Book Review - The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

I’ve certainly had luck with the first two reads of 2023. It might be early to say that this is the best read of this year but it will definitely be a contender as I continue to read this year. I have found myself extremely interested in stories inspired by mythology recently, and this book was a loose retelling of a Korean tale and was also inspired by Spirited Away. In this story, Mina’s homeland is ravaged by strong storms and each year a girl is sacrificed to the Sea God to be his bride in order to appease him. One year, Mina’s brother’s love is to be sacrificed and Mina sacrifices herself instead. She finds herself in the Spirit Realm where she aims to break the curse that the Sea God is under. She ends up meeting some mysterious people and spirits. The friendships and relationships that Mina created in her time in the Spirit Realm are so beautiful. The characters are really likable, and I loved seeing how their interactions with Mina changed over the course of the story. When the Sea God’s identity was revealed, I honestly was not surprised because I had guessed it about halfway through the book but I still thought it was a great element of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and was able to finish it in one sitting. Would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in historical retellings.