And the River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed from library copy.

ISBN: 9780593904879

Soojin has lost her mother to a car accident years ago and now has lost her older sister who was found drowned in the river. In Soojin’s family, the women have a unique gift of being able to bring small animals back from the dead. Cautioned her entire life from using her power to bring back people, Soojin’s grief leads to do the unthinkable and bring back Mirae. The two sisters must hide what Soojin has done and as time goes by, the choice she made changes them both. Mirae becomes more vengeful and deaths start happening in town. Soojin begins to sicken as the toll of using the power becomes clear. Can the two sisters survive this? Should they?

Filled with the currents of grief and loss, this book triumphs. Using the river and water as a constant rush in the reader’s ears, the book is a dark and destructive look at what grief can cause people to do and how it is impossible to move on, particularly if you are keeping the dead alive. The use of Korean traditions throughout the book strengthens the magic of the sisters and makes the horror all the more palpable on the page. Additionally, the book has themes that take on racism in their small town and women taking back power from abusive men.

A marvelous slow-burn horror novel that will carry you into the depths. Appropriate for ages 13+.