I really wanted to like this book and it started off so promising but ths was so effing rough to read. It was so confusing. The author introduces a lot of mythical creatures but it's so hard to find out the lore behind them all. I would love to look some of these up but the author repeats throughout the book a lot that the most popular lore surrounding these creatures are all fake. So doing extra research seems useless. The time the author spends explaining what isn't true should have been spend explaining what is because I was so confused throughout this whole book and I just couldn't figure it out. There also isn't much character work done besides the two main characters. I got none of the side character's motivations. It made things so confusing as well. I also just don't think the social commentary was balanced well with the mythical stuff. Whenever it would switch over the more social justice things it felt a bit jarring. The last problem I had with this book is that a lot of side storylines were introduced but never really resolved. It was kind of frustrating. Yeah, I was really excited for this book but the excecution was just not there for me at all.

Rated 3.5 really.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on Netgalley. Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
Note: this started as a buddy-read with my friend Lindsi from Do You Dog-ear? A little more than a third into the story, she realised she wasn't feeling it, while I - despite a few qualms - was engaged enough to read the whole thing, so we amicably parted ways 🙂.

PAINT IT BLACK

B.C. Morrow's YA debut has got a cool, engaging premise, in the form of Black sirens - which not only is a unique one as far as supernatural bookish tropes are concerned (though the TV show Siren does have Black merfolks), but also lends itself to a powerful social commentary about how Black women's voices are feared and/or silenced. And here's the thing: as a book about the Black female experience, ASBW hits the mark - which comes as no surprise, since it's an #ownvoices novel. The story touches upon a series of situations/themes such as the Black Lives Matter movement, being stopped by the police for no apparent reason, having to fly under the radar - more so because of a secret siren identity - or having one's hair touched without consent. By the way, there's also a hair-related plot point that I can't talk about - because it would be a giant spoiler - which ties in with Effie's typical Black hairdo, as much as being a siren ties in with Tavia's Black female voice.
Additionally, it was refreshing to read a book that centers on the friendship/sisterhood between two girls, though at first it sounds like Tavia is jealous of Effie (who has, for all purposes, being adopted into her family) and though she calls Effie her "play-sister", which sounds standoffish at best. But as the story progresses, we can see the love between these two girls, and how they support (and even complement) each other. These are the things that ASBW does best. [...]

ALL CREATURES BIG AND SMALL

The supernatural aspect of this book was what that lured me in to begin with, but it turned out to be the weakest part of the story for me. I expected a book about sirens, while it was chock full of different creatures - like elokos, sprites, and even gargoyles (that's all I can say without spoiling the book for you). I didn't mind Googling the ones I wasn't familiar with, except the author put so huge a spin on them (mainly on elokos) that they weren't unrecognizable - so why not come up with her own mythology in the first place? Also, elokos and sirens seem to have enough in common that they can be in the same network, except the first can stay out in the open, whereas the second have to live off the grid - or wear a collar to silence their voices (though an eloko ultimately decides to wear a collar too for a specific reason). The network itself posed a problem for me, because it should have been a supporting circle, while - apparently - it was a place of petty jealousies between teens (and why a teen should have been in charge of it? let alone one who would end up purposefully outing a character as an alleged siren?).
A plot point revolves on a yearly faire where there's a mermaid act, which surprised me because not only it has dedicated fans, but there are even online forums (or at least one) about it. Now, not only I find it hard to buy that a thing that happens once a year for a few days can cause such a commotion, but I wonder why the same people who fear/hate sirens should love mermaids instead (and again, I'm not sure what kind of distinction Morrow is doing between them. Are her mermaids like sirens, only tamer and more friendly?).
There's also a supposed twist in the supernatural department that, alas, I was able to figure out early on (and so did the friend I was reading this book with). It was cool and everything, but hardly the surprise that it should have been.

FAMILY DRAMA

My last point is about the girl's relatives. Both Tavia and Effie have different family problems (since Effie, despite having been adopted by Tavia's parents, still has a grandmother). I can't explain much because I would spoil the story big time, but suffice to say that there are secrets that would be better talked about, and a bunch of paranoid rules for disappearing (especially for a world that never sounds like the Big Brother is watching) enforced by Tavia's dad. Also, given a painful incident that occurred to Tavia when she was a kid, I found her family too focused on her staying off the radar, as opposed to making her feel loved and listening to her (which is kind of ironic, in a book that revolves on a siren's - and Black girl's - voice).
Despite all the problems I listed above (and other ones that I couldn't mention, either to avoid spoilers, or to abstain from making this review even longer than it already is), I did enjoy A Song Below Water, and I think it makes a lot of good points about being Black and female on the backdrop of a supernatural setting. I have Morrow's debut (adult) novel Mem on my TBR list, and I'm looking forward to the new, hopefully as original worlds the author will come up with in the future.

« I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. »
A SONG BELOW WATER is a story of racism and magical realism, entwined in a way I've never experienced before. This book was unique, and I have to say, it wasn't quite when I expected when I requested it (it had black sirens and this amazing cover, so it was love at first sight).
However, it was a bit difficult to me to get into the story in the beginning, I feel like it's the case with a lot of books that I read so it's just personal preference. I like it better when the story is fast-paced, but with this one the author took her time to state the worldbuilding, and it was incredibly well done. We also get to know the characters and, while the story is told from two POVs (Tavia and Effie's), the author manages to give them two different voices, and they felt so alive it was an immersive experience (my scalp was often itching alongside Effie's, it was that immersive). Although I expected more magic going into this book, the mythology was interesting enough, and I adored how Effie's storyline wrapped up. I was kind of proud of myself for seeing where the mystery surrounding her was going (mythology nerd here) and it was really satisfying to see how the author had done it.
Overall it was a great read, and there would actually be room for a sequel (we would love to see it).

Two best friends navigate issues of identity, racial discrimination, complicated families, and sisterhood with a unique, mythological take. There is a lot to like about this book and I am certain that it will find its audience. Unfortunately for me, I kept bouncing off the story. For faults that are entirely my own, I found it difficult to differentiate between the dual POVs, and while the world-building information was intriguing, it was also easy to get lost.

*Given an advanced reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow follows two teen girls who call themselves sisters as they evolve into their true selves in an environment that discriminates against who they are.

Effie is changing. Her skin is unbearably itchy as she keeps scratching her scalp around her locs. She tries to conceal this irritation by remembering she’s Euphemia the Mer, the town faire’s cosplaying mermaid, along with Elric, the cosplaying merman. As the faire is set to begin, Effie can’t concentrate as a murder case of a siren becomes news. And Effie still hasn’t gotten over her friends turning into stone years before at the park while she was spared. In this story, sirens live among humans and are exclusively black females, so they face severe discrimination since society wants white sirens.

Tavia is a siren who lost her voice. She and Effie become sisters when Effie’s grandmother sends Effie to live with Tavia’s family. For Tavia, she’s having a hard time getting over her ex-boyfriend, Priam, an eloko, the beings connected to sirens who manifest in other races, so they don’t get the same degree of discrimination like sirens.

This fantasy YA novel mixes fantasy and reality, but the story can get lost in the weeds amid the constant world-building involving multiple magical beings. The racial thread is interesting, but most of the time blackness is described through Effie scratching her scalp and watching a natural hair YouTuber who turns out to be a siren. Effie’s hair and skin become the main issue, above the murder trial she’s paying attention to or Tavia getting pulled over by the police. The setting is Portland, Oregon, a community that has become notorious for not supporting its black population. Also, a gargoyle is perched on their roof at home. Making sirens black and emphasizing how they’re expected to be white is an interesting comparison, especially with mentioning a high-profile murder of a black woman suspected to be a siren and how it’s playing out in the media. The threat of showing magic affects both Tavia, who already knows she's a siren, and Effie, who’s not sure who she is yet though she suspects a siren.

Overall, the black girl magic theme underlies this story of two teen girls trying to find their place in high school among human beings and other beings while remaining true to their destinies.

"A Song Below Water"- 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars)
I liked this book, I really did. There were many elements that were so unique and captured my attention right away (like sirens and other magical creatures/beings in modern Portland?! How cool is that?!). But I was also confused by parts of the book.
What I Liked:
-The magical elements included in the story- sirens, elokos (which I had to look up), gargoyles, sprites, and more. All of these creatures had major roles in the story and were very interesting to read about.
-The relationship between the main characters Tavia and Effie (and the book is told in both of their point's of view). The two girls were best friends as well as sisters (Effie is adopted into Tavia's home). They supported each other and always had each other's backs (even if they were sometimes keeping secrets from each other). I loved their relationship throughout the entire book. I do not have any sisters but I know if I did, I would want our relationship to be like Effie's and Tavia's.
-The social justice aspect of the story. This aspect, while diverging from the main plot of Tavia and Effie figuring out who they are, was a great addition to the story. It blended with Tavia's story since sirens in this world are always black women and are always seen as manipulative. This is why many of them keep their sirenness a secret (including Tavia). But when certain events happen in the book, Tavia has to make a decision about what kind of siren she is- one who silenced or one who uses their voice to help others.
-The renaissance faire addition to the story. This aspect blended with Effie's story since each year, for two weeks, she would be a Euphemia the Mer. The faire was where Effie felt like herself and I loved the description of it- the community of people and the stories they come up with to make their characters even more real.
-The cover!!! I LOVE the cover so much!

What I Didn't Like:
-The descriptions- this is hard to explain but sometimes I would get really confused by what was going on and what the characters were talking about- like I had no idea what elokos were until I looked it up.
-The different points of view- ok, I did like the alternating chapters between Effie and Tavia but sometimes I would get so into what was going on with one of them and then the chapter would end and the next chapter would start off at a completely different.
-The tragic backstories- I understand why both girls had tragic backstories (because it does add to the overall story) but it took a while for both of the backstories to be explained so I was often confused about what was happening or why Effie or Tavia were acting the way they were acting.
(I hope that all makes sense- it was hard to put my thoughts into words)

Overall, "A Song Below Water" was a very interesting and unique read that I would recommend to anyone who likes reading about magic in the real world with a dash of social justice and mystery mixed in.

I'll be honest, this was a DNF and j feel.bad about that. I loved the premise and was excited to read about the struggles faced by our two herpines. However, the writing left much to be desired. We're dumped into the middle of a world where the rules/structure is never explained. I couldn't understand what was motivating our characters. The first person view is also very casual and not descriptive. The "adult" characters are stereotypical Disney adults which was annoying. I'll give one extra star for the attempt to cover a series of deep topics, if only the writing was mature enough to match.

A Song Below Water follows Tavia and Effie. Two sisters, not by blood, but sisters nonetheless. Together they live in an alternate version of Portland, Oregon, and both of them have to fight their own battles with the usual high school drama, family secrets, crushes and magic.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. MorrowThe story focuses on sisters Tavia and Effie. The two of them are not related by blood but still see each other as family. They live together in Portland – a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. Tavia has to keep her siren identity a secret and tries to find her late siren grandmother in order to give up her voice and her magical powers. Being a siren means to live in fear – just because sirens are said to manipulate the folk around them, causing society trying to keep them under lock and key. With non-siren parents, strict rules for her daily life and a siren’s call that’s burning her throat, Tavia’s life everything but easy.

Effie has different challenges to overcome but still needs to fight. She prefers to stay unseen and only ever starts to bloom when ren fair season starts. As Euphemia the Mer she feels free and like her true self. Her mother introduced her to this lifestyle and since her death, it’s the only thing that connects mother and daughter. But as Effie is being haunted by demons from her past and nothing adds up anymore, all she wishes for is to finally learn about her ancestry.

Overall I enjoyed A Song Below Water – it had so much potential with the system of magical beings and the topic of misogynoir against sirens (who are exclusively black women). The author paired different topics of racism, social justice and current politics with fantastical elements and created an interesting new world. I wished it had been executed a bit better – not in terms of the aforementioned topics. Those were on point and fascinating. But sometimes I felt as if there were some information missing – like some of the lore of the world. On top of that, the most action-packed scenes only happened in the last 30% of the book, though I would have preferred them to start earlier. This is one of the reasons why the rating isn’t as high as I’d liked it to be.

But I still enjoyed the story of Tavia and Effie, the overall lore and the important topics covering all of it. I connected easily with the protagonists and was excited to see what they would discover about themselves. The writing style itself was easy to follow – but the withholding of some important information sometimes made it hard for me to understand what exactly was wrong. This bothered me, because – as I said – I really liked the idea. Still, I’d recommend this book and would encourage anyone who’s interested to read it once it comes out June 2nd 2020 and read it as soon as possible!

When I first picked up A Song Below Water I was really excited. I mean how could I not? The book was about sirens - diverse sirens! The premise really intrigued me, so you could only imagine my happiness when I was accepted to review a galley copy. So let's get to the good things before I keep blabbering.
1. The Characters:
If there is one thing that I loved in this book, it was the friendship - or rather sisterhood - between Tavia and Effie. Reading about the way they felt about one another and how close they were really touched me. I have always loved reading about tight friendships in books, and theirs has to be one of my favourites. I personally think their character arcs were done really well and I really liked reading about how each one of them stepped out of their shell. How they both tackled certain things and still stood by each other's side.
2. The Plot:
I must admit, the beginning of the book felt slow and confusing. We were thrown into this world without really knowing how it worked and who certain mythical beings were. But, after a while, the confusion did start to clear up and the plot really engrossed me. I really liked how the book tackled sexism and racism. There were many discussions on how it felt to be black - a woman on top of that - and not being heard. How the voices of many monitories gets taken away from them. How they are silenced. It was heart breaking to read about and I wanted nothing more but to hug these characters and console them.
3. The Writing:
I haven't read anything previously by the author, but I did find myself enjoying her writing style. It was both beautiful and unique. I'd love to check out what she may write out next, for sure.

In the end, A Song Below Water was a beautiful powerful read that I do recommend for anyone that loves YA to pick up. Even if you aren't someone who frequently reads YA, I still think you should check this book out.

( to be posted on blog a week from publication )

I really enjoyed this story, I just did not like how it was written. It discusses many important topics such as race, gender and prejudice in a very interesting setting. Too bad the interesting setting was not explained a lot. One of the opening statements is ‘myths are not to be trusted’ but then the author goes on not to explain any of the rules of the world. I was confused and frustrated for the majority of the book, especially when lines like ‘x isn’t real, Duuuuh’ came up, like it was obvious despite the fact we were never given any information, so how would I know. Because of this some sentences, I assume were supposed to be world building, made very little sense. I said I enjoyed the story because what actually happened was interesting and I loved the characters, the female friendship which is the focal point of the story in particular. I just wished there was more world building and the book went through a couple more revisions.

3.5/5
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me this advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review.
First of all, the cover is so gorgeous!! Right?
Second of all, mermaids are my thing. I LOVE reading stories about them and this one was pretty original. Its an YA dealing with some themes such as : prejudice, mythology, sirens, magic, racism, current politics. Liked the two sisters, Tavia and Effie but really didnt get along with the other characters.
The plot was a bit too slow for me, but some parts were compelling. If you like YA books, you can give it a try!

I got a free advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor / Forge!

There's a term which I love: Black girl magic. Lately, being a black girl is like being part of an elite team in America. Looking on from the Caribbean makes me feel so proud of my sisters. A Song Below Water mixes that in with the racial conflict of our modern times. This story focuses on Tavia, a black girl who is a siren and her soul sister, Effie. Sirens are feared in America, mainly because they are black women. Not all black women are sirens, but there have not been any non-black sirens since the Second World War. Most people believe that sirens use their powers to convince people to do things they normally would not. This means that when a black woman is murdered and later found out to be a siren, the overwhelming opinion is that she did something to deserve it. As a matter of fact, that was what most of the story revolved around. The murder trial of the siren's killer has the entire nation's attention and Tavia is terrified that someone would find out that she too is a siren. Unfortunately, she uses her voice at the worst possible time and this starts a series of events which will change her and Effie's world forever. 

The writer crammed a lot into the pages within this book. I am not familiar with the mythological creature, the eloko, so I was quite confused by some of the folklore surrounding them. Sprites were also mentioned a lot without any background really. I really would have loved for her to go a little more into detail about the mythical creatures she wrote about.

The prejudice was very visible within the book, even from Tavia's own parents. That was something that got me upset. Her father was particularly harsh with her, which was not fair, considering it was not her fault who she was. Her mother, who I expected to step in and protect her, was no help. 

The redeeming point was the strong bond between Effie and Tavia. They were not biological sisters but they could not have been closer if they had blood to connect them. They protected each other no matter what. 

I feel like this book should have been longer so I could have understood the worlds of both girls better. I wanted to find out more about sprites and elokos. Effie was part of a fair in which she pretended to be a mermaid and I would have loved to know more about that part of her persona. The story was quite entertaining despite its flaws. I would not say no to trying another one of this writer's books. 


Suitable audience: Because of sensitive topics, I would suggest this book be read by older teens and adults. 

Recurrent themes: Magic. Mythology. Prejudice. 

Violence: There is mention of a murder. There is also mention of violence at a riot. There were also some scenes where people were changed and this may be disturbing for some readers.
Sexual Content: Kissing
Profanity: None
Religious Themes: None
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: None

Mini review:

I received this e-arc via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

I was so excited to read this! When I saw it on Netgalley I didn't hesitate to request it. Unfortunately I didn't like it.

My biggest problem were the adults. I had absolutely no respect for Tavia's parents. I knew based on the synopsis that her father was 'protective' but I personally felt that he was controlling. Her mother wasn't any better.

I didn't get around to reading about Effie's grandmother, though I suspect I wouldn't like her either.

I still recommend. In large part due to the rep. It's not mentioned in the synopsis, both girls speak in ASL (American Sign language). Plus the writing style, and two main characters were enjoyable.

Fun fact: Sirens are my absolute favorite mythical creature. I literally never pass up on an opportunity to talk about how much every book needs more Sirens. A book about sirens, racism, and activism? I was ecstatic.

A Song Below Water tries to do too much in too little time. The world is complex and intricate and while not every aspect of a world needs to be explicitly explained, I legitimately checked to make sure I hadn't accidentally stumbled upon a sequel or same universe book. Dual protagonists are fun, but the combination of trying to get to know two MCs, their story lines, and the world in the short length of time made it really hard to get invested. I feel bad for not liking this book because in theory it's magnificent and I honestly think if it had a hundred or so more pages to properly delves into it's characters and politics it would have been great but as is I was mostly just confused.

Loved it! It so easily blends fantasy and magic with the current political senario and racism and social justice, in the town of Portland . It is a beautiful story about finding your place in the world. I loved the two main characters, Tavia and Effie, and Wallace too :)

The reason this wasn't a five star read is the myth-building was a bit confusing and felt incomplete. I wanted to know more about the sprites and how they work, especially since they play such an important role in the story. I also wanted to know how the world functions with all these magical beings roaming around, and what role they had in the world history. The pace was also slow at times. Also, what happened to Camilla? What happened to Naema? There are many unresolved plot points in the book.

However once you reach the 50% mark, the story becomes really captivating and moving. A lot of plot points are explained after this point. Although a little disappointed with the ending, I am glad I read it.

THIS COVER!!! Isn’t it gorgeous?! I love mermaids, sirens, mystery, and magic. A Song Below Water is urban fantasy with elements of today’s racial and political climate for a story that rings hauntingly true.

A Song Below Water is a story of family and chosen sisterhood, of fear of being your true self and the freedom of fully walking in who you are. I loved the juxtaposition of the mythos we are familiar of sirens and mermaids with the black experience in America. It was interesting to see how the author, Bethany C. Morrow, relates being a siren to being a black woman silenced and how one television personality willingly chooses to be silenced (with a ringed collar to prevent her from using her siren voice) to be accepted and seen as safe by white America. Even with the eloko, another magical type who are beloved and accepted within the culture, where Tavia and Effie have to hide their magical selves.

While there were parts that felt slow, I found the story well-paced and compelling. It’s a slow build as the sisters both grow together and apart as they discover more about themselves and their gifts, their families struggles with their gifts, and who they are becoming. It’s definitely black girl magic.

SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!

Fantasy novel that overlaps with modern discussions about racism, social justice, and the power of black voices. Must read!

This was really enjoyable! I loved the premise of this YA fantasy novel, set to publish by Tor Teen on June 2, wherein mythical creatures like Greek sirens and Central African elokos exist in our world. Set in Portland, Oregon, this story follows Tavia--a young black girl who also happens to be siren, although no one but her family and her "sister" Effie knows. Effie who, while is definitely not siren, also seems to have some magic within her. The novel opens when the two teenagers learn that a young black woman, Rhoda Taylor, who was murdered by her white boyfriend, may have been a siren. This sends the two best friends on a mission for justice as their fellow students (and some of their teachers) at their predominately white high school begin to use her abilities as a siren as proof of her boyfriend's innocence.

I loved the integration of the Black Lives Matter movement into this novel, as well as the use of mythical creatures to explore the oppression and silencing of black people through fear and misinformation, particularly women. Tavia and Effie were well-drawn, very realistic teenagers and I loved reading about their sisterhood and their love for one another. I also loved the Portland setting. Thematically, I think this is a really important and well-done read, and I applaud Morrow for her ability to explore these topics so well in this YA fantasy.

I did wish that the lore of the world had been explored a bit more, as I sometimes was confused about the defining characteristics of each of the different beings introduced. Additionally, I found the pacing of the novel to be a bit fast at times, particularly during the protest and the prom scenes in the second half of the novel, and I was sometimes unable to follow the action. Finally, as with many YA novels, I wish the parents had been a bit more developed, as I sometimes questioned their reasoning and motivations.

All in all, however, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy!

2.5/5

Wow. I was not expecting to have to DNF this book. There was so much happening in the first 20% of the book that I was too overwhelmed to continue reading. I had trouble keeping characters and their storylines apart and I didn’t understand several of the words used to either describe family members of mythological beings.

The POV switches between two black girls, one is an undercover siren and the other, I don’t think I even got far enough to find out what she was. There’s loads of mentions of different mythological creatures, but after a while it just got a little hard to keep up.

I also found that the lack of world building was kind of disorienting. What am I expecting to picture in my head? It would’ve been nice to have seen a little more of the world so that I know whether to expect something like Zootopia or New York with werewolves.

However, I did enjoy the bond that the two girls seem to have. It’s a solid friendship. But it wasn’t enough to keep me interested :(

I’m super sad to have to DNF this book, because I had such high hopes for it. I think the premise is honestly so amazing and I don’t think you should base whether or not you read this book solely on my opinion.

In modern day America, there are some people who carry a mythological heritage: They are mermaids, gargoyls or sirens.
Tavia has to face not only the racism and sexism that comes with being a black girl in the US, she also has to keep a big secret, that impacts the life of her whole family: She is a siren. But while Tavia is trying to find her place in society and fights for her rights, her adopted sister Effie struggels with the mystery of her own family and heritage.

This book is a really nice story about finding out who you are and finding your place in the world or - in short - about growing up. It manages to do this while connecting modern day issues with magic.