And the River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun (Paperback)

Soojin has lived her life by strict rules passed down through generations. Her ancestral magic is precise and limited, governed by one unbreakable law: never bring back anything larger than her palm. The rule exists for a reason, and breaking it has consequences no one survives unchanged.

When her older sister Mirae is found drowned in the river that runs through their quiet town, grief overwhelms reason. Soojin cannot accept the finality of death. Ignoring every warning she has ever been taught, she uses forbidden magic to bring Mirae back.

At first, the reunion feels like a miracle. The sisters cling to one another, sharing stolen moments and pretending nothing has changed. But Mirae cannot remain hidden forever. She grows restless, resentful of secrecy, and increasingly detached from the person she once was. Her hunger deepens, and it becomes clear that something followed her back from the river.

As unexplained deaths begin to shake the town, fear spreads through the community. Whispers grow louder. Soojin starts to recognise the signs she was taught to fear, signs that suggest the magic did not restore her sister as she was. Love turns into dread as Soojin questions whether the being beside her is truly Mirae at all.

And the River Drags Her Down is a dark, haunting novel about grief, guilt, and the cost of defying death. It explores sisterhood, inherited power, and what happens when love demands a sacrifice that cannot be undone.