Shim Jung Takes the Dive

Riew (The Last Tiger) makes her middle grade debut with an expansive fantasy, which a preface notes is partially inspired by the female divers, or Haenyeo, of South Korea’s Jeju Island and the Korean folktale “The Blind Man’s Daughter.” On Shim Jung’s native Haemin Island, it’s tradition for 12-year-old girls to partake in the Dive, a ritual during which they leap into the ocean from a cliffside to collect a specific treasure from the sea. The day of Jung’s Dive, she chooses instead to flee from the event site, wary of the ritual following her renowned Haewomen umma’s death at sea four years ago. When Jung’s parents urge her to open up about her fears, overwhelm prompts the tween to travel back to the cliffside. Inadvertently propelled into the ocean by the stormy weather, Jung stumbles upon a magical underwater kingdom ruled by a vengeful queen intent on destroying the mortal world. To save Haemin Island, Jung must team up with the realm’s rebellious prince and various spirits and creatures of the sea. Riew deploys vivid worldbuilding to flesh out a setting that the preface describes as “somewhere between” Korea and America. Artfully intertwined mystical adventure and grounded depictions of grief and bravery coalesce in a heartening offering. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kevin Lin, CAA. (Apr.)