A Song Below Water
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary
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Bethany C. Morrow
Bethany C. Morrow's A Song Below Water is the story for today’s readers — a captivating modern fantasy about Black sirens, friendship, and self-discovery set against the challenges of today's racism and sexism. In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers. Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school’s junior year.But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment.Soon, nothing in Portland, Oregon, seems safe. To save themselves from drowning, it’s only Tavia and Effie’s unbreakable sisterhood that proves to be the strongest magic of all."It's beautiful and it's brilliant.”--Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature“An enthralling tale of Black girl magic and searing social commentary ready to rattle the bones.” — Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The BellesAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Fantasy
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Author
Bethany C. Morrow
Pages
288
Publisher
Tor Publishing Group
Published Date
2020-06-02
ISBN
125031531X 9781250315311
Community ReviewsSee all
""You don't have to take my voice...Just teach me how to use it."<br/><br/>A Song Below Water is such a creative fantasy novel, and I enjoyed reading it! I was a little confused by the story at first, but I got it sorted out. I liked Tavia and Effie's friendship a lot, and I would love to read more books in this universe if it becomes a series. <br/><br/>CW - racism, mention of suicide"
"Let's get one thing straight; I had to read this book for school. Not that that is really a real issue here, but it doesn't help that I found myself almost dumbfounded trying to explain the thoughts circling in my brain. <br/><br/>Whenever I pick up contemporary, I don't expect it to be written with lyrical prose. I don't expect a classical book written a million years ago following some white, questionable person. I expect it to be relatively easy to follow, with gentle words, and conversations carry more meaning than descriptions. <br/><br/>The final act was...not that. Yes, the wording was just about the same as the rest of the book. But, Effie's father seems to come out of nowhere and it's almost as if the book's themes change from about two girls constantly judged by those around them to being about 'the case of the missing father.'<br/><br/>Sometimes dads just leave and don't come back, y'know?<br/><br/>I missed a lot of the culture and world building that seemed to be set up in the beginning, not every aspect of someone is their pain. I had consistently changed thoughts on characters. And at the end I think I liked... three?<br/><br/>But what worked for this book WORKED. And I can't bring myself to completely hate it, because at least I'm thinking about it."
"There were parts of this book that I liked a lot and then parts of it that I couldn't stand, so this was an uneven read for me. Overall, Tavia’s story was compelling, and her arc of learning to find her voice and take pride in who she is really worked for me. I loved the idea of a network of other Black girls who protect her so she can still sing, but the details on that were too murky for me. Why is a girl who doesn't like sirens on it? Who runs it? Are there actual consequences for outing her? It's not clear. The rivalry with the eloko girl didn't make sense to me either. I get why Tavia would be jealous of her but like if you don't want to protect a siren don't join a network? Overall though, I thought this section was spot-on, and the metaphor worked alongside the real-world anti-blackness that comes up.<br/><br/>Effie’s story, on the other hand, is a mess. Nothing happens with her for so long aside from a few vague things, and then she does something awful but it's immediately reversed, so I'm not really sure what the point was. Everything about her relationship to her bio family was uncomfortable to read.<br/><br/>I did love the way the two girls supported each other like sisters, but the book just did not come together as a whole for me."
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