might_be_may's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
bella_and_the_bookstack's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book because the cover of it looked so intriguing. I am super glad I did. Social justice and racism mixes with mythology in this beautiful book.
A Song Below Water is told from the POV of two sisters. Although not sisters by blood, Effie and Tavia’s bond could not be stronger if they were true sisters.
Both girls must navigate the ups and downs of high school, romance, and identity.
Effie is struggling to find the truth behind her self. What happened to her all those years ago as a child?
Tavia is keeping a dangerous secret. She’s a siren. In a world that shows so much hate towards those that are different, it’s all she can do to hide the secret that is such a defining part of who she is.
When another siren is murdered, the murder trial throws the nation into an upheaval. Hate and discrimination is prevalent all around. So many people think sirens are a danger and want their voices controlled or silenced.
As a siren, Tavia fears her true identity will be revealed. This book is reminiscent of The Hate U Give with magic and mythology added in.
~~
I felt this book was very powerful and really well written. At first, it was a little bit confusing. Especially when I read from Effie’s point of view. However, by the end, all the loose ends connected.
Overall, it was a really beautiful book that I recommend. I can’t wait for book two!
A Song Below Water is told from the POV of two sisters. Although not sisters by blood, Effie and Tavia’s bond could not be stronger if they were true sisters.
Both girls must navigate the ups and downs of high school, romance, and identity.
Effie is struggling to find the truth behind her self. What happened to her all those years ago as a child?
Tavia is keeping a dangerous secret. She’s a siren. In a world that shows so much hate towards those that are different, it’s all she can do to hide the secret that is such a defining part of who she is.
When another siren is murdered, the murder trial throws the nation into an upheaval. Hate and discrimination is prevalent all around. So many people think sirens are a danger and want their voices controlled or silenced.
As a siren, Tavia fears her true identity will be revealed. This book is reminiscent of The Hate U Give with magic and mythology added in.
~~
I felt this book was very powerful and really well written. At first, it was a little bit confusing. Especially when I read from Effie’s point of view. However, by the end, all the loose ends connected.
Overall, it was a really beautiful book that I recommend. I can’t wait for book two!
extraordinarystardust's review against another edition
4.0
Woah this book was amazing. Sisterhood, strong women, and Black girl magic. To me, this is a story about finding power in who you are ✨
The beginning was intense and fast paced but then the story kinda slowed down. I was in it for the payoff at the end where we find out about Effie’s past and all the secrets everyone is hiding from her and Tavia and the last 25% of the book is a RIDE omg. I stayed up until 2 am finishing it because once you reach the 80% ish mark there is no stopping.
I loved the sister dynamic between our two MCs Tavia and Effie. They’re always there for one another and it’s great to see girls having each others backs instead of being at each other’s throats (as we see in so many YA novels).
If you love character arcs this book is for you!! Tavia was my fav it was really awesome to see her change throughout the book and find her voice.
Semi spoiler below???
I knew what Effie was pretty early on but OMG all the reveals at the end I couldn’t have asked for a better payoff from this book.
We stan powerful sisters!!!
The beginning was intense and fast paced but then the story kinda slowed down. I was in it for the payoff at the end where we find out about Effie’s past and all the secrets everyone is hiding from her and Tavia and the last 25% of the book is a RIDE omg. I stayed up until 2 am finishing it because once you reach the 80% ish mark there is no stopping.
I loved the sister dynamic between our two MCs Tavia and Effie. They’re always there for one another and it’s great to see girls having each others backs instead of being at each other’s throats (as we see in so many YA novels).
If you love character arcs this book is for you!! Tavia was my fav it was really awesome to see her change throughout the book and find her voice.
Semi spoiler below???
I knew what Effie was pretty early on but OMG all the reveals at the end I couldn’t have asked for a better payoff from this book.
We stan powerful sisters!!!
readbyashleyd's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
I wanted so badly to love this book but it just didn’t capture me like I wanted it to. I had high hopes for it, the concept and plot line and diversity all sounded SO good. Plus, look how damn gorgeous the cover is! And I mean, anything involving sirens is definitely something I want to be into. But what was missing here for me was characters. There were just none that I fell in love and wanted to root for or even a character I loved to hate. None of them made me want to get attached and that’s important for me when reading. I didn’t hate it either but I didn’t love it, I guess the right word to describe ny feelings is indifferent.
red_steele's review against another edition
2.0
1. I listened to the audiobook and the voice actors were poorly selected for the main characters Effie and Tavia.
2. The best aspect of the book was the sister-friend relationship between Effie and Tavia.
3. This was a book club selection and I did not enjoy this book at all. Bethany Morrow needs a better editor. The book did not explain the structure of society or the overall mythos and how it’s symbolization equates to today's society.
At the end of the book I had zero understanding of sirens, elokos and sprites. All I know is that sprites are black women, but not all black women are sprites...
4. There was no true plot.
5. Character development was poor and I felt no connection to anyone.
6. The book was slow and at times boring.
2. The best aspect of the book was the sister-friend relationship between Effie and Tavia.
3. This was a book club selection and I did not enjoy this book at all. Bethany Morrow needs a better editor. The book did not explain the structure of society or the overall mythos and how it’s symbolization equates to today's society.
At the end of the book I had zero understanding of sirens, elokos and sprites. All I know is that sprites are black women, but not all black women are sprites...
4. There was no true plot.
5. Character development was poor and I felt no connection to anyone.
6. The book was slow and at times boring.
mamabirdgraph's review against another edition
5.0
Black Girl Magic. Sirens and mythical creatures in modern day! I’m obsessed with the concepts in this story.
nicky7899's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
doctabird's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the combination of different mythos and centering racial issues among the mythos issues. I was annoyed that it fell into the awful trope some fantasy books suffer from of withholding important information from a character for no good reason (except to keep the mystery and story going). Realistically, that's not how people communicate and I hate when books use that just to advance the story. Otherwise, I enjoyed this story.