This story just healed a huge portion of my queer heart. It’s so accurate for how deep our emotions and love can run in middle school, how dismissed that love can be, and how messy it is to navigate that first love.

Olivia is a poet and falls for the new girl, Eden. Both have home lives that are hard to deal with and find solace in the written word. Eden is an aspiring musician and the poetry club brings them together. But their words quickly hurt each other, leading to a super sweet grand gesture. Along the way we find each character discovering theirselves while navigating school, friendships, and their home lives.

I loved the alternating POV through prose and felt like this book truly hits you in the heart and leaves a lasting impact. Will absolutely be buying this for my home library!

Rating: 5 stars or 9.23/10

Characters-10

The characters in this book really pull on your heartstrings. Olivia and Eden were so sweet, and each had a distinct personality, making the story work. I felt like Eden and Olivia had a way of interacting; as characters, they balanced each other out really well. Lexi and the poetry club members, plus Eden’s friends, added to the story with their interactions.

Plot-9

This was a very mature story for Middle-Grade. For me, it rode the line between Middle-Grade and YA. I’m new to novels in verse, but they’re such an exciting way to tell a story. Eden and Olivia have a story that was so sweet, and I loved the way they interacted with each other. The reason I said this story rides the line is because of some of the mature themes, like growing up and finding yourself over the course of the book. This was also a mature middle grade because romance played a large role in the plot. I loved the other elements of the story, like the girl’s individual journeys, and how they could come together at the end of the story.

Writing-9-

Kate Fussner does a great job of telling the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as if they were young pre-teen girls. The writing style used in The Song of Us was a novel in verse, which worked well for this story considering the original myth would be told in a style similar. The poetry flowed well and worked well to tell the story. Kate Fussner wrote The Song of Us in a way that captivated me and kept me hooked from start to finish..

Enjoyment- 10

I loved this book! The story was both fun and heartwarming, talking about tough topics in a way that young readers understand. Eden and Olivia were great characters, and their story was so sweet.

Title: The Song of Us
Author: Kate Fussner
Release Date: May 30, 2023

Olivia is a poet and Eden is a musician. The attraction between the two is mutual and instantaneous. The problem is that Eden isn’t out, so their relationship has to stay between the two of them. That means distance at school, separate friend groups, and texts instead of phone calls. Both girls make mistakes resulting in what seems to be an irreversible divide between them.

This middle grade novel-in-verse is a moving story about first love, friendship, family, and more. Olivia and Eden each face distinct challenges in their relationship with each other, but they both also face their own challenges with friends and family. This book is packed with so many emotional moments that it’s one I will be thinking about for a long while.

I would recommend this book to ages 11-14, particularly to those readers that prefer contemporary fiction and/or novels-in-verse.

A lot of people don't believe in love at first sight but for 7th Graders Eden & Olivia who fall for each other so hard and so fast they know that they are meant to be together.

Through beautiful verse Kate tells a captivating story of pure utter love and then the other side after something happens.

Throughout the story Kate tackles certain issues such as peer pressure, mental illness, abandonment by a parent, homophobia so well. This made me care for Olivia and Eden and I was routing for them.

For all the above reasons I am giving The Song of Us 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Song of Us is a middle grade novel in verse which follows Eden and Olivia (reimagined Orpheus and Eurydice), two girls whose love of poetry fuels their journey through first love.

Most of the time, at least in my experience, novels in verse pay little attention to how the verse itself functions as, well, verse. More often than not, they can be read like prose in a funky format. But Kate Fussner, in making both of our characters' stories deeply involve poetry, wrote the verse in this book like it's genuinely poetry, or at least more poetry-adjacent than I was expecting. And I loved it!! The beautiful, languid writing, combined with an imaginative yet grounded, sweet, and compelling story, made this easily one of the best books I've read all year. The characters were beautifully constructed, the story pulled at my heartstrings, and it was a nice and quick read to boot. Truly an excellent middle grade novel.

My rating: 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and TBRBeyondTours for the DRC of the book!

The Song of Us is a queer middle-grade romance about two girls bonding through poetry that covers a range of themes, which I never expected to be conveyed effortlessly.

One of my favourite aspects of this book was how easy it was to identify Olivia and Eden’s POV. Olivia’s lines were left aligned and Eden’s right. Any other thoughts narrated were aligned centre. I appreciated this tiny detail.

Olivia and her friends did not seem to belong in school; they were geniuses who should be on Shark Tank, getting their businesses up and running. Their spontaneity was admirable, and I couldn't help but appreciate their skillset.

After their first fight, Olivia and Eden’s PoV never overlapped in the book.They seemed to have drifted apart even though they were on each others mind. It was as though I was reading two different stories.

I really liked the poetry here. Fussner played a lot with the shapes and fonts within each chapter, like making the words form a microwave or a W, and one of my favorite aspects of poetry is how it allows you the freedom to do that. I wonder if it'll seem to advanced for any middle schoolers who read this, but if I've learned anything while reading books aimed at kids and teens it's do not underestimate their comprehension.

I wish I could offer the same amount of praise and admiration for the story and characters, but, honestly, it still feels like there's much more room for development. Olivia and Eden's relationship lasted for a little over a month before they fight and go their separate ways for the rest of the book, where the middle drums up the angst and struggles they deal with. When the book is over, I felt no resolution because the ending came so quickly and without much warning. Additionally, despite the equal time split between the leads, I only felt as though I was just getting to know them around the three-quarters mark.

Overall, the writing itself is really great and beautiful, but the slagging pace combined with the rushed ending really held this book back.

A beautiful story of first love, told in verse and nail polish. Thirteen is a terrible time: finding yourself, finding others, finding out how to hide and how to shine. Add romance and the danger grows. Olivia and Eden are each battling their own demons and miraculously find each other, only to lose out on so much. If you are or have ever been a teenager, this one is for you.

Thank you to TBR&Beyond book tours and NetGalley for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Loved this sweet middle grade novel in verse. Olivia and Eden, two seventh graders, meet in poetry club and fall in love. All seems perfect until Eden, who is new to the school and trying to fit in with another group of friends, gets sucked into a party with alcohol and spin the bottle. When Olivia finds out, she lashes out, and the romance is over. But both girls have regrets. Olivia comes up with a plan to win Eden back.

The poetry in the book is beautiful, and the characters and their love story is relatable and emotional. Told from both girls' points of view, readers will empathize with these two characters and their struggles, hopes, and joys. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

BEAUTIFULLY written in verse, The Song Of Us is a poetic exploration of first love, keeping secrets, and feeling comfortable about who you are.
The plot is masterfully structured through the dual point of view and sheds a light on the complexities of coming out, and the importance of a support system (as the story evolves we get to see how both Olivia and Eden are affected by their family’s and friends’ acceptance or lack thereof).
The story itself drew me in, but there was much more than that. The writing!!—there were so many sentences in the book that I paused to read again and again just to savor the flavor of the words strung beautifully together. A book to reread for sure!

One of the things I love the most about The Song of Us is the way Fussner gives both Eurydice a voice. Fussner brings Olivia and Eden alive as characters who are struggling with their own issues and mistakes. This tender middle grade verse novel is moving both in the emotional intensity and the little details. I loved how The Song of Us is lyrical as it explores what it's like to have a mother who is struggling with depression and also that pressure we feel to fit in.

What a treat this was! I’m not a huge reader of books-in-verse, but I never regret picking them up and this book was just further proof of that! I feel like Kate Fussner created a very solid world and characters within it, weaving in elements of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth throughout (though I wouldn’t say that this is a 100% retelling, moreso inspired). At times, I had a hard time believing that I was reading about 7th graders and I’m not sure if this would have been better as younger YA, although that could just be my own personal experiences. Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this book up!

As an Orpheus and Eurydice inspired story, I fully expected this book to hurt me, and I think it delivered on that element. Fussner truly creates her own unique story with the feel of the original myth and all the best retellings that have come since (I listened to a lot of Hadestown while reading this). And though I definitely don’t want to spoil the ending, I think that the mixture of tragedy and a slight sense of hope truly created the best possible ending I could’ve hoped for.

For the characters themselves, I truly wanted the best for Olivia and Eden throughout, although they aren’t necessarily developed as much because they’re in a middle grade novel, there’s so much done with what was there. One of the most interesting elements for me was the way in which both had elements of Orpheus and Eurydice throughout, instead of being strict recreations. And although this is a story about romance, there are so many good elements of coming-of-age, of being a young teen and trying to figure out how to navigate life and be a good person despite how easy it can be to mess up. For me, the best thing about these characters is that they’re very human.

This was a pretty quick read, but worth savouring still. I look forward to seeing what else Kate Fussner writes in the future!

I haven’t read many novels in verse, but after reading the beautiful and touching The Song of Us, I’m eager to read more. This is a gorgeous book that hits straight to the heart and perfectly captures the emotions of a young person's first experience with true love. All the excitement and angst and heartbreak. It’s also full of beautifully written pieces of wisdom such as

“The Problem with rumors is
My mom says it’s like
Throwing a fistful of unknown seeds onto your front lawn except some
Are poisonous plants and some are flowers
And some are not seeds
But nails.

Spread a rumor, she says, and know you have to walk through it
The next time
You leave the house.”

I think this is a book that readers of all ages will love and will be especially cherished by queer middle aged readers. Highly recommend.

This book is beautifully written. I love verse novels in general, but this one especially has a beautiful writing style.

I did enjoy the book as a whole, but in the end, the writing style is my favourite aspect. The rest of the book felt a little underdeveloped, and I wasn't getting as much out of it as I would have hoped. I didn't feel like I got to know the characters very well, which made this story feel less emotional than it could have felt.

I love novels in-verse, and this one is so sweet! Olivia is in Poetry Club, and Eden's a new student. They hit it off right away. The Song of Us shows that bright intensity of middle school love and the resiliency of kids in situations outside of their control.

Content warnings: drug use, depression, parent abandonment, bad and absent parents

What a sweet story! I love how Fussner took Greek Mythology's “Orpheus and Eurydice” and updated it to focus on two middle school girls and wrapped it all up as a novel-in-verse.

THE SONG OF US not only tackles first loves, coming out, and being comfortable with who you are... but it also dives into the pressures of friendships, the expectations of "normal" behavior, and that awkward ground middle school kids live in where they are no longer little kids, but they also aren't yet grown.

I felt that both Eden and Olivia acted like middle schoolers, they made mistakes, they struggled to find the right words to express their emotions and thoughts. This isn't a middle grade novel where the characters read older than they are, which is nice.

And can we talk about Fussner's poetry? It was beautiful and powerful and full of emotions. I know poetry and novel-in-verse titles can be a hard sell for tweens and teens, but I'm really hoping they'll give this one a shot, I think they'll love it.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Katherine Tegen Books in exchange for an honest review.

THE SONG OF US is a heartbreakingly beautiful, creative retelling of the classic Greek myth, as well as a bittersweet tale of falling in love, self-discovery, betrayal, and forgiveness that stands all on its own. I could not put it down, and ended up finishing the book in one sitting! It's love at first sight for seventh-graders Olivia, a confident poet, and Eden, a budding musician and the new girl in school, when their paths cross at a Poetry Club meeting. Can their bond survive the turbulent waters of middle school, complex family dynamics, and struggles with self-acceptance?

Novels-in-verse have the difficult task of crafting a meaningful story and getting readers invested in the characters in only so few words, and Kate Fussner does a masterful job with both. Olivia and Eden each have such distinct voices, and the individual emotions and issues they experienced were perfectly depicted. There were so many quotes I re-read over and over again, and I so enjoyed spending time in each girl's head. The middle school setting was also very well-done, as was the contrast between the different friend groups and family environments Olivia and Eden each found themselves in. Olivia has had the same best friend for years, and belongs to a strong, close-knit friend group. Similarly, amidst her own struggles with mental health, Olivia's mother is still completely supportive of her daughter and her journey to win Eden back. Meanwhile, after Eden's mother leaves and she's left with her strict, prejudiced father, Eden is thrilled to be accepted into a popular group of girls at school, but finds herself pulling away from the clique and fearing that they won't accept her for who she truly is. Beyond the romance (which was beautifully portrayed), readers also get a sense of the different familial and platonic relationships each girl has, and how those connections have shaped them, too. The parallels to the classic myth were cleverly included throughout, but I think that readers who aren't familiar with the story will still enjoy this book just as much. Overall, I really enjoyed THE SONG OF US, and wanted even more of these characters and their story! Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Phenomenal introduction into this classic story. But also a great book on it's own right. Beautifully written.

This book, sometimes heartbreaking but always soul-stirring, is pretty well near impossible to put down. Young readers will feel right at home with this dynamic novel in verse as it constantly shifts itself into new forms. I mean, that’s middle school, right? But the wild, lyrical craftsmanship of The Song Us reflects something even more universal than the tween experience: it's beautifully channeling all the sound and fury of first love.

I was so excited when Kate Fussner approached me with an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of her debut middle grade novel-in-verse, The Song of Us. I grew up in a time when “queer” and “gay” were especially dirty words, so suffice it to say I never read a middle grade book with explicitly queer characters until this one.

As a teenager, I devoured every single one of Ellen Hopkins’ Young Adult novels-in-verse, and I was thrilled to see Fussner had taken a similar approach for Olivia and Eden’s story. I credit Hopkins’ novels with creating my voracious desire to read in my teenage years because of the depth and complexity of her verse. I felt that same desire propelling me through The Song of Us, not just because of how easily it reads but because of the brilliant way Fussner harnesses form to deliver such stunning, thought-provoking content.

A Hidden Present

I somehow missed
and what surprises me
most is the smile she wears
as she hands it to me.

(I had forgotten how she presses
her tongue behind her teeth
when she manages
a real real smile and
it’s not like a gritted-teeth emoji,
more like flowers pressing up
through frozen earth

and maybe that is the hidden gift.)

Kate Fussner, The Song of Us
This passage I’ve reproduced from Fussner’s ARC is one of the many instances where the author’s breathtaking imagery reminded me of when I fell in love with language itself. In its complex simplicity, this moment between Olivia and her mother is so beautifully powerful, for it centers how important it is to Olivia that her mother returns to her old, “real” self. While this novel is marketed as a Orpheus and Eurydice retelling for the relationship between the two middle school girls, Olivia and Eden, in many ways, it is retold and reinterpreted through the loss and regaining of Olivia’s relationship with her mother as well.

I deeply appreciated how this book talks about the difficult topic of depression through Olivia’s mother. I haven’t read any MG books where the author was brave enough to talk about such serious content so frankly. Fussner’s intended audience is certainly of the age where they can see and understand (to a degree) their parents’ suffering, and I think it’s especially important to talk about the particular dynamic that arises when parents are not fully available to help their children through their own difficulties (in this case, Olivia’s sexuality) when they’re battling their own demons.

While no child should feel that they cannot go to their parents for emotional support, Fussner spotlights what happens to the queer child, who believes their particular brand of suffering (coming out, for Olivia) can be “pushed aside.” This is why I feel Fussner’s novel hits it out of the park: it addresses the fact that children’s (in)ability to discuss the profound turmoil of discovering one’s own queerness is often (and repeatedly) put off because the child believes that their identity is not as time-sensitive as the pressures of their parents’ day-to-day difficulties. Those who read The Song of Us will not only feel seen with regard to this struggle, but they’ll also find some hope here: even in Olivia’s mother’s darkest moments, she’s able to offer insight and support because, ultimately, her love for her child outweighs whatever she’s got going on in her own life. I adored the positivity of Olivia’s relationship with her mother, despite how dark it got at times. That, for me, was the silver lining of this darker subject matter. (The scene where Olivia finds her mother on the floor, talking about not wanting to live anymore keeps coming back to me in the weeks that have elapsed since I’ve read this book, and it hurts me anew every time. I should clarify that the pain score does not account for this scene–the purpose of this blog is to rate queer pain, not the pain of all characters in the text.)

The romance between Olivia and Eden is as exciting as I could’ve hoped for. Fussner captures the dual excitement of falling in love and coming out all at the same time, and she manages to paint middle school (at least for the first act of her novel) in such a rosy light I became momentarily nostalgic for my own middle school years. But this story is not devoid of reality–Eden is subsumed into a friend group that Olivia detests, and Eden’s desire to fit in forces her into multiple situations where she’s shoved into a closet for 7 minutes of hell with whatever boy these girls see fit. And when Olivia sees what appear to be hickies on Eden’s neck, she calls her a “slut.” While Olivia is appropriately melodramatic for a middle schooler, it doesn’t take the sting out of the insult. Olivia spends the rest of the novel trying to correct her mistake and win Eden back, but, in the end, it hardly matters.

The ending–which can be construed as the most painful part of this beautiful story about self-discovery–is difficult. I contemplated rating this book more harshly on the pain scale because of Eden’s father’s decision to transfer her to another school in hopes of “fixing” her, but I ultimately landed on 5 “violets” because both Olivia and Eden were able to recognize their time together (and apart) for what it was–a formative, sometimes beautiful, sometimes challenging first encounter with their sexualities and with love. Realistically, middle school relationships rarely last into high school, and if they do, they even more rarely last into adulthood, so I cannot fault Fussner for separating our sapphic lovers at the end of the novel. Whereas this ending in a young adult, new adult, or adult romance would send me into a tantrum, the way in which Fussner handles this separation, and the brave way in which Olivia and Eden face the fate that neither of them have the power to change, leaves me hopeful. The fact that Eden is able to compose music and post it on YouTube to “broadcast” her love across time and space back to Olivia is beautiful and brave. Although they weren’t able to be physically together, Olivia successfully repaired their friendship and relationship with Olivia’s performance at poetry night, and there is no stopping them from becoming internet pen pals.

There’s another reason why I feel that this ending is fitting for a middle-grade novel and not as damaging as it would be in a text suited for an older audience. Fussner’s target audience (11-14-year-olds) is not going to get their way at this age. Olivia and Eden couldn’t run away, and there is no way to overrule what their parents want for them. Just like Olivia and Eden, they’re going to have to take whatever connection they can find and cherish it until they are old enough to go and create their own happy endings for themselves. Portraying a situation in which children/tweens like Eden are still able to find and sustain meaningful connections with their peers despite their prejudiced parents’ wishes was the realistic (and responsible) way to go about this, for not every child/tween is as lucky as Olivia is with her own mother, who not only understands but supports her daughter in her quest to win Eden back.

In a time when the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals are on the chopping block every single day (especially in the United States), it would have been irresponsible to release a book that refuses to acknowledge all the prejudice that queer children face. Rather, Fussner’s bold decision to write a story containing realistic (although horrific) responses to children’s/tweens’ queer identities arms today’s kids with the hope that although today looks bleak, their future can–and will–be better because they will one day have the power and agency to live their lives however they want to.