#24’s Result – The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a young adult fantasy – AND it’s told in first person. You probably know how I feel about YA fantasy and first person, so. Yup. I allowed that stunning cover to lure me in. But! I can see why this one might stand out a bit. There were a few different elements that kept it feeling a little fresh. I liked the supporting characters of Namgi, Mask, Dai, and Miki, as well as the past Sea God’s brides (and I especially liked how Cheong and Mina aren’t pitted against each other). I didn’t see the primary plot twist coming (but I’m sort of ashamed of that; I feel like I should have known, lol.) And, it’s a standalone (thank goodness for that). Overall, though, the plot and characters felt average to me. (Shin was too cookie cutter moody love interest for me.) There wasn’t anything that explained to me why this book became so popular. (Actually, I’m not even sure if it was that popular? For a YA fantasy? But 58,000 ratings on Goodreads is surely a lot…) Anyway, if you like YA fantasy, you’ll probably like this.
#25’s Selection
The theme for the next edition of “I Can’t Believe” is highly rated middle grade fiction. To choose titles, I sorted my to-read-middle-grade shelf by average rating, descending, and selected the first four titles that jumped out to me.
- Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar (transgender boy in competitive swimming)
- A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (WWII evacuees)
- Of Salt and Shore by Annette Schaap (mermaid fairytale)
- Roll for Initiative by Jaime Formato (Dungeons & Dragons club for girls)
So, which book should I read next?
Leave a comment on this post to cast your vote.
Voting closes on 28 January.
