The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
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4.5 • 174 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Bestseller!
Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling retelling of a classic Korean folktale, perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.
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…
Praise for The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea:
An ABA Indie Bestseller
"On every page I found something marvelous and new, and I was eager to keep reading because I wanted to further explore this wondrous new world." —The New York Times
"A beautiful, mesmerizing retelling I wish I’d had when I was growing up. ... A heartfelt tale that I will be recommending for years to come." —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times-bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes
"A clever, creative, and exquisitely written tale of sacrifice, love, and fate." —Stephanie Garber, New York Times-bestselling author of Caraval
Also by Axie Oh
The Floating World
The Demon and the Light
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Axie Oh's (XOXO) transporting historical fantasy based off the Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong," a village throws a maiden into the sea each year in hopes of appeasing a violent sea god who wreaks devastating natural disasters. Mina, 16 years old and furious at the gods for abandoning her village, sacrifices herself as this year's Bride of the Sea God; in doing so, she takes the place of her brother's love in a bid to save her sibling. After the sacrifice, Mina arrives in the spirit realm, where she finds herself tied to the sleeping, seemingly cursed Sea God by the Red String of Fate. As she seeks to wake the Sea God, she's initially antagonized and eventually supported by the Sea God's protectors—including Lord Shin of the Lotus House, a cold teenage nobleman whose developing relationship with Mina complicates her quest. Though exposition-heavy dialogue slows the novel's pace early on, Mina's determination to save her village and restore the order between humans and gods pushes the pace to an enjoyable clip, enabling an atmospheric folklore interpretation that's sure to satisfy fans of historical K-dramas such as Moon Lovers. Ages 13–up.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful, magical, romantic, and bittersweet
This book felt like stepping into a fairytale.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is such a beautiful retelling, filled with gods, spirits, magic, underwater kingdoms, and the idea of sacrificing yourself for the people you love. The world felt almost like a dream, and I especially loved the imagery of the sea and the Spirit Realm.
What really stood out to me was how gentle the story felt despite the darker themes. It’s about love, fate, family, and breaking cycles that have existed for generations. Mina was such a sweet protagonist, and I loved watching her discover that the world—and the people in it—weren’t necessarily what she had been told.
The romance was also really lovely. It wasn’t overly dramatic or the main focus of everything, which made it feel more meaningful to me. There was something especially beautiful about two people slowly finding each other while surrounded by a world full of magic.
My favorite part, though, was the folklore feeling. It genuinely felt like someone had taken an old Korean folktale and turned it into this lush, colorful dream.
It wasn’t a five-star read for me because some parts felt a little rushed and I wanted even more time exploring the Spirit Realm and its characters. But the atmosphere alone made this book worth reading.
Definite Read
I rarely give 5 stars. I finished this book in 2 days (only because I read at night). The world was beautiful and the characters were developed and lovely. The FMC was strong and fearless but also kind and just very human which was refreshing. The story itself was amazing and unique in my opinion. The writing was fast paced and purposeful. If you have this on your TBR or are looking for a single book to read definitely choose this one!
beautiful
an absolutely beautiful book, i loved every page