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A review by ebazilereads
We Are the Song by Catherine Bakewell
3.0
"Listen to your own voice. Listen to your own song."
**Thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Bakewell, and Holiday House for this ARC**
We Are the Song is Catherine Bakewell's debut middle grade novel, to be followed by a young adult novel in 2023. A charming, lyrical middle grade fantasy, We Are the Song tells the story of Caé Elissa, a 12 year old Voice of the Goddess who sings blessings from the creator of the world, Caé. She travels with a 17 year old composer and is tasked with helping the people of their war-torn world. With her voice, she has the ability to heal, to grant joy, and to transform the physical world around her. As the book progresses, she is asked by powerful people to sing blessings that feel evil to her and she begins to wonder how she the Caé she knows and loves can be represented so differently by those with power. A thoughtful exploration of the difference between spirituality/religion and Religion with a capital R, this book emphasizes listening to your own understanding of what is right and your own unique connection with a higher power.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was beautifully written and still felt appropriate for being told from the point of view of a 12-year-old. My only complaint was the pacing - the first two thirds of the books flowed beautifully and then it felt like the ending of the book was compressed and happened very quickly. It also sometimes felt a little heavy handed with the religious messaging.
Three stars - I liked it :)
**Thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Bakewell, and Holiday House for this ARC**
We Are the Song is Catherine Bakewell's debut middle grade novel, to be followed by a young adult novel in 2023. A charming, lyrical middle grade fantasy, We Are the Song tells the story of Caé Elissa, a 12 year old Voice of the Goddess who sings blessings from the creator of the world, Caé. She travels with a 17 year old composer and is tasked with helping the people of their war-torn world. With her voice, she has the ability to heal, to grant joy, and to transform the physical world around her. As the book progresses, she is asked by powerful people to sing blessings that feel evil to her and she begins to wonder how she the Caé she knows and loves can be represented so differently by those with power. A thoughtful exploration of the difference between spirituality/religion and Religion with a capital R, this book emphasizes listening to your own understanding of what is right and your own unique connection with a higher power.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was beautifully written and still felt appropriate for being told from the point of view of a 12-year-old. My only complaint was the pacing - the first two thirds of the books flowed beautifully and then it felt like the ending of the book was compressed and happened very quickly. It also sometimes felt a little heavy handed with the religious messaging.
Three stars - I liked it :)