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A review by xtinaji
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
3.0
Pretty much what you would expect from this book's premise! Satisfied, but wouldn't say I was wowed :0
The story is relatively predictable, which isn't a bad thing! The twist and romance are relatively obvious from the get go, but I think the pacing of everything felt fine? However, I do think that the characters are a bit one-note; I really wish there were more interactions between Mina and the others before they became "found family." The development of those relationships didn't necessarily feel rushed, so much as they felt unearned. For instance, Namgi and Kirin both get their *one specific interaction* with Mina in order to establish how their dynamic changes, but it's really just a singular conversation. There's a lot of characters that are mentioned and tossed in who have emotional relevance to Mina, but some of these revelations feel like they're shoe-horned in and have to be explained to the reader.
I also think there's a lot of missed opportunities in this book! There's hints of different lore and conflicts from the other characters, but they really don't get a chance to sign at all. Namgi and Kirin's entire friendship, including their loyalty to Shin, are barely expanded on. You get the barest hints, but without solidifying these dynamics with actual application, these relations feel surface level. There's lore behind both Namgi and Kirin's origins as well, but they become characters that are the bare minimum, just serviceable to what the plot needs. Shin and Mina are more fleshed out for sure, but even their romance is a little underbaked before the drama that happens in the third act. It feels like there were multiple fake-outs for no reason.
As for the writing style itself - it really suits the sort of whimsical myth vibe that the book was going for! Very appropriate for the genre, albeit at times quite dramatic.
Overall, an enjoyable quick read! I think that the one thing I wanted more from this book was...more of it! If given time to explore the characters and world a bit more in depth, I think this would have really satisfied that found-family + romance craving. As it is, it leaves me wanting, but I'll still keep an eye out for Axie Oh's other works!
The story is relatively predictable, which isn't a bad thing! The twist and romance are relatively obvious from the get go, but I think the pacing of everything felt fine? However, I do think that the characters are a bit one-note; I really wish there were more interactions between Mina and the others before they became "found family." The development of those relationships didn't necessarily feel rushed, so much as they felt unearned. For instance, Namgi and Kirin both get their *one specific interaction* with Mina in order to establish how their dynamic changes, but it's really just a singular conversation. There's a lot of characters that are mentioned and tossed in who have emotional relevance to Mina, but some of these revelations feel like they're shoe-horned in and have to be explained to the reader.
I also think there's a lot of missed opportunities in this book! There's hints of different lore and conflicts from the other characters, but they really don't get a chance to sign at all. Namgi and Kirin's entire friendship, including their loyalty to Shin, are barely expanded on. You get the barest hints, but without solidifying these dynamics with actual application, these relations feel surface level. There's lore behind both Namgi and Kirin's origins as well, but they become characters that are the bare minimum, just serviceable to what the plot needs. Shin and Mina are more fleshed out for sure, but even their romance is a little underbaked before the drama that happens in the third act. It feels like there were multiple fake-outs for no reason.
As for the writing style itself - it really suits the sort of whimsical myth vibe that the book was going for! Very appropriate for the genre, albeit at times quite dramatic.
Overall, an enjoyable quick read! I think that the one thing I wanted more from this book was...more of it! If given time to explore the characters and world a bit more in depth, I think this would have really satisfied that found-family + romance craving. As it is, it leaves me wanting, but I'll still keep an eye out for Axie Oh's other works!