This was an incredibly compelling story--I seriously stayed up waaaay too late several nights reading this because I had to know what happened next!

What I loved:
- Sister power. Foreva.
- The seamless integration of myth and mundane. Urban fantasy at its finest!
- I love how the female characters fought for what was right--for rights as Black women, and rights as sirens, and rights to be heard as a person, valuable just as they are.

What I didn't love:
- The plot was a little hard to follow at times--so many themes were tackled that it made it difficult to keep up on occasion.
- The climax and denouement (while they did fit the pieces of the puzzle together in the end) felt incredibly rushed. I wish there had been a couple more chapters to work up to all the big reveals.

I loved the storyworld this was set in, and I sure hope that the author continues writing stories set in a magical Portland! Definitely worth the read for its courageous tackling of challenging themes such as racism, systemic bias, sexism, and the right to be heard as individuals.

It was great to read a siren tale with the focus on Black characters. I really enjoyed this! I'd love to see more from the author soon.

Thank you so much to the publishers author and netgalley for letting me have a copy to read in exchange for a honest review.
Cover wow love the cover
What I loved about this book
2 kick ass black girls fighting racial injustice with having to deal with ther mythical powers
I love Tavia she is a Serian and everyone seems scared of her using her powers her voice and she tries to suppress it her dad is afraid of her. Tavia is a great role model she fights for what she believes in looks out for Effie even with all her issues she has to deal with. Tavia goes on a really great self confidence and belief journey she starts off lacking self confidence just wants to hide but by the end she is were she is ment to be.
Effie loved Effie so much could relate to her worries and anxiety down to earth girl who loves Ren Faires her journey is a powerful and emotional one and I could predict what Effie would become at the end and it was powerful.
The Racial injustices were emotional made me think some parts of the book were uncomfortable to read I would say if you are triggered mentally to recent events please do read when you are mentally prepared certain plot points did mirror events going on reading this book made me feel connected and made me understand more about what happened.
I need a Gargoyle in my life scratch that everyone needs a Gargoyle in there life I need mom Dad I am in love with a gargoyle on everything please make this happen.
Love the mythology of Eolko and serbians and gargoyles
Got Frozen vibes from reading this book
Things that could of made it better
Would love to have a guide to the mythical creatures in the book at the front.
Felt there was too many chractures and mythical backgrounds to get my head round and some chractures I felt unnecessary to the plot like the umbrella guy.
Sometimes it felt a bit Jarring it was my first magical realism book
I did feel confusing
Even though Racial injustice is important I did feel it was forced in some parts
I need a sequel
This book needs to be made into a movie
All in all a great read that everyone needs to read this year I enjoyed the book I loved the mythical and black girl magic and I like the fact that Effie and Tavia are chractures that everyone needs
Solid 4.5 stars for me.

Tavia has always had to hide who she is, no one can know that she is actually a siren. She has kept the secret from everyone but her family and her best friend and almost sister, Effie. However, when a siren is murdered and her killer is allowed to go free Tavia begins to view the world in a different way.

Effie has always known that there is something special about her but all she knows is that she's not quite human and that her father left before she was born. Effie will go on a journey of self-discovery to found out about her heritage and to decide her future.

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the idea of using siren mythology blended with real-life issues facing African Americans was a fascinating and kind of brilliant concept however the execution didn't work for me. I never really understood the world that Tavia and Effie lived in. How were there so many magical creatures and why would anyone question a supposed mythological beings existence? Also, for a character that is supposed to be a siren she didn't really do anything particularly siren-ish. Tavia could have been almost any mythological being and the story would not have changed at all. The best part of the book was the way the author addresses current-day social issues in a new way but those parts didn't quite fit with the fantasy elements making the book feel like different stories that were mashed together. Plus, this was another dual narrative novel where both narrator basically sounded exactly the same. I really wanted to like this book but it was just very disappointing.

So.....sigh. Actual rating: 1.5 stars.

Okay, first I feel like I have to start this review by saying that if you are picking up this book for Black mermaids...you should probably put it down. I don't know if it's a spoiler to say there are no mermaids, because Morrow definitely tries to make you think that one of the girls is a mermaid for a good portion of the book, but again THERE ARE NO MERMAIDS. So the marketing was way, way off and just feels purposefully misleading.

This book has two POVS: Tavia and Effie. Now when a book has 2 POVS, I expect that the voices will sound different. If the chapters did not have headings for whose chapter it was, you would literally not be able to distinguish who was who. They were the same person. They had the same personality. They were both boring. I wasn't connected to either of them and their character development over the course of the book was like watching paint dry.

The world-building left much to be desired. The first 20% of the book was perhaps the most frustrated I had ever been. Morrow doesn't explain ANYTHING. She drops a series of mythological creatures with no explanation. There's sirens, and maybe mermaids, and a random gargoyle, and eloko (these were new to me and I would've loved to learn more about them but...alas), sprites (but also not actually? I don't know). It just felt like there was no effort to tie anything in this book together. It was the equivalent of reading a poorly put together papier-mache project.

I liked that the book touched on issues of blackness, but I actually found the focus to scattershot for the desired impact. A Black woman (maybe siren) is killed in the beginning, another Black woman (Def a siren) is arrested at a protest for the killing of a Black boy (I think? It's literally not really discussed at all), and some Black women are sirens but all sirens are Black women, so the metaphor gets extremely lost. Are Black women hated because they're Black women (which seemed to see what Morrow was trying but failing to say) or are they hated because they're sirens? There was an attempt at romance that was just so lackluster and I didn't root for them for a single second. I mean where is the attraction on the page? Why is everyone's personalities so dry? The book was just trying to take on way, way, way too much and ended up successfully hitting absolutely none of its points. And sometimes poor plotting can be saved by insanely good writing....not here. The writing itself was simply okay.

This was honestly just a very disappointing book, which breaks my heart because we NEED Black fantasy and we get something that was just incredibly disorganized. I honestly just did not find anything redeeming here. For my most anticipated book of the year, I'm really just sad about this one.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It dragged a bit in the beginning but picked up. I loved how parallel it was to what’s going on today while not adding to my overall anxiety.

After reading 10% of this novel, I couldn’t get myself within the story. Therefore I had to DNF the book.

The cover of this book is STUNNING and the big reason why I’ve requested this novel. Also the fact the main character wasn’t Caucasian for once. But unfortunately, it crumbles from there pretty fast for me.

I’m not exactly sure what is throwing me off this novel since it has much potential and a 4-star review. Maybe the slow pace of the connection between the main character’s past and future.

This book is for people that appreciate a slow paced book, mythical creatures, and insist on racism for a black community.

This was amazing! I loved it! Mermaids (sirens) and gargoyles wow! That was a fun read. I would definitely recommend it for everyone.

This seems to be a common theme for me lately, but this was another book that I struggled with for a bit early on. Don't get me wrong - I was enjoying the story (hey, sirens and gargoyles - need I say more?), but it was just going so slowly for me. The book tells the story of two sisters (although not by blood): Tavia, who is a siren, and Effie, who for much of the book is still trying to understand her identity, and the chapters alternate between Tavia's and Effie's points of view. However, I was occasionally confused when the point of view shifted. That all changed about halfway through the book, though, when the mythology and social justice story lines really took off, and at least for me, the pacing picked up. Using the mythology of creatures such as sirens, Morrow tackles issues such as race and identity, making it feel very relevant right now.

Do you have any idea how RELEVANT this book is in the crappy year of our lord 2020? Please allow me to start with saying Black Lives Matter, which I still can't believe has to be said as loud as it has been the last few weeks.

This book starts with the murder of a Black woman named Rhoda Taylor. No one was saying her name until it was hinted at that she was a siren. One little word, just the tiniest seed of suspicion in the minds of folks who can bring down justice, and she gets none because of who she is. Her murder is suddenly justified because she might be a little different from the people in charge.Sound familiar?

I fell in love with this story so hard from the beginning. This is a world where sirens, sprites and gargoyles live. Sprites are left alone, even though they turn children to stone in parks--keep Portland weird, folks--and gargoyles are very rare stone guardians. Sirens, on the other hand, are ostracized from the moment they reveal themselves. This is why they keep to themselves and only share their identities within unique communities that protect them. People are scared of them because they can compel people with their voices, and try to contain them with collars that suppress their voices. Not all Black women are sirens, but allsirens are Black women. This brought in an interesting twist to what we're seeing now. All lives can't matter until Black lives matter, and this book adds in the addendum that Black lives can't matter until siren lives matter.

This story is told from two points of view: Tavia and Effie. They are adopted sisters of a sort who are endearingly close and will protect each other, no matter the cost.

Tavia is the siren of her family, but that knowledge stays within the family to protect her. She struggles with controlling her voice and keeping her siren call down, and compensates with using sign language to communicate as necessary. She has even adopted a disability that presents similar to what she deals with as an excuse. I felt so bad for Tavia because no one should ever have to hide who they are out of fear of what society will think. Still, she's strong, and finds ways to make it work like joining her school's choir.

Effie is the adopted sister who is ... something. Much of her story is trying figure out what and who she is. She is a very self-conscious girl who hides behind her twists. Effie has what doctors think is severe eczema, and it embarrasses her. She feels her best when she's swimming and following in her mother's footsteps as part of the Renn Faire. I found her backstory to be the most interesting. Not only in the reveals that come at the end, but in her role with the park statues. When she was younger, her friends were playing Red Rover, but were turned to stone by the sprites living there at the time. Effie is famous because she's the only one of the children who didn't become a statue.

As I said, this book was very timely. While I'm sure the author didn't want this book coming out during both a global pandemic and a time of major societal upheaval, it was beneficial to me in further shedding light on the importance of the Black Lives Matter protests. Even topics and subjects I had learned just the day before, like Devonte Hart, were brought up here. There is a scene with Tavia is pulled over by the police, despite doing nothing wrong. I had no choice but to give this scene my full attention because I was terrified it would turn into something it absolutely shouldn't. There is also Black Lives Matter protest that Tavia and Effie attend. It brings up the same questions about why this boy died. If he'd pulled his pants up or used the cross walk would he be graduating next month?

There is only one part of this book that didn't quite click for me, and that was the Renn Faire/Hidden Scales. Perhaps I missed the explanation, but it was hard to figure out because of how the characters treated it. At first I thought it was a TV show, but its actually a yearly Rennaisance festival. At this faire, Effie plays a mermaid whose beloved is the blacksmith's son. However, there didn't seem to be a divide between this make-believe life and the real world. There is a lot of stock put into the stories that come out of a special tent. When Effie meets her 'beloved' for the first time outside of the faire, the boy doesn't once break character. I dunno, it's clearly important to the story, especially the ending, but I was more confused than intrigued.

This book is beautifully written.

Reading A Song Below Water is to enter a magical world - a world where humans exist but some have secret identities like sirens, mermaids, elokos and more.

In this Young Adult Fantasy Fiction - we meet two "sisters" who are on journeys of self-discovery to understand who they really are and to be okay with that no matter what the world says. On the surface, this initially seems like just a coming of age story. However, it is so much more. It explores themes of Black Lives Matter, the #metoo movement and racism. The metaphor of a siren unable to use her voice because society has deemed her dangerous is not lost on me.

This novel will pull you in and it's intricate fantasy component will refuse to let you go until you understand what type of creature Effie is and what Tavia will do with her voice.

I loved how it explored the frustrations of parents trying to keep their children safe, stepping fully into how you were created and how society labels things dangerous and the implications.

I feel like some good editing and “reining in” could make this a very good book. But unfortunately, it’s very all over the place.... and I honestly don’t feel like it should be marketed as fantasy. It seems to only qualify as fantasy in the fantastical terms it uses. People think this book is about mermaids? Yeah, not even close.

Bethany Morrow's book A Song Below Water is almost prophetic. This book is poignant for the times we are currently facing. This book had some real trigger warnings for me as a black woman. I experienced this story on a visceral level.

I have begun to see the magic in reading books about women and girls of color with supernatural powers. I appreciate the fact these types of stories are being written and seen by the masses. Tavia is a siren and has to keep her existence as such a secret. There is this secret underground network to mask her identity. Tavia is a high schooler and that in and of itself is enough of a struggle. There is also her "play" sister Effie who may or may not be a mermaid. There was a lot of action and subplots but I felt that as the reader, I was entering the story as if this were a second or third book not the first.

Overall this is a solid story that needs to be read. It is refreshing to read a story about black girl magic of any kind. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First, I want to make something abundantly clear: this is a tremendously important book. It deals with lots of major issues that the Black community is currently facing, and has been facing for a long time, and it uses a highly unique premise (some very literal Black Girl Magic) to convey those ideas. I feel like I need to stress that part because this was one of those books that I loved in theory, just not in execution. I don’t want this review to be taken as, “This book isn’t important.” I think it is a book that is very, very much worth reading. However, it would be disingenuous for me to rate it higher, because it faltered in its actual writing, on technical elements like worldbuilding and pacing.

So, quick summary:

In an alternate version of America, humans live side by side with mythical creatures, including sprites (invisible mischief-makers), elokos (tbh still not quite sure what they are, but more on that later), and most importantly, sirens (Black women with the ability to use magical calls on people with their voices). Sirens are strongly condemned by society, from a combination of fear, racism, and misogyny, and so Tavia, a high school girl, keeps the fact that she is a siren secret from most people. Her best friend and adoptive sister, Effie, plays a mermaid at the Renaissance faire, but lately has been struggling with constantly shedding dry skin, mysterious blackouts, and guilt over a childhood accident she may have caused.

When a murdered woman is revealed to have possibly been a siren, and shortly thereafter Tavia’s favorite YouTube star also comes out as a siren, Tavia and Effie both find their lives taking a chaotic turn. Suddenly, the gargoyle that has taken up residence on their roof is actually talking to them. Public outcry and Black Lives Matter protests are escalating. Effie wants to find who her father is, and Tavia doesn’t know how much longer she can keep her siren call a secret. Amidst all this, the two strive to support each other and their communities…while also, of course, dealing with the regular pressures of high school, dating, and family drama.

So, we’ll start with the good. This is an amazing premise for a book. I loved the concept, the magic of the sirens, and the way it seamlessly interwove major social issues, minor personal problems, and the way both of those are amplified by magic. The juxtaposition of the fake magic in a Renaissance faire and the real magic present in their world was an interesting duality to observe, and I think that in that regard, Morrow more than succeeded. In a particularly poignant moment, we even learn that the hatred directed toward sirens once led an eleven-year-old Tavia to try and destroy her vocal cords so she couldn’t sing or speak anymore–and if that isn’t a striking depiction of the way Black voices, especially Black women, are often coerced into believing they must be silent, I don’t know what is.

The problem was, it was sometimes hard to appreciate how clever this design was, because the writing itself did not do enough to flesh out this world. Many elements of the worldbuilding were very confusingly executed. I’ve read the entire book, and I still don’t quite understand what elokos are, even though they’re a prominent type of magical person mentioned throughout the book. They have a magical charm and can put a trill in their voice that makes people like them or something, I guess? And somehow their voices can mask siren calls? Nothing was really explained about them, which made it hard to tell what was going on at times. Similarly, very little was established early on about things like the role of sirens, the extent of their abilities, or why Tavia was so determined to find her siren grandmother “in the water.” It felt like this book was a continuation of something and the readers were expected to know these things already–which, of course, is not the case.

Another positive element: Tavia and Effie were both very likable and believable protagonists, with emotions that ran deep and personalities that made them easy to root for. The strong sisterhood between them was enjoyable to read (what can I say, I’m a sucker for wholesome sister relationships), and I loved their constant loyalty to each other and refusal to back down from any challenge. Honestly, in addition to simply enjoying the premise, I’m pretty sure that my investment in these two as characters is a large part of what kept me reading.

Again, though, we had a case where the writing undermined some of this. The book was told in two perspectives, alternating between Tavia and Effie, but the written voices of the two were virtually indistinguishable, to the point that sometimes I would forget which girl’s point of view I was reading from until I encountered a plot detail that made it clear. The two girls have very different personalities and goals, and yet those didn’t manifest in their narration at all. That’s not to say that the voice wasn’t good–I enjoyed the writing style in general, but it didn’t make sense that it didn’t change at all when perspective changed.

And then there is the final issue this book faced: pacing. For a book that is under 300 pages, it took me a weirdly long time to finish. It was like it skipped out on providing some necessary background but then used that space to dwell on things that didn’t move the plot forward, instead stalling and meandering, especially for the first 50% or so. As the book got closer to its conclusion, it picked up as it really started to lean into the magic and the plot, but it took too long to get there. Though the slower parts did work hard on the thematic messages of the book, I think those themes could have hit a lot harder if they were just played up more in the action rather than stretched out in between, if that makes sense.

As a final note: for OwnVoices readers, this book may resonate more in a way that compensates for its technical shortcomings, and I highly suggest looking at OwnVoices reviews like Leelynn’s for more on that front. (Side note: Leelynn is freaking awesome and you should definitely check out more on her blog!) Similarly, for a reader who is going into this book with the intention of just gaining a deeper understanding of or a new perspective on themes like misogynoir, this book will be perfect. The lack of cohesion is the part that dampened the enjoyment for me–but don’t take this as meaning you should not read it. By all means, do give this one a try–you’ll be supporting a Black woman author and simultaneously experiencing a very unique story.

disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Song Below Water follows both Tavia and Effie in the aftermath of the murder of a Black woman who was, apparently, also a siren. Tavia is forced to keep her siren identity under wraps because not only is it dangerous to be a Black woman, but also a siren. But when she accidentally lets her voice out during a police traffic stop, her secret no longer feels like a secret. Effie’s past soon comes back to haunt her and she has to try and uncover the secret as to what she is. As both girls discover their magical identities and what it means to them, they also face the challenges of today’s racism and sexism.

rep: black m/c’s, latino side character

content warnings: the murder of a Black woman, racism, police brutality

‘Black and female and a siren is just layers upon layers of trauma’.


A Song Below Water is a compelling novel about racism, and, more specifically, misogynoir. It is filled with interesting mythology set in an alternative Portland and has a wonderful relationship between Effie and Tavia – best friends but actually more like sisters. The beginning was a little difficult to get into due to the presence of mythological beings in a world like our own where it appears to be the norm but once I found my footing I was dragged into a compelling and important story about the dangers and injustices Black women face.

A Song Below Water is set in an alternative Portland where sirens, gargoyles, eloko’s, sprites, and mermaids exist and it is the norm of the world. However, not all are treated equally. Tavia is a siren, and her voice has power and that is why sirens are considered dangerous. She is also Black. In a world where being a Black woman is dangerous enough, she feels it is even more important to keep her siren identity secret. I loved Tavia and I really loved going on this journey with her where she truly discovers who she is and her place in the world and I loved watching her use her power for activism and to let the world know that siren’s and Black Lives Matter.

Effie was also a favourite. Her story focused on trying to figure out what she is. She is haunted by her past and struggles to escape it, but that past is catching up and she is struggling to outrun it. The mystery surrounding Effie and her mythical identity was really compelling and interesting. Her friendship with Tavia goes futher than just being best friends, there is a real sense of sisterhood between the two and I really loved the unconditional love and support the two had for each other.

A Song Below Water calls out racism and misogynoir. It puts a spotlight on the injustices that Black women face in not just this alternative Portland but in our own real world. We see it all over the news, and this book truly screams that Black Lives Matter. It calls out the hypocrisy and safety of white allies, discusses police brutality, and it also discusses the importance of protest and the anger that they feel at all the injustice and violence Black people face and the need to do something.

‘The sun is shining but there’s gonna be a storm. My skin is goose-pimpled, an unseen sharpness dancing in the air and prickling me everywhere I’m exposed.’

‘In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers.’

‘Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school’s junior year.’

A SONG BELOW WATER, a Tor Teen YA fantasy novel, is the first book that I have read by Bethany C. Marrow, and one I won’t soon forget—Highly Recommend!

An ending I wasn’t expecting, but I loved it! I only wish this book was written when I was an awkward teenager so many moons ago.

The impenetrable friendship and love between Tav and Effie is palpable throughout the narrative, these two beautiful young women struggle with self-identity, the trials and tribulations of high school, parental figures who hide the truth, racism, sexism, and if that wasn’t enough, supernatural abilities.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher Tom Doherty Associates, for loaning me an advance eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I thought when I read the synopsis that this was going to be an urban fantasy read about a black siren that has to face the repercussions of unleashing her siren call during a traffic stop but instead got a contemporary type book that didn't know where it was going until we were 70% into the book.

I struggled for the first 60% of this book because I came for the sirens but instead got a lot of talk about police brutality and racism against black people. NOT COMPLAINING. It's just that the author seemed to only want to comment on this topics to illustrate the unfairness of it without really having a plot for the first half of the book. I almost gave it 3 stars but the last 30% of the book really picked up with the mythological part and that was really interesting. The plot became a little more noticeable and I could understand what exactly we were rooting for.

I think the book is a great love letter to black girls while also acknowledging the very real threats black people face in the US. Especially with the current murders of black people by police and how they continue to brutalize the community during the protests.

I ultimately felt like it was a jumble of topics and some things didn't even get addressed on page or just came out of nowhere.

I enjoyed it, overall and would recommend it!

This book was very disappointing for me. It was not what I was expecting at all and if you are looking for a book about sirens this isn't really that. I was very confused for most of the book. The fantasical elements were not it explained well and I actually had to look stuff up online to find out what they were talking about. But the author put her own twists on some mythical creatures so I was still confused.

Having it set in the real world basically replaced any world building. There was none of that at all, we didn't even know which creatures were real or not. I did like the parts of the book that were about racism and justice. It was very in time with current events. There wasn't a real plot to this book and I'm still not really sure what the point of the book was. It seemed that one character took the plot spotlight and it was not the siren. It actually would have been better without the siren character and focused on the others one story of finding out who they are.

I like the friendship between the main characters, the ren faire part and the point about using your voice but overall was not a good read for me.

This was such an ethereal and fresh magical realism story. Like all I really need to say is it's about two sisters (not by birth, but by heart) who are absolutely everything to each other. One is a siren. One is...something else. They're Black, they're hurting, they're longing to be themselves and not have to hide. The story is so beautiful, and also raw with pain. It was sobering reading the scene where they go to the protest because I read this as the June 2020 Black Live Matter protests were happening and the descriptions of what is happening right now were right on page in this book. Things have not changed. Justice has not been given. And this adds in magic and secrets and the yearing to live without harassment?? It is here to make you think.

My absolute favourite thing was Effie and Octavia's friendship. They are so close, they love each other so much, they'd protect each other from anything. My heart is for them!!

There's also an entrancing spin on different mythos in here. I loved that! The world is ours, except magic is "expected" (although sirens are absolutely hated) and it has a lot of legendary creatures I haven't thought about/read about before. Gargoyles! And then Effie's reveal blew my mind and I LOVED IT. Also made so much sense.

And if you're thinking of trying the audiobook? Do. It's gorgeous. Each sister has a different narrator and their voices were such a pleasure to listen to.

The writing is definitely whimsical, on the slower paced side, and often the girls got lost in introspective thought spirals, so I did chaff at the communication fails. But the book would've been 100pgs shorter if people talked to each other..

Whimsical and fresh, full of twists and magical creatures! It also will make your heart hurt, and it didn't hesitate to dive in with a fresh hot knife to talk about the racism and abuse of the world.

Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

A book show casing Blake Girl Magic Black sisterhood, loyalty.
An intriguing urban fantasy that weaves social injustice with mythology.
A slow paced book set in Portland Oregon, the narration is told from between two POVs, Tavia and Effie's. The author includes several key elements of racism, misogyny, and modern social injustice. A clever premise, interesting world building. I did struggle somewhat with execution of the book, but overall it was a solid read. Urban Fantasy is a bit tricky for me personally. Fans of this style of writing will be captivated and love mythology and vibrant main characters. The dialogue was spot between the two friends and I really enjoyed this and thought their friendship was wonderful.