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dreaminglily's review against another edition
2.0
DNF
Too many characters and the story was quite confusing for me :(
Too many characters and the story was quite confusing for me :(
britt_nicole_3's review against another edition
4.0
So glad I gave this author another chance. This read was surprisingly good and I look forward to the next book in this series.
flightedcuriosities's review against another edition
DNF - I have never done this to a book before. This book sat on my currently reading for over a year and I’m so sad that it has come to this, because I really wanted to like it. The idea is great but there are so many problems with the execution. I have great respect for the YA genre and have seen it done well, all of the scenes and explanations of magic felt jumbled here and I was confused for most of the story. It became such a chore to read and I simply couldn’t soldier on.
becca_is_reading's review against another edition
3.0
A Song Below Water is a magical realism novel following sirens. The writing is beautiful. The meaning and commentary behind the sirens are beautiful. I didn't love the plot which is why I only gave it three stars. I recommend that you read some Own Voices reviews as I am a white review and this book is about black women and how the world treats them.
readingwithrae's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars.
okay i've been in such a reading slump yet i read this in like, a day ??? it was just SO GOOD? i loved the way real-life issues were mixed with urban fantasy. it was so unique, and the way different powers reflected different privileges was super cool. i wish i could explain what made this so magical better, but all i can say is read it and experience this amazing story for yourself!
okay i've been in such a reading slump yet i read this in like, a day ??? it was just SO GOOD? i loved the way real-life issues were mixed with urban fantasy. it was so unique, and the way different powers reflected different privileges was super cool. i wish i could explain what made this so magical better, but all i can say is read it and experience this amazing story for yourself!
bahopkins's review against another edition
5.0
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow is not your typical contemporary novel, nor does it fall fully into fantasy. A Song Below Water is a magical weaving of genres, a commentary on racism, an exploration of the deep bonds of friendship, and a heart-pounding dive into the discovery and embracement of true self.
The story is set in an alternative Portland and a world where mystical creatures and magic exist. Sirens, mermaids, gargoyles, eloko, and others live alongside non-magical humans. Sirens are feared and persecuted, while the eloko and their charms are widely embraced by society. It’s only Black girls who are born sirens, and they must keep their true self silent and hidden. Tavia is a siren and her foster sister Effie is a Ren faire mermaid—and maybe something more. No spoilers here!
Author Morrow tells the girls’ story in dual POV, alternating chapters between Tavia and Effie. As a reader, I enjoyed being thrown into this contemporary yet fantastical world of sirens and more. The world-building, although minimal, worked for me. I was unfamiliar with the term eloko and happily looked it up, and then fell down a rabbit hole reading up on the lore surrounding its mythos. I found that after the second chapter, I was in and fully immersed. Morrow had my attention and I needed to see how Tavia’s and Effie’s stories would play out.
Usually when I read a dual POV, I find that I favor one MC over the over; even if only slightly. That didn’t happen to me with this book. I was equally invested in both characters and when I was in their chapter, I was all in. There’s a lot happening in A Song Below Water and I really enjoyed how Morrow blended magical fantasy with a strong social commentary and two distinct voices. I loved the twists in the story, and I especially loved the clues that point to the reveal. I had an a-ha-I-know moment before the MCs got there, and it was fun when my conclusion was correct.
There is much to like about A Song Below Water, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fantasy, mythology, compelling heroines, strong themes of friendship/family, and an intense look at racism and the issues that need to voiced in both the fictional and real worlds. It’s solid storytelling, intense, and was difficult to put down.
The story is set in an alternative Portland and a world where mystical creatures and magic exist. Sirens, mermaids, gargoyles, eloko, and others live alongside non-magical humans. Sirens are feared and persecuted, while the eloko and their charms are widely embraced by society. It’s only Black girls who are born sirens, and they must keep their true self silent and hidden. Tavia is a siren and her foster sister Effie is a Ren faire mermaid—and maybe something more. No spoilers here!
Author Morrow tells the girls’ story in dual POV, alternating chapters between Tavia and Effie. As a reader, I enjoyed being thrown into this contemporary yet fantastical world of sirens and more. The world-building, although minimal, worked for me. I was unfamiliar with the term eloko and happily looked it up, and then fell down a rabbit hole reading up on the lore surrounding its mythos. I found that after the second chapter, I was in and fully immersed. Morrow had my attention and I needed to see how Tavia’s and Effie’s stories would play out.
Usually when I read a dual POV, I find that I favor one MC over the over; even if only slightly. That didn’t happen to me with this book. I was equally invested in both characters and when I was in their chapter, I was all in. There’s a lot happening in A Song Below Water and I really enjoyed how Morrow blended magical fantasy with a strong social commentary and two distinct voices. I loved the twists in the story, and I especially loved the clues that point to the reveal. I had an a-ha-I-know moment before the MCs got there, and it was fun when my conclusion was correct.
There is much to like about A Song Below Water, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fantasy, mythology, compelling heroines, strong themes of friendship/family, and an intense look at racism and the issues that need to voiced in both the fictional and real worlds. It’s solid storytelling, intense, and was difficult to put down.
candece's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I thought this was a solid fantasy book with a good ending. I like the sister duel, Tav and Effie. I felt like the book sent a great message that was wrapped into a fairytale fantasy world. Overall it was a pretty cool summer stand alone.
afainthuman's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
serrendipity's review against another edition
3.0
"There's nothing like being in the water.
People ask me if it's quiet, if that's why I like it. It makes sense; I'm quiet, I must want the world to be the same way.
[...]
The thing about being underwater is that it's not-- quiet, I mean. I can't hear what's happening above the surface, but when I'm totally submerged, I hear the water. I hear its song, the way it sings to itself and anybody who comes below to hear it. I love the way it never changes, and the way I'm always different when I'm here."
TL;DR: Powerful intention with the social commentary Morrow wanted to make about misogynoir and the way Black women are silenced, but lost me in the execution of the mythological world.
There's way too much going on -- sirens and mermaids and gargoyles and elokos and sprites; Renaissance Faire drama; high school; mysterious identities -- and the world-building isn't strong enough scaffolding to support the messages & metaphors of silencing Black women and the way Black women are treated differently (from Black men and other women).
Vibes: Percy Jackson + Riverdale + RenFaires. (Or, that weird Siren show on Freeform.)
Genre: Marketed as YA, but TBH, the connections to YA themes weren't strong.
The 2 main characters were teenagers -- 16/17, in Junior Year of high school -- and there were some questions about their identities and who they were going to be and how they were going to fit into the world.
But the references to high school seemed clunkily added in and I expected much more exploration of identity from a "true" YA novel. There was so much potential to explore what being a mythical creature meant in the context of adolescence, but it just wasn't there. The characters could have been different ages -- older OR younger -- and I think the story would have stayed largely the same.
This also wasn't magical realism to me; this was kind of like a B-list Percy Jackson, where there's a clear mythology in place -- more on that later -- rather than unexplained magic, especially since the magic *is* explained at the end.
Character MVP: I'm going to go with Effie, mainly because she was (1) a swimmer and her connection with the water spoke to me; and (2) her story was the more intriguing one.
Verdict: I wanted to love this book. The cover is gorgeous and the initial blurbs of Black sirens and sisterhood really got my hopes up.
✔︎ -- The strongest part of this book was Morrow's intention and the way she used the mythology of the sirens -- sinister, alluring mermaids who "called" to (male) sailors with promises of happiness and pleasure only to drown them and/or wreck their ships -- to draw parallels with the way Black women are treated today. Both are hyper-sexualized and presented as these tempting, voracious, aggressive, malicious creatures -- and their voices are similarly maligned and seen as harmful weapons.
I mean, look at Breonna Taylor and the way her murder has been not only portrayed in the media but (not) handled in the justice system.
Then there's Tarana Burke, the author/creator of the #MeToo movement -- only to have the hashtag appropriated by (white) Alyssa Milano.
This is a really powerful connection to make, and one I wished Morrow had focused on more. Because...
✘ -- There is a *a lot* of other stuff going on in this book which, to me, ultimately detracted from the overall story.
The biggest thing is the mythology that Morrow builds on: this is a world where there are Sirens (primarily, but not exclusively(?) Black women) who live in hiding because of the power of their voices and who depend on the strength of their "network" to keep them safe. Tavia, one of the MCs, is a Siren -- she's always known this, and her father is particularly overbearing and overprotective in trying to keep her safe.
But, this is also a world with sprites and elokos and gargoyles and giants and mermaids and oracles and all of it is just presented as "obviously this is the way the world is." Which...okay, I'm a mythology junkie so I was able to draw on some of that knowledge about sirens and sprites to put some things together. But why are mermaids and sirens different in this world? (Sometimes they're used interchangeably.) Why are sirens and gargoyles real, but not centaurs or phoenixes? And what on earth is an Eloko?!?
This was probably the biggest headspin for me; all of the other mythological creatures are commonplace in Western/European mythology and folktales. But Elokos? A quick Google search told me that they're from African folktales (the Congo/Zaire region) and are malevolent, vicious troll-like creatures. Which...is NOT how they're presented in Morrow's story. Which, yes, I get that part of her point is that mythology is just that -- stories -- and they don't always get it right, but (1) it was an odd choice to blend one African folktale creature into primarily European ones and (2) there was NO explanation in the story about what an eloko was or how they were supernatural until about 150 pages in. There was actually very little world-building/scaffolding done for the first 150 pages or so, about any of the supernatural creatures, and it was just really frustrating. Focusing on one or two of the creatures -- e.g, the Sirens -- would have benefitted the story, I think.
✘ -- Pacing.
I can't decide if this book was too long or too short.
At times, I felt like it was too long -- the first 150 pages or so, nothing happens until they make it to the rally in Vancouver. That's *a lot* of set-up for a book that's only 280 pages long -- and, as I mentioned above -- where the set-up isn't even fleshing out the world Morrow has built. There's a lot of filler/set-up that could have been streamlined and condensed, especially since it's mainly both girls feeling they don't belong/don't know who they are.
But, at other times, I felt like it was too short, especially since we bounce back and forth between Effie and Tavia's POVs. That's a lot of ground to cover, and while the two storylines *definitely* overlap, I think merging them into one book did their stories a disservice. The focus on the supernatural mystery/Effie's identity detracted from the commentary about Tavia's identity as a siren and the silencing of Black women which was highlighted in the rally.
✘ -- What in the world was up with Naema? Why did she hate everyone? Why was she unwilling to support the network? What happened to her at the end? Did she have a change of heart? Did Portland hold her accountable?
IDK -- we don't know. She was a bit of a flat antagonist and her motivations were similarly flat/weak.
I've seen a few indications that the second book in the series might be better; I'll give it a try, especially because I'm really looking forward to Bethany C. Morrow's reimagining of Little Women -- I just hope that the both of those are more fleshed out/developed better than this book.
People ask me if it's quiet, if that's why I like it. It makes sense; I'm quiet, I must want the world to be the same way.
[...]
The thing about being underwater is that it's not-- quiet, I mean. I can't hear what's happening above the surface, but when I'm totally submerged, I hear the water. I hear its song, the way it sings to itself and anybody who comes below to hear it. I love the way it never changes, and the way I'm always different when I'm here."
TL;DR: Powerful intention with the social commentary Morrow wanted to make about misogynoir and the way Black women are silenced, but lost me in the execution of the mythological world.
There's way too much going on -- sirens and mermaids and gargoyles and elokos and sprites; Renaissance Faire drama; high school; mysterious identities -- and the world-building isn't strong enough scaffolding to support the messages & metaphors of silencing Black women and the way Black women are treated differently (from Black men and other women).
Vibes: Percy Jackson + Riverdale + RenFaires. (Or, that weird Siren show on Freeform.)
Genre: Marketed as YA, but TBH, the connections to YA themes weren't strong.
The 2 main characters were teenagers -- 16/17, in Junior Year of high school -- and there were some questions about their identities and who they were going to be and how they were going to fit into the world.
But the references to high school seemed clunkily added in and I expected much more exploration of identity from a "true" YA novel. There was so much potential to explore what being a mythical creature meant in the context of adolescence, but it just wasn't there. The characters could have been different ages -- older OR younger -- and I think the story would have stayed largely the same.
This also wasn't magical realism to me; this was kind of like a B-list Percy Jackson, where there's a clear mythology in place -- more on that later -- rather than unexplained magic, especially since the magic *is* explained at the end.
Character MVP: I'm going to go with Effie, mainly because she was (1) a swimmer and her connection with the water spoke to me; and (2) her story was the more intriguing one.
Verdict: I wanted to love this book. The cover is gorgeous and the initial blurbs of Black sirens and sisterhood really got my hopes up.
✔︎ -- The strongest part of this book was Morrow's intention and the way she used the mythology of the sirens -- sinister, alluring mermaids who "called" to (male) sailors with promises of happiness and pleasure only to drown them and/or wreck their ships -- to draw parallels with the way Black women are treated today. Both are hyper-sexualized and presented as these tempting, voracious, aggressive, malicious creatures -- and their voices are similarly maligned and seen as harmful weapons.
I mean, look at Breonna Taylor and the way her murder has been not only portrayed in the media but (not) handled in the justice system.
Then there's Tarana Burke, the author/creator of the #MeToo movement -- only to have the hashtag appropriated by (white) Alyssa Milano.
This is a really powerful connection to make, and one I wished Morrow had focused on more. Because...
✘ -- There is a *a lot* of other stuff going on in this book which, to me, ultimately detracted from the overall story.
The biggest thing is the mythology that Morrow builds on: this is a world where there are Sirens (primarily, but not exclusively(?) Black women) who live in hiding because of the power of their voices and who depend on the strength of their "network" to keep them safe. Tavia, one of the MCs, is a Siren -- she's always known this, and her father is particularly overbearing and overprotective in trying to keep her safe.
But, this is also a world with sprites and elokos and gargoyles and giants and mermaids and oracles and all of it is just presented as "obviously this is the way the world is." Which...okay, I'm a mythology junkie so I was able to draw on some of that knowledge about sirens and sprites to put some things together. But why are mermaids and sirens different in this world? (Sometimes they're used interchangeably.) Why are sirens and gargoyles real, but not centaurs or phoenixes? And what on earth is an Eloko?!?
This was probably the biggest headspin for me; all of the other mythological creatures are commonplace in Western/European mythology and folktales. But Elokos? A quick Google search told me that they're from African folktales (the Congo/Zaire region) and are malevolent, vicious troll-like creatures. Which...is NOT how they're presented in Morrow's story. Which, yes, I get that part of her point is that mythology is just that -- stories -- and they don't always get it right, but (1) it was an odd choice to blend one African folktale creature into primarily European ones and (2) there was NO explanation in the story about what an eloko was or how they were supernatural until about 150 pages in. There was actually very little world-building/scaffolding done for the first 150 pages or so, about any of the supernatural creatures, and it was just really frustrating. Focusing on one or two of the creatures -- e.g, the Sirens -- would have benefitted the story, I think.
✘ -- Pacing.
I can't decide if this book was too long or too short.
At times, I felt like it was too long -- the first 150 pages or so, nothing happens until they make it to the rally in Vancouver. That's *a lot* of set-up for a book that's only 280 pages long -- and, as I mentioned above -- where the set-up isn't even fleshing out the world Morrow has built. There's a lot of filler/set-up that could have been streamlined and condensed, especially since it's mainly both girls feeling they don't belong/don't know who they are.
But, at other times, I felt like it was too short, especially since we bounce back and forth between Effie and Tavia's POVs. That's a lot of ground to cover, and while the two storylines *definitely* overlap, I think merging them into one book did their stories a disservice. The focus on the supernatural mystery/Effie's identity detracted from the commentary about Tavia's identity as a siren and the silencing of Black women which was highlighted in the rally.
✘ -- What in the world was up with Naema? Why did she hate everyone? Why was she unwilling to support the network? What happened to her at the end? Did she have a change of heart? Did Portland hold her accountable?
IDK -- we don't know. She was a bit of a flat antagonist and her motivations were similarly flat/weak.
I've seen a few indications that the second book in the series might be better; I'll give it a try, especially because I'm really looking forward to Bethany C. Morrow's reimagining of Little Women -- I just hope that the both of those are more fleshed out/developed better than this book.
queeneallie's review against another edition
5.0
Really great YS fantasy. Couldn't put it down. Wonderful characters and Germaine themes.