Reviews

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

tdavidovsky's review

3.0

The beautiful cover says it all: This book is vibrant and enchanting. To save her brother, Mina sacrifices herself to a god. Thus begins the story of a bold and plucky girl on a quest through the Spirit World to break a curse. Mina is spunky and full of conviction. She practically leaps of the pages without being cartoonish or cliché, and the characters around her are just as vivid. Their decisions drive an entertaining tale that reads like a love letter to the Korean myth that inspired it, but full of reminders that this version centers a woman who has agency. To be sure, the book has its problems—a meandering plot that lacks motivation and direction at times (despite its promise to offer a straightforward quest), predictable twists, a corny romance (that will look overly familiar to YA readers), physical stakes that feel smaller than they should, and an unclear set of antagonistic forces and characters. However the author's lovely prose is enough of a distraction that the book's flaws can go unnoticed.

ladaney's review

adventurous challenging emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

loolzerz's review

4.0

such a cute little book

fayeelizabeth's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

corinne_q's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

jackiie's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

amandabuckley's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

lauryz's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

gabby2317's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.5

mariia's review against another edition

4.0

4 stars

took me a month to read because of school but shin and mina have my heart and soul (winks)

i loved reading this book especially when i was doing my
exams. the characters were so loveable i legit love them so much!! i dont remember much as of dec 11 2023, but i remember giggling and squealing a lot LOL