Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

"Aku memang marah, tapi bukan kepadamu. Aku marah pada takdir yang diberikan kepadaku. Ketika aku sadar, agar kau bisa mendapatkan apa yang kau inginkan, aku harus kehilangan satu - satunya yang pernah kuinginkan."

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea sempat bikin heboh di tahun 2022 karena selain covernya yang menarik, ceritanya dibilang mirip animasi Ghibli, yaitu Spirited Away. Gue sih belum nonton ya, jadi ga banyak ekspektasi juga pas mulai baca. Pun, ternyata terjemahannya juga memakai cover yang sama dengan versi aslinya. Apa mungkin karena itu, untuk buku tipis ga sampe 300 halaman dengan font kecil sangat membuat mata gue berteriak "alamak!!", harganya pun hampir 100k? Hehe.

Girl Who Fell (kepanjangan, gue singkat aja) adalah adaptasi bebas dari kisah rakyat Korea, The Tale of Sim Cheong. Namanya juga adaptasi bebas (banget), jadi Axie Oh bebas mengkreasikan kisah Sim Cheong versinya sendiri. Sim Cheong memang tetap dijadikan pengantin Dewa Laut, tapi tokoh utama buku ini justru Mina, adik dari Joon, dimana Joon yang tidak rela Cheong dikorbankan berusaha menyelamatkan kekasihnya tapi Mina juga ga rela Joon dihukum mati karenanya. Dari situlah cerita bergulir, membawa pembaca pada dunia Dewa Laut yang menurut gue cukup nano - nano mitologinya. Membaca kisah Mina di dunia Dewa Laut justru mengingatkan gue sama novel The Ghost Bride, karena tokoh utamanya sama - sama berkelana di dunia para arwah. Bedanya, gue masih bisa lebih menoleransi Mina ketimbang Li Lan di The Ghost Bride.

Saat gue bilang adaptasi bebas, Axie Oh emang banyak memasukkan unsur mitologi di buku ini. Istana Dewa Laut mau ga mau mengingatkan gue sama legenda Urashima Taro dari Jepang dan gue bertanya - tanya ini dunia dewa laut ternyata tetanggaan juga sama dunia arwah dan dewa - dewi lainnya? Karena selain Dewa Laut, ada juga dewa - dewi lain, seperti Dewa Kematian yang berasa terinspirasi dari Hades dan lalu ada Dewi Bulan dan Kenangan yang gue ga tahu kenapa kok saingan sama Dewa Laut. Ga dijelasin juga sih, hahaha. Staple mitologi korea seperti gumiho atau rubah berekor sembilan pun juga ada dan Axie Oh memasukkan makhluk mitologi bernama Imugi (atau Imoogi). Imugi ini seperti naga, cuma mereka perlu 1000 tahun untuk menjadi naga beneran dan dasarnya mereka jahat. Tapi Namgi, salah satu karakter di buku ini yang nantinya jadi teman Mina, adalah imugi yang baik. Selain Namgi, ada juga Kirin, yang kalau tahu makluk2 legenda Asia, pasti dah bisa nebak Kirin ini apa lah ya.

Selain makluk mitologi, Girl Who Fell sarat dengan dongeng, karena dongeng adalah senjata Mina untuk bertahan hidup di dunia bawah laut ini selain dengan pisau yang Mina warisi dari neneknya. Dongeng - dongeng memang sangat berperan penting di buku ini, karena ada beberapa aspek dalam dongeng nantinya akan membantu Mina. Salah satu dongeng yang menurut gue unik adalah dongeng tentang tukang kayu dan bidadari, karena kesamaan dongeng ini dengan beberapa dongeng di dunia lain bahkan termasuk di Indo sendiri yaitu legenda Joko Tarub. Terus terang gue suka dengan cara Axie Oh ngecampur mitologi dan juga dongeng di buku ini, walau memang ada beberapa hal yang butuh penjelasan. Aura magis dan mengagumkan dunia Dewa Laut ini ditulis dengan cukup baik. Hal lain yang gue cermati dari buku ini adalah beberapa bagian terasa sangat melankolis dan lembut. Bagian favorit gue adalah saat Dai melindungi Miki dari serangan Imugi. Membaca bagian Dai yang bener - bener menyayangi Miki itu bikin gue sangat terharu :'). Tema keluarga memang kental banget di buku ini selain juga misteri di balik kenapa Dewa Laut dikutuk.

Gue baca beberapa review yang bilang kalau romansa antara Mina dan Shin itu agak hambar. Menurut gue, sebenarnya ga juga ya hahaha. Ini masih mendingan dan gue juga ngerasain kok perasaan Shin yang mendamba ke Mina. Mungkin karena romansanya bukan tipe slow burn ya, kan waktu Mina juga sangat terbatas di dunia Arwah jadinya kayak berasa cepet aja ini jatuh cintanya. Tapi gue tetap ngerasain kok dan romansanya pun bukan tipe yang cukup lebay. Karena buku ini pakai PoV pertama Mina seperti laiknya buku2 YA fantasy, jadi pembaca ga tahu apa yang sebenarnya Shin pikirkan tentang Mina dan kapan tepatnya pemuda ini mulai jatuh hati ke Mina karena kita hanya tahu semuanya dari sudut pandang Mina. Pun, menurut gue, kisah (hampir) cinta segitiga antara Mina, Shin dan Dewa Laut itu agak maksa dan konklusinya pun termasuk yang terburu - buru. Tanpa kisah cinta segitiga sebenarnya bisa lebih bagus sih, cuma mungkin buat bumbu - bumbu biar bikin gregetan kali ya.

Untuk stand alone YA fantasy romance, menurut gue The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea sudah cukup bagus. Ada bagian yang kurang, seperti romansa antara Mina dan Shin yang lebih bisa digali lagi dan kisah cinta segitiga yang menurut gue ga perlu - perlu banget. Banyak juga bagian yang bagus seperti penggambaran dunia Arwah, sentimen terkait dewa - dewi, tema kekeluargaan yang kental, hubungan pertemanan antara Mina dengan Namgi, maupun Mina dengan Kedok, Dai serta Miki; dan penggunaan dongeng yang membuat cerita jadi kaya. Mina sendiri emang beberapa kali bertindak gegabah tapi gue cukup suka sama gadis ini karena dia berani menentukan takdirnya sendiri. Untuk terjemahannya sendiri cukup rapi dan enak dibaca serta minim typo. Cuma ya, CUMA, fontnya sangat diirit - irit, bikin versi terjemahan ini bahkan lebih tipis dari versi aslinya yang 300 halaman lebih!

Recommended untuk yang cari YA fantasy romance yang diadaptasi dari kisah rakyat dan juga stand alone.

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staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

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indigo_fox's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-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

5.0

This book is always hard for me to put down! This story follows Mina on her journey into the spirit realm as she tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding the sea god. Each new discovery leads to another adventure and it feels like the events pile on quickly. The fast pace makes sense though since Mina is on a bit of a time crunch.

It is so easy to fall in love with these characters, even the one who is supposed to be the villain. The side characters don't get fleshed out much but you still get enough about them to get a solid understanding of their personality. Although, I wish I had more time to learn about these characters.

The story itself was fun. This is my second time reading the story but I remember being surprised at various points in the story, even when I had my suspicions about what was going on. It was just as fun to watch the mystery unravel on my reread. Things weren't any less suspenseful as I was anxious to get to the reveals I knew were just around the corner.

Overall the story was great! I always enjoy a good folklore retelling!

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bree_h_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

2.25

I was really looking forward to this book and what story it could tell. And it had a pretty strong start to backup this hope. Unfortunately it fell a bit short by the halfway point.

As mentioned the start was pretty strong. I felt like it established action and motivation really well. Not to mention a strong setting of scene and tone. I thought Mina losing her voice was really interesting and I liked how it changed her communication and how others understood her. I also thought the introduction to the main cast was interesting and got me interested in them.

But once Mina got her voice back I just felt like the book took a dip in quality. The feeling of inconsistency in Mina’s character seemed highlighted and relationships with other characters felt rushed. It felt like it was trying to mimic ACOTAR, but wasn’t executed very well. Not to mention the grossness around a romance between a 16-year-old minor and an ancient immortal. It’s not realistic, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth in regards to the love interest. By the end it really just felt like the book was a checklist of tropes.

Overall it wasn’t super great, but I think people that like ACOTAR might enjoy it more than me.

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morininung's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

a romance tied by an invisible string of fate woven by gods of old & a second family as loving and forgiving and understanding as the first

though the pacing left a lot to be desired, TGWFBTS made up for it with its rich worldbuilding and awe-inspiring characters. more than once, i found myself in tears and on the edge of my seat. through the journey mina took, she found love in all its forms, each more true and beautiful than the last, shown and reciprocated through compassion and laughter and truth.

dialogue lines that tore my heart out of my chest, shattered it against the ground, and then laughed at me

"Really, I don't need this torch, but you do, so I'll hold it for you."

"There is no place you can go so far away from forgiveness. Not from someone who loves you."

"I apologize for many things, but mostly I apologize for making the weight you carry a little heavier."

"When I look at Kirin, I see only him, a bright light in the darkness. When he looks at me, he sees only the darkness."

"Sometimes, you don't find family in your own blood, but elsewhere."

"This room was empty before," Namgi says. "And then you filled it with all these things. Is that a good metaphor for how you've filled all our lives?"

"I wanted to be wise and good. I wanted to be whole."
Kirin's grip tightens. "You are, Namgi."

"I will miss you, Mina, my favorite sister."
I scoff. "You only have one sister."
"Yes, and she is the bravest person I know."

"With everyone and everything pushing you toward the Sea God and a fate not of your choosing, you looked back to what you wanted. And because of that, to me, you are the Sea God's bride. The girl who, by saving herself, saves the world."

dialogue lines that made me gasp and giggle and squeal

"She is my bride."

"As for the Red String of Fate we share, he said—"
"You're wrong," Shin interrupts. "I think I have a fever."

"I don't need a Red String of Fate to tell me that if you should die, so will I."

I take in the dark circles beneath his eyes, his lips red against the pallor of his skin. "You look awful—when was the last time you slept?" At the same time, he says, "You look beautiful."

"I would tie my life to yours, if you'll have me."

He releases me, placing his body between the dragon and me. "I won't let you hurt her."

"I may be soulless and haven't a Red String of Fate, but I don't need either to tell me that I love you."

"Will you wait here? Do you trust me?"
He doesn't answer me at first, watching me with his sea-dark eyes. Then he smiles, a small quirk of the lips. "With my soul."

I love you. Wait for me, where the land meets the sea.

His arms tighten around me. "Wherever you are, I'll find you."
"I'll make it easy for you. Because I'll be right here. With you."

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katherineshawwrites's review

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emotional hopeful 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? No

4.5

Wow, what an enchanting and delightful story. Knowing nothing of Korean myth or legend, I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it blew me away.

Axie Oh's writing is simple but lovely, drawing you into Mina's story from the very beginning, and creating a world of spirits and magic unlike anything I've read before. I really enjoyed being introduced to the different spirits, creatures and gods/goddesses, and watching the mystery of the Sea God's Curse unravel as the plot progressed.

The romance was sweet but felt very authentic and organic, paced perfectly and thoroughly believable. Even more so, I loved the developing friendships - especially between Mina and Namgi, who I have a soft spot for.

It was refreshing and interesting to read an Eastern fairytale, and I enjoyed all the cultural details which really brought both the setting and the story to life.

I loved all of the little twists and turns that kept me guessing, right up until the very end when I thought Mina might make the wrong choice (but, of course, she didn't!). Axie Oh wove a delightful tale that kept me gripped throughout, but also ended in a feel-good and entirely satisfactory way.

My only criticism is that - at least, in the first half or so of the story - Mina reads as very young, and almost childish. It makes it a little jarring when the romance starts to develop, and I had to keep reminding myself she was sixteen, not eleven or twelve.

Nevertheless, this is one of those rare books that I would gladly reread almost immediately, to immerse myself back in the world and be reunited with these wonderful characters.

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annslittlelibrary's review

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adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

3.5

Rounded up to 3.5 stars- I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to someone who loves YA mythology/folklore retellings. That being said, the pacing of the plot felt off to me and stopped me from rating it higher. Some parts felt rushed while others dragged, and some of the plot points felt a little muddled or under explained. What worked best for me in this book was definitely the beautiful world building of Sea God City and how the story addresses themes of death and grief.

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kaitrates's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

I mostly enjoyed this gorgeous novel. As a retelling—based on what I read about the original story—it reminds me of what Rosalind is to Romeo and Juliet. It takes the known story and adds an entirely new layer to the story, one that’s plausible enough but changes a core of the tekr—in this case, that the hero of the story isn’t actually Sim Cheong.

The writing is ethereal and lyrical as we join our main character Mina on her journey through the Spirit Realm. There are plot twists and battles, romance and secret identities, evil gods and shapeshifting creatures, and much more.

I loved both the family and the found family, the gorgeous writing, and the new-to-me setting and lore.

Unfortunately, the romance felt rushed and underdeveloped to me as did some other parts of the plot, including the ending to a degree.

Overall, this was a great fantasy to start my year off with and I’d definitely read from this author again.

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