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kristyloves2read's review against another edition
1.0
Not my style of book and honestly. Slow and drags - DNF'ed it
nikkicthebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the way the author paralleled our world with this fantasy world in a way that wasn’t over the top or campy but special and thought provoking. The characters were well developed and you felt for them. I would definitely recommend this book and would read this author again.
ameliatillman15's review against another edition
4.0
Difficult to get into, but it ended up catching my attention. The beginning had too many questions that were revealed towards the end. Great social justice topics layered with mythology.
victoria_reynolds's review against another edition
4.0
I love the concept. Once i got into it, I loved the way fantasy plays a part in the realities of prejudice in the real world. I did struggle to keep track of who was talking in each chapter, but i think that was on me because i took a long break between starting and finishing this book. Overall, im glad i finished it and will be reading the sequel, too.
arieoz92's review against another edition
2.0
The idea of this book was great but the execution was blah. I found myself confused when it came to the different creatures and how the author expected us to know their mythos and history. I feel like the story telling could have been a bit more precise. Maybe I’m too use to story building. But I felt like she jumped into everything without really giving us a backstory. I’m not sure I’ll read the second book because this first one didn’t get me excited to know more.
secondhandpages's review against another edition
5.0
I heard mermaids and I picked up the book. That was all I needed to be sucked into it. Additionally, the element of adoption (which is VERY close to my heart) made the book even more appealing to me. I genuinely did not know what to expect as I opened the book - I was hoping for more of an underwater adventure - but what was delivered was SO. MUCH. BETTER.
**If you are expecting a fantasy book, be aware that this is more urban fantasy/magical realism. It's worth mentioning immediately in the review as the misconception seemed to be a sticking point in many of the reviews I read prior to picking up the book.
A Song Below Water follows two young black girls (Tavia & Effie) navigating life - both magical and non-magical - in Portland, OR. With a stunning whirlwind of fantasy, racism, current events, topics, and politics, Morrow creates an engaging and heart wrenching read. The parallels drawn between racial injustices with the use of magical beings (specifically Sirens), as well as tensions between the magical species themselves, help readers to empathize and shed light on a topic that gets ignored far too often.
My favorite part of this entire novel was the friendship between Tavia & Effie. Far too often I feel like the YA genre gets swept up in love, and to see a novel surrounding two friends and their struggles to not only survive, but THRIVE together, is as refreshing at the Sirens that steal scenes in the novel!
I would highly recommend this novel to any and all!
**If you are expecting a fantasy book, be aware that this is more urban fantasy/magical realism. It's worth mentioning immediately in the review as the misconception seemed to be a sticking point in many of the reviews I read prior to picking up the book.
A Song Below Water follows two young black girls (Tavia & Effie) navigating life - both magical and non-magical - in Portland, OR. With a stunning whirlwind of fantasy, racism, current events, topics, and politics, Morrow creates an engaging and heart wrenching read. The parallels drawn between racial injustices with the use of magical beings (specifically Sirens), as well as tensions between the magical species themselves, help readers to empathize and shed light on a topic that gets ignored far too often.
My favorite part of this entire novel was the friendship between Tavia & Effie. Far too often I feel like the YA genre gets swept up in love, and to see a novel surrounding two friends and their struggles to not only survive, but THRIVE together, is as refreshing at the Sirens that steal scenes in the novel!
I would highly recommend this novel to any and all!
laurra_'s review against another edition
2.0
DNF @ 40%
Definitely not the target audience for this. Hate the style it's written in, the magic system is all over the place and there is no actual plot, just two teens living their lives like they always have
Definitely not the target audience for this. Hate the style it's written in, the magic system is all over the place and there is no actual plot, just two teens living their lives like they always have
jennc's review against another edition
3.0
Liked, not loved. Fantasy just is not my go to genre. The writing was good and I loved the main characters just not my fav. It was slow.
abutler's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
emankus22's review against another edition
5.0
A tail (haha) of Black sisterhood and mystical creatures and the fight for justice, A Song Below Water is the inclusive, exciting, heart wrenching magic teenagers novel that I wish I had read as a teenager. This book is a delight to read, through and through. It’s filled with adventure, mystery, love and excitement.