Ummm, this book took me longer than I wanted to complete and way too much was going on. Nothing really fit what the description stated. Also, the lack of magical realism and mermaids made me sad. I really appreciated the topic on Black Lives Matter, but I really didn't see how it fit to the story and that whole Gargoyle thing made no sense to me. Over all I felt like the story was all over the place, nothing was focused on long enough to get the full scope of what was going on and the fairies & gargoyles just didn't fit with the stories of mermaids. I don't know, I had high hopes for this one and for the moment I’m not going to rate it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Teen and Bethany C. Morrow for advanced access to this book.

What a timely book. I know books are in the works for a long time, but I picked this book up just as the Black Lives Movement gained significant momentum in the Spring of 2020. The protests in the book are centered around an otherness that has more to do with a mythical creature, but it didn't make them any less important or significant than the real-life protests occurring. It took me a little to really understand the integration of mythological creatures, but it's better to just enjoy the ride. The girls at the center of the story experience some extreme coming-of-age moments and have to learn to place their trust in themselves, not just each other. It was a very enjoyable read!

I enjoyed this book much more than I had anticipated upon first reading the description. I'm sad it took me so long to actually start reading it! It was very enjoyable!

Once I read the summary for A Song Below Water I was immediately intrigued and I wanted to read that book. Sadly I ended up being disappointed by it. Don’t get me wrong, A Song Below Water was a good book, I just expected to enjoy it a lot more than I did.

The first half of the book was slow, it took me a while to get into the story. At some points I didn’t have any idea where the story was going. The fantasy elements weren’t explored as much as I hoped they would be. I wanted to know more about the sirens and all the other magical things, but this book didn’t deliver in that aspect. A Song Below Water tackles many issues in our current society – police brutality, racial profiling, racism, sexism and many more. I loved the way the author was discussing these issues, but for a book under 300 pages there were too many issues to discuss them all in full. Some of them just felt skimmed over.

A Song Below Water is told from two characters points of view, Tavia and Effie. I had problems distinguishing between their voices, they were very similar and sometimes in the middle of the chapter I was wondering from whose perspective I was reading. I didn’t connect to the characters, they felt very flat and underdeveloped. Something that I did love about this book is the sister relationship between Tavia and Effie. I loved seeing how much they cared about each other and how far they were willing to go for the other person.

Overall, A Song Below Water wasn’t the book I expected it to be. It was a good book and I would definitely recommend it, but I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

A Song Below Water is a magical realism novel following sirens. The writing is beautiful. The meaning and commentary behind the sirens are beautiful. I didn't love the plot which is why I only gave it three stars. I recommend that you read some Own Voices reviews as I am a white review and this book is about black women and how the world treats them.

This book is why we need more #ownvoices reviewers.
While I enjoyed reading this book, the nuances of intersectionality between being a Black girl and this fantasy landscape would have been lost on me without reading own-voices reviews.

All that to say, I cannot speak to the experience of reading this as a Black woman (I am White). I am hesitant to even share my thoughts because I know I will have missed some of the nuances of this book. So, what I will say is this, if a book that explores coming into your own, finding your voice, a relationship between sisters and how this intersects with being Black in a White city AND with a unique mythos in the background sound interesting, you will enjoy this. I did.

Another point I wanted to address is what expectations to have going into this book. I have heard this described as a tale about mermaids. This is not true. Also, you are thrown into the world and a lot of the book is figuring out how this world works, while getting to know these sisters. It took a few chapters to get a handle of what is going on, but after that, it really flowed. One more thing is that (to me) this felt more of a character-driven novel. While there were definitely things that happened and moved the plot, they were not always expounded upon and the focus was always more on the sisters and it's effect on them.

Overall, I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Macmillan for this advanced readers copy.

Reasons to Read A Song Below Water:

Let me repeat: Black, own voices fantasy that is unfortunately relevant to the reality of our world today. Along with A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, The Gilded Ones, and others on the Love Yo Shelf to-read list, A Song Below Water is one of the much-awaited Black fantasy stories for YA in the world. Growing up, I didn’t see many fantasy stories starring BIPOC, and Black womxn as protagonists wasn’t something I remember seeing at all. This is not to say that they didn’t exist ten years ago! But when it came to what was on the shelves at my mainly Asian middle school, diverse fantasy came in the form of White girl with powers she didn’t want but still managing to be the hero. Now let me be clear, I’m not recommending it for the pure reason of it being Black-centered fantasy, although I’m gonna tell you right now that you need more of it in your life. The fantasy aspect is so ingeniously written that it makes magic feel not so far away. If you’re like me and hope that when you finish a book, the magic is somehow real and you’ve been awakened by reading the book, this is perfect (she says, singing in the shower, pretending she’s a siren).
2. Mythology and supernatural creatures in contemporary context. This goes along with #1, but the worldbuilding around sirens and elokos and gargoyles in Portland??? I’m sorry, I just could not help but laugh and smile at both the contemporary descriptions of Portland and the PNW, and the underlying magical elements that were right below it. It was the kind of storytelling that builds up and you learn little things about the supernatural world as they come into play instead of throwing all the info at you at once. And one of my favorite parts was that it felt so well-researched. There were little nuances about each creature that I didn’t know before, but still felt exactly right. ALSO, the fact that Bethany uses mythology to illustrate a supernatural hierarchy AND apply that to a racial hierarchy?? Shit is top tier. In this world, sirens are exclusively Black women and nobody knows why. Sirens are also the only supernatural beings with government-created power-neutralizing devices, and the only ones who inspire fear on such a large scale. The story starts with the murder of Rhoda Taylor, who is never actually confirmed as a siren, but the moment that she is suspected of being one, it suddenly becomes (even more) justification for her murder. On the other hand, elokos like Tavia’s (White) kind-of-ex-boyfriend and his crew are beloved and able to exist publicly. I dare someone to tell me that that those stereotypes don’t sound familiar.

3. Collective AND individual character identity development. The relationship between Tavia and Effie is officially one of my favorites (right next to Laila and Zofia – if you know, you know). From the very beginning, it’s clear that they both rely on each other for some sense of stability, but as each faces their own issues, their identity changes and so does their relationship with each other. Rather than using those individual issues to separate them, Bethany uses that to fuel their connection to each other. They both understand that they can never fully understand, but it doesn’t stop them from trying and being there! I cannot tell you how emotional this book made me, from identity development, to the cruel, harsh realities of the marginalized groups, to learning how to find and make a home in other people. It was such a good representation of growing together and apart, and still figuring out how to make it work for both Tavia and Effie.

4. Learning to come to terms with – and embrace – an initially unwanted identity. This was definitely the bit that got me the most. Tavia hates being a siren, and she even goes as far as trying to take her voice herself. For much of the book, she’s trying to find her grandmother to ask her to take the power away from her. Tav’s disgust with her power doesn’t even come from just herself of the world’s fear of sirens, but her own father’s fear of her. To make things worse, he keeps Tav away from her grandmother, so she never learns how to use her powers, but that also means she never learns to control them. Eventually, with the siren trials going on with Rhoda Taylor, Tavia finds the power to use her voice instead of hiding it, effectively debunking the myth that marginalized people are somehow voiceless when in actuality, they’ve been terrorized and vilified into suppressing it *stares at hidden camera and mouths “America”*. On the other hand with Effie, she doesn’t know exactly what she is, just that she has a past that keeps on haunting her, and that Eupehmia the Mer (the character she plays at the Ren faire) is the perfect way to suppress what she’s actually becoming. Herself. Effie doesn’t know what she is, and fears what she could become, while Tavia fears what she is and longs to be anything else. AKA, the perfect pairing in a journey of self-discovery.

3.5 stars Positive, lovely. There's a lot to unpack and the commentary on the lives of black Americans in thr modern US is needed . The characters weren't my cup of tea but not badly done, just not for me. The allegory felt heavy-handed to me, but, knowing that I'm not the intended audience, I think teens will appreciate it

I absolutely loved this story. It is a great and timely allegory about the national climate. I found the characters so interesting and the love between the sisters was amazing. The different mythos was so interesting and I this book is so well written. I was completely captivated with this story. I highly recommend this book.

The first time I saw the cover of this book I was blown away. And after read the synopsis I just wanted to dive into it. I am so grateful to Netgalley for giving me this opportunity. I enjoyed every aspect of my reading. The story, the characters, the subject and the moral behind it.

I love the way the author addresses common issues like skin disease, self-discovery, racism and many others. I enjoyed the way the author builds her story based of many fantastical aspects and real historical event and the way their are related to the current situation. Their are portrayed with intensity and truth. This is a modern fantasy story with many important subjects that everybody should read.

The relation between Tavia and Effie was wonderful. I have been emotional by their friendship and their connection. The two characters were very touching. At the beginning, my favorite was Tavia. But at the end, it was Effie. Her storyline evolved in the most significant way. However, both of their story were inspirational and highlighted their struggle to find their place in a judgmental society.


What about the end? It was surprising and unpredictable.
A song below water is a must read. I want to add so many things, but I just feel like I don’t have the right words for it.

I hope that one day, this story will be brought to life in the movie theater. Because I really want it to reach more people.

Black Girl Magic meets Black Lives Matter in this must- read Fantasy Fic

Reading A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow feels like reading the script of an episode of Law and Order: Sirens Victims Unit. Set in Portland, Oregon, Captain Olivia Benson is played by secret siren Tavia, and her trusty partner Detective Elliot Stabler is play-sister/bestie Effie.
A Song Below Water delivers for those fresh off of reading All the Stars and Teeth by Adelyn Grace, and are more than ready for another book about badass mermaids. Further, this book is perfect for those anticipating more upcoming books about Black Girl Magic, like A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown, and Angie Thompson’s Concrete Rose. In the end though, Morrow takes readers on a journey they could never have imagined.

A Song Below Water is a magical The Hate You Give, a fantasy with social justice undertones. Morrow weaves in current political messages within her tales of sprites and elokos, with terms like "say her name"

Readers, get ready to submerge yourself in Tavia and Effie’s measured telling of their magical meltdown and rebirth!

Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you so much for the publisher and NEtGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange of my honest review!

I LOVED IT! What a well crafted novel! Sirens and mermaids plus magic all in one book? Sign me up!
At first it was a bit hard for me to understand the world's system in the book, but after knowing more about the magic, sirens and the black community I could easily devour the book in just a few days!

Our 2 main characters are strong, independent and showing a really good picture of a young black girl, who also have a secret, being outcasted and always being suspicious for basically nothing,
It was adventurous, touching and eye-opening! I wish there were more own-voices books like this out in the market featuring beautiful black girls!

Please read it! You won't regret choosing it!

This is a wonderful YA fantasy book with strong female protagonists and families who bravely face their fears of discrimination, violence, and being othered in a world that often tries to repress what it does not take time to fully understand. For teachers and librarians looking for books that address social justice and racism within the genre of YA fantasy, I would highly recommend this book. When teachers insist the best way to continue to address issues of civil rights and racism is To Kill A Mockingbird, I will use this book as example of why incorporating literature of #ownoices is so important. This book brings in the world and experience of teenage black girls in a way that is poignant and compelling for all readers. The mystery of the powers and identity of the protagonists keeps the reader engaged in the story while the imaginative world and beauty of the language brings the reality of living in a racists society as a black girl into sharp focus. This is a stunning book with much that book clubs and classes could discuss in relation to the current events and larger themes of democracy, equality, and justice. A must have for all high school libraries.

This book was really fun. The characters were really well developed and I had a great time reading it. The Siren plot line is such a fresh take for fantasy. That being said I had a difficult time relating to these characters, but I don't necessarily think this story was written for me, so I have no place to judge it on that fact alone. What I can say is that I loved the plot, I think the writing was incredible, and I look forward to see what the author comes out with next.

3.5 stars
*Thank you to Tor Teen for the ARC I received via NetGalley*

TW: Suicide Attempt & misuse of a disability? I'm not what this would be called, but basically one of the characters claims to have a disability she doesn't actually have as a cover. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

What I liked: Tavia and Effie as characters. I adored their close friendship and their sisterly bond. 100% the best part of the book. The writing on a sentence structure level was fine and I enjoyed it.
I liked the process of reading the story and finding clues to what was going on.

I was thoroughly engaged by the plot. I did guess one "twist", but not the full extent of it. I liked the slivers of romance we got and I thought it was cute if a little rushed. I also liked that there was a discussion of misogynoir, something I haven't seen so blatantly talked about in YA.

What I didn't like: The mythological lore was not very well explained in my opinion. I still don't really have an understanding of what the eloko's could do or why they have a bell. I tried to look up the real world myths but they seem to be quite different from that in the book. Same for any other mythological creature in the book other than siren's.

Everybody's parents were terrible. I don't think that was dealt with enough. I think that was meant as a "your parent's are people too lesson", but ultimately it seems like they were all let off too easy. When your parents cause you and other people years of actual trauma I think more than an "I'm sorry" is needed.

Also I found the whole ending pretty rushed. The first 2/3rds of the book are pretty slowly and evenly paced, but then SO many things are packed into that last 3rd.

I... realized I had a fundamental problem with the premise of the book about 30% through. So I'm not sure how I'll review this. Basically it's sort of like the X-Men, Stand-in bigotry effect which author L.L. Mckinney talks about here: https://medium.com/@ElleOnWords/stand... . This is a little outside of this effect since this book *does* have real world racism, and the "magical" oppression is dealt with alongside it, but the fact of the matter is the magical oppression *is* based on a *real* fear.

This book discusses misogynoir through the Tavia, a siren, but I'm just not sure Sirens were the best way to go about that. In this book Sirens have a low grade form of mind control which uh is scary. The book discusses how their oppression is compounded by the fact that Sirens are almost exclusively Black women, and I think there was meant to be a dichotomy between sirens and eloko's, but it was hard to tell as I'm still unsure of what the elokos can do and how it compares? I couldn't tell if they actually compelled people to do things or just had mesmerizing voices.

Obviously other books do this/have done this and I've read and enjoyed some of those books. I will probably continue to read and enjoy other books that do this. I don't want it to seem like I'm harping on this specific book for doing this, but I guess reading this at the time that I did along with how the story takes place in a setting so close to our world (usually stories I read like this are more high fantasy) really made me think about it and it would be dishonest of me not to share my full thoughts.

Overall I did enjoy the story and I would encourage others to read it, I think this was just the culmination of conflicting feelings about this type of story.

This book had me thinking of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas but with sirens and other mythical creatures. It is a beautiful and heart wrenching magical realism story that I didn’t want to end.

“A Song Below Water” Is a Compelling Story of Sisterhood, Magic, and Police Brutality
Latonya Pennington
Published in Voices

When I first learned about Bethany C. Morrow’s A Song Below Water and how it featured Black mermaids, I couldn’t help but think of mythology, especially the Yoruba orisha Yemaya and the water spirit Mami Wata. Depending on who you ask, some people interpret them as mermaids. I thought of them because I’ve wondered what a modern interpretation of a Black mermaid would be like. A Song Below Water managed to answer my question in a thought-provoking and touching way.

Tavia Phillips is a siren who must hide her powers in order to keep herself alive. Her best friend, Effie, is struggling with a painful past and strange happenings in the present. While they are trying to navigate their junior year of high school, a siren murder trial shakes Portland, Oregon, to the core. In the aftermath, Tavia and Effie must come together and come to terms with themselves.

I’ve wondered what a modern interpretation of a Black mermaid would be like. A Song Below Water managed to answer my question in a thought-provoking and touching way.

One of the most notable aspects of this book is how it blends fantasy and reality almost seamlessly. Mythical creatures such as sirens, elokos, and gargoyles exist alongside humans, albeit not peacefully. Sirens (and other mythical creatures) have always been interpreted as an allegory for a dangerous woman, but this is especially noticeable when applied to a Black female protagonist. Tavia Phillips’s experiences as a Black female siren parallel what real Black women deal with every day, especially when it comes to police brutality. Not only are they considered dangerous for simply existing, but their voices are often silenced and dismissed when they try to speak up.

In fact, I found this book hard to read sometimes because it is a reminder of how difficult living can be for Black girls and women. Tavia is physically and emotionally scarred by a desperate attempt to get rid of her siren abilities as a child, while Effie is battling anxiety and nightmares as a result of a traumatic experience with mythical creatures. At one point, Effie even states, “Black and female and a siren is just layers upon layers of trauma. One time I said she’s [Tavia’s] too young to deal with this, and she said we don’t get to be.” Yet what kept me reading the book were the moments of joy that Tavia and Effie experience together and by themselves.

When it comes to Tavia and Effie’s friendship, they are close enough to be sisters. Sometimes I forgot that they weren’t related by blood because their interactions with each other were just as beautiful and memorable as those I’ve seen between real and fictional siblings. A particularly memorable scene is when Effie and Tavia are gushing over fan fiction written for Euphemia, the fictional mermaid who Effie plays at the Ren faire. Scenes like this show that despite the hardships they are dealing with, Effie and Tavia still create moments when they can enjoy their youth.

Sirens have always been interpreted as an allegory for a dangerous woman, but this is especially noticeable when applied to a Black female protagonist.

Tavia and Effie’s individual character development is just as powerful as their sisterhood. Over the course of the book, Tavia learns to embrace her siren abilities and use them as a force for change. The potential of her siren abilities is explored further as Tavia realizes just how powerful she can be. Meanwhile, Effie comes to terms with her past and learns that what’s “wrong” with her can be something that is wonderful, even when the world says otherwise. The mystery around Effie’s past and present keeps the plot intriguing and develops into a wonderful coming-of-age story.

As much as I appreciated many aspects of the book, there were a few I didn’t like. The lack of explanation for what an eloko was resulted in me doing my own research and doing my best to imagine what they looked like in my head. It might be difficult for other visual readers like myself to “see” what elokos are without a fuller description.

Another aspect of the story that made me a little uncomfortable is how Tavia uses spasmodic dysphonia as a cover story for her siren abilities, as well as how she sometimes uses American Sign Language when she can’t speak without exposing her siren abilities. Her use of ASL is understandable, but the author’s decision to have Tavia pretend to have what is a real muscle disorder is problematic from the point of view of disability advocacy.

A Song Below Water encourages Black girls to embrace their power, stick together, and never let themselves be silenced.

It’s not clear whether A Song Below Water is a standalone or the first book in a series. Either way, it’s a compelling read. While the portrayal of police brutality and Black trauma doesn’t make the book easy to digest, the sisterhood and magic are major payoffs. A Song Below Water encourages Black girls to embrace their power, stick together, and never let themselves be silenced.

Latonya Pennington

Latonya Pennington is a poet and freelance pop culture critic. Their freelance work can also be found at PRIDE, Wear Your Voice magazine, and Black Sci-fi. As a poet, they have been published in Fiyah Lit magazine, Scribes of Nyota, and Argot magazine among others.

Top photo by Briona Baker on Unsplash.

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The Afro YA illustration by Brian Dixon for BMP Voices. All rights reserved.



The Afro YA promotes black young adult authors and YA books with black characters, especially those that influence Pennington, an aspiring YA author who believes that black YA readers need diverse books, creators, and stories so that they don’t have to search for their experiences like she did.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The beautiful cover of this book drew me in, the blurb got me to request it, and the sheer power that this book has will make me suggest it to anyone looking for a new book to read!

Everyone who knows me will know my love of mythology, so I lapped this book up. Whilst you are told from the beginning what Tavia is, the mystery of Effie and her past is kept quiet until the last quarter, leaving me guessing and excited to find out the answer. I loved how even though they had individual storylines, the girls are both incredibly supportive of what each other are going through. The twist at the end was amazing too!

There are incredibly important discussions that can be had around this book regarding racism and social justice. Throughout the story, there is a sense of dread as tensions build for Tavia and Effie, as well as in the world around them. The way Bethany uses the Sirens as a mirror for the treatment of Black girls/women in society is masterful and heartbreaking all at once. This story is as much about Black living in America as it is a magical realism story about Sirens and other mythical creatures.

Tavia is pulled over by a police officer during this story. As a white woman, I cannot comment on how terrifying this is for a Black person, but this book does a wonderful (awful?) job at portraying it so I can at least begin to understand the danger faced. The protest scene is especially poignant at the moment and highlights the use of protests by some people to act woke, but are deeply personal and key to the Black Lives Matter movement for Black people. This book tackles a lot of current issues head on and allows non-Black people to see just a fraction of the constant pain and worry faced when dealing with these issues in real life. This book does an excellent job as an Own Voices book, of expressing issues Black people face clearly, without explicitly explaining how horrific they are, but instead showing it through the eyes of two Black girls and letting the actions of others speak for themselves.

I really loved how Bethany mentioned things like hair care regimens without explaining them further. The story is for and about Black girls, letting readers research further if they wish to.

The only minor issue I had with this book is that Tavia and Effie’s point of views largely sounded the same, so remembering who is talking was a little difficult at some points.

Otherwise this book was an incredible piece of Black Girl Magic and social commentary which I recommend to everyone, especially at the moment. I gave it 4 stars.

This is the type of book I'd like to read in my entire life, if it's possible. It's so unique, magical and spectacular. I wish I had the power to make this book known.

DNFed at 20%. I was hoping this book woudn't be as cheesy as other mermaid books I've read, but unfortunately it was. Naturally, this doesn't mean everyone will find it cheesy, but it wasn't the book for me. I also felt like I was reading a sequel rather than a standalone because of the amount of things I just didn't understand. I usually like being thrown into the story but there wasn't much story that I was able to follow.