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spruced's review against another edition
4.0
“I want to tell Shin that I choose him, always him.”
As an avid K-drama lover, this book was an immediate standout to me. It has many of the same tropes: standoffish male lead, girl next door female lead, and a butterfly-inducing, (fairly) slow burn romance.
Oh’s world is complex enough to feel real, but small enough that it never felt overwhelming. I love how she incorporated Korean mythology and the concept of fate.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is extremely poignant and had me tearing up in multiple places. I loved how it emphasized family and friendship just as much as love. The romance is there but never feels like it overshadows the rest of the story. It’s probably a book I will end up re-reading down the road and 100% recommend.
As an avid K-drama lover, this book was an immediate standout to me. It has many of the same tropes: standoffish male lead, girl next door female lead, and a butterfly-inducing, (fairly) slow burn romance.
Oh’s world is complex enough to feel real, but small enough that it never felt overwhelming. I love how she incorporated Korean mythology and the concept of fate.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is extremely poignant and had me tearing up in multiple places. I loved how it emphasized family and friendship just as much as love. The romance is there but never feels like it overshadows the rest of the story. It’s probably a book I will end up re-reading down the road and 100% recommend.
gaelicpearl's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This very much feels like a Korean flavoured YA retelling of Spirited Away, but it was delightful and enjoyable nonetheless. Definitely recommend for Ghibli fans.
maksbookstudy's review against another edition
5.0
Jedna z najpiękniejszych i najmądrzejszych historii jakie ostatnio czytałam! Zakochałam się bez reszty niczym Mina i na pewno będę do tej książki wracać.
purr21's review against another edition
4.0
The Girl That Fell Beneath the Sea is the fantasy novel I’ve been looking for. It had dragons, gods, beasts of myth, spirits, a love triangle and a soft but strong female lead that wasn’t foolhardy for once.
The story follows 16 year old Mina as she is thrust into the world of spirits, and gods; including the Sea God who is under a curse, and Shin who has sworn to protect him; by severing the thread of fate between the Sea God, and every Bride of the Sea God sacrificed by Mina’s villagers each year. Mina chooses to sacrifice herself to save her brother’s lover from being thrown into the sea.
I loved the mystery surrounding the curse of the sea god and the emperor and the identities revealed at the very end - it took me by surprise in a pleasant way and tied everything together. The pacing was good and the supporting characters had a depth to them. For a standalone novel, the world building was pretty impressive as well.
I just felt like whereas the story and plot developed well, I missed having a connection to the main character Mina as a reader. Perhaps it was the lack of an internal monologue but I felt a gap between Mina’s thoughts during the story as the lead character and as the reader following her. That’s only why I knocked off one star.
TL;DR - a soft and strong fantasy novel with a sensible female lead, plenty of mythical creatures, spirits and a mystery that unravels in a Joseon vibes spirit world and era.
The story follows 16 year old Mina as she is thrust into the world of spirits, and gods; including the Sea God who is under a curse, and Shin who has sworn to protect him; by severing the thread of fate between the Sea God, and every Bride of the Sea God sacrificed by Mina’s villagers each year. Mina chooses to sacrifice herself to save her brother’s lover from being thrown into the sea.
I loved the mystery surrounding the curse of the sea god and the emperor and the identities revealed at the very end - it took me by surprise in a pleasant way and tied everything together. The pacing was good and the supporting characters had a depth to them. For a standalone novel, the world building was pretty impressive as well.
I just felt like whereas the story and plot developed well, I missed having a connection to the main character Mina as a reader. Perhaps it was the lack of an internal monologue but I felt a gap between Mina’s thoughts during the story as the lead character and as the reader following her. That’s only why I knocked off one star.
TL;DR - a soft and strong fantasy novel with a sensible female lead, plenty of mythical creatures, spirits and a mystery that unravels in a Joseon vibes spirit world and era.
justalittleloveshank's review against another edition
5.0
A beautifully written ode to family, fate, and the ties that bind us.
lorechka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
I enjoyed this book, though I did have a few relatively minor issues that prevented me from becoming fully engrossed in the story.
The descriptive language that is present is rather good, and there are several evocative passages. Contradictorily, I felt the descriptions of some settings and emotions were lacking, oddly glossed over. There were several instances where seemingly a key detail of the scene being described seem to come too late, and I'd mentally scramble to complete the picture in my head.
There was also a section where I became very confused about geography that seemed impossible and contradictory to what had been described a hundred pages earlier. I never resolved this confusion, and it bothered me perhaps more than it should have.
Towards the end I felt my grasp on the world's lore and logic slipping away, but by that point the plot is carried forward by an emotional inertia, so I decided not to linger in a resolve to reach the finish line.
Mina's Korean culture is the lifeblood of the story, her respect for nature and undying love for her family driving the plot and packing poignant emotional punches.
The descriptive language that is present is rather good, and there are several evocative passages. Contradictorily, I felt the descriptions of some settings and emotions were lacking, oddly glossed over. There were several instances where seemingly a key detail of the scene being described seem to come too late, and I'd mentally scramble to complete the picture in my head.
There was also a section where I became very confused about geography that seemed impossible and contradictory to what had been described a hundred pages earlier. I never resolved this confusion, and it bothered me perhaps more than it should have.
Towards the end I felt my grasp on the world's lore and logic slipping away, but by that point the plot is carried forward by an emotional inertia, so I decided not to linger in a resolve to reach the finish line.
Mina's Korean culture is the lifeblood of the story, her respect for nature and undying love for her family driving the plot and packing poignant emotional punches.
bookgirl1861's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
payton_123's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
goblin_w_ksiazkach's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
superdupergirl5's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25