Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group / Fiewel & Friends for a DARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Don't chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you."

A retelling of the classic Korean folktale, "The Tale of Shim Cheong", The Girl Beneath the Sea is a magical adventure about a girl named Mina, who throws herself into the sea to seek the Sea God and wake him up from an enchanted sleep in order to stop the deadly storms from terrorizing her homeland for many generations. The thing is, she doesn't have much time as a human cannot live long in the land of the spirits.

Mina is a strong female heroine who is outspoken, stubborn, and determined to do anything for her loved ones, willing to risk her life for them. She begins to define herself as being a part of something much more while exploring the Spirit Realm, leading to great character development throughout the narrative.

World-building is established with vivid descriptions, dialogue, and historical back stories about war, villages, and towns, allowing the reader to be transported into the world under the sea and how it isn't different from the human world.

I especially love the power of storytelling used in the narrative to show the importance of family and community. Mina reflects on all the stories told from her grandmother and ancestors to guide her, resolve conflicts, help her survive, and to change the world with supporting characters (love interest Shin, gods, demons, and spirits) who should not be quick to be misjudged as they are fascinating to learn about.

A lot of action, heart, and surprises await for readers who love fantasy and retellings!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely read this was. Folklore retellings are one of my favorite types of fantasy novels to read and this one didn't disappoint in the slightest. The aesthetics of this book - the vibes, if you will - are immaculate. From the gorgeous cover to the detailed descriptions, I felt entirely whisked away to a world of gods and spirits. I was rooting for the characters all the way, and the underlying theme of carving one's own fate was so beautifully played out from beginning to end. I found the way the author used the red string of fate as a narrative device to be particularly interesting.

My only issue with this book is that occasionally the pacing felt off. I wish this book were longer, so that all the events that happen could have more time to breathe. For example, the progression of Mina and Shin's relationship felt a bit off to me. I loved all their interactions and was rooting for them all the way, but occasionally was not sure why they were jumping so quickly from anger to affection.

Overall, the pacing issues were all that kept this book from being five stars. Truly a wonderful read, especially for folktale lovers.

This book was stunningly beautiful! I am a big Studio Ghibli fan and this book just gave me all the same feelings I get while watching those movies. The world building was beautiful I could almost taste the food at the markets. You just felt like you dove down into the water with Mina. I love a girl who can slay her own dragons and take her own fate in hand and this book gave me that! I love love the story. I want more books like this! I hope the author keeps going with fantasy writing, she’s amazing at it!

I would absolutely love to listen to the audiobook of this story. I think that audible needs to do a full cast reading with soundtrack!

This was such an incredible standalone YA fantasy! This story is (relatively) short, fast-paced, and absolutely magical. At heart, this is all about love--for family, romantic love and companionship, love for other creatures, for ancestors, for the land and sea. I was sucked in from the first scene and the mini-cliff-hangers at the end of every chapter caused me to accidentally stay up way past my bedtime to finish this. The plot was really intriguing--I loved the political intrigue--but what I loved most was the friendships Mina makes in the Spirit Realm and the devotion she holds to her family, even as it's unclear if she will see them again.

As someone new to the fantasy genre, I definitely recommend this for others looking to get into fantasy but don't want to be overwhelmed by a series! I found it really accessible and easy to get into!

This book was an adventure to read. Beautifully integrated mythology, a spirit world reminiscent of the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away, and characters that absolutely stole my heart. As a fan of all the Ghibli films, I was first drawn to this story after hearing a lot of comparisons to Spirited Away. And I definitely felt the similarities, particularly when we visit the Spirit Realm. Full of dragons, a Sea God, and a girl determined to save her older brother, Oh creates a lively magical world in a lush setting and fascinating characters. While I wasn't as familiar with the original storyline of the Korean myth that Oh based her story on, I was curious enough to look up the story after finishing the book. And I loved to see how she twisted the story to create her own take, of a girl forging her own fate despite the odds against her.

The pacing of the story did feel a little bit odd to me in the beginning as we meet a plethora of characters that I had a bit of trouble keeping track of. But things did smooth out quickly as Oh fell into the rhythm of her plot. I also did guess some of the twists that would come, but that did not ruin my experience at all. Instead, it made this book feel almost like a comforting embrace, as if I was hearing about an enchanting fairytale from long ago.

Oh delivers a heartfelt story full of love, hope, and family all wrapped up in one book. I had enjoyed XOXO, but this book just made me even more excited to see what stories this author will bring in the future.

I adore this novel! I admit that I guessed the status of the Sea God, the emperor, and the status of the 'curse' pretty early in the book, but I loved it anyway. It was absolutely amazing. I love how all the characters were flawed in realistic ways, and that they were often inconsistent (because that's how humans are). In this fantasy world there was a good amount of realism, and the tension that was created throughout was *chef's kiss*. I've already suggested this book to so many people, and I will continue to do so!

The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea is a whimsical fantasy inspired by Korean mythology. It's about a girl who sacrifices herself to the sea god.
I was interested in this book because it reminded me of the Manhwa Bride of the Water God by Yun Mi-kyung and the similarities to Spirited away.
I enjoyed this book alot, there are themes of family, fate and love. The characters are very likable and I enjoyed the slow burn romance. Where this book stood out the most was the world building, the world felt alive and steeped in myth. While the pot twists were a little predictable in some places I enjoyed the overall story and how everything is woven together.
I highly recomend this book! Many thanks to netgalley for the reveiw copy.

Axie Oh’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is the best book I’ve read in 2022, and it may very well fall into my list of top folk/fairy tales of all time. I read the book as a digital arc and promptly pre-ordered a physical copy. Prior to publication date, the book had already gone into its third printing.

Still questioning why you should own this book? Read on.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is billed as a “feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale The Tale of Shim Cheong,” which tells the story of a girl who sacrifices her life to help her father regain his sight.

Having had no prior exposure to the original tale, I came to The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea with an open mind. For me, it wasn’t a retelling, it was a completely new story that drew me in from the first page.

Oh’s beautiful prose immediately immerses you in a new world/time/place. Her world-building is so spot-on that you don’t actually realize its being constructed around you. Everything just seems to make sense within the book’s confines. The tone is clear and precise while still having a dreamlike quality and there’s one surprise after another.

Oh’s characters are well-developed and multifaceted. Those who at first seem simple, become the well-built structure in which her main characters operate.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a book I know will become part of my reading rotation. I will be recommending this one for years to come.

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 😭

“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.”

** thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me an early copy in exchange for my honest review **

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 really 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, beautiful world, with an eerie, dream-like setting that sweeps you away with an excellent story, I would definitely recommend, buy and re-read.

review will be up 02/21

"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.

When I saw that this book was compared to Spirited Away, I KNEW I had to read it! It was so cool reading the mythology that it was based on! I have never read anything like this, and I was obsessed with it from page 1.

There were a lot of characters that could be hard to keep straight at times, but I still read this in 24 hours because it was so good! It is also SUPER clean! No sex and no swearing. I want to read more Korean folktales now! And I wish there was a second book so I could keep living in the world 😂

This is definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that needs to be on your radar!

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.

For a hundred years a curse has raged across Mina’s homeland, causing deadly storms and constant war. Legend says only the Sea God’s true bride can break his curse, so each year a maiden is chosen to sacrifice to the sea in hopes of appeasing the Sea God’s wrath. Yet each year the storms return.

Every chosen has been special, but for the hundredth year the kingdom has chosen the most beautiful girl of them all – Shim Cheong. For Mina this means disaster – the chosen bride is the beloved of her brother and she knows he will try his best to stop Shim Cheong’s sacrifice. To save her brother and his beloved, Mina sneaks aboard the boat headed out for the ritual and sacrifices herself in Shim Cheong’s place.

Awakening on a bridge in the Spirit Realm shrouded in mist, Mina follows the red thread of fate stretching from her palm through a seemingly empty city and finds the Sea God sleeping in his palace at it’s end. Just when she’s trying to wake him, three men appear from seemingly nowhere. After a brief altercation, one of them – a Lord Shin – severs the thread of fate connecting her and the Sea God and steals her soul in the bargain. Now disconnected from the fate she seized, Mina must retrieve her stolen soul and find a way to wake the Sea God before her homeland is completely destroyed.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a charming, creative tale with a fast moving plot and a cast of characters you can’t help falling for. Oh has a true talent for writing compelling characters while also breathing life into a fantastic world filled with gods and spiritual beasts. Her writing often echoes with the familiar cadence of fairy tales even as she takes the story through twists and turns not found in your average myth. This is a story that feels like it should be the fairy tale instead of a remaking of one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC of the ebook!
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.

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher*

If I had to only choose one word to summarize The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, it would be brilliant. It was magical and captivating, with amazing world building and beautiful imagery. This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2022, and it did not disappoint.

Mina’s village has been suffering. For generations, deadly storms have been happening and floods have swept away villages. There has been fighting among the people over their few remaining resources. The village believes that the Sea God who once protected them, has now cursed them, and to appease him they send him a beautiful bride each year. Their hope is that one day he will find his “true bride” and then their suffering will finally come to an end.

Mina loves her brother Joon and has always been close with him. So when his beloved Shim Cheong is chosen as the next bride, Joon goes after her as she heads out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a sentence of death. To save both her brother and Cheong, Mina jumps into the sea and sacrifices herself.

Mina is swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city with mythical beasts and lesser gods. She soon finds the Sea God, and learns that he is in an enchanted sleep. With the help of the curious young Shin, and other demons, gods, and spirits Mina works at waking the Sea God and bringing an end to the storms that have plagued her people for good.

She quickly discovers that she doesn’t have a lot of time as humans don’t live very long in a land of spirits, and there are those who don’t want the Sea God to wake.

This story totally read like a fairytale to me and I enjoyed the Korean folklore very much! The setting is just gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole cast of characters. There is also slow burn romance, which is one of my favorite tropes. I think if you like any of the things I mentioned, you’ll definitely enjoy it. This book is releasing February 22, 2022 so be sure to add it to your TBR.

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 Korean folklore! 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***

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!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I’m obsessed with fairytale retellings so I’ve really been anticipating the release of this Korean-inspired fantasy. This book is a twist the legend of Shim Cheong. In order to save her brother’s love from being sacrificed to the Sea God, Mina takes her place and finds herself in the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and magical beings.⁣
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I enjoyed this book but I was left wanting more. The setting is so intriguing and I really appreciated the cast of characters including magical beings who are not all that they seem... The beginning and the end of the book were really engaging and satisfying. However, I felt like something was missing in the middle section. The romance needed more development. While the world is incredibly creative, it didn’t feel very fleshed out. I wanted more detail.⁣
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Overall, this book felt a little younger and less developed than I was expecting. I appreciated the ending and I was very pleased that my predictions came true. However, it was a bit simplistic and I could’ve used a deeper dive into the ramifications of the world-building, politics, and magic. The story felt very fable-like and similar to classic children’s fantasy. I definitely enjoyed my reading experience, I just needed more depth for the story to really hit home.

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.

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.