The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh - Book Review

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Publication Date: 22nd Feb 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling 

3.75 Stars 

One Liner: Entertaining; suitable for young teens as well 

Mina’s homeland has been suffering from storms, floods, and losses for years. Every year, they choose the most beautiful girl and offer her as the Sea God’s Bride. Myth has it that the true bride will get the Sea God to fall in love and save the village. 

That year, it was Shim Cheong’s turn. But Mina knows that her brother Joon and Shim love each other. She doesn’t want them to go through heartbreak and decides to offer herself as the Sea God’s Bride.

The trouble, however, is that Mina is still sixteen (the brides have to be eighteen) and doesn’t particularly possess any special talents or beauty (according to others). Moreover, her entry into the underwater realm unleashes chaos, and the Sea God is not who she thought he’d be. 

Matters are further complicated when Mina meets the mysterious Lord Shin and realizes she has to choose. Her decision could save her family and villagers. But she’s not sure of anything yet. How can Mina break the curse when there are too many immortals willing to do anything to prevent her, especially when a mortal like her can’t live in the land of spirits for long? 

What I Like: 

• Retellings are tricky, but this one works well. I read a summary of the original before starting the book. It helped a lot. 
• The descriptions of the underwater world are beautiful. I had no problem visualizing the setting.
• Side characters like Mask, Dai, Namgi, and Kirin were interesting. I enjoyed Mina’s interaction with them.
• The aspect of storytelling plays a major role in the book. The grandmother’s role was heartwarming. What are we if not for the stories we make and share! 
• The blurb calls it a feminist retelling, and the story does justice to it. Mina is the hero of the book, without demeaning other male characters.  

What Could Have Been Better: 

• I know this is a YA book, but the pacing is uneven and bumpy. Even the writing is a little all over the place. The ARC is an uncorrected proof copy, so I hope these issues would have been ironed out to an extent in the final copy. 
• There is some character development, but we still don’t fully know Mina, the Sea God, or Shin. The pacing needed to be better to let Mina bloom and grow (despite the limitations). 
• I’m not sure if there is romance. There seems to be some, but it’s not explored. Yeah, the characters are teens, I know. That doesn’t mean they can’t interact or have conversations to establish their relationship. Most of it was ‘read between the lines’ or implied and left to the readers to assume. The declaration of love seemed a little abrupt, though we know it’s inevitable. 

To sum up, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enjoyable retelling with some good moments. Go with low expectations, and you’ll enjoy it more. 

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley