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A review by leguinstan
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
adventurous
fast-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
2.0
Bamboozled by a beautiful book cover once again!
Book cover aside, I was interested in this book because I knew practically nothing about Korean mythology/folklore and I actively seek out fantasy that takes inspiration from cultures from areas outside of western Europe. While the setting was certainly a nice change of pace, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea left me dissatisfied on several fronts.
I can't help but think that most of the novel's issues could have been resolved if the plot was simplified for a middle grade audience (instead of a YA audience) or if ~150-200 more pages were added for further development. As it stands, the story moves way too fast--so busy bull rushing from one plot point to the next that it barely has any time to flesh out its setting and characters. The romance between Mina, the main character, and Shin is underdeveloped and severely lacking in chemistry. In addition, the initial antagonism between Namgi and Kirin is not explored in any depth and as a consequencetheir eventual reconciliation has no emotional punch.
While the Spirit Realm felt like a complex and believable place populated by a diversity of beings (gods, spirits, imugis, etc.), there were a lot of unexplained aspects of the world that left me with so many questions about the goals and motivations of several key characters. For example: if the Sea God has been spending the last few decades asleep in his palace, failing to exert any governmental(?) influence on the spirit realm and failing to protect humans from natural disasters, then why is it a problem that some are seeking to overthrow him? If the antagonists successfully overthrow the Sea God do they inherit his godly powers, his political(?) power, or both? And if the antagonists obtain "power", how is that detrimental to the wellbeing of those living in the Spirit Realm and the human realm? I could go on.
Despite my complaints about the novel, there were two aspects of it that I found particularly engaging. Shin's conflict with Mina over their differing opinions about human-god relations--what they owe each other and how they should treat each other--is genuinely interesting. I like that the novel questions the assumption that gods exist to be of service to humans, an idea that runs counter to the vast majority of fantasy stories I have read centering on gods. In addition, I enjoyed the way the story plays around with the "red string of fate" trope and how it is used to explore the concept of agency. The story is certainly not lacking in potential... but unfortunately that potential is unfulfilled.
Book cover aside, I was interested in this book because I knew practically nothing about Korean mythology/folklore and I actively seek out fantasy that takes inspiration from cultures from areas outside of western Europe. While the setting was certainly a nice change of pace, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea left me dissatisfied on several fronts.
I can't help but think that most of the novel's issues could have been resolved if the plot was simplified for a middle grade audience (instead of a YA audience) or if ~150-200 more pages were added for further development. As it stands, the story moves way too fast--so busy bull rushing from one plot point to the next that it barely has any time to flesh out its setting and characters. The romance between Mina, the main character, and Shin is underdeveloped and severely lacking in chemistry. In addition, the initial antagonism between Namgi and Kirin is not explored in any depth and as a consequence
While the Spirit Realm felt like a complex and believable place populated by a diversity of beings (gods, spirits, imugis, etc.), there were a lot of unexplained aspects of the world that left me with so many questions about the goals and motivations of several key characters. For example: if the Sea God has been spending the last few decades asleep in his palace, failing to exert any governmental(?) influence on the spirit realm and failing to protect humans from natural disasters, then why is it a problem that some are seeking to overthrow him? If the antagonists successfully overthrow the Sea God do they inherit his godly powers, his political(?) power, or both? And if the antagonists obtain "power", how is that detrimental to the wellbeing of those living in the Spirit Realm and the human realm? I could go on.
Despite my complaints about the novel, there were two aspects of it that I found particularly engaging. Shin's conflict with Mina over their differing opinions about human-god relations--what they owe each other and how they should treat each other--is genuinely interesting. I like that the novel questions the assumption that gods exist to be of service to humans, an idea that runs counter to the vast majority of fantasy stories I have read centering on gods. In addition, I enjoyed the way the story plays around with the "red string of fate" trope and how it is used to explore the concept of agency. The story is certainly not lacking in potential... but unfortunately that potential is unfulfilled.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, War, and Child death