This was a solid sequel, but I can't say I was invested in the story. I thought reading from the perspective of the "villain" of the first book, but I didn't particularly love her story arc in this one. I feel like her redemption arc was very quick near the end and moved pretty fast. I also didn't love the way the plot moved. It was pretty slow in the beginning and then the climax of the story ended up being pretty anti-climactic in my opinion. I also thought the romance subplot did not help the plot or the character forward. The messages this story has within in it, and the theme's presented are important and I liked the discussion brought up, but I just wasn't a fan.

Overall, I think this was an okay sequel, but the overall plot was lacking for me.

Naema once had everything any teenage girl could dream of. But she has a secret which she exposes herself: she's an Eloko. Shortly afterwards, she accidentally exposes Tavia's secret as a siren and is cast out by the internet.

Now no one believes her and no one is willing to stand by her. Upon leaving Portland to take a break, she realizes that Portland was only a part of her life and that there's a lot more to it other than her "previous" life as an internet celebrity.

I really enjoyed this new perspective in this book. It was nice to see another side of the story and how it came together as a whole.

The way Naema acts and is portrayed as a teenage girl was really interesting to read about. She wasn't perfect and has many flaws like most teenagers do which made her relatable.

Overall, A Chorus Rises was a surprisingly pleasant read I enjoyed. I liked seeing Naema grow as a person, especially at the end of the book. It also touched on how powerful and influential the internet can be.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Mixed feelings reviews are the hardest to write. And I had plenty of up and down feelings about A Chorus Rises.

A Chorus Rises picks up a year after A Song Below Water ended, but we are now following Naema, the Eloko that had been part of the Network protecting Tavia. Much of the plot revolves around Naema dealing with the events at the end of A Song Below Water. So, for the sake of spoilers, I won’t delve into specifics.

I struggled with this book for quite a while. Around 30% in I even had to set it down for several days because I was having a lot of issues with Naema. I considered not finishing, and for that reason I’m rounding my 3.5 stars down to a 3. It’s really hard to rally behind a main character who is such a spoiled brat. And that’s exactly what she is for a long time. She has her learning moments and growth eventually, but, in my opinion, the books spends far too much time on “woe is me, the world isn’t worshipping me enough” Naema. That’s not really much of a plot.

Eventually (and I’m talking over 50% in), a true plot takes shape. From there on I enjoyed the book much more and the last 25% really helped to make up for some of my early frustrations. That’s where the characters are actually doing something significant and we’re no longer just listening to Naema’s pity party of an internal monologue. If the book shortened the pity party and expanded on the external issue that needed resolving, I think this would have been a better reading experience for me.

Overall, after absolutely loving A Song Below Water, I had high expectations for A Chorus Rises that I just didn’t feel were met. It’s still a good book and I enjoy the world and the characters as a whole, I just struggled with this particular character.

Thank you to NetGalley and TorTeen for providing and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw has it all: she’s famous, stylish, gorgeous--and she’s an Eloko, a charismatic person gifted with a melody that people adore. Everyone loves her--until she's cast as the villain who exposed a Siren to the whole world.

Dragged by the media, and canceled by her fans, no one understands her side: not her boyfriend, not her friends, not even her fellow Eloko. Villified by those closest to her, Naema heads to the Southwest where she is determined to stage a comeback... to her family, her real self, and the truth about her magic. What she finds is a new community in a flourishing group of online fans who support her.

I thought this book was alright. I didn’t really connect with the character well and I thought the plot was a little funky for my taste.

This book is one of the better YA novels out there. There are so many important themes in this book about racism, privilege, the role that white women play in racism, and more. I appreciate the journey that Naema had to go on, even if it made it a little difficult to read from the perspective of someone who is often mean. Overall, a really good and entertaining read.

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

So first let me say that the covers for both the first book and this one are absolutely stunning and those covers alone make me want to read the book.

Unfortunately I feel like this series isn't completely for me. I like the books and have a decent time while reading them but I have not been sold on any of the characters. Overall the story is good, I like the social commentary, and I like the concept of this series but for some reason I just can't seem to quite connect with the characters.

I did end up liking our main character a bit more by the end of the story but I felt like it took a large portion of the book for me to start liking her more and not thinking that she seemed really shallow.

I'm going to keep this one brief but explain my thoughts:

1. This book has a super cool premise. I wish I would have read the first book to get a full understanding of the series.

2. Beautiful cover. Judge it. It's gorgeous.

3. I really like the whole Influencer take with the magic powers. I've been wondering where this was hiding in books, and clearly I just haven't been looking hard enough. It gave it a really cool edge and made me very intrigued to see where the story was going.

4. I like the coming of age parts of this book too. I like seeing characters grow and learn. It's all the good parts of the high school reading I used to do - growth and experimentation. People learn and mould and grow.

Overall, I'd like to see more from Bethany C. Morrow. Excellence book!

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t really feeling Naema in the beginning of this book. Sis and I were not vibing at all, but I grew to appreciate not just Naema but what Bethany C. Morrow was trying to do.

A CHORUS RISES explains the multifaceted nature of Black girlhood and the double-edge sword of “I don’t see you ad Black” comments. I loved Naema’s characterization and growth, but I also appreciated how she’s not a likable character. Even though I found myself wanting to scream at her, she grew on me by the middle of the book, and even if she hadn’t, Morrow does an excellent job demonstrating that you don’t have to or need to find Black girls “likable” or “relatable” to respect, value, and protect our humanity and our right to be supremely flawed.

Naema is definitely smart and not easily outwitted. There’s themes of survival as a Black girl in predominantly white settings and the importance of knowing one’s history. I especially enjoyed Naema and Courtney’s bond, and I’m excited (and hope) to see more in this universe that Bethany C. Morrow has created.

I feel like I need to address the obvious first since I’ve seen this in many, if not most, reviews. Naema is not exactly likeable for a good portion of this book. She’s an unapologetic ‘mean girl’ with a serious chip on her shoulder and a lot of growing up to do. But seriously. While reading, remind yourself that 1. She has EVERY reason to be completely 110% pissed off and bitter about what she has been through, and is still going through. Especially since 2. She’s a teenager! I don’t know if anybody remembers what it’s like to be a teenager but it sucks. And I don’t know if you remember what you were like as a teenager but you probably sucked just a little bit, too.

The lessons about race, identity, and prejudice in these books are SPOT ON and I like that Naema was mad and her sorry-not-sorry attitude becomes a strength as she grows throughout the book. I do think the author dragged out the angry, bitter bits in the beginning. Not because it was unfounded, but because it felt redundant after a while. And then there was not nearly enough time devoted to all the realizations and fighting back at the end. She could have cut back on the angst and spent more time on the justice. Plus, like the first book, very little was wrapped up at the end. The result of that with the first book, for me at least, was that without a conclusion at all, I forgot where the story ended, exactly what had happened, and was lost for a good portion of this book, left wishing there was a “previously on” like in tv shows. You can leave room for a sequel without just leaving things entirely unfinished. I also think the world building could use work- I still don’t fully understand how this world works and it’s confusing at times. In the end, I still enjoyed the first book more, but I’m excited to see where this story goes from here.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

One beautiful girl and a little bit of fame is the premise for this cute book! I really enjoyed the music aspect of it all because it gave the story a different dimension.

A Chorus Rises
A Song Below Water novel
by Bethany C. Morrow
Macmillan-Tor/Forge

 A CHORUS RISES by Bethany C. Morrow Is the follow up to A Song Below Water.
It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the first book for the best reading experience.
Once again we are back into Marrow’s urban fantasy world that she has created.

This book takes place about a year after the end of A Song Below Water, and this time readers will follow the not so nice girl Naema. Taking a much needed break from Portland and it’s drama. She goes to a family reunion in the south, and comes to realize that being being an Eloko is so much more.

The author once again delivers some crucial social issues along with social media that is so prominent today. The strong value of friendship and family ties are displayed, along with the realistic view that you just because you have something in common with your social peers doesn’t mean you have to be besties.
Naema, is a strong willed character and she really grows and so does her overall outlook.
The author once again delights her audiences with thought provoking themes that young adults face, along with dynamic mystical realism. Written in away that young people will connect with and enjoy.

I really enjoyed reading this book, thanks to to Bethany C. Morrow, TOR TEEN and JeanBookNerd for my book copy 

#AChorusRises

DNF at 20%
I stopped reading this so long ago and left my poor NetGalley ARC to rot in my Kindle archive. I feel horrible about it, really. I wanted to enjoy this but I think I picked it up at the wrong time. Like the first book, it stylistically does not work for me. It certainly works for many others, though! Morrow has a bright imagination and I love reading about magical Black girls. If there's a third book, perhaps I'll try again...

I was told that this book could be read as a standalone and I was mistaken. I think k I would of had to read the first book a song below water first. However the book does jump into the middle of drama. At times I felt like the book was over my head but I do not want to give a full review without reading the first one.

I was so very excited to get my hands on #AChorusRises right around the time it published. (Huge thanks to #NetGalley for getting me an early copy, which is probably the most excited I've been for an eARC ever). I read A Song Below Water via audiobook earlier this year and I absolutely loved it. The characters where enchanting, the story was engaging, and together they worked to pack a punch with important messaging about societal issues that must not be ignored.

If the first book's theme is about allowing silenced voices speak, the second book seems to be about listening.

Instead of focusing back in on Tavia and Effie like in the previous book, A Chorus Rises centres on Naema, who, admittedly, I wasn't excited about. She isn't the most lovable character from the first book. But since I really loved the first book, I was willing to give Bethany C. Morrow the benefit of the doubt. And I was glad I did. Naema is a frustrating character to read, and remained so for much of the book, but I think she mirrors many of us who centre ourselves in our stories and fail to notice the deeper implications of our actions.

While A Song Below Water set the table with an important conversation about race, A Chorus Rises brings an examination of privilege to the conversation. In order to counteract our privilege, we need to get to a place where we can listen to the experiences of others and see that our stories aren't the only stories that matter, and A Chorus Rises brings up these (and others) poignant and important points in such an accessible way.

I really recommend these books, both for the quality of the storytelling, and for the importance of the messaging.

I liked the Black girl magic/power in this and Naema getting a voice in what happened. I loved the first book (A Song Below Water) and felt it was stronger.

Trigger Warning: Racism, self-worth, PTSD, bullying & racial profiling.

This book wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy this book as much. The first book was better, even though I didn't love that either.

I read the first book so that I could fully get into this arc and world. This book dealt a lot with PTSD recovery, reconnecting with family and ancestors through the magic the main character posses as an Eloko, as she struggles with how wronged she feels because of an attack a year previously from a fellow supernatural and how she has been painted the villain.

Things I liked:
The honest discussion was that Naema felt like she was both fully herself and felt like she could only be one thing for certain people; she had to be just Eloko for white people or be seen as nothing more than entertainment her show keeps her safe. She is torn between being Eloko and Black and how some people make her choose.
-You can see the hate she feels towards sirens or Tavia, who has caused her pain.
-The family reconnection helped her feel better and did help her PTSD (because she did have a form of it)
-The sudden Siren love while also still having anti-siren laws and protocols was a true and sad comparison to BLM from allies. Some love to say things and pretend to love and support but do nothing, as awful injustice still occurs.

Things I disliked:
This story does not have a real solid plot; I thought it was going to be both magical and a journey, but it was just a personal journey, which made me disappointed.
-I could understand Naema's POV, but I also disliked her for a lot of the book
-How the community treated her and made her the villain without really looking into things
-Felt too long and less like a sequel but more like a novella; also, I was left with so many questions about the world and other previous characters, which I wanted to be answered.

This was a great follow up to A Song Below Water. I got the answers I wanted about Eloko and a great story as well. I really enjoyed Naema’s character and growth throughout the story as well as her family. I really appreciate how this book, and the previous book, addressed social issues like racism while having the magical element interwoven in the story.

Looking for a good weekend read? Check out A Chorus Rises by Bethany C. Morrow.

I will preface this to say that if you haven't read A Song Below Water then you should definitely pick that one up first as the events in this book follow a year after the events in ASBW.

I read ASBW around this time last year and loved it. It was the epitome of #BlackGirlMagic.

Now enter Naema. The mean girl, the Regina George. And instead of getting hit by a bus, Naema is turned into stone during the events of ASBW.

A Chorus Rises takes up after Naema is stoned and brought back. She's not the queen anymore. She's been ostracized. Cancelled.

She escapes to the Southwest to stay with family and discovers that there's much more to life than likes and subscribers. And she begins to finally connect with the magic she's had all along. When an online hate group begins targeting the person who stoned her for revenge, Naema has to step in. And while she may not like the person it doesn't mean she wants harm to come to her or others like her.

This story was very much a redemption arc. But it was very much a redemption arc on Naema's own terms. I really enjoyed this one and I think it flowed perfectly with what happened in the first book. So if you're looking for a fun, quick, weekend reads pick these two up!

An incredible sequel to A Song Below Water, you are following one of the main antagonist's from book 1 in the fall-out from the end of that story. I loved getting a chance to explore more of why this character was the way that she was and seeing her growth throughout this book. I also really liked being able to learn more eloko lore as this is a mythical creature that I had not come across prior.

Highly highly recommend this book.

As with the first novel in the series, this is a powerful examination of race, gender, and privilege. It is also an emotional and engaging story of one young woman coming into her own and finding her voice. I loved the evolution of Naema, a character I didn't like at all in the first book. Looking forward to reading more from Bethany C. Morrow. because she has a real a gift for creating unique and unforgettable characters.