
A tween’s epic flop at a legendary island ritual sends her into an underwater kingdom in this inventive middle-grade fantasy inspired by Korean folklore—based on the viral TikTok musical by composer-lyricist and rising star Julia Riew. Jung doesn’t believe in magic—not the powerful dragons, mystical queens, or any other fantastical stories whispered by the elders of Haemin Island. She’d rather focus on real, important things, like getting into her dream study abroad program. Jung’s been working for this all summer—no, her whole life—and she can’t wait to finally leave her tiny hometown behind. There’s just one last step to a supposedly “legendary” rite-of-passage called the Dive. But when Jung’s Dive goes horribly, embarrassingly wrong, the whole island discovers the she’s been terrified of the ocean ever since her mother vanished at sea four years ago. Determined to prove she’s not a coward, Jung returns to the cliffside—when a raging storm hits, sweeping her down… …into the underwater queendom that she never believed existed. Now, trapped in a world of secrets, spirits, and a vengeful queen bent on destroying Haemin Island, Jung must team up with a mischievous crown prince to save her world—and uncover the truth about her past—before it’s too late.
Author

Julia Riew is a Korean-American composer-lyricist, librettist, and novelist from St. Louis and NYC. She is best known for her viral hit Dive, a reimagining of the Korean folktale Shimcheong, which has captivated millions online and is currently being developed for the stage at the American Repertory Theater with Tony-Award winning director Diane Paulus and GLAAD-Award winning playwright Diana Son. Julia also wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the new original musical ENDLESS (dir. by Zi Alikhan, Seoul, 2026), which features an expansive, celestial mythological universe and a cinematic pop score. Julia’s literary work includes upcoming YA fantasy novel The Last Tiger (Penguin Random House, 2025), as well as MG fantasy novel Shim Jung Takes the Dive (HarperCollins, 2026). Other upcoming projects include a YA sci-fi comedy thriller novel and two more musicals slated for development in Korea. In addition to being the 18th Annual Fred Ebb Award winner, Julia has been Playbill’s Featured Songwriter of the Month, a Woman to Watch on Broadway, a Princess Grace Award Honoraria recipient, and the recipient of the Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship.