
Vanessa
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Loosely inspired by the Korean tale of Shim-cheong， The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is rooted in the importance of oral story-telling， learning from the tales told to us， and our responsibility to our family and the ones we care for。 Mina is a clever， strong-willed and lovable protagonist， and I found it easy to believe in the friendships she made throughout the story。 That was a real joy in this book- the value of platonic friendships that don't pale compared to the romantic relationships。 Ax Loosely inspired by the Korean tale of Shim-cheong， The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is rooted in the importance of oral story-telling， learning from the tales told to us， and our responsibility to our family and the ones we care for。 Mina is a clever， strong-willed and lovable protagonist， and I found it easy to believe in the friendships she made throughout the story。 That was a real joy in this book- the value of platonic friendships that don't pale compared to the romantic relationships。 Axie Oh doesn't disappoint in the romance front as well。 I adore books that show the growth of a protagonists' feelings rather than tell it， and Mina's feelings are ones that I can absolutely believe。 While she's pulled in different directions by her heart， she doesn't lose sight of her goal of protecting her family first and foremost。 This was a lovely tale from start to finish。 Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this title！ 。。。more
Sahitya
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Looks like I’m having a good time this year reading YA fantasies which are based on Asian mythology/folklore and I’m glad to add this book as well to that list。 I’ve been eagerly waiting to read it since the announcement， and the gorgeous cover only cemented my belief that I would love it。 I was ecstatic when I got an advance listening copy and it was truly worth all the wait。 The inside of the book perfectly matches the outside。 The writing here is absolutely stunning - the author creates such Looks like I’m having a good time this year reading YA fantasies which are based on Asian mythology/folklore and I’m glad to add this book as well to that list。 I’ve been eagerly waiting to read it since the announcement， and the gorgeous cover only cemented my belief that I would love it。 I was ecstatic when I got an advance listening copy and it was truly worth all the wait。 The inside of the book perfectly matches the outside。 The writing here is absolutely stunning - the author creates such a lush and vibrant world borne out of myths that even me who has zero imagination could picture the sea god’s city in my head。 The alleys， the pavilions， the gardens and lakes and food， the various spirits and beasts of myths and the gods and goddesses - it all adds up to a world which feels both real and dreamlike， somewhere I wished I could travel to as well。 The pacing is also pretty fast， with the author throwing us in the middle of the action right from the first page and then keeping it up all throughout; but there are also many lovely and soft moments of wonder and love and hope and it all ends up being a perfect balance in storytelling。 There are quite a few thrilling action sequences which were both exciting and very tense， and I really enjoyed them。 I also loved the author’s use of flashbacks as well as stories within stories to evoke various emotions among the reader and I felt magically transported every time I heard a new story。 The beautiful story is well complemented by the narrator Rosa Escoda whose enchanting voice kept me hooked and I couldn’t stop listening。 Mina is such a wonderful protagonist。 Yes， she can feel like a typical YA heroine who has to sacrifice her life to save the world but she truly is special。 Because she isn’t the chosen one - she chooses to be the one， so that her brother can have his love。 Her love for her family is her strength throughout and whenever she feels unsure or lost， she derives hope by reminiscing about them and finds herself renewed in purpose。 She is also extremely compassionate， moved by the plight of the sea god and wanting to do her very best to help him break his curse and take away his loneliness and despair。 In her new found purpose， she is ably supported by a whole host of characters and I’m absolutely in love with every single one of them。 Mask， Tai and Miki are the first trio she meets in the spirit realm and though she doesn’t know them， she finds trusting them easy and all three of them help Mina in multiple dangerous situations。 Mask is mysterious， Tai is a delightful but brave boy and Miki is the most adorable baby， and they are instantly lovable。 Then we might next trio who become indispensable in her quest to save the sea god as well as her people。 Namgi is ever cheerful and talkative， forming a deep friendship with Mina pretty quickly。 Kirin is more reserved and grumpy but he is loyal as ever and his steadfastness is commendable。 But it is Shin who steals our heart， maybe not right at the beginning but slowly， with his protective nature， his willingness to fiercely defend the sea god and the city， and trusting Mina to solve such an immense curse。 His relationship with Mina is so well written and delicious that I could weep。 To conclude， this book was everything I wanted it to be and more。 It has all the elements of a great YA fantasy - strong female character， both amazing blood and found families， a wondrous tale of curses and gods and fate and adventure， a vibrant world taken right out of Korean mythology， and ultimately a story of love， family， duty and hope。 I’m absolutely delighted that I got to experience this tale and I can’t wait to read the author’s future works。 。。。more
Surbhi Das
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2。5 stars！ This is a YA fantasy inspired from Korean mythology。 In this world every year a girl is sacrificed to the sea god as his bride so that he may stop his wrathful storms that ravage the human lands。 Except this year， our MC， Mina jumps into the sea as the bride instead of the intended bride， who is Mina's brother fiancée。 The story moves from there as Mina navigates the spirit realm and tries to find a way to break the sea gods curse and also to stop the storms for once and all。This sta 2。5 stars！ This is a YA fantasy inspired from Korean mythology。 In this world every year a girl is sacrificed to the sea god as his bride so that he may stop his wrathful storms that ravage the human lands。 Except this year， our MC， Mina jumps into the sea as the bride instead of the intended bride， who is Mina's brother fiancée。 The story moves from there as Mina navigates the spirit realm and tries to find a way to break the sea gods curse and also to stop the storms for once and all。This started out good， I liked the set up of the story and the first half of the book was quite enjoyable as we explore the spirit world with Mina and get to learn the various politics and problems of that world。 However， as we move towards the 2nd half， the story started to feel all over the place。 There was so much happening in a short amount of time that was neither explained properly nor executed well。 A lot of the stuff felt rushed and rather convenient。 I never truly felt that there was anything to worry about， despite our characters being in danger time and again。Mina is a quintessential ya heroine。 There was absolutely nothing about her that stood out to me。 I liked the theme of familial love in the story but again nothing that was extraordinary。 The other characters were okay， they had potential but weren't fleshed out enough。 Although， I liked some of the friendships that Mina was able to form， I didn't care for the romance or the faux love triangle。 The romance was simply not convincing and it escalated at a speed that just didn't feel believable。 There's a villian but once again their motivation isn't explained well or even felt convincing to begin with。 I think this just wasn't the book for me。 The cover is very pretty though！ ARC provided by publishers via Netgalley！ 。。。more
Jessica
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I received the audiobook for “The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea” by Axie Oh from the publisher as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All my opinions in this post are my own。 Note: This book was written in present tense。 The cover of this book is stunning， and was the main reason I was drawn to it。 It is probably one of the most beautiful covers that I’ve seen， and I loved the Asian aesthetic。 I didn’t jump to grab the book because I tend not to read present tense as it takes I received the audiobook for “The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea” by Axie Oh from the publisher as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 All my opinions in this post are my own。 Note: This book was written in present tense。 The cover of this book is stunning， and was the main reason I was drawn to it。 It is probably one of the most beautiful covers that I’ve seen， and I loved the Asian aesthetic。 I didn’t jump to grab the book because I tend not to read present tense as it takes me longer to get through – I have no idea why， but present tense in an audiobook？ Perfect。 The synopsis sealed the deal and I requested the audiobook immediately。I have no regrets。“The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea” is a retelling of the Korean legend “Take of Shim Cheong” and is filled with unique and fun character， a beautifully well-developed world， and it even had strong relationships and unforgettable characters。 It follows Mina， a sixteen-year-old， who sacrifices herself to the Sea God in order to stop the onslaught of severely damaging storms threatening to destroy her home。 But， nothing is as it seems and things don’t go to plan。 Finding herself in the Spirit Realm， she must solve the mystery of who has put the Sea God under a spell， and more importantly， how to awaken him before her time runs out。 If she can’t awaken him， she will be trapped in the Spirit Realm， and worse， her home and lives of her family will be extinguished。 But even if she wakes him， what then？This is perfect for the fans of Miyazaki’s Spirited Away because it honestly felt pretty darn similar for the first half of the book （even a friend thought I was listening to a book version of Miyazaki’s movie！）， but this has the right amount of romance weaved throughout the book and great imagery。 And twists。 The second half made it even better！ Overall， it’s engaging from page one all the way to the end， and – as this was the audiobook… can I just say that the narrator is AMAZING？ It made the story that much better and more magical。 There were two problems with the book that I found while listening。 Some of it felt a little too repetitive in nature which was kind of annoying， but it was pretty minor。 The other was that I kind of wanted MORE from certain story/plotlines。 The plot twists？ Beautifully set up。 However， knowing this was a standalone， a few of the smaller story lines could’ve been amped up to really tie things together in a more fantastical way。Would I recommend？ YES。 I highly recommend this book。 It isn’t too long of a book/listen， it’s fun， and it’s just a beautiful story that is like getting back into the world of Spirited Away without it being Spirited Away。 If you really disliked the movie Spirited Away then I'd skip this book。 Side Note: I’ve also pre-ordered a physical copy of the book！ Partly because I still love and think about the cover， and the other reason is because I really did love the story from the audiobook。 。。。more
Online Eccentric Librarian
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More reviews （and no fluff） on the blog http://surrealtalvi。wordpress。com/I've read all of Axie Oh's books and have greatly enjoyed her stories; they are clearly inspired by manga/manhwa/anime and always have clear plots with strong heroines。 This is definitely her best book thus far， a wonderful take on the Korean fairytale of Shim Cheong （though only very loosely）。 Written very much as a fairy tale itself and inspired by Miyazaki's Spirited away， The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a ver More reviews （and no fluff） on the blog http://surrealtalvi。wordpress。com/I've read all of Axie Oh's books and have greatly enjoyed her stories; they are clearly inspired by manga/manhwa/anime and always have clear plots with strong heroines。 This is definitely her best book thus far， a wonderful take on the Korean fairytale of Shim Cheong （though only very loosely）。 Written very much as a fairy tale itself and inspired by Miyazaki's Spirited away， The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a very enjoyable read perfect for an afternoon escape。 Note: I listened to the audio version and the narrator did an excellent job。 This is a great book for listening since it is easy to follow。Story: One hundred years ago， Mina's country's emperor was overthrown by a warlord and thrust into constant warfare。 The people suffer and it is said that the death of young emperor angered the Sea God so greatly that he turned his back on his people and sends cruel storms every year that devastate the seaside。 To lessen the storms and end the Sea God's curse， a girl is sacrificed to the sea yearly: the Sea God's bride。 This year， the love of Mina's brother， Shim Cheong， is the chosen bride。 Seeing her brother's broken heart， Mina instead makes a pact with the Sea God's dragon to take her instead of Shim Cheong。 Dragged down to the world of the spirits， Mina must find a way to escape within one month's time or she will die and become a spirit herself。 At the same time， she must find a way to reach the Sea God and convince him to end the curse。The book covers the month Mina is in the spirit realm。 It is there she meets various gods and supernatural creatures from Korean myth。 She will make friends among the poorer spirits as well as several of the gods - and will be a target by those who want to take over the Sea God's power and domain。The side characters are great and definitely you can see the manga/manhwa influence。 In particular， I couldn't help but notice how much the characters were drawn from the Demon Prince of Momochi House manga series。 This isn't a bad thing but for those who read a lot of manga/manhwa， some of the characters may feel very familiar。The plot moves smoothly as Mina must overcome obstacles。 Some victories will come through the help of allies， some through her own determination and intelligence， and some through intuition or luck。 There are several mysteries and twists that you may or may not see coming。In all， I highly recommend this book。 It was a pleasure to read and very immersive in its Korean fairy tale milieu。 It has a strong ending and I can't help but feel it would have made the perfect Disney animated movie。 Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher。 。。。more
Sara Piesse
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I loved this straight off 5 stars this should be treated as a classic folk tale beautifully written loved every minute of it， Also drawn to the cover。 Will recommend this to friends
Caity
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A wonderfully fairytalesque story reminiscent of Miyazaki's Spirited Away。 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea makes for a whimsical story， brimming with magic， love， and fate。 Axie Oh’s writing is so immersive from the fantastical spirit realm to the richness of the characters that putting this book down is impossible — I devoured it in a day。 Perfect escapism and cosy vibes， perfect for fans of Six Crimson Cranes or An Enchantment of Ravens。 A wonderfully fairytalesque story reminiscent of Miyazaki's Spirited Away。 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea makes for a whimsical story， brimming with magic， love， and fate。 Axie Oh’s writing is so immersive from the fantastical spirit realm to the richness of the characters that putting this book down is impossible — I devoured it in a day。 Perfect escapism and cosy vibes， perfect for fans of Six Crimson Cranes or An Enchantment of Ravens。 。。。more
Whimsical Amoura
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Thank you to Netgalley， the author and publishers for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 “I have entered a new world- a world of dragons， of gods with unfathomable powers， of assassins who move unseen through the shadows， where your voice can be transformed into a bird and then stolen， and where no one I love can ever reach me。”It is believed that the wrath of the Sea God has reached the land in natural and manmade destruction。 The only way to appease the God is to Thank you to Netgalley， the author and publishers for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 “I have entered a new world- a world of dragons， of gods with unfathomable powers， of assassins who move unseen through the shadows， where your voice can be transformed into a bird and then stolen， and where no one I love can ever reach me。”It is believed that the wrath of the Sea God has reached the land in natural and manmade destruction。 The only way to appease the God is to sacrifice a beautiful young woman to become his bride in hope that one will be the “true bride” to end his pain。 The love of Mina’s brother， Shim Cheong， is selected to be sacrificed to the Sea God。 Mina， of strong will and mind， leaps into the raging waters to protect her family and attempt to end the curse。 Her eyes are opened to a new realm， new possibilities and new adventures。 Will Mina be able to calm the wrath of the Sea God in one month’s time？The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea has been an anticipated release of mine since I heard it’s premise and it’s marketing as a Studio Ghibli film。 As a fan of the anime A Lull in the Sea， I was absolutely excited to hear this tale honed into the story of the Sea God and his brides。 The book for me read as a 3 out of 5 stars with parts that could have been improved to make the overall story more compelling and emotionally gripping。 Overall， the book itself was a sweet， fun and enjoyable read。 The story immediately jumps straight into the premise of Mina sacrificing herself to become the Sea God’s bride。 This was a bit of an abrupt start to the novel for me as there wasn’t really much time at all spent with Mina and her family before this event。 The author chose to tell the historical narrative through detailed flashbacks instead to fill in the reader’s gap of knowledge。 For me this approach was jarring from the setting and atmosphere of the spirit realm we had just entered。 I think that this could have been improved by taking the flashbacks and making those the introduction of the story leading up to the event of Mina jumping off the boat into the sea。 The act of Mina jumping into the ocean to spare her brother’s love held no emotional impact whatsoever and I felt that it should have。 Unfortunately， that was a missed opportunity for me to see this event as something brave and admirable of the main character。 Instead， I was just indifferent。 The characters overall were absolutely interesting！ They were the reason I kept reading until the end。 The side characters were developed equally and each held an importance to the story。 They are likeable and loveable。 The antagonists within the story could have been developed better。 I can’t really divulge much on this point due to spoilers but this was just too convenient a resolution。As for Mina， she is described as a stubborn and strong willed character。 She is headstrong and on a mission to find a way to solve the mystery of the Sea God。 I enjoyed her as a main character even though at times her teenage mind caused me a little frustration。 I loved her family history of women， her storytelling and resolve。 I think she is a main character my daughter would absolutely fall in love with。 The storyline itself is interesting and compelling。 I was invested as a reader to find out how the story was going to pan out。 For me， this story honestly reads more middle grade which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for me since I enjoy those kind of stories。 The writing is simple and straight forward lending itself to be a fast read。 The stakes in this book are pretty low。 Every adversity is met with a plot convenient wrap up similar to those of middle grade stories。 This lends the ending to be fairly predictable to older readers。 I felt the setting and the atmosphere was the absolute strength of this story。 It is such a BEAUTIFUL setting and reminded me a lot of the anime A Lull in the Sea。 The mentions of Mina traveling through the world and looking up to see dolphins， dragons and whales in the “sky” of this world is so neat。 Children running and releasing fish from boxes and them swimming off into the air was just magical。 This book is marketed as a Studio Ghibli film in book form。 In this respect I can agree that it is as atmospheric， magical and whimsical as anime can be in general。I thought this was a good novel to read between larger adult fantasy stories。 I strongly feel this pulls more middle grade in my opinion。 I think that readers who enjoy stories like The House with Chicken Legs， The Girl Who Drank the Moon， Howl’s Moving Castle， and Frostheart。 。。。more
jessica
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oh， wow。 this is AOs best book to date。 the sheer beauty of it all - the gorgeous mythology， vibrant spirit world， and tender connections create one powerful story。 i think if you have seen ‘spirited away，’ this story will be very familiar to you。 it helped me predict some things， but that didnt make me love this any less。 it just transported me into a world i already know and love and helped me become acquainted with a different version of it。 AO has successfully created an imaginative story of oh， wow。 this is AOs best book to date。 the sheer beauty of it all - the gorgeous mythology， vibrant spirit world， and tender connections create one powerful story。 i think if you have seen ‘spirited away，’ this story will be very familiar to you。 it helped me predict some things， but that didnt make me love this any less。 it just transported me into a world i already know and love and helped me become acquainted with a different version of it。 AO has successfully created an imaginative story of her own - one full of spirit， loyalty， a little bit of mischief， bravery， and love。 this is a book i can see myself rereading time and time again。a heartfelt thanks to macmillan/feiwel & friends for the ARC！↠ 5 stars 。。。more
Natalya Kahmann
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