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readingwithtemperance's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I want this book turned into an animated film immediately, preferably by Hayao Miyazaki please and thank you.
I feel like I just really love books set in the afterlife honestly. I loved that you could visit your ancestors and all of the gods and goddesses. And choose what form you take as well.
The story itself was beautifully crafted. Very atmospheric and whimsical. I love stories based on folklore!
I feel like I just really love books set in the afterlife honestly. I loved that you could visit your ancestors and all of the gods and goddesses. And choose what form you take as well.
The story itself was beautifully crafted. Very atmospheric and whimsical. I love stories based on folklore!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Death of parent, and War
bethann_coleates's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
heatherpageone's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I recently finished this book in one sitting, and I’m left with some mixed feelings about it.
First off, I really enjoyed the premise of the story. The setting was captivating, with a whimsical and mythical vibe that carried through the entire narrative. However, I felt that the execution fell short in some areas. The author introduced a lot of intriguing concepts and cool ideas, but they often felt underdeveloped. The story was packed with information and events, but there wasn’t enough time spent fleshing out these ideas, leaving them without proper explanation or conclusion. As a result, the world-building and magical system felt a bit confusing and lacked detail. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging out longer than necessary. As someone who appreciates well-fleshed-out worlds, I found myself a bit frustrated with the lack of depth in certain areas, but it still provided an enjoyable, if not fully satisfying, reading experience.
As for the characters, the main character was decent, and I found their romance to be sweet and cute. However, the relationship felt rushed, with not enough build-up to make it fully believable. The romance started from a rocky place, so it needed more development to really sell the connection between the characters. On the other hand, some of the secondary characters, like Kirin and Namgi, were quite interesting. I just wish we could have delved deeper into their thoughts and given them more opportunities to shine.
The plot twists towards the end were a nice touch, although some of them were predictable due to the hints dropped along the way. However, the ending itself felt rushed. I was hoping for more, especially when it came to exploring what happened to the Sea God in the spirit realm during the two-year gap after everyone returned to their respective places.
Overall, this book might be a good choice if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or an easy read, but it left me wanting more in terms of depth and development. It would likely appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy with a strong mythical element and don’t mind a bit of ambiguity in the world-building.
First off, I really enjoyed the premise of the story. The setting was captivating, with a whimsical and mythical vibe that carried through the entire narrative. However, I felt that the execution fell short in some areas. The author introduced a lot of intriguing concepts and cool ideas, but they often felt underdeveloped. The story was packed with information and events, but there wasn’t enough time spent fleshing out these ideas, leaving them without proper explanation or conclusion. As a result, the world-building and magical system felt a bit confusing and lacked detail. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging out longer than necessary. As someone who appreciates well-fleshed-out worlds, I found myself a bit frustrated with the lack of depth in certain areas, but it still provided an enjoyable, if not fully satisfying, reading experience.
As for the characters, the main character was decent, and I found their romance to be sweet and cute. However, the relationship felt rushed, with not enough build-up to make it fully believable. The romance started from a rocky place, so it needed more development to really sell the connection between the characters. On the other hand, some of the secondary characters, like Kirin and Namgi, were quite interesting. I just wish we could have delved deeper into their thoughts and given them more opportunities to shine.
The plot twists towards the end were a nice touch, although some of them were predictable due to the hints dropped along the way. However, the ending itself felt rushed. I was hoping for more, especially when it came to exploring what happened to the Sea God in the spirit realm during the two-year gap after everyone returned to their respective places.
Overall, this book might be a good choice if you’re looking for a palate cleanser or an easy read, but it left me wanting more in terms of depth and development. It would likely appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy with a strong mythical element and don’t mind a bit of ambiguity in the world-building.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death and War
piprigsby's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this book was so good!! it was very whimsical and adventurous, and i loved the romance elements!! i will say that the first portion of the book is a bit confusing because the exhibition just throws you in and you learn alongside the main character, but at a point you just realize that it is a very fantastical world and so the worldbuilding falls into place. the conclusion was also good and overall it was a pretty good book. the one kind of downside is that at times it was written feeling a little young (even for a ya because i mainly read ya as a ya) but yeah that's about it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
klsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
OK, first off, the cover art is gorgeous.
I REALLY wanted to love this book. Loosely based on a Korean fairy tale, it follows Mina, a young girl who sacrifices herself to the increasingly violent Sea God to save her people. In a page right out of Spirited Away, she falls through the sea into the Spirit World and must find a way to break the Sea God's curse. There were quite a few lovely ideas in this novel, but they were underdeveloped, weaving circuitous plotholes that left me exasperated.
This book was confusing - sometimes barreling at break-neck speeds through assassination attempts and sometimes dragging through memories and myth. I wish the author had spent more time developing the characters and world. It was whimsical and sweet, but the pace moved so quickly that the world collapsed on itself. We barely had time to get to know anyone - most things were shown, not felt, and there was little time for lingering or angst. I wanted more lyrical, fairy-tale esque prose because of the format. Perhaps this would've worked better as a short story? There were lots of explanations and little trust in the reader, which makes me think it was written for a younger audience. That being said, I did like Mina, though she fit many of the "special, strong chosen one" tropes (which can be done well, tbf). Namgi might've been my favorite character (queer, found family, creature of myth? Sign me up).
It's possible I'm not the demographic audience, which is ok! I might not have a cultural understanding. At this moment, this book wasn't for me. I recommend it if you like Studio Ghibli, easy-read fairy tales, and Korean folklore.
(Am I a hater?? This is not the best review streak, lol).
I REALLY wanted to love this book. Loosely based on a Korean fairy tale, it follows Mina, a young girl who sacrifices herself to the increasingly violent Sea God to save her people. In a page right out of Spirited Away, she falls through the sea into the Spirit World and must find a way to break the Sea God's curse. There were quite a few lovely ideas in this novel, but they were underdeveloped, weaving circuitous plotholes that left me exasperated.
This book was confusing - sometimes barreling at break-neck speeds through assassination attempts and sometimes dragging through memories and myth. I wish the author had spent more time developing the characters and world. It was whimsical and sweet, but the pace moved so quickly that the world collapsed on itself. We barely had time to get to know anyone - most things were shown, not felt, and there was little time for lingering or angst. I wanted more lyrical, fairy-tale esque prose because of the format. Perhaps this would've worked better as a short story? There were lots of explanations and little trust in the reader, which makes me think it was written for a younger audience. That being said, I did like Mina, though she fit many of the "special, strong chosen one" tropes (which can be done well, tbf). Namgi might've been my favorite character (queer, found family, creature of myth? Sign me up).
It's possible I'm not the demographic audience, which is ok! I might not have a cultural understanding. At this moment, this book wasn't for me. I recommend it if you like Studio Ghibli, easy-read fairy tales, and Korean folklore.
(Am I a hater?? This is not the best review streak, lol).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Bullying
nil033's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and War
Minor: Alcohol
lunxchloe's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I have rarely felt so much love radiating through the pages of a book as I have with this novel. What a beautiful story that has had me laughing and crying and feeling like I too need to choose my own fate.
5/5
5/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Child death, Death, and Blood
fiercereadsfiction's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death and Violence
Minor: War
smileypers0n's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Violence, and War
rileydobereading's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail