I was first drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover! The plot did not disappoint me either! It is a bit slow paced but with purpose, if that makes sense. This fairytale retelling will absolutely make my rereads list, and I will be recommending it to my YA readers!

It’s a beautiful, heartwarming and insightful story. A fairytale of old.

I loved Mina’s character; her determination and steadfastness. Even though non of the reviles are surprising, it is still a blast to read. It’s so full of live and wonder and fairytale magic and wisdom.

I don’t even know how to put into words how beautiful this story was. From the exquisite writing to the well written characters to the engaging storyline, this book really had everything I wanted and needed.

Stopped at 14%. Feels very YA with a hero’s journey set up. Our average YA reader is likely to enjoy. The opening is interesting, and it’s likely three to four stars for the middle grade/YA age group if it continues as it has. Adults, not as much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC.

I…LOVED this book.

Over the summer I read XOXO, which was such a fun and swoony story. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea keeps some of the elements that made XOXO an addicting read (new places/experiences, family, ~romance~) but brings a different side of Axie’s writing to the forefront. It’s one of those stories that captivate you, pulling you into a new world. I wanted to both read Girl in one day and take the time to soak in every little detail.

Girl is told from the perspective of Mina, the younger sister of the infamous Shim Cheong’s lover. I loved how Axie reinterpreted the core of the original Korean folktale by expanding the perspective of the story (aka adding Mina) but also clearly asked questions, digging deeper into the characters and their hearts. Plus, Axie wove her story with such elegance and lyricism that it was hard not to want to stay by the characters’ sides.

Retellings always appear with simple curiosities like “what if” and “why”: Why is Shim Cheong almost a myth before she is even gone? Why do Mina’s people believe that *girls* must be sacrificed to appease the Sea God and his anger? Why can’t Mina—and the others in the story—be in charge of their fate, their destiny? Why do others have a say in how they live their lives, both on earth and after death?

Mina is a protagonist that everyone needs. She’s a character is never shies away from expressing her fear, but she also understands that she’s worthy, that she’s loved, and that she’s in control of her fate, whether others try to push her into a predetermined path or not.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a beautifully told retelling of a Korean fairy tale. In this version, Mina, a young woman who is not especially beautiful or talented, makes a split-second decision to sacrifice herself to the Sea God, an angry spirit taking out his vengeance on her people. When she takes the place of another, she falls into the sea and then into the spirit realm where she is not quite sure what to expect. She learns that the Sea God is not ignoring her people or is angry at them, he is cursed to sleep. In his place, Lord Shim is managing his affairs and Mina's fate is tied directly to Lord Shim's. Mina has one month to awaken the Sea God and to recover her own lost soul before she must stay in the spirit world forever.

There was so much to love about this book. The writing was so beautiful, and I loved the characters and the worldbuilding. I wish I could explore this gorgeous and fantastical place. I can definitely understand the comparison to Spirited Away, but it's not quite the same. It stands up beautifully on its own outside of a comparison to anything else. I know several teens who will love this book and I'm so excited to recommend it to them.
Recommended for middle school and up.

This book was possibly the most anticipated read of 2022 for me! I loved the story and how it came together. :While I know Spirited Away is not Korean, I saw a lot of similarities with Girl and Spirited. It was beyond magical and I'm so glad it came through and I didn't let myself hype myself up to much for it!

Axie Oh is definitely a must read author and I will preorder all of her books!

This book was such a delight to read - from the Spirited Away vibes to the fact that it weaves together Korean mythology and fairy tales, it was precisely my cup of tea. Were some things predictable? Certainly. But there were at least a couple twists I didn't see coming, and the overall themes just worked for me beautifully. The romance is sweet and not overbearing, and there are friendships that warm the heart as well. The story is well paced, not too long, and a standalone--which is a rare, rare breed in YA. Highly recommend!

Thank you Feiwel & Friends for letting me read this before my fairyloot edition came in!


Themes:
retelling of fairytale
enemies to lovers
hidden pasts
fated destinies
family ties
underwater setting

3.5 rating
I love fairy retellings. And Axie Oh can really write a setting! I loved the buildings and the underworld. She seemed to write the side characters very well but somewhat missed the mark on fleshing out the main character: Mina. For all the descriptions of living in a fishing village, she didnt have any opinion or actions on how these strangers are waiting on her hand and foot taking care of her, even combing her hair as a Lady. I've read plenty of books with female characters being weirded out or refusing that kind of service due to their background so to see no reaction in this book was just weird to me. Mask, Miki and Dai almost made me cry! Half the plot was pretty slow but in the end i did like it and i cherish my special edition very much.
Love to see more from this author.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

Inspired by the tale of Shim Cheong- a Korean folktale, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a remarkable story about a girl who should sacrifice herself to the sea God so she could stop the upcoming storm from happening to her homeland. We follow the MC, Mina, in her journey in which she sacrifices herself in place of the girl her brother loves to save him, and she ends up in the Spirit Realm. She now must find a way to become the Sea God’s true bride to end all the suffering of the citizens before her time runs out.

I absolutely love the mythology in this book. The themes of love and family are great. The lyrical storytelling and the action-packed plot force you to keep on reading. And my favorite: the shocking twist and turns.

This book is by far one of the best books I read to Axie Oh. Overall, I recommend this book to YA fantasy books fans.

I loved this atmospheric, fairytale-esque retelling. I felt like I was swimming right along with Mina. I liked the emphasis on sibling and family relationships throughout the novel, and how supportive Mina was of the other sacrificed girls. While slightly more slow-paced than what I usually read, I still enjoyed The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea.

3.5/5 stars!

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a whimsical story steeped in mythology and filled with themes of love, loyalty and followings one's fate. There were many aspects of this book that I loved and other aspects where it fell short for me. I absolutely adored the dreamlike writing style of this book and felt as if I was transported to a fairy tale land. The mythology was absolutely stunning and was what kept me interested in this book to the very end. I enjoyed the characters, however felt that they were a bit two dimensional and didn't have as much depth to them than what I hoped. I really wish we saw more of the side characters and that their back stories were expanded upon as well. I really wanted to like the romance and it did show a lot of promise in the beginning, but felt it fizzled out as the book progressed. Although the book didn't wow me (I think that has to do with my very high expectations), there were a lot of great unique aspects to this book that I think readers will really enjoy!

This book was a dream to read!

Likes:
lyrical storytelling
gorgeous mythology
action packed start
fairytale quality
brave and unique heroine
atmospheric prose
dragons!
slow burn enemies to lovers
shocking twist of events
stories within a story
reminiscent of Spirited Away and other Studio Ghibli films

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

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a story inspired by the tale of Shim Cheong—a Korean folktale that tells of a girl sacrificed to be the Sea God’s bride. But in this telling, it isn’t Shim Cheong who finds herself swept beneath the sea but Mina. Determined to save her older brother, she sacrifices herself in place of the girl he loves and ends up in the Spirit Realm where she must find a way to become the Sea God’s true bride to end the suffering of her people before her time runs out.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a story about the bonds of family, both born and chosen, and the way that we are the writers of our own stories. As the Sea God’s Bride, Mina is bound by the Red String of Fate and it is up to her to decide what that means. The love that Mina holds for her family and friends is palpable as she navigates the fate she claims for herself when she takes Shim Cheong’s place. The plot occasionally feels like it carries Mina along rather than her directing its course. This blurs the line between fate and agency, reflecting Mina’s internal struggle to distinguish between them. The romance is tender and sweet while the atmosphere is characterized by a sense of dreamlike wonder cut with the ramifications of being alive in the Spirit Realm.

A fairytale through and through, GIRL is a reimagining that draws an enchanting world and plot-driven adventure out of the familiar shell of a story. This book sits close to my heart as Axie Oh weaves not just the tale of Shim Cheong but other folktales into the overall shape of the story. At its core, this is a story about the truths in stories and the way that storytelling shapes our understanding of the world, and seeing the stories that I read in Korean classes growing up portrayed in a young adult novel means more than I can say.

Mina sacrifices herself to be the Sea God's bride, in order to save her older brother's true love. She falls to the Spirit Realm, hoping that she will be accepted and that being the 100th bride will finally stop the droughts, floods, and war that have ravaged her home lands since the Emperor was murdered 100 years ago. Only, when she arrives, the Sea God is sleeping and the Lord of Lotus House, Shin, cuts the thread of fate that attaches Mina to the Sea God (which also leads to him stealing her soul). Now, she must retrieve her soul from Lord Shin, or risk turning into a spirit and her sacrifice being for nothing.

This book was so good, so good. Right from the beginning it literally dives into action, with Mina jumping into the Sea. from there it progresses quickly and does not stop. I was enthralled, I devoured this audiobook in two days. I loved the world building, the magic, the mythology, and every single character.

Mina was especially well written. She is loyal, loving, and willing to question everything. She is forthright, honest. And she is angry, so angry at the Gods and their disinterest and abandonment of the humans who continue to pray to them even when their world is being destroyed. Mina is also a storyteller, so her soul becomes a bird (a magpie) and her voice is stolen. When she retrieves it, her stories help her connect to the Sea God. They also are meant to open the eyes of the Sea God and Lord Shin to the world of humanity (and the stories link very closely to what is happening to Mina). I just love her so much, she is exactly how a character should be written. She is easy to empathize with, she is confused, but she works to figure things out, she falls into despair, but she still does everything she can for those she loves.

All the elements of this book so perfectly align. There are spirits, Gods, demons, magic, the red string of fate, enemies to lovers, found family. This book had all those and more. Lord Shin seems evil, but as the story unfolds you begin to better understand the tenuous political environment of the spirit realm. He keeps the Sea God safe, but in doing so allows the human world to be ravaged. He is strong, but there is something about him that is fragile and loveable (as Mina finds out). Also, his two closest friends/soldiers/advisers were highlights in this book (Namgi and Kirin), one so bright and vibrant, the other so dark and sullen, continuously bothering each other, but loyal to the end.

The book is fast paced, action packed, and full of emotion. There are no true villains, just those looking for power, angry from being left behind, those who have lost their memories of who they are and who they mean to protect. Humans and Gods alike can make mistakes, can be awful, but can also be kind, can try their hardest to change. I like that this book shows depth and courage. That Mina is afraid, but she is also strong, she is willing to risk it all to show the Gods that sometimes things are worth fighting for, worth changing for. That fate can be something you can fight against or determine for yourself. I especially love her interactions with the Goddess of the Moon (a fierce warrior out for complete control of the spirit realm).

Lord Shin and Mina's interactions had me laughing, gasping, and eager for their next interaction. Immediately she intrigues him, this plain girl with lots of words. He wonders how she came to be the Sea God's bride and is begrudgingly impressed by her. He is so keen on protecting the Sea God, that he cannot see what this means for the human world, the one which has been abandoned. He also finds humanity fickle, untrustworthy, greedy, and unworthy of the Gods attention. It is only through the eyes of Mina that he begins to doubt himself and to see humanities worth. Their back and forth, their chemistry and connection propel the story of this book forward and make the reader ache for each new chapter.

Just, really, read this amazing book. I give it all the stars and it might already have stolen the Best Book of 2022!

I want to preface this review by saying that I was incredibly happy to receive the eARC for this book because this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. Spirited Away is one of my all-time favorites, so much so that I actually use it in my hero's journey unit, which the students really enjoy. I got to read through this book while all of my students were watching Spirited Away, and, I have to admit, this book made me feel like I did watching Spirited Away for the first time. I've already name-dropped the Ghibli film at least three times, but I don't think that I could, in good faith, separate the two works because my love and appreciation of this book is so entwined with a love I already had that feels so familiar. This isn't to say that this book isn't original because I was struck by how beautiful the prose was and how mature the writing was. I think that my students will love the suggestion to read this book if they are looking for journeys similar to Chihiro's.

This is the first book I’ve read where the book actually fits with what it is being described as. This definitely gave me Studio Ghibli vibes! It was written so beautifully and I loved it so much! It kept my attention the whole way through and I didn’t want it to end. I loved that there was a sense of mystery to it as well. I highly recommend reading this one!

This was a lovely little read that certainly lived up to my expectations. This is a worthy addition to any library or collection!

This story is absolutely gorgeous. The mythology, the spirit world, and the beautiful writing make this book one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever read. The characters will have your heart immediately and the world is just beautiful.

This book is my favorite Axie Oh book to date. The writing really allowed me to step into the world and I couldn't stop myself from finishing the book once I started. Mina was such an endearing character, I could tell the care that went into the book. I enjoyed learning about the culture. There was no point in which I felt overwhelmed with information. I just wish it was longer or a duology. I fell in love with so many characters and their relationships with each other inside the spirit realm was so interesting.