Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Honestly I feel like three stars is being generous but the book was entertaining enough so I'll leave it (I've since decided not to leave it). However I found the plot drags and meanders, and it just felt incredibly unorganized. The characters were flat, and not to say they're unlikable, but there wasn't enough development for me to grow attached to any of them, and this includes all the relationships as well. The prose itself was pretty and flowery, but it also felt juvenile and repetitive. I think the book was too ambitious, and perhaps with a different editor it could have been better.

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purplepenning's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious relaxing slow-paced

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

4.25

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wickedgrumpy's review

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

1.5

Oof.

While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.

At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me. It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies. The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous). Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading. Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").

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bookishflower's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective 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

5.0

“Nothing extraordinary is ever done out of reason or logic, but because it’s the only way for your soul to breathe”.

I didn’t intend to read this all in one sitting, but it’s 4am now and future me will have to deal with it.

I’ve come to the conclusion that all my favourite books feel like fairytales and this book just confirms it!

Axie Oh’s writing is beautiful, accessible and full of heart that captures you from the first few chapters and won’t let go.

The romance was swoony- soul mates, reluctant allies to lovers, fake marriages, hello?!- and the rich fantasy world was perfect. This got me out of a reading slump, THANK YOU!

Although I guessed the plot twist, I didn’t mind because the characters were so soulful and human (yes, even the sea gods, spirits and dragons too). I loved the strength of Mina throughout the book too. This truly felt like a love letter to one’s family, healing and culture.

Go read this book!

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