This was a really interesting story, and it really showcased the love between sisters. I like the way it framed everything to question the motives but also recognizing that the intent and the result don't always align.

And the River Drags Her Down is a quiet, beautiful, and often painful exploration of grief. As other reviewers have noted, the marketing seems a touch misleading on this one - to me, this is less horror, more thoughtful YA contemporary with a speculative element. For me, the pacing was an issue, but the character development is well done, and I can see where it would be lovely and cathartic for teens in moving through sisterhood and grief.

I truly don’t know how to rate this book. From the blurb, I thought it was going to be a thriller or a creepy YA about an undead sister, but it turned out to be more of a contemporary story about grief and vengeance, with some elements of horror and magical realism. I don’t usually gravitate toward contemporary fiction, so I was a bit taken aback.

Some things didn’t work for me: the pacing was very, very slow, and the plot is basically non-existent. The story focuses almost entirely on the internal world of the two sisters, exploring complex themes like grief and revenge. As someone who prefers plot-driven novels, I struggled with that, but at the same time, I don’t want to penalize a powerful and emotional story just because of my personal taste. The themes are quite dark, and it’s clear the protagonist is drowning in grief. It also feels like this story is deeply personal for the author. But again, it’s not the story I thought I was getting into.

The strongest point of the novel is definitely the characters. They felt real and grounded, though maybe there were a few too many POVs. The writing style was poetic and lyrical. It didn’t overpower the story, but instead enhanced it. The novel was also incredibly atmospheric, especially with its use of water and underground imagery, which is where the magical realism really came through.

I'm sorry I didn't love this more, but I'm sure it will find it's audience <3. All in all, is was a good debut. Thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A lyrical, eerie dive into grief, sisterhood, and the dangerous magic of not letting go.

I’ve read my fair share of YA horror and magical realism, but And the River Drags Her Down swept me into its depths in a way I didn’t expect. This isn’t your typical “raise the dead” tale. It’s tender, terrifying, slow-burning, and steeped in the quiet ache of longing—for connection, for answers, for one more moment with the person you’ve lost.

Soojin’s story unfolds like a haunting lullaby, quiet and melodic, with sudden jolts that leave you breathless. After her sister Mirae’s mysterious drowning, Soojin reaches for the one thing that has always been forbidden in her family’s legacy of necromancy: bringing back a human. Of course she breaks the rule. Of course she can’t let go. She’s not just a girl mourning her sister—she’s someone drowning in the weight of silence, secrets, and generational grief.

And when Mirae returns… she’s not the same.

What I loved most was the emotional complexity layered beneath the horror. Yes, there’s dark magic and atmospheric tension—a rain-drenched coastal town, a family-run B&B haunted by memories, whispers of ancestral power—but the heart of this novel beats loudest in the tender, tangled bond between sisters. Soojin’s desperation feels real. Her decisions, even when flawed, feel deeply human. And Mirae’s slow unraveling is as heartbreaking as it is chilling.

The pacing is deliberately slow at times, which may not work for everyone, but I appreciated the space it gave for reflection and emotional buildup. It’s less jump-scare horror, more creeping dread—the kind that settles under your skin. I also loved the incorporation of Korean cultural elements and the way it tackled racism and isolation in small-town America without ever feeling forced or preachy. The writing is lush and evocative, filled with poignant metaphors and imagery that lingers.

The supporting characters—especially Soojin’s father and friend Mark—added depth, and while I wished we had more insight into Mirae’s perspective, the multiple POVs kept the tension tight and the emotions raw.

This is a story about resurrection—but not just of bodies. Of old wounds. Of unspoken truths. Of the pain we bury and the love that refuses to die.

A beautifully written, emotionally charged novel that balances horror and heart with remarkable grace. It didn’t just spook me—it moved me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — a gorgeously crafted tale that reminds us how far we’ll go for the people we love, even if it means losing ourselves along the way.

Deepest thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s | Knopf Books for Young Readers for the chance to read this unforgettable, genre-blending mystery in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was definitely not a success for me, I didn't feel involved enough and I didn't care much about the characters, maybe another time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I know this is technically a horror novel, but this book took my heart and smashed it into pieces over and over again. The way I feel after watching one of Mike Flanagan’s horror shows is exactly how I felt about this novel. There were so many layers- horror (obviously) but with some magic realism, minor love story and a whole lot of grief. This is my first book by Jihyun Yun, but it certainly won’t be the last. Korean horror is so multifaceted and this book portrayed that so well. The visuals Yun painted made it feel like I was watching a movie at times and I would happily go see this at a cinema. The backstories as to how Mirae came into her second life/haunting and why she did the things she did were so beautifully written but absolutely heartbreaking. The family blessing/curse that was passed down generation to generation was so interesting but also was its own layer of repetitive trauma and relived grief. I need to sit with this more. I can’t wait for other people to read this, so I have someone to talk to about it! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s | Knopf Books for Young Readers
for the free early eARC.

very interesting book with some awesome tonal setting, unique twists and turns (and powers), some very cool if a hair predictable scares, and in the ending a satisfactory finish. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

River Drags Her Down is a YA contemporary novel with minor horror, mystery, and fantastical elements. Jihyun Yun was giving us everything.

I have learned a new kind of sensory nightmare: hair, everywhere, floating around you.

And the River Drags Her Down is a YA contemporary novel with minor horror, mystery, and fantastical elements. It's a story about drowning, specifically drowning in grief, and sisterhood. Some of the topics it discusses are quite dark, but also relatable to many readers. I will acknowledge briefly that I thought this book leaned more into fantasy elements based on the blurb I read off Netgalley, so I wasn't expecting a more contemporary setting (as I don't typically enjoy them as much), and I think some of my struggles to become engrossed in the story stem from me misunderstanding the genre. That being said, I still enjoyed the novel, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.

Soojin is no stranger to death. The women in her family are able to raise the dead, but they typically only use their power on animals, like Soojin's rat, Milkis. However, after her mother dies in a tragic car accident and her sister, Mirae, in a mysterious drowning, Soojin cannot bear the loneliness and brings Mirae back from the dead. Only Mirae isn't the sister Soojin once knew, and after a series of unusual murders strike their small town, Soojin begins to question her decision. I absolutely loved the symbolism and imagery of this book, especially the relationship between drowning and overwhelming grief. At first, I was a bit hesitant about the water as a plot device, but I grew to really like the idea. I'm not super familiar with YA horror (both books I've read from the genre involve the botanical strain of body horror), but I did like the imagery with the water and drowning. The pacing did feel a bit slow at times, which is partially why I struggled to stay engaged with the story. Some scenes felt drawn out or unnecessary, and some of the flashbacks bogged down the story toward the end, but the Mirae POV sections definitely helped keep me interested. Again, this could be due to the fact that I don't typically enjoy contemporary settings as much, so my review should be taken with a grain of salt. Otherwise, I loved the ending and resolution. It was very fitting for the character arcs, and it almost made me cry.

Though the cast of characters is small, they're all complex and relatable in some way or another. Soojin's journey was both realistic and enticing. I've been in the mood for books about sisterhood, and she was one of the first younger sisters I've read about who worshiped her sister in almost every way, which was interesting. She can be a bit selfish at times, but that's part of her growth, and I really enjoyed her arc. Mark surprised me; I thought he was going to fight Soojin's decisions more, but he had his own grief to deal with. I liked that we got to see Soojin from his eyes at times, which helped develop her complexity, as well as his own. Mirae reminded me a lot of Mari from Omori (for various reasons), and I didn't really like her as a person until the very end. Soojin's father was an equally interesting character; like Mirae, I didn't care for him at first, but I grew to love him by the end. I appreciated the multiple POVs, and I also just really liked the dynamics between the characters and how their grief was reflected in their relationships.

And the River Drags Her Down is a beautifully written YA contemporary/horror novel that focuses on grief, sisterhood, and healing as a community journey.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.75/5

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was not what I expected for YA! Dark, twisty and heavy themes, but a beautifully written story. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

And the River Drags Her Down is a story that is as beautiful as it is scary. Soojin Han has inherited the ability that all women in her family have had for generations: the ability to bring back creatures from the dead. After her sister Mirae drowns in a river, a mourning Soojin breaks all the rules of the family's magic to bring her sister back from the dead. At first everything seems wonderful as the two sisters reunite. Things begin to unravel and Soojin realizes there is a price to be paid for her actions. Jihyun Yun's novel is a mesmerizing exploration of grief with beautiful writing and incredibly relatable characters. The shifting perspective make the characters and places of Jade Acre come to life. Additionally, Yun does a fantastic job at building a sense of dread as the novel progresses, leading into a stunning conclusion.

Very emotional read. Soojin is a relatable character for anyone that has loved and lost family. The grief is accurately portrayed. I felt the folly of her choices in the beginning, but can't say I wouldn't make similar decisions in her shoes. Who wouldn't want a second chance with someone that passed away? And poor Mirae. Very Jennifer's Body, but with mul gwishin.

A dark and haunting tale of grief, sisterhood, revenge, secrets, and loss. This story unfolds in a slow steady pace that builds tension and emotion as it goes. It is not one that is easy to put down and the emotional tight wire you walk while reading it is unimaginable. Yun has written a YA dark horror that explores very real themes in a way that makes the emotions alive and real. It will most certainly leave you heartbroken so get a box of tissues for the read.

This was such a perfect contemporary YA. I don't quite know how to categorize it. It's very dark, it deals with realistic issues like grief and sisterhood, and there's a dash of romance. It's got some fantasy and mostly magical realism, with Korean-inspired magic and a Korean-American family running a bed and breakfast in a small beach town.

Against this backdrop Soojin is falling apart, mourning the drowning death of her sister Mirae. Her sister was a mother figure for her after their mother died and their father couldn't cope with the loss. In this family the women come from a long line of women who have the magical power of necromancy, ever since a famine and one family used the power to resurrect a chicken to stay fed.

They focus on animals and not human beings, because all kinds of things can go wrong between the necromancer and the revenant when it's another human.

After a breakdown, desperate Soojin resurrects her sister from her milk tooth. Her sister comes back and she has her memories, but it soon becomes apparent that something's not quite right. I do love the "comes back wrong" trope. Mirae is filled with anger about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death, and embarks on a mission of femimine rage to avenge her drowning on the men in the town.

I loved the author's immersive, lyrical writing style, the exploration of sisterhood and the complicated ways that sisters look out for each other. Gorgeous lines like "Soojin was the sovereign of the nation of not letting go." Soojin could be often unlikable in her relentless, selfish commitment to not being able to let go, but I appreciated seeing her transformation into a more mature young woman.

I also enjoyed the Korean cultural elements woven into the narrative and appreciated the depiction of the racism they experienced in this small town. I thought the complicated friendship between Bentley, the rich kid whose dad was competing with their B&B, and Mirae, was tender and well done. Revenge isn't always so straightforward or will help a spirit move on after death. This book did an excellent job at examining the complex layers of grief and how it can destroy a family or bind them together.

This was dark and unsettling, but also beautiful, heartwarming, and powerful.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The cover, title, and premise of this book sounded right up my alley. The book starts off well, and the world building really sets the tone for the whole book. Towards the middle, the pacing slowed down and that is where I began to lose focus. The writing is done well, and the messaging is another highlight that really kept me reading until the end. There's nothing inherently wrong with this book, it just didn't grab me like I had anticipated.

This book was spooky and creepy and fun and I liked it a lot. I really liked that the romance was more of a deepening friendship than an actual romance, it felt much more realistic and healthy and like something that’s sustainable. And the sisters relationship was sooo well done. The way each of their perceived roles came back with the resurrection was really nice and made it feel very complex. I can’t say too much more without spoilers but Mirae’s characters was SO GOOD!!! I was like yes girl!!! But also Mirae no!!!

Bottom line: super good spooky read that would be perfect for fall

Would I Recommend The Book?: Yes, absolutely

Objective Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

Subjective Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: None

Violence Rating: 🗡️🗡️🗡️

SFW/NSFW: SFW

Potential Content Warnings: Death, graphic gore, drownings, zombies/possession, portrayals of grief and depression, murder, corruption of power, gradual injuries

Genre Tags: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Slice of Life, Horror, Thriller, Features Paranormal(?) Elements, Mystery

Additional Comments:
Holy hell.

This book is excellent.

It has the same literary… we’ll say feeling… of the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue or Light from Uncommon Stars. It’s more similar to contemporary literature in its styling compared to some other books I’ve read. However, it has some similar themes and ideas to The Bone Witch, while still being extremely different story wise because its urban fantasy. But the themes of grief are similar. (and if you haven’t read the aforementioned books, highly recommend them, they have a very similar feeling.)

The descriptions are extremely vivid, as well. It’s a beautifully written book and it has a really good balance between description without feeling over the top verbose.

It’s a very like. “Slow” horror/thriller. I personally didn’t find it “scary” or “frightening.” (I don’t scare easily, though), but I found the mystery surrounding the sisters and the themes of parentification to be really pertinent and well integrated.

I really liked this book and its characters overall.

A beautifully heartbreaking story about grief, sisterhood, and the cost of breaking nature’s rules to bring a loved one back. What lines would you cross for those you love? This book captures the essence of that question in an emotional way. Loved the book thank you NetGalley and one worlds rock the boat imprint for the arc this is my honest review

This was a heavy, beautifully written book about grief, about expectations, about learning to live again, about family. I actually had to take a few moments to step away from reading because the way the author wrote Soojin and her father's grief and relationship was so raw and visceral as to be painful. I didn't quite cry, but it was a very, very near thing.

I think the only criticism I have is that while I understand the way the author wrote things, I think for characterization purposes (particularly Mirae's character), having the POV count down to just 3 (Mirae, Soojin and Mark) would have served the whole of the book much better, in my opinion. Because the way things were written (mostly in Mirae's case) ended up pulling away from more introspective moments that would have I think pulled deeper in to examining Mirae's character and feelings. Again, I think I can understand why the author did it the way that she did, I just don't know if I quite vibed with it. [ Particularly since a lot of character-building in Mirae's POV in terms of unraveling the mystery of her death, while done via a cool premise (using the water in the human body to dive into the target's memories), felt a little less interesting, I think, than letting revenant Mirae interrogate those who wronged her and sort of letting the reader piece things together on their own. (hide spoiler)]

I WILL say for animal lovers (particularly rat lovers), the trigger warning of "violence against animals" doesn't quite fully encompass the brutality of a scene that happens in the later chapters. Both in the moment AND the aftermath. It was much more than I was expecting and left me feeling faintly queasy. I realize that some people think trigger warnings that are too specific can be spoilery, but, in this case, I kind of wish there had been a bit more warning me beyond just "violence". So, if you like rats or have a pet rat, maybe skip this one?

I do think this is a worthwhile read despite that, though I don't know if I'm mentally strong enough for a reread lol.