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happily_undignified's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of We Are The Song by Catherine Bakewell in exchange for an honest review.'
We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell is a beautiful fantasy brimming with music. This mid-grade fantasy follows Cae Elissa, a young teen who is part of an elite group of singers known as the Voices of the Goddess. She travels with a composer, Lucio, throughout her war torn land doing miracles in the name of the Goddess Cae. When she is faced with an impossible task she finds her true voice and realizes that she is blessed in more ways than she can imagine.
I really enjoyed this story. It was a quick read with beautiful imagery and I loved all of the musical references. The story is a bit heavy on religious imagery but it is woven in well enough to not take away from the main message. Elissa is a tortured artist type who has a great deal of character growth in the story. I found myself easily rooting for her and the other singers as they worked together to try to use their gifts for good.
I would recommend this book to all mid-grade and older readers who love fantasy and stories of good vs. evil.
We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell is a beautiful fantasy brimming with music. This mid-grade fantasy follows Cae Elissa, a young teen who is part of an elite group of singers known as the Voices of the Goddess. She travels with a composer, Lucio, throughout her war torn land doing miracles in the name of the Goddess Cae. When she is faced with an impossible task she finds her true voice and realizes that she is blessed in more ways than she can imagine.
I really enjoyed this story. It was a quick read with beautiful imagery and I loved all of the musical references. The story is a bit heavy on religious imagery but it is woven in well enough to not take away from the main message. Elissa is a tortured artist type who has a great deal of character growth in the story. I found myself easily rooting for her and the other singers as they worked together to try to use their gifts for good.
I would recommend this book to all mid-grade and older readers who love fantasy and stories of good vs. evil.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and War
notteson's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In WE ARE THE SONG, music is magic, and that magic is wielded by the Voices of the Goddess Caé, who is the creator of the world and life itself. Bakewell's writing is beautiful, poetic, and lyrical, which is perfect as music is central in this story.
What I liked about this book:
-It is a hopeful story about the power of peace, love, and nonviolence--everything that religion *ought* to be, but often isn't.
-Positive queer and nonbinary representation in secondary characters, where their gender identity and sexual orientation weren't their single defining characteristic and personality trait
-Unique magical system
What didn't sit well with me:
-As someone who is working through religious trauma, I was a bit put off by the overzealousness, fanaticism, and blind faith of the followers of the Goddess, and it reminded me of the personal hurt that I'm currently working through. Though, I do appreciate the picture she was trying to paint in that, much like in the real world, many people in power try to use "religion" and "faith" for their own purposes and ends, often to the detriment of those around them, most notably the poor and marginalized.
In WE ARE THE SONG, music is magic, and that magic is wielded by the Voices of the Goddess Caé, who is the creator of the world and life itself. Bakewell's writing is beautiful, poetic, and lyrical, which is perfect as music is central in this story.
What I liked about this book:
-It is a hopeful story about the power of peace, love, and nonviolence--everything that religion *ought* to be, but often isn't.
-Positive queer and nonbinary representation in secondary characters, where their gender identity and sexual orientation weren't their single defining characteristic and personality trait
-Unique magical system
What didn't sit well with me:
-As someone who is working through religious trauma, I was a bit put off by the overzealousness, fanaticism, and blind faith of the followers of the Goddess, and it reminded me of the personal hurt that I'm currently working through. Though, I do appreciate the picture she was trying to paint in that, much like in the real world, many people in power try to use "religion" and "faith" for their own purposes and ends, often to the detriment of those around them, most notably the poor and marginalized.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War