I love the idea of this book so much and enjoyed the characters and their relationships. I am impressed at the way the story tackled current social issues. However, I do think there were so many ideas and themes that the flow was effected. I really enjoyed reading this novel, though I preferred the first half more than the second.

Rated 3.5 really.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
Note: this started as a buddy-read with my friend Lindsi from Do You Dog-ear? A little more than a third into the story, she realised she wasn't feeling it, while I - despite a few qualms - was engaged enough to read the whole thing, so we amicably parted ways 🙂.

PAINT IT BLACK

B.C. Morrow's YA debut has got a cool, engaging premise, in the form of Black sirens - which not only is a unique one as far as supernatural bookish tropes are concerned (though the TV show Siren does have Black merfolks), but also lends itself to a powerful social commentary about how Black women's voices are feared and/or silenced. And here's the thing: as a book about the Black female experience, ASBW hits the mark - which comes as no surprise, since it's an #ownvoices novel. The story touches upon a series of situations/themes such as the Black Lives Matter movement, being stopped by the police for no apparent reason, having to fly under the radar - more so because of a secret siren identity - or having one's hair touched without consent. By the way, there's also a hair-related plot point that I can't talk about - because it would be a giant spoiler - which ties in with Effie's typical Black hairdo, as much as being a siren ties in with Tavia's Black female voice.
Additionally, it was refreshing to read a book that centers on the friendship/sisterhood between two girls, though at first it sounds like Tavia is jealous of Effie (who has, for all purposes, being adopted into her family) and though she calls Effie her "play-sister", which sounds standoffish at best. But as the story progresses, we can see the love between these two girls, and how they support (and even complement) each other. These are the things that ASBW does best.

ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL

The supernatural aspect of this book was what that lured me in to begin with, but it turned out to be the weakest part of the story for me. I expected a book about sirens, while it was chock full of different creatures - like elokos, sprites, and even gargoyles (that's all I can say without spoiling the book for you). I didn't mind Googling the ones I wasn't familiar with, except the author put so huge a spin on them (mainly on elokos) that they weren't unrecognizable - so why not come up with her own mythology in the first place? Also, elokos and sirens seem to have enough in common that they can be in the same network, except the first can stay out in the open, whereas the second have to live off the grid - or wear a collar to silence their voices (though an eloko ultimately decides to wear a collar too for a specific reason). The network itself posed a problem for me, because it should have been a supporting circle, while - apparently - it was a place of petty jealousies between teens (and why should a teen have been in charge of it? let alone one who would end up purposefully outing a character as an alleged siren?).
A plot point revolves on a yearly faire where there's a mermaid act, which surprised me because not only it has dedicated fans, but there are even online forums (or at least one) about it. Now, not only I find it hard to buy that a thing that happens once a year for a few days can cause such a commotion, but I wonder why the same people who fear/hate sirens should love mermaids instead (and again, I'm not sure what kind of distinction Morrow is doing between them. Are her mermaids like sirens, only tamer and more friendly?).
There's also a supposed twist in the supernatural department that, alas, I was able to figure out early on (and so did the friend I was reading this book with). It was cool and everything, but hardly the surprise that it should have been.

FAMILY DRAMA

My last point is about the girl's relatives. Both Tavia and Effie have different family problems (since Effie, despite having been adopted by Tavia's parents, still has a grandmother). I can't explain much because I would spoil the story big time, but suffice to say that there are secrets that would be better talked about, and a bunch of paranoid rules for disappearing (especially for a world that never sounds like the Big Brother is watching) enforced by Tavia's dad. Also, given a painful incident that occurred to Tavia when she was a kid, I found her family too focused on her staying off the radar, as opposed to making her feel loved and listening to her (which is kind of ironic, in a book that revolves on a siren's - and Black girl's - voice).
Despite all the problems I listed above (and other ones that I couldn't mention, either to avoid spoilers, or to abstain from making this review even longer than it already is), I did enjoy A Song Below Water, and I think it makes a lot of good points about being Black and female on the backdrop of a supernatural setting. I have Morrow's debut (adult) novel Mem on my TBR list, and I'm looking forward to the new, hopefully as original worlds the author will come up with in the future.

Tavia and Effies relationship was beautiful. They unconditionally lpved each other despite the potential injustice.

I'm not sure what to say about this one. I want to reread it. I feel like I was lost for a lot of the world building and storyline, but I also couldn't stop, and really wanted to know how it all resolved. I feel like I got the "real world" gist of the messages that Morrow was portraying throughout the book, which really shined, and are the reasons I rated this so highly, despite feeling confused from all the fantastical aspects.

The writing was beautiful and well done. Even though I felt confusion over the different creatures of the world, and the lore, I felt connected to the main characters. I wasn't completely satisfied with the book as a whole, when I was finished, but I was left thinking highly of it, and with a good feeling that it could be a 5 star read once I've had the time to read it again and really focus on it, blocking out everything else around me.

An enjoyable read with an important message. It felt as if the story was trying too much at certain points; however, it is a great book and one I would recommend to others.

Beautiful young adult fiction that meshes fantasy with social justice so well. Reading about these young black girls as sirens and their fear of being "found out" by a society that wants to silence them was an intriguing ride to take. Can't wait to share this with my teen daughter.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Even thought at first I didn't enjoyed this book so much,after a while when I take it for a second try I've found myself really impressed and interested by it ! It follows the story of two sisters than are sirens in a really original and captive way than also alludes to racism and misogyny. Very well written and also full of representatives,I would highly recommend this book,even tough it starts whit a slow pace.

What a hidden gem!!! A Song Below Water may start out a bit slow; with very heavy focus on racism, BLM, prejudice, cop supremacy, and so much more (sadly) relevant in today’s society. Bethany Morrow has done something really cool here though. Instead of just putting us in our own cruel world, she puts us in a world of literal mythological creatures. From gargoyles, sirens, sprites, and so much more; this story is a plethora of interesting creatures (monsters?) to not only bond with, but relate to. Any given teenager is likely to find some part of our leading POC girls and their challenges. Be it their looks, friendships, parental challenges, boyfriends, etc. There’s only one thing missing, which I can overlook given how unique this story is, queer representation would have made this nearly perfect for me.

Morrow writes her Own Voices story, in her unique world that is exactly like ours; and yet nothing like it. I listened to most of this book on audio (my third audiobook of the year; it’s working!!) and the narrator was good enough. Not amazing but certainly kept things moving and gave just enough intonation change to know if it was Tavia or Effie’s chapter (even without the chapter name indicating whose POV it is).

Ultimately, I want to spoil the ending sooo much because it’s absolutely amazing. The twist here is foreshadowed; but I bet very few figure it out. I had it sorted just before the reveal; and looking back I realize I should have known given how much I LOVE the creature that ultimately holds the reader hostage at the climax.

Just read it! But do read it to the end. Even if you get a bit disenchanted halfway through; trust me the ending is absolutely worth it. At least 2-3 twists happen and so you’re bound to be (pleasantly, I hope)surprised by one of them. As a final note: this is a teen book and so I expect it to read like a teen book (which it does). If you’re looking for high fantasy, complex romance, or something more than a typical teen book then I’d recommend finding something else. I give this 5 stars and love it for being exactly what it is; a unique, well represented, uniquely fantastical teen book.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Who doesn't love a story about Black Mermaids?! I really enjoyed this and can't wait for the second one. This was my first time reading about mermaids and definitely won't be my last.

A fun fantasy novel. Fast- paced plotting, but the book needed a bit more meat. It was a good book but nothing memorable.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

Mythological beings, black struggles, coming of age, and contemporary all rolled into one; this story has so many cool elements! We follow two young black girls in high school, each with their own struggles as they try to find their places in the world and learn who they truly are.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters had distinct personalities, the cast was not too large, and switching between the two main characters narrations gave good insight. The world did take me awhile to get used to because it involves a lot of mythology/fantastical elements(mostly in regards to the beings themselves and what they all do) but it reads like a contemporary; it was a lot to pack into a single book (hopefully it is a bit more relaxed in the conclusion, perhaps?). The end felt abrupt as well due to this. That being said, there were quite a few scenes toward the middle and end that did have me near tears or actually shedding them, and some scenes that were enlightening! Overall enjoyed this book and will be keeping tabs on the author!

Would recommend for lovers of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or those who enjoy contemporary but would like to step foot into the fantasy genre.
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I was given a copy of this title from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so interesting and full of realistic imagery that formed a wonderful scene. It has a great well written plot and backstory behind it and I loved the characters development.

The magic world and Black teenagers have taken over again! I can't get over the resurgence of black voices and identities that are being written about the magic they possess. It's really uplifting to have authors praise something that has been lost and hidden. This is a great story about Black girls who find the magic in each other while finding their place in the world and battling racism and issues that are very relevant today.

Two teenage girls, sisters by choice if not by blood, each uncertain about how they fit in the world, A Song Below Water at its core is the story of two girls finding their way in the world. Effie is uncertain what she is at all, she’s going through changes that are scary and disorienting. Tavia knows what she is but the nature of the world means that she must keep a part of herself hidden from everyone. The story on its surface is one of fantasy but its a good metaphor for what it means to be a teenager, what it means to be different, and what it means to face prejudice. The questions that want to be answered are: will Effie ever be comfortable in her skin? And will Tavia ever find her voice?

#ASongBelowWater #NetGalley

Because I’m a white person, I’ll never know the oppressive weight of misogynoir. It’s a systemic violence inflicted specifically on Black women and the effects range from stereotypes about the Angry Black Woman to hypersexualization to blaming them for their own murders. A Song Below Water deals with the hell of misogynoir through both allegory and concrete contemporary examples.

Tavia and Effie’s world is ours with just a little myth-made-real on top. The Hart family murder-suicide and the murder very suspicious death of Sandra Bland are brought up, as are multiple fictional Black women whose murderers got away with it by claiming the women were sirens using their voices to control their killers. See, sirens are exclusively Black girls and women and sirenhood can’t be proven after death. Just claim she was a siren and everyone is on your side with no evidence necessary. Kinda like a Black person instantly being “no angel” after a police officer murders them.

And Tavia is a siren–one whose dad is so anti-siren she nearly killed herself trying to get rid of her voice, prompting the family’s move to Portland. She has a magical community of beloved elokos to hide among and an adoptive sister in Effie, but Tavia is still the only siren around. One of her alleged allies, an eloko named Naema, is basically Candace Owens as a magically charming teenage girl, complete with internalized misogynoir and a Highlander fallacy in her head.

But Tavia is only half the story. The other half is narrated by Effie and her side of things are more of a mystery compared to the magical contemporary angle Tavia’s storyline takes. Since some mischievous fairies turned her friends to stone when she was a kid, she’s been haunted by both the experience and the perverse infamy it brought her. People know who she is because of what happened. Now more people are turning to stone and she’s suffering blackouts. All Effie wants is to life her life and have a thing with Wallace, the cute lifeguard at the community pool she swims at.

A Song Below Water thrives on Tavia and Effie’s sisterhood. Though some of the novel’s mysteries have obvious answers (like who the gargoyle perched on their house is really protecting), others like Wallace’s role and what’s going on with Effie are genuine surprises. The story and writing are a bit disjointed at times, which occasionally made me need to reread previous sections to clarify what was happening.

I adored A Song Below Water and will happily recommend it. Marrow has also written a sequel/companion novel about Naema called A Chorus Rises, but I don’t know if I’ll read it. The novel will surely give Naema much-needed character development and better explain what being an eloko means in this universe, but I’d just see and hear a teenage Candace Owens the whole time. I just don’t think I’m strong enough right now.

Mythical creatures exist in the world in Portland, but they must keep their identity a secret. Tavia belongs to this group of people. She's a siren and must keep her voice hidden at all costs but this gets harder as a murder victim is suspected of a siren.

Her best friend and sister, Effie, also has the fear of being discovered for she doesn't know what powers she has. Together the two girls stay strong side by side as they tackle school, family, and social troubles.

I loved the friendship between Effie and Tavia. Though one of them is adopted, they are like real sisters and support each other either way. Effie comes from an extraordinary family and it was fun to read about.

There were some intense and exciting chapters but most of the book felt a little slow to me. I almost DNF it but I'm glad I didn't because I actually thought the ending was really interesting.

Overall, A Song Below Water was an important read about many different troubles that Effie and Tavia faced as well as many others. Even if the beginning was a little slow, the ending was pretty good and if you can keep reading until then, it becomes a good read.

All the Black Girl Magic that my students should and do deserve to read about. Just trying to clear my Netgalley shelf of older content that I read but forgot to or didn't rate/review.

Who would have thought that despite this book being sirens, I didn't expect to see so much political stands. Not that I am against it but it was unexpected. I love that the author highlighted that because despite them being siren or unlike all, the fact that they are black, is still affecting them in ways that is currently happening in our time now.

Apologies for being slow to review. There were huge family related issues and I am now trying to catch up.
"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."
I really enjoyed this book but I did have a few issues with it. Here we have a black siren and her bff living and struggling in Portland. There are elements of magical realism but most importantly it is about being black in America in today's times. There is racism, diversity,protests, social injustice and of course demonizing black women. Very powerful stuff. In the end I felt that there was too much going on for such a short book and loose ends.
I want to thank #NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of this book. I rated it 3.5 but rounded up for originality.