Carpe Diem Society

A truly beautiful and thrilling fantasy that took my breath away. The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is not only an exciting adventure, but also a heartfelt experience. The literal depth Axie Oh takes us with the main characters moved my heart in so many ways—I wanted to hug all the characters by the end of it.

The story revolves around the Korean mythology of the Sea God and the different deities in the world beneath the sea. It discusses ideas of worship and punishment, belief and disappointment, sacrifice and love.

I particularly loved how much family oriented it was and the importance of keeping that bond strong at all times, something I miss and forget just how vital it is when I’m reading Western novels. As an Asian myself, I ended up teary eyed a little too many times thinking of family around me and those who no longer alive with us. The story draws great depth into those people who we once deemed important and have left long time ago, but also those we never met but are still part of us, or rather, we are part of them.

Right of the gate, Mina speaks to us about her older brother Joon and how much he means the world to her, setting the tone of the family oriented storyline. She holds him so dearly to the point of sacrificing herself to the Sea God in place of her brother’s love, Shim Cheong. Something the reader would totally relate to if they do have an older sibiling that have shaped their world—but especially if you’re a girl or woman with a protective older brother.

I sort of related to this as someone with both older siblings who are always there for me and one younger brother who I always found it my mission to protect ever since I was aware of him. There is also the mention of grandparents and ancestors. While my grandparents have all passed away by the time I was an adult, I still remember their kindness and how much I deemed them as life necessity.

I admit… I almost never thought of my grand grandparents and ancestors up till this novel… Something about it moved me deeply and I felt immense gratitude for them—I never in my life thought I’d feel this way. The thought of how hard their life was and what they did to keep striving for their sons and daughters and later their offsprings crossed my mind as I read. The story is incredibly moving.

There are heavy themes of worship and punishment since, well, the whole plot is about the Sea God and his “anger”. The village goes through typhoons and starvation. Annually, the people of the village have to sacrifice one of their young women as a bride for the Sea God, hoping that the punishment will finally end. Yet, it seems like it’s never enough. When Mina falls into the sea trying to save Shim Cheong, she takes it upon herself to find out the real reason for the Sea God’s anger.

We go through the mystery of his complicated emotions, walking the eggshells of his castle and Mina’s attempts to communicate with him with the help of one of the deities who she ended up shackled with through the string of fate.

I didn’t expect much romance and that was exactly how it went — I really enjoyed how mild it was. I’m someone who yearns for slow burns in every story or novel I come across and this one was very low key, you almost have no idea who the end game would be until halfway through the pages, but even then, you wouldn’t be so sure.

I would say the novel is suitable for all ages, given the young adult genre. Though it might be a little cheesy for older readers, I still find it important to read, mainly for the family and ancestors themes. The story taught me that I’m truly never alone even if all my ancestors have already passed away, I could always feel their presence and receive strength from the mere thought of it—and that was comforting.

I barely found any issues reading this novel, it was really well paced, an art I find difficult to find in some novels. Especially for a fantasy mixed with period story. It also flows amazingly well with the levels of intensity of the scenes. The mystery is well-balanced without it being too vague—which I usually find to be dense in some novels that attempt to be intriguing but fail to deliver.

Though I do admit, there were moments where I wondered if the brief mysterious events would eventually explain itself. I was doubtful because there was too much mystery burbling beneath the surface. It felt like we are never getting the answers. Especially how the story carries on without any explanation for the longest time you almost forget those details. But it turns out, it was all done very carefully and on purpose. In the end, I honestly found it immensely satisfying when I finally got the answers.

The plot is just a tad bit complex… it’s not too difficult to get but it’s deeply layered with all the fantasy and period elements. And so, it might be a difficult read for young adults. Though, if you have read or watched any media that centers around the Sea God myth, understanding this novel would be a lot more smooth.

The author renders it in such an antagonizingly beautiful way that everything would eventually click to the reader.

A sense of comfort blanket over me by the end of reading The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea. Besides the romance, I found myself reminiscing how my grandparents took such good care of me and of all of us. It made me also think of my grand grandparents which is something I never do. It really is not that often that you sit and think about the entirety of the generations that brought you to the world.

You sort of feel grateful for all that they went through, how they survived the cruel world before you, and how they’ve shaped who you are today.

I learned that whenever I fall into a dark place, the answers might not always be ahead of me, I might find them if I look back and think about those before me. silently ask them to guide me.

Although I’m Asian myself, it seems like East Asians have a deeper respect for their ancestors, where us, Middle Easterns, lack in specifically today’s age—it is so deep it’s implemented in their myths and legends. I was taught something I won’t forget for a long time, and I do hope that I won’t.