Classic stories have been retold time and again. Whether it's to update the idea to a more modern way of thinking or to infuse new magic into old ideas, new retellings of old classics are a perennial release. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, by Axie Oh is the feminist reimagining of the classic Korean Folktale, "The Tale of Shim Cheong".
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
by Axie Oh
Published Date: 02/22/2022
Audiobook Narrator: Rosa Escoda
*The audiobook was so kindly given to me by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.*
Synopsis
Mina is a 16-year-old girl from the Song family living in the mountain region By-The-Sea. Every year, in the hope of ending the storms that ravage their lands, a beautiful girl is sacrificed by her people to the Sea God as they try to appease him. They believe the Sea God has cursed them. When Shim Cheong, the wife of Mina's older brother, is to be sacrificed Mina sacrifices herself instead. Once in the Spirit Realm, Mina finds a Sea God in an enchanted sleep and she must find a way to wake him up to save her people.
CAWPILE Rating
Characters: 6/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Writing: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 6/10
Logic: 6/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Total CAWPILE Score: 6.86
Rating: 3/3.5 🌟
Thoughts
There were several things I enjoyed about this one. I loved the main character, Mina. I'm a huge fan of strong female characters who refuse to be bound by the fates others make for them and instead choose to decide their own. Mina is strong-willed, intelligent, and loyal to her family and people despite their willingness to sacrifice the beautiful maidens of their village. This fact made her stand out while most of the other characters fell to the background and became unmemorable. The atmosphere was quite clear. In the beginning, as she began to explore the spirit realm, everything felt mysterious and unknown but as she grew comfortable in the setting, the reader became more acquainted with the setting as well. With a slow-burn plotline, I wouldn't say there were any real lulls in the book rather there was an ebb and flow to the story where the primary storyline would be furthered but then a side plotline would be pushed along. Ultimately, those threads of the primary story and side storylines would be brought together to form a well-crafted and complete tale.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but to be honest, I'm not sure that I find it entirely memorable. I also didn't understand how Mina could be so loyal to a people that had no issues sacrificing young women because they believed themselves to be cursed. There have been other novels more recently released that felt more believable in that aspect but I do understand how her willingness to save her people was instrumental in determining the outcome of the story. As a YA novel, the ending wrapped everything up nicely in a "...and they lived happily ever after" bow, which I was grateful for.
Audiobook Review
The narrator Rosa Escoda did a fantastic job. The tone/quality of her voice added to the fairytale quality of the book, which further enhanced my reading experience and submersed me into the story. I do believe there could've been more emotion on the part of the narrator during some particularly emotional scenes, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story itself. As someone who consumes audiobooks with nearly every book I read, this is one I would certainly recommend.
コメント