The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea Review

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
By Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a beautiful Korean fantasy quest.

The villagers are struggling to survive because of the turbulent seas threatening their safety and food supply. Each year, the villages sacrifice a beautiful young woman. They hope to appease the Sea God by sending him the true Sea Queen and believe the God will calm the seas, allowing the villages to thrive.

Shum Cheong has been selected to be the next sacrifice. Despite knowing her fate, she falls in love with Joon. Joon sneaks aboard the boat to try and save her. His younger sister Mina has also stowed away with the same goal in mind. She adores her older brother and is willing to sacrifice herself so that the woman he loves may live.

Mina dives into the water before the sacrifice can be made. She ends up in the Spirit World, where her soul has been stolen. The Sea God is a sleeping boy oblivious to Mina and the red ribbon attaching them.. A mysterious man named Shin cuts the ribbon and informs her that she only has one year to restore her soul, awaken the Sea God, and join the Sea God as his Queen. Shin and his otherworldly cohorts accompany Mina through the different factions of the spirit realm so she can complete her quest. Will Mina and her ever-growing list of companions be enough to succeed, or will the opposing forces in the realm confine her to the spirit world forever?

Oh crafts a spellbinding world beneath the sea where Mina tries to regain her soul and reign as Sea Queen. My biggest challenge was putting down the book. It’s a fascinating quest with entertaining characters and distinctly lovely locales with the right touch of humor. I am looking forward to reading more Axie Oh tales like The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s Group for providing a review copy. The opinions stated here are my own.