The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

In Axie Oh’s (XOXO) transporting historical fantasy based off the Korean folktale “The Tale of Shim Cheong,” a village throws a maiden into the sea each year in hopes of appeasing a violent sea god who wreaks devastating natural disasters. Mina, 16 years old and furious at the gods for abandoning her village, sacrifices herself as this year’s Bride of the Sea God; in doing so, she takes the place of her brother’s love in a bid to save her sibling. After the sacrifice, Mina arrives in the spirit realm, where she finds herself tied to the sleeping, seemingly cursed Sea God by the Red String of Fate. As she seeks to wake the Sea God, she’s initially antagonized and eventually supported by the Sea God’s protectors—including Lord Shin of the Lotus House, a cold teenage nobleman whose developing relationship with Mina complicates her quest. Though exposition-heavy dialogue slows the novel’s pace early on, Mina’s determination to save her village and restore the order between humans and gods pushes the pace to an enjoyable clip, enabling an atmospheric folklore interpretation that’s sure to satisfy fans of historical K-dramas such as Moon Lovers. Ages 13–up. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Feb.)