This isn't just a beautiful cover.. This book is beautiful as well. The prose, the story, the mythical past, I enjoyed this more than anything. Axie Oh has continued long and successful career ahead of her. FIVE STARS!

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a magical, beautifully written fantasy that feels like stepping into a dream. Inspired by Korean mythology, it follows Mina, a brave girl who sacrifices herself to the Sea God to save her people—only to find out the god is in an enchanted sleep, and the Spirit Realm is full of secrets.

The world-building is stunning, with spirits, gods, and magical creatures filling the pages. Mina is a fantastic protagonist—strong-willed, compassionate, and willing to take charge of her destiny. The other characters, like Shin and the other spirits, add so much heart and humor.

Many times in fantasy novels it's hard to follow the characters especially when there are too many spirits and magical creatures introduced at the same time, but in this novel that's not the case. The narrative made it super easy to get lost in the story. The romance is sweet but doesn’t overshadow Mina’s journey.

The downside of the story is how it was edited especially towards the end. I feel like the ending didn't necessarily lend to the narrative, and could have easily been eliminated in some parts.

Overall, the story is beautifully written, simple, and enjoyable. It was fast-paced and didn't delve too much into the Spirit Realm’s politics and history, which I enjoyed, because sometimes stories can get too convoluted.

Perfect for fans of mythology retellings, this is was a cozy fantasy escape!

I read this awhile ago so I can't remember exact details besides the main character sacrifices herself for her family and goes beneath the sea. She goes on adventures and help the other people who live in the water while also falling for one of them. I remember being very satisfied at the end and looking forward to reading more Asian fantasies from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a fairy tale feeling. It had me really engrooed in Mina's journey through the spirt realm . My main criticism was that I wish there had been more time spent on the main characters getting to know each other before a relationship developed. It seemed liked they didn't like each other and then they did with no real reason for the change of heart. I liked both characters so it just bothered me a little. Overall a fun read

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is a magical, adventure-packed story that blends Korean mythology with a fresh and exciting plot. The book follows Mina, a girl who sacrifices herself to save her brother and end up in the Spirit Realm, where she’s thrown into a world of gods, monsters, and mystery. She has to find a way to stop a deadly storm that’s threatening her people, and the only way to do that is by figuring out what’s going wrong in the spirit world.

The world-building in this book is amazing. The underwater setting is rich and full of vibrant details, and the mix of magic and folklore makes the story feel like a dream. Mina is a strong, determined character, and you really feel for her as she faces dangerous challenges and learns about herself along the way. The romance between Mina and the Sea God is slow-burn and adds a nice emotional layer to the story, without overshadowing the bigger plot.

The pacing is just right! There’s enough action and twists to keep you hooked, but it also takes time to explore the characters and their growth. The book also touches on themes like sacrifice, family, and finding strength in unexpected places.

I genuinely thought I was going to love this one. My friends all thought that I would love this one. But as much as I love a dark, fairytale, enemies to lovers situation, I think this one fell on the atmospheric & dreamy scale in a way that I have a hard time connecting with. For me, the pacing was too slow, and while the characters were interesting and unique, I didn't feel like I had an emotional connection with them.

I would recommend The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea for fans of Howl's Moving Castle!

I actually recently reread this. I liked it better on the reread than the first time through. The first time I was really hung up on how this really felt like some Spirited Away fanfiction. Haku for days. Overall the setting was nice and atmospheric. I would like young, female MCs to need less saving from all their poorly thought out decisions.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

It took me a second to get to this title but I'm glad I finally made it because I ended up really enjoying this and wow, sometimes it feels hard to find a book where I really LOVE the romance. But this HAD me.

I will say tho, that my least favorite moments were the ones that nearly overlapped with Miyazaki's Spirited Away, which was a big chunk of the start. Idk why since that's in my top 3 movies (probably, if I had a top 3 list, lol).

Regardless, the book did charm me by the end. I thought the ending was great, the mythology engaging, and the characters fun and inspiring (Mina's fire was especially fire ;) hehe)

What a lovely, unexpected read. We go into the early chapters with some clear expectations of what is coming. And many of those expectations are ultimately confirmed. But the journey to that point is lovely and almost meandering. The cast of characters is odd but distinct. For all their magical nature they feel very real and consistent. Its incredibly atmospheric and that alone makes it worth a look.

4.5 stars, rounded up

Wow, I kinda hate myself for not reading this sooner!

This story is fantastic and magical, a beautifully woven narrative with its own uniquely creative take on the Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong."

THE GIRL WHO FELL BENEATH THE SEA tells the story of Mina, who gives herself as a bride sacrifice to the Sea God, in order to appease him (and stop the storms that ravage her land) and take the place of her brother's beloved Shim Cheong. There in the Spirit Real, Mina meets a cast of spirits and gods that help her on her way to find and wake the Sea God.

Axie Oh is very gifted storyteller, and this book engaged me from beginning to end. It's a captivating story of duty and sacrifice, family and fate. The worldbuilding and writing are utterly mesmerizing. A new book I'm adding to my "books to recommend" arsenal.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

The first thing that drew me in was the beautiful cover of this book. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is stunning, from the cover to the writing inside. Once I started, I couldn't stop reading.

Axie Oh is an excellent author, and this story is just impeccable. The world building and character building are both incredible, and you fall in love with each and every aspect of the story along the way.

I give this read an easy 5 stars, and would give more if it were possible. One of my top reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, and also thank you to the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was not for me. It was not bad, the writing was just not the right fit for me as a reader pacing wise.

There will always be something about East Asian culture that has me absolutely fascinated and hooked. I fall in love with their stories each and every time. The fantasy, the romance, the angst and the culture. This is something evreyone needs to read especially when diversifying their fantasy reads!
Thanks NetGalley

The vibes are immaculate! I didn't see those twists coming wow. Mina and her family have my whole heart <3

“Stories are both an escape from the truths of the world and the only way to see them clearly.”

I wish to dissect this book and tattoo its remnants on my soul forever. Basically that was the weirdest way of saying I loved this book. It is something that I need to get my hands on a physical copy of as I fully intend to reread and annotate. I read a lot of fantasy and sometimes feel a bit fatigued by the clear mechanics of making a good fantasy story sellable with the usage of tropes even if they do not necessarily fit, but that was not the case with this book. This book felt deliberate, and each work felt well intentioned.

It is a lyrical masterpiece that will likely stay with me for the rest of my life.

OMG I love this book, can't say this enough when I recommended this book to literally anyone who would listen to me.

While this world was intriguing, I don’t think the plot was fully for me. The writing was adequate and the story was well written, but it may have been more of a personal preference. The characters felt a bit flat to me. Overall, an okay read. But I did feel I was slogging through it at times.

This book was so beyond magical. It felt like reading a warm cup of tea in a magical cafe during a bad storm (which is my favorite weather)! I was so invested in the characters while reading this. It’s fast paced and gets you excited immediately upon reading the first chapter and never loses momentum throughout the whole story. I think anyone would enjoy this story and find it charming and exciting.

As with most books lately, it seems like I am drawn in by a strong beginning and then everything just falls apart.

The book felt like one long story, one told verbally that moved from one scene to the next with little elaborate explanation or prose. The character did this, they did that. Then this happened. It was an easy read because of this. I wasn’t getting mired in long drawn out complicated explanations. It felt like a myth that was expanded to become a novel, with the bare bones of the story, but little further embellishment.

I enjoyed some of the visuals, like the continued presence of the red string of fate. And the characters were interesting on the surface, though could have used more development.

The ending felt rushed because of massive amounts of time passing before the final act. It also felt too easy. Though I’m sure Mina suffered because she was missing her love, it was very glossed over by years and months passing.

I would recommend this book for middle grade readers, or young YA. Though the main character is about sixteen, the book read much younger for me. It’s a nice retelling, but isn’t anything amazing.