The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
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4.6 • 127 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times Bestseller!
Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling feminist retelling of the classic Korean folktale "The Tale of Shim Cheong," 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
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
Need More TT
It broke my heart seeing that I was already at the ending and there wasn’t more of what I was craving. I sobbed and screamed and kicked my feet throughout this entire book, it was beautiful! This was the first of books I have read that had any focus on romance, and I find myself only wanting more and more. The author has my heart and praise.
It was okay
Writing was amazing and it pulls you in literally right away. The book is also hysterical, but the way the author uses humor is clever. However, it was lacking character depth and development and I had too many questions while reading it. Go for it for the way it is written and the humor, not for the plot.
Love love love
This story is absolutely beautiful