DNF @ 50%

I thought this was supposed to be a fantasy yet it didn't read like one. It read more like a contemporary. I was confused majority of the time and I can not differentiate the two sisters point of view even though the chapter would say who they are. I did like how he author incorporated natural hair vocabulary such as LOC but did not explain what it was. It was a lot of information thrown around that did not get explained and the plot I felt like was all over the place and I could not handle that. I liked how the author weaved in discussions of how Black people are treated by being sirens. This was not grabbing my attention like I wanted it to.

This was a Contemporary Fantasy, with several social topics and themes woven throughout. I really enjoyed the intersectionalism of both Effie and Tavia. They had to lay low and assimilate to their environment while not only being black women, but also sirens which were also heavily discriminated against and target by police enforcement and the media. The experience of being a women of color as well as sirens were evaluated and described throughout this book.

I did enjoy the magical world in this book, but I felt very confused and had little to no context about the characters, the creatures mentioned (Gargoyles, sirens, elokos) as they weren't explained. Both the magical world and characters weren't setup nor explained well so I felt like I really couldn't connect with the story or its characters and I often felt confused/lost throughout.

I also felt like the two sisters voices/narrations weren't distinguished enough and I had to re-read sections to figure out who was narrating. I wish they both had more distinguishable identities and personalities as a whole.

The concept and activism/social justice in this book were great, but I felt that it lacked depth in both the story and character development and I couldn't really connect with it.

I could not for the life of me focus on this story. Every time I picked it up, I suddenly became exhausted and my eyes wouldn't focus on the page. But I do think the story was very compelling so far. I liked the mythology and the openness with the magic and beings. I thought Tavia and Effie's POV's were strong and distinct, this was just not the right time for me to read this story, but I will be picking it up in the future.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Song Below Water

Author: Bethany C. Morrow

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Diversity: Black main character and side characters!

Recommended For...: mermaid lovers, people who want commentary on racism and discrimination

Publication Date: June 2, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed

Publisher: TorTeen

Pages: 288

Synopsis: Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she's also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she's also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.

Review: I had to DNF this one. I was really confused in the beginning and that progressed throughout the book until I put it down at 32%. The writing didn’t connect me to the characters and the voice of the characters were just monotone and indistinguishable. The book also used a lot of terminology that wasn’t explained well. I did like that the book wanted to tackle discrimination and racism, but the way she went about it was a bit too disjointed to me. I really wanted to love this book though and I will definitely try to read this again!

Verdict: I think it’s a good book, just didn’t connect with me.

This is a book everyone needs to read. Set in a world where sirens, gargoyles, and magic are real, this story focuses on two black teenage girls struggling to find their voices. They may not be sisters by blood, but they've adopted each other and navigate through a world of racism and prejudice side-by-side. </p>

One the surface, this book is about Tavia, a siren struggling to stay hidden in an anti-siren society, and Effie who is on the cusp of discovering a dark family secret. But A Song Below Water is so much more than a YA fantasy novel. It's a story about the repression of black women and how their voices are the last to be heard in a screaming crowd. It's a story of fighting to be seen and validated and accepted in a world that is inherently designed to keep you down. This is a story about empowerment and finding the inner strength and pride to stand against the forces surrounding you that want to see you fail. It's timely. There's a scene where Tavia gets pulled over while driving without just cause. There's a protest where a black woman is targeted. This story tackles fear and pain, but it also shines with hope and liberation.


I found Effie and Tavia engaging and their bond was well developed and cultivated throughout the novel. It's refreshing to read a story with a strong female bond, and I think these two characters will connect with young readers. The fantasy elements of the story weave nicely with the modern setting which immediately anchors the reader into the world Morrow has created. I had to look up what an eloko was, but that was the only point of confusion in the story.

Tavia and Effie are two black girls living in Portland, Oregon, which — according to them — is whiter than the rest of America. They’re sisters by choice who began living together around the beginning of high school, and they’re facing their junior year of high school when everything in this book takes place.

Tavia is a siren and has the power to control people to an extent with her voice. Because she has that power, people fear it and she has to keep the fact that she is a siren a secret. The only people who know are her parents, Effie, and a few select people who are called her “network” — people who work to keep sirens safe. I equated it to something like an underground railroad of sorts for sirens within a city.

While Tavia is focused on keeping her secret and voice under control, Effie is facing her own set of problems. She struggles with impossibly dry skin, a dry and itchy scalp, and general social anxiety and insecurities (the last one is just conjecture on my part), but instead of focusing on that, she focuses on the upcoming Renaissance Faire. Effie plays Euphemia the Mermaid at the faire and looks forward to it every year.

Things start to go sideways when Tavia realizes her voice has more power than she thought and Effie realizes that all signs are pointing to her being more than just a human girl. The girls rely on each other and themselves as they try to figure out how to face a future that’s becoming more uncertain every day.

I can honestly say that this book is not what I was expecting at all.

I don’t know if that’s on my part because I had expectations when I shouldn’t have or what, but this book is definitely much more than a YA novel about a siren and her sister. It touches on topics of race and discrimination while showing that even well-meaning people can be part of the problem. It shows how families can be divided, how the effects ripple through communities, how seemingly “insignificant” people can feel the emotional blows.

To be completely honest, this book is heavy — it’s not for the light of heart to pick up blindly, but it’s worth the read if you have the time.

But, that’s my two cents on this book — spend it how you like!
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Full YouTube Review: https://youtu.be/Ugu3yBbYrQM

The cover for this is stunning and the description drew me in. I was so excited for sirens, magical realism and misogynoir and no one is more disappointed than I am.

There's virtually no world building and you're left squandering with all these notions and left to make connections that are not really all that intuitive.
I liked Tav and Effie well enough but I failed to make a true a meaningful connection while trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I was so excited for all the issues I could imagine being tackled with this storyline but I got overwhelmed by gargoyles, sprites and elokos that were never fully introduced and I felt like I had picked up a course 5 weeks after it had started.

This story turns mythology on it's head, by having black women, men and other POC at centre stage; sirens, mermaids, gargoyles.
It focuses on two sisters, Tavia and Effie who are each trying to figure out where they fit into the word, and what it means for them. They are each other's support system and it is a beautiful thing to see.
Themes of family, community, generational trauma, black girl magic, racism/prejudice all play a part in driving the story.
The most powerful theme however, is the celebration of black girlhood/womanhood and the fact that black women's voices have power and are often the incentive for change in their communities.
A nice change of pace for YA SFF that I normally come across.

WOW.

Let that be said. I admit that it took me about 20 pages to be sucked into the story, but man, when I was there? I was there .

This is a story about misogynoir fused with fantasy/supernatural elements. What emerges is a story that is fast paced, intense and incredibly powerful.

Both main characters, Tavia and Effie have very distinct voices and offer not only more insight into their respective characters but are also used perfectly to achieve a more rounded characterisation of the other. While often frustrating, every single character in this book is thought through and properly fleshed out and it was a both a joy and a curse to live in this world a little while. The latter, because the injustice of the world is so real that it automatically makes you furious and angry at the real world we live in, where the hashtag Blacklivesmatter has to exist because it's not a given. It makes a white reader such as me even more aware of white privilege and the absolute injustice of the fact that it exists.

We need more books like this.

We need books like this until hashtags like these don't have to exist anymore because it doesn't matter who you are, who you love, what you look like or what you believe in.

That being said, I absolutely adored the mythical elements in this story and Effie's way of escapeism through being a mermaid at a Ren fair. As someone who loves going to comic cons and dressing up as my favourite characters sometimes (not that I do it well lol), I absolutely loved reading about her story line with Elric.

I also loved the mythical forms people took, such as there being a gargoyle and Tavia being a siren. I will absolutely not write more on this subject because I would absolutely spoil it for everyone who hasn't read this book yet. The world building, while a little confusing at the beginning, was fantastic and while I don't know anything about Portland at all except for that it is in the US, it was very easy to follow and to imagine.

I recommend this to... absolutely everyone because of the themes and topics. Especially those who love some good fantasy and supernatural elements in their stories. I absolutely can't wait to read what Bethany C. Morrow does next!

Bethany C. Morrow’s A Song Below Water is a part fantastical and part so-real-that-it-hurts YA novel weaving together ancient myths and the current-day experience of two Black teenage girls living in one of America’s whitest cities. Effie and Tavia are friends (nearly sisters) who both hold ancient powers. It is their deep connection to their ancestral roots and their ultimate refusal to suppress their own magic that drives the narrative.


While there were a few moments in the storyline where I felt pulled by an undertow of abundant plot points, the tide always shifted. I found myself breathlessly experiencing the mundane (a high school crush and a summer job as a mermaid at the Renaissance Faire) and the otherworldly (a Gargoyle keeping watch outside the girls’ bedroom window and magical visions) all within the bigger context of the fight against anti-Blackness and the finding of self. The overall impact of the book is so striking that it’s definitely worth a few overwhelming waves.


https://www.readingisresistance.com/post/reading-is-resistance-reviews-song-below-water-by-bethany-c-morrow

The persona of the siren in this book takes on deep current relevance as it is connected to the Black Lives Matter movement, with anti-siren violence and legal systems highlighted. Morrow centers both the power and the silencing of black women’s voices (in this case, all sirens are black women although not all black women are sirens). And the direct critique of the way Portland, Oregon, prides itself on keeping things liberally “weird” AND simultaneously conforms so closely to white supremacy culture is important and spot-on. I am especially grateful to Morrow for surfacing the real-life local tragedy of Devonte Hart’s fame and murder. Devonte and his siblings (all of whom were black children adopted by the white women who killed them) are referenced multiple times with chilling impact.


This is a book that I will be encouraging friends and fellow educators (especially of high school folx) to read and share. I am already imagining teaching this book alongside a text like Tiffany Jewell’s This Book Is Anti-Racist as part of classroom curriculum.

A Song Below Water is a really entertaining piece with some unique twists on sirens. It's a great book for teens and adults who enjoy lighter YA novels but with meaningful themes. 

If you often feel like an outsider and kind find your place this book will give you some comfort and smiles. It's well written and a fun fantasy story unlike others I've read so far. I would love to get to know the characters and the world deeper in the following books. 

*Thank you for Net Galley and Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates for the ARC.

I loved this! It was a complete page turner. I could not put this book down for the life of me. Bethany C. Morrow deals with such deep issues such as racism and justice, which I always appreciate. I love anything to do with the sea or sirens and this was exactly what I was hoping for. This was just so unique and different; I adored it! Looking forward to rereading when the physical book comes out!

Although I am not one to judge a book by its cover, I must admit I fell in love with this one when I first saw it floating around Twitter. Then I read the synopsis and thought <i>mermaids and sirens, black girl magic and Bethany C. Morrow, author of MEM -- Wow!</i> Then I got scared. Usually when I get this hyped for a book it does not live up to my high expectations. I'm sure you've been there before too. But I can assure you this book is everything it promises to be and then some. Morrow speaks to the Black female experience in America in a way that not only speaks to the mature reader but is easy to process and appealing for young adults. Tavia and Effie come alive off of the pages. Just as real as any other teenaged girl navigating her way through adolescence. They are strong, powerful and their sister-love is so endearing. You will definitely remember them long after you close the pages of this book.

<i>Special thanks to NetGalley, Tor Teen, Tom Doherty Associates and Bethany C. Morrow for advanced access to this book.</i>

"Effie, sometimes things just happen. Nothing special. Nothing supernatural. There isn't always a reason."

Thanks to Netgalley, Bethany C. Morrow and Tor Teen for this e-ARC.
The review contains a little bit of spoiler. I had to add a bit because I would have been unable to describe my point of view.

I requested this book on netgally because I had seen a friend of mine on Instagram who'd also requested and got accepted for this ARC. She'd also mentioned how excited she was to read this one. I was intrigued by the cover and the synopsis. Another reason for requesting was the black representation in this book.

Even after all this, I dived into this book with very less expectation. I was finding difficult to understand the story at the beginning maybe because I don't know much about the history of black people and in the book itself some descriptions were not clear. I think the author was trying to create suspense this way or something. I admit, there was suspense as this book was literally a slow burn. But when it came to describing the Sirens and their history, I again felt that it was not catered well. The Sirens in this book were a little different than usual. The author mostly, described about Siren voices and how they were controlled by the govt in the past. How Sirens have been from the black race and the difficulties they face fitting in and aren't accepted in the society.

The main characters Tavia and Effie are not sisters by blood but by their friendship bonding. Effie comes to live with Tavia's family after her mother dies. The story revolves around these two sisters and their heritage. It is told from both their perspectives. I loved how the author built up their characters slowly, throughout the whole book. When I was finally, halfway through, things finally were starting to fall in place. The mystery about their heritage was starting to unravel. I was fully engrossed in the book at this point and thoroughly enjoyed the ending. I also loved how the author used the setting of a modern technological world and mingled it with a fantastical tale. I loved the fact that this book teaches young people no matter who they are, whatever race or religion they belong to, they should stand up for themselves and speak up for the injustice they are facing in their lives.

Overall, it was a good summer read.

A Song Below Water is an adventure between contemporary and fantasy worlds that fans of fairy tale retellings will enjoy. In some ways, it feels like the story starts abruptly and some readers may have trouble following at first. This book is best suited for readers who are ready to commit to understanding the world that looks a little like ours but with a lot of new elements.

I am struggling so hard to rate this book. Certain parts of it I absolutely loved, 5 stars for sure. And other parts were so slow, so confusing that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish. Let's break it down...

A Song Below Water is about Tavia and Effie - Tavia is a siren in Portland, Oregon and living in a time when sirens are reviled, dismissed, tortured and murdered. Her being a siren is kept a secret, held by her family, Effie, Effie's grandparents, and a network of mythical creatures who support her and provide an outlet for Tavia to use her call. Effie is Tavia's best friend, her "play-sister", and plays a mermaid in a local ren faire. Effie has a mysterious past that unfolds throughout the story and will play into her future. Add in a gargoyle, petty created called elokos, nasty sprites and a lot of social commentary and this book takes off.

What did I like?
I really liked so much:
- black sirens! black mermaids! so much black girl magic!
- real examples of what it means to be black (I am thinking specifically about the black hair care which is rare to read about in books)
- the mythos was super intriguing and unique
- social justice, black lives matter, racial equity commentary - this was my favorite part. The way that the book is framed (black sirens are forgotten, not cared about, and not protected) is a direct connection to the ways that black lives and black bodies are dismissed and discarded so easily in our society. There are multiple back stories of black teenagers and women being murdered without any justice, which aligns to things we are heading in the news currently. It felt super timely but done in a really interesting way. I have seen reviews say that the book is "preachy" and I highly disagree - those folks should probably do some inner reflection about their own awareness of these issues.

What did I struggled with?
- although the mythological aspects were super cool, the reader is just dropped into it. I had no clue what elokos were, which isn't that big of a deal because I just googled it and I google a lot of things when I read, BUT the entire world was just dropped into my lap without explanation. A chapter about how this world came about, the context, and the way mythos became reality would have been nice.
- Some of the loose threads of the murders should have been tied up - the reader is kind of left hanging
- this is definitely a YA novel with a lot of the annoying teen challenges. Although sometimes I am fine with that, it was a bit much for my brain at the time of reading.

I might try and read this book again when I am not living through a pandemic, and also processing the way that black people are exponentially more impacted by this disease as well as the continual murders of black people who are just trying to live their lives. My brain might not have been in the perfect place to really read and enjoy this book. But overall I would recommend it just because the mythos, the story, the framing is just so cool and a much needed break from the typical fantasy YA we see.

Tavia is a siren in modern-day Portland, constantly trying to conceal her powers. She lives with Effie, her best friend and adopted sister. Tavia tries to remain inconspicuous, seeking answers about her powers. Effie performs as a mermaid at the local Renaissance Faire, hoping for additional clarity about her past and family. As Effie struggles with strange changes happening to her and Tavia worries about accidentally revealing herself as a siren- the girls experience the perils of high school (bullying, romance, mean girls).

This was so good!! I loved how mythology was creatively intertwined with social issues such as misogynoir. A Song Below Water was excellent with lots of important social commentary, realistic prose, and a strong bond of sisterhood. I was kept guessing until the very end as Effie and Tavia work together to unravel the mysteries and secrets they face.

My favorite part was the powerful bond of sisterhood between Tavia and Effie. It was so refreshing to watch them always be there for each other. No matter the obstacle, they stayed united against all turmoil. Readers looking for stories about social commentary, mythological powers, and an unbreakable sisterhood should absolutely check out this book. A Song Below Water releases June 2, 2020! Thank you to Bethany C. Morrow, Tor Teen, and Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so excited to be seeing more people of color on gorgeous book covers like this!! I was excited to read this one because I’m a sucker for anything fantasy, and yes, I judged this book by its cover. And I judged it worthy.

Tavia and her sister-not-sister, Effie, are growing up different in modern-day Portland. Tavia is a siren (straight out of mythology) and Effie is experiencing some strange changes as of late. Throughout the novel is the usual teenage angst and problems that befall high schoolers — fitting in, bullying, romance. But entwined is a social commentary about growing up different in America — whether that is because you are a strange mythical creature or just a race that isn’t white.

This book had a lot of potential, but it wasn’t for me. The colloquial language caters to a much younger audience than myself, and the blend of urban realistic fiction with fantasy just read awkward to me. Some of the slang read incredibly cringey. The prose reads for a pre-teen audience, but the content doesn’t match.

In recent reviews, I discussed the pitfalls that usually happen when an author decides to incorporate social commentary in the YA genre, and unfortunately, this happened in this book. I valued the approach to pairing the oppression that comes with being something literally different (read: not a human) with the oppression that comes from being a person of color in America. But it seemed like the author wanted to drop in every single issue that impacts the Black community into the novel, in just 288 pages WHILE also trying to create a fantastical world. What results is a few sentences that get dropped about issues of beauty standards, gentrification, stereotypes, gun violence, police brutality, equitable access to education, etc. I wish Morrow had spent a little less time on trying to capture the gamut of social issues and spent more time on character development and voice.

Morrow’s plot is engaging, mostly because of the mystery surrounding Effie. It’s a quick and easy read that lovers of fantasy or mythology will devour. I’d recommend this book for younger high schoolers.

Our world needs more books with Black Girl Magic. Our world also needs more mythological books. But most of all, our world needs books like this, where Black Girls are secret sirens and wannabe mermaids, where they have networks of safety for each other.
Parts of this were like reading a Twitter feed of call-outs, and I had to remind myself I couldn't hit the retweet button. So instead I paused reading, yelled about how much THIS MATTERS, and then dove back in.
Honestly I can't applaud this book enough.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***


"We should all speak like sirens. Use our voices to make a difference, because all of them matter."✝


I don't know what exactly what I was expecting from this book, but I got more than I bargained for in the BEST way. The world of A Song Below Water is much like ours, except there are magical creatures (sirens, eloki, sprites, gargoyles, etc) among us. Morrow effortlessly weaves together a tale of fantasy with the misogynoir of the real world. Eloki are celebrated, despite a mythos that rumors cannibalism. Sprites are views as funny little tricksters, despite the belief that their tricks have the power to turn children into statues. Sirens, however, are feared and silenced. And "for a long time sirens have been Black women. Not just mostly. Exclusively.✝" Sirens are being murdered without consequence and literally silenced with dampening collars. Morrow uses fiction to explore the myth of the "angry Black woman" and the way that the white world views Black women as somehow other, even monstrous.

This book is a call to arms, and a must-read to any would-be allies in America. It demands that we "Speak, siren!" (SayHerName!) Black women aren't required to define their oppression, but this book does an amazing job giving fictional insight to real-world problems. READ! THIS! BOOK!


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