I highly relevant book about not letting you be silenced by the fear of the society, about speaking up about racism.
I really liked this book it was well written, but it lacked some explanations about some of the mythological creatures.

Amazing read. It's different from what I expected, it's a fantasy book that has mythical creatures but it reads as contemporary. Both main characters have their own different problems and personalities but their sisterly relationship is string and unshakeable. I enjoyed the mermaid/siren mythos a lot. Its a very unique read and I reccomend it.

Modern fantasy set in Portland, black sirens, and extremely relevant social commentary. What’s not to love?

A Song Below Water tells the stories of Tavia, a siren who has to hide her power or be silenced, and Effie, the best friend that’s dealing with her dangerous past.

Okay first, this cover is gorgeous! Easily one of my favorites of the year. And black mythology? Even better.

Murrow has written such a unique novel that will have you cheering on Effie and Tavia as they fight for their place in society. At times I found myself amazed at how closely events in the book match current day events, but I suppose that’s where the “history repeats itself” phrase comes from. I found the sections in which Tavia and Effie battled for their rights most interesting and compelling.

The pacing felt a bit off to me - a bit slow in the beginning and then a lot all at once. Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read and I’m really happy to see two Black lead characters in a young adult novel!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Even though this book hits some extremely relevant and hard-hitting topics it was still really fun. I think it did a good job of balancing racism and prejudice and protesting and other hard subjects but also giving you the whimsy of sirens and mermaids and other mythical beings. It is kind of eerie how similar this book is to what is happening right now in our nation and I think this is the perfect time to read it to gain a different perspective from my own.
I want to say that this cover is so stunning. I'm obsessed.
I think this book could've been even more amazing but I had some trouble following the world we were in and the different kinds of characters. There was little to no world building which had me confused for a lot of the book and mythological beings were hardly explained. Some were things we have heard of before so I had an idea of what they did. But even in the story it talked about how people just believe the "mythos" (which I came to assume meant that people believe in the mythological stories passed down through time) and that it's not usually accurate, but we never were give the accurate facts so I was left with what I know about sirens and mermaids and gargoyles (etc.) even though that was kind of contradicting what the characters were saying. And then there were characters I've never heard of before so I assume they are made up by the author, which is so great, but they were never explained or fleshed out, so I was confused by some characters and their actions because I didn't fully understand the background to their mythological-ness.
This book was pretty slow for most of the book and I think that left a lot of time to help explain more things..I think that would've helped me while reading a lot more.
I loved the gargoyle character and wish we would've gotten a lot more out of that whole situation and more background on gargoyles themselves.
A lot of the things that happened with Effie I think could've been resolved if her grandparents trusted her with her own "gifts" and explained things to her when she was young instead of trying to suppress her. It's frustrating that they wouldn't tell her ANYTHING. It literally could've saved so much trouble.
I really wish there would've been more explanation about Tavia and her siren abilities. I felt like I missed the entire beginning of this book where the world-building and character explanations take place. It felt like I was reading the second book in a series almost, so I had a hard time getting in to this. Once I got to the end I wanted more. So many big things happened at the end and by then it was all over when I was just wanting more from the characters and story.

This was really good! I'm so glad I got a chance to read it, I'd definitely would recommend it and I just might have to buy myself a finished copy too!

A SONG BELOW WATER is a timely and necessary read in 2020. Set in Portland, Oregon (ps read about the history of Oregon's establishment as a white supremacy state), Tavia and Effie are two sisters who must confront and survive racism, trauma, and family inheritance. In the United States, magical beings - sirens, sprites, gargoyles, etc. - are known to all people and sirens are viewed as evil, predatory, and dangerous. Tavia is both Black and a siren, dealing with doubled societal alterity that threatens her safety every day. It is unsafe for her to use her voice because she could accidentally "call" someone and thus is forced to keeping silent. Effie was involved in a tragic incident as a child that left her friends frozen in stone. The only place where Effie feels she can be herself is at the Renaissance Faire where she is the mermaid Euphemia.

The story is set after the murder of a young Black woman who is accused of being a siren and as a result, the media and court find her of her own death. The novel follows Tavia and Effie navigating high school drama -shitty friends, teachers who commit microagressions (or imho macroaggressions because it's just so obvious), jerk ex-boyfriends- plus confronting systemic racism. I've seen several reviews critiquing the world-building (particularly with regards to the mythology of elokos) and frankly, it's not that difficult to Google things. While there were some parts of the book that were slower than others, I think the book emphasizes how life is like this. It's not constantly major action and sometimes, characters (like people IRL) have to sit with the weight of events and figure out where to go next.

I urge readings of all ages and identities to pick up A SONG BELOW WATER. Morrow does an excellent job showing the weight of racism on these two young women. Tavia and Effie are strong protagonists because they demonstrate the complexities of being one's own person and grappling with societal perceptions.

Content Warnings: racism, police brutality, suicide, domestic violence

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is every bit as good as its cover (which is saying A LOT, because, OH WOW THAT COVER!). I just loved how Bethany C. Morrow crafted this fantasy from start to finish, with elements of social justice, persecution, trauma, and the over arching power of sisterhood. I really, really enjoyed the author's voice and I can't wait to read more.

Really enjoyed this moving and relevant contemporary myth about Sirens and other fantastical creatures. Loved the connections to current racial issues. Highly recommend for teens.

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Thanks to @netgalley and @torteen for the ARC! // For an #ownvoices review check out @beingabookwyrm]

I hadn't read a new fantasy in a very long time before I picked up #ASongBelowWater by @BCMorrow and it had me HOOKED the whole time I was reading it. It also absolutely blew me away.

It is the story of two play sisters and best friends, Tavia and Effie. Tavia is a siren who has to keep her gifts hidden and Effie plays a mermaid at the faire and is struggling to find out the truth about what she really is. Their bond is incredibly painted and the way they are structured as characters makes them easy to relate to.

Personally, I related to Tavia's secret-keeping, because from personal experiences I know all too well what carrying a secret like Tavia's can do to you, how you feel that every single thing you do could betray you. I also related to Effie's passionate talk about swimming and being in the water because I've found it's only when swimming that I can really get my thought in order and calm down my anxiety.

#ASBW also poignantly and timely addresses the lived experiences of Black women and girls. The are many instances in the book where we as readers are confronted with how racism affects their lives and the lives of their communities. Without giving too much away I can say that a particularly powerful moment can be found in a protest that Tavia and Effie attend.

On another note, Gargy was definitely one of my favorite things about this book and I can say that I am #TeamGargy forever :D And I would be so down for more Gargy content!

For the urban fantasy, realistic fiction crossover (YA) audience:
Here is a story that is extraordinarily powerful, magical, and relevant as hell! Thank you, thank you, Bethany C. Morrow for describing the holes in this nation in a way that is digestible enough for us escapism devotees. 🙏🏼🙏🏼

This book is such an interesting concept! I love the idea of using a siren song as a metaphor for the power of a voice. It is a lovely own voice novel about Black identity, oppression, and finding empowerment that has a lot to say to the current moment.

It is slow in some places, but picks up and hits powerful emotional moments. My only other problem was I could have used more detail on the world building. I was often unclear about the natural of the magic in this world in ways that made the plot a bit harder to figure out.

Overall so good!

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book was released at the exact time it needed to be. Actually, it probably needed to be in the hands of readers earlier so that we could educate ourselves prior to what is currently going on in the world. The book is a dual voices POV about "fake sisters" Tavia and Effie who live with Tavia's parents in Portland, Oregon. Due to sirens (who are always black women) being feared and hated, Tavia must hide her identity and her voice from the community. Effie's been in and out of the spotlight since a tragic accident occurred in her youth, and is struggling with anxiety stemming from that. Together, the girls battle a whole host of real-world issues in order for their voices to be heard. This book should be on all of the awards and recommendations for years to come.

I love the premise of this story so, so much. Unfortunately, the style didn't work for me. That being said, a friend (who buddy read the book with me) sent me a link to what the author said on Twitter about readers who aren't the target audience reading Black creators' work. I'm not interested in arguing either way about the points she makes -- just thought I'd share as it is a perspective that has made me think a lot.

So, while I will admit this particular story was a DNF @ 27% for me, I also think it's fair to say I'm not the target audience for this book. I'll be really interested to read what #ownvoices reviewers think. As an additional note, this story won't deter me from reading the author's future books... and I may come back to this one eventually, too. We'll see.

Anyway, don't let my review stop you from reading A Song Below Water and forming your own opinion -- especially if you're part of the intended audience. (I honestly wouldn't have posted anything at all, except that I was provided a free e-ARC by Tor Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so this is my review.)

While this book was not a 5-star for me I found it so incredibly powerful. A Song Below Water portrayed a stark message about racism, police brutality and social justice in a way not often seen with fantastical elements.

I want to quickly outline what didn't work for me. The writing style, particularly in the beginning of the book, felt a bit jaunty and awkward to me. I felt as though I was reading a debut novel.* Sadly, the writing was just not fluid and intuitive for me as a reader. I felt this pulled away from the story.

In the same sense, I felt some of the fantastical elements were inserted in a way that just seemed odd. Overall, it just did not feel like a seamless blend between realistic fiction and fantasy.

*Note: This isn't a debut! Morrow has another book that I am super psyched to pick up, sooner rather than later.


But to the good stuff. Morrow did a fantastic job instilling a sense of frustration, anger, and family bond in the reader through the characters experiences in this story. While I felt there wasn't a great blend between the realistic fiction and fantasy elements, they each absolutely fantastic on their own.

I adored a lot of the fantasy components in this story. The different fantasy races - sirens, gargoyles, mermaids, sprites and elokos - were all depicted in way that felt both magical and tangible.

And then there was the themes of race and discrimination that are weaved into the story. These were fantastic. Raw and hard-hitting, Morrow presented these concepts in a way that was both removed in a fictional sense - applying them to fantasy races. But the story doesn't ignore the realistic notions of discrimination, prejudice and brutality against POC either. I think this was done in such a fantastic and respectful way.*

*Note: Please know that I AM NOT an #ownvoices reviewer on this matter. Please seek out other POC reviews to understand this matter and how the book has dealt with it. Also understand that this is an #ownvoice authored book.


I think this was a fantastic book that was unique in how it tackled the stories issues.

If too many tabs open were a book "A Song Below Water" would be it. I had to DNF at 60% because it was too much work to stay engaged. I felt like a lot was happening, but at the same time nothing was happening. I would still want to purchase a physical copy and revisit another time, but right now? It's a no for me. I am giving a one star rating only because I did not finish the book.

I would recommend this book if you have patience.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Song Below water is more like a contemporary with fantastical elements of mermaids, sirens and other mythical creatures, instead of a fantasy. It is set in Portland, Oregon, in a world were only black women can be sirens. We follow two main protagonists, Tavia and Effie, in their day to day struggle for being black in the US - but also to for a population that fears mythical creatures such as sirens. We now from the start that Tavia is a siren, but we don't know which type of creature that Effie is.

In the world were we live in today, I really struggled to read this book. This because it handles protests, police brutality and non-educated people concerning racism. I felt like this was to close to the reality, and I'm a privileged white girl, so I can't even image how hard it would be to read this type of book during this time for someone that is black.

Anywho, I did really want to love this. But it is a solid three star read. I had problems to distugniashe the two main characters from time to time, and after I read this book I quite don't feel that I know them. I also felt that it was such a large cast of characters, with not so much explanation who they were? I struggled to understand the different mythical creatures that was represented in this book, but for a person who isn't much for mermaid and those kind of creators, this was a bit to hard to read. But I did some googling and I learned about them.

As I said before, this book is marketing as a young adult fantasy, and I think it lacks in the fantasy elements. For me to actually fall for a fantasy book, I need some explanation for the world, I need to fully understand the extent of the magic system and how the different creatures looks like. In this book it was more like "I'm a mermaid" and then none explanation after. I felt a bit lacking in the overall plot and that the author wanted so much out of this book, that it sometimes felt very hard to know where the plot was going.

As for the writing style it felt very simplistic. It was like the author needed us to fully understand every emotion that the characters was having, but couldn't show the emotion but telling it. For example if a characters was afraid, the author wrote "I'm afraid", instead of showing how afraid is.

But overall, I did really like the commentary and the contemporary urban fantasy setting about a world were black people still need to push through so much shit - even when they are so powerful.

In 'a song below water,' we meet the sisters Tavia and Effie. They are not sisters by blood, but by heart. Their strong band is what they both connect. In a not-so-magical world, they both try to hide from the danger which wants their identity to be revealed.

Bethany C. Morrow has a nice writing style. Her way of telling the story is intense but in a very positive way. She knows how to show emotions through words, and manages to hit the reader. The word choice is also suiting the writing style and genre. For someone whose native language is not English, it is easy to read.
I also adored the band between the sisters. They are great characters with both a very unique personality. I liked Effie the most because she had this mysterious vibe around her. The other characters in the story were also very interesting. They all felt realistic and the way they communicate clearly shows who is talking.
What surprised me most was how the author incorporated racism and sexism into the story in a very special way. It was clear on some points, but most of the time it was metaphorically. The magical world was used as a kind of cover for what is the reality in real life. I found it original and very pleasant to read. It is something different than a kind of sermon attitude.

However, I didn't like this book that much to be honest. It is a fantasy YA-story, but I'm missing the fantasy. Nothing is more important than a strong story setting when it comes to fantasy. There was barely any world-building in the story. To be honest, there was none. If some characters weren't fantasy creatures, it would have felt like a contemporary story.
I also think I would have liked the story more if it was written as a contemporary story. Because now it's very vague and weird, with all those creatures in a very normal world. It clashes with the positive side of the metaphorical references to racism and sexism. The world should have been better worked out to come across as a fantasy story.
Another thing that bothered me, is the fact that the author doesn't explain anything. There were fantasy creatures in the book, which I never heard of. But she doesn't describe them, nor tells them what kind of things they do. I needed to search for it online, but then it clashed with certain things the author described in the book. It was very confusing. Same for culture. Eloko (if I remember correctly), I've never heard about it and I had no idea what it was.
The last thing is more a question about how the 'magic' works. Only a certain group of black women is able to be a mermaid/siren. Nowhere is explained why it is that way, and I would have loved to know why. Also, fantasy creatures do not pass on their magic to posterity. For example, a vampire dad doesn't need to have a vampire baby but can have a baby with the powers of a warlock. It was very confusing how the magic/creatures worked.

Overall, I wasn't a fan of the book, but I am a fan of the author. I love her way of writing and creativity in her language. (Like the metaphorical ways of explaining racism and sexism.)

Every time I think about writing this review, I don't know how to start. It is now more relevant than even when I read it back in February, and frankly, I am not the best person to review this book. I am white, in a white country, able-bodied, am not a minority, have never had any real contact with racism aside of the "casual" racism of old people (which is still not okay, but I think you know where I'm getting at) and frankly, I do not like confrontation.
As you see, I am the exact opposite of anyone betrayed in this book.
But that doesn't matter, because even if it has "nothing to do with you", black lives still matter. A lot. And we can't just not look at shit like systematic racism because it "doesn't concern you".

I usually avoid being political anywhere, but with a topic and a book like this, you can't. A Song Below Water takes a very real, very bad situation and fictionalizes it with sirens and other supernatural beings without taking away from the conflict. I can't and won't speak for black folks, so I can't say anything about the accuracy of the story, but it was a good read either way.
A Song Below Water portrays the relationship between sisters beautifully, and the worldbuilding with the sirens and their safety nets and everything was fascinating.


@Netgalley and Tor Teen: Thank you guys for this ARC!

I loved this book. In this world, Sirens are persecuted and Tavia must keep the truth about her being a siren secret. The dual perspective between bestfriends Effie and Tavia is so well done. There was some amazing world building and I loved the idea that the persecution of the sirens was similar to the Salem witch trials.

I can't wait to tell everyone I know about this book!

Tavia is a Siren, and though there are other mythical creatures out and proud and fully accepted by the world, she must hide her abilities. A few years ago, she was tired of her father’s scorn for her abilities and her need to hide, so she tried to get rid of her voice. The incident resulted in her parents deciding to tell others she tried to commit suicide and a move back to her ancestral homeland in Portland, where a group of other mythical and regular humans protect her kind.

I feel like there is no succinct way to describe this book. It encompasses so much in its pages and between its chapters, also as a white woman, I don’t feel qualified to do much commenting other than to say, I loved it so much. I think it perfectly captured nuances in racism, and the addition of fantasy elements helped amplify these points rather than hinder or make them more complicated.

I saw many parallels between what’s going on in the streets outside of my door as well as things that have been happening for years in our country. I’m a total nerd for lore, and I love the way elements of many creatures from multiple cultures were worked into Tavia’s story. I found myself making guesses at plot points and character reveals, something I usual don’t bother doing.

I was completely immersed in this story from day one, and if you’re looking for literature associated with Black Lives Matter but need a break from nonfiction, please give this one a shot. It’s not light. It pulls no punches, and it’s apt commentary on our world, but all within the confines of fantasy fiction. Morrow’s lyrical prose is amazing, and her rich characters make me want to be friends with them. It’s YA but tackles issues facing both young adults and older ones.

It just came out on Tuesday, so be sure to pick up a copy at your local bookstore or request a purchase at your library as they begin to reopen. Support black authors!