"I am the maker of my own destiny."

     isbn: 9781250780867 | pages: 336
      publication date: February 22, 2022 | source: tour/netgalley
     genre: young adult, historical fantasy, korean mythology
     rating: 6/10 

     A M A Z O N    |    G O O D R E A D S    |    B O O K S H O P * 
     B O O K D E P O S I T O R Y    |    B A R N E S A N D N O B L E S

the power of myths and legends
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an immersive story under the ocean waves where a girl must figure out how to save her family and the Spirit Realm before turning into a spirit herself. Everything starts with a sacrifice and while navigating the Spirit Realm, Mina's uneasy alliance with Lord Shin of Lotus House sets her on a journey to break the Sea God's curse while trying to remain human herself.

The world is so engaging and I loved exploring the different aspects of Korean mythology as Mina discovers more about the gods and goddesses her people pray to. There's this interesting conversation regarding the roles of prayer and faith as well as the power that stories hold over each of us. As Mina adjusts to the Spirit Realm and her constantly changing role in their society, it's the stories from her grandmother that give her hope and drive her actions even when the situation may seem hopeless. 

"Don't chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you."

the duty to family and self
Alongside Mina, there is a lovable cast of characters that honestly stole the show for me. As much as I enjoyed following Mina's perspective and she made a strong YA protagonist, it was Namgi, Mask, and the rest of the spirits that left the biggest impression. Mina is powered by the sense of duty to protect her family which fuels her first movements at the beginning, but it's those she meets in the Spirit Realm that continue to push her to find the solutions to save both humanity and spirit. 

Axie Oh manages to weave so many layers of loyalty and honor into the story that it brings to life a deep sense of determination, making it easy to root for the characters as their journey progresses. Mina learns that the gods and spirits from her grandmother's stories are real and despite their power, they are as reliant on humanity's faith to give them purpose as humanity is reliant on their influence. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a story of relationships - familal, platonic, and romantic - and the power of paving your own destiny to change the fate of those you love for the better.

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

thank you to Colored Pages Tours and Fierce Reads for providing an e-ARC to participate in this book tour - all thoughts are 100% my own. please click on the banner to check out the other amazing stops!

m o o d b o a r d

images from unsplash : ocean // heaven // girl in hanbok // garden door

m e e t    t h e    a u t h o r