This novel is an inspiring novel about the amazing friendship between Tavia and Effie. I am obsessed with mermaids and sirens, so when I saw this cover, I knew I had to read. My favorite part about this novel was the fact that it was a fantasy that dealt with racism, social justice, and current politics. I was in awe while reading the delicious world that Morrow created. As an educator, I cannot wait to include this book in my classroom and curriculum. There are so many places where this book will be able to fit.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holy cow... I know I will never have the words to express how this story completely blew me away. Morrow took on the incredibly challenging task of bringing fantasy into a realistic world as a way to confront racism, misogyny, social justice, police brutality, and the current political climate of the modern United States. Regardless of its YA status, this book takes all of those topics and brings them right to the forefront, shining light onto them until they are hot enough to burn you. She pulls no punches and absolutely knocks it out of the park. It's emotional and raw, but written so beautifully, so poignantly - ugh, I ached with this book. Bethany Morrow went hard in this book and it's exactly what this world needs right now.

Readers also experience all of the turbulence and heart that accompanies female friendships, sisterhood, relating to one's parents, growing apart from friends, school bullies, young love, and so much more. Morrow writes girl besties so perfectly - from the tone of their conversations, to the comfort being physically close, to the gentle teasing, to the inside jokes - it's perfection. Any girl with a best friend who is more like a soulmate will truly relate to Effie and Tavia's dynamic.

Outside of its masterful handling of culturally relevant content, Morrow also accomplishes a well-crafted fantasy. She gives us just enough information about this world without overwhelming the reader with a ton of world-building or lore. I love that Morrow chose to explore mythical beings that aren't frequently seen in literature - sirens, gargoyles, among others. These choices are just one of the many things that make ASBW feel so fresh and new, especially for readers who consume a lot of fantasy or fantasy adjacent literature.

Morrow's writing is such a treat to experience. She writes teen voices that feel incredibly realistic. Her descriptions of human emotions and experiences are so perfect that they cut deep. Some of her lines reminded me of how I feel when I read Elizabeth Acevedo's work - there's just so much heart that you can't help but feel it in your core. In a book that has so much heavy, emotional content, I enjoyed Morrow's humor that always seemed to insert itself at just the right moment. The amount of cheese is just right - I have to admit to laughing aloud once or twice.

A stunning read. An absolute success. Add this one to the YA required reading canon.

Being a black girl in today’s world means often being denied a voice. In A Song Below Water, Tavia’s voice is especially suspect. The author has taken real-life issues and isolated and magnified them through symbols, so that Tavia is a siren, and all the world is in fear of her voice and its power and so does all that it can to silence that voice. Tavia’s world looks much like our own, but with an added layer of fantastical beings–mermaids, elekos, sprites, live gargoyles, and gorgons, to name a few. Sirens are famous for controlling people through their voices and so it’s best if no one knows you’re a siren at all. A popular TV show has one siren voluntarily wearing a voice-canceling dog collar. Sirens only show up in the black, female population, so you can see why no one gets too excited when they show supernatural abilities of any sort.

On top of that, Tavia is dealing with other typical teen issues. Her relationship with her father is strained. She inherited her siren-ness from his mother, and she feels that he hates that part of her and doesn’t accept it. However, he moved the family to Portland in part for her protection. He obviously worries about her safety a lot–something that is certainly normal for a father of a teen daughter. Tavia is also dealing with first boyfriends, kisses and break-ups, and prom dates.

Tavia’s best friend, Effie, is staying with their family as the two girls navigate their junior year of high school together. Effie has her own issues. For one thing, she seems to be becoming something else entirely–but what? Her identity is a cause of great stress to her. Additionally, she carries the trauma of being the only survivor of a childhood event that left her 4 playmates turned to stone statues. Her favorite place is the RenFaire where she has longed played a mermaid, but her attempts to make RenFaire playacting into reality don’t succeed.

A Song Below Water takes place amongst issues ripped from today’s headlines–protest marches, police brutality, “say her name” chants–but it’s dealing with issues that have long plagued our world. Author Bethany Morrow does a fantastic job of making her point without being too heavy-handed or didactic, weaving together reality and fantasy into a seamless whole. The result is compulsively readable, with a fast-moving plot and sympathetic characters that build throughout this coming-of-age story. I loved this book, and have already gotten my sister-in-law to buy her own copy. Highly recommended.

A Song Below Water is a beautifully written fantasy novel that you won't want to miss. The world-building alone is reason to read it. Set in an alternate world where there are various fantasy beings living amongst humans, and where one of our two protagonists, Tavia, is a siren forced to deal with extreme bigotry at all times - this on top of her being a Black girl, one of very few in Portland, though Portland is also home to a pretty good network of sirens within the Black community - it comes as no surprise that she has her work cut out for her if she's to survive in this world. A world where a murder trial in southern Oregon is expected to end with the defendant's acquittal just because the victim was a siren. A world where Tavia inadvertently uses her voice to get out of a police stop - and attracts the wrong kind of attention from a cop whose son she knows pretty damn well. And, of course, one of the most popular reality shows in this world features a siren who willingly puts on a collar that suppresses her voice - if you could see the number of times my stomach turned over every time that came up...

Alongside Tavia in this story is her adopted sister Effie, who has played a mermaid in the local Ren Faire for years. (Well technically, it's in Vancouver across the river, but still.) Just as Tavia fears for her ability to live freely in a world that's extremely anti-Siren, Effie has these constant recurring dreams about playing Red Rover, and these kids that have long since disappeared, but may have something to do with a popular piece of local art...let's just say that the truth of Effie's identity has to be seen to be believed.

It's not a big book, but it's powerful and not to be missed, with its layers of allegory and blistering social commentary. Now, I'm going to have to find a way to get a hold of Morrow's earlier adult novel, Mem, because I'll be damned if that one doesn't look like a good story too...

Ummm, this book took me longer than I wanted to complete and way too much was going on. Nothing really fit what the description stated. Also, the lack of magical realism and mermaids made me sad. I really appreciated the topic on Black Lives Matter, but I really didn't see how it fit to the story and that whole Gargoyle thing made no sense to me. Over all I felt like the story was all over the place, nothing was focused on long enough to get the full scope of what was going on and the fairies & gargoyles just didn't fit with the stories of mermaids. I don't know, I had high hopes for this one and for the moment I’m not going to rate it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Teen and Bethany C. Morrow for advanced access to this book.

What a timely book. I know books are in the works for a long time, but I picked this book up just as the Black Lives Movement gained significant momentum in the Spring of 2020. The protests in the book are centered around an otherness that has more to do with a mythical creature, but it didn't make them any less important or significant than the real-life protests occurring. It took me a little to really understand the integration of mythological creatures, but it's better to just enjoy the ride. The girls at the center of the story experience some extreme coming-of-age moments and have to learn to place their trust in themselves, not just each other. It was a very enjoyable read!

Thanks NetGalley for this absolutely AMAZING ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I did not think it was possible for a book to be so comprehensive and so dang short. Morrow literally gives you everything! I couldn't even see how she would wrap it up without it being a sequel, but she did. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to have all of your emotional needs wrapped up tight and sealed with such a beautiful bow. I can't wait for our copy to come in. We needed this, and we need more of Morrow.

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

This book blew me away! I love the relevancy of the subject matter combined with the urban fantasy elements.

A SONG BELOW WATER really did the WORK. The author managed to cover so many topics that are relevant right now, and have been ongoing conversations from Black people for SO LONG. The book touches cultural empathy vs competency, how freedom of speech only protects you from government retaliation, “supernatural-inclusive history,” aka history taught by the people who are marginalized, cultural appropriation (“everybody wants to be a siren, but nobody wants to be a siren”), Black Lives Matter, police brutality, model minority myth, and intersectionality, among other issues.

When I picked out a novel about sirens I wasn’t expecting it to hit so hard right now, but this is exactly the type of book we need. Sirens are persecuted and stereotyped so the main character Tavia tries to keep her power a secret from her peers. Her family knows, her sister/best friend Effie knows, and Tavia has a secret network of siren protectors that she can call upon. The book starts with a woman who is murdered by her boyfriend and there’s speculation that she was a siren, which apparently justifies her murder. It’s magical how as a reader you think that it’s not fair and are instantly on team siren. So often in the news, media will frame a death as justified because of a supposed “criminality,” and that is what is illustrated right off the bat.

So the subplot is the results of the trial for this alleged siren, and Tavia’s trying to keep her voice under wraps by disguising it as a vocal spasm, where she has to use signing instead of speaking. Tavia’s main conflict is that she is constantly silenced, and she wants to be free to use her voice. There is also a dual POV of Tavia’s best friend (also referred to as sister), Effie, who lives with Tavia’s family. Effie just wants to understand her identity because she hasn’t known her father, her mother passed away when she was young, and she’s been having these instances with blackouts. Tavia and Effie are a team, but they each have their own arcs and journey.

The plot comes together when the girls and their classmates decide to attend a Black Lives Matter protest for a wrongfully dead Black man. Tavia realizes she can use her voice here to enact real change when she sees her YouTube-like idol, who has recently come out as a siren herself, at the protest. The protesters are nearly attacked by police when the girls are rescued by Effie’s guardian gargoyle (yep, you read that right).

The mythos of the world here includes sirens, gargoyles, and elokos (And spoiler-y creatures I can’t mention here). If you google eloko like I did it is a troll-like creature that uses a bell to lure people into the forest to eat them, but in this world it’s just a charming person with a bell charm that is revered within the community. I really liked this article with Den of Geek with the author where she explains why she used the eloko myth. The author created this rich fantasy world that mirrored real life events, this is exactly what makes this fantasy book excel.

The novel checked all my boxes. I did not know how the ending was going to be resolved, but it felt complete and satisfying and unexpected (Effie!). I know this book will hit differently for a lot of people, but I just feel like it was written for Black girls and I’m just happy to have received a copy of it. The book celebrates Black hair, small joys, and growing up and being a Black girl in a world that does not appreciate Black bodies. More people need their hands on this!

I enjoyed this book much more than I had anticipated upon first reading the description. I'm sad it took me so long to actually start reading it! It was very enjoyable!

Once I read the summary for A Song Below Water I was immediately intrigued and I wanted to read that book. Sadly I ended up being disappointed by it. Don’t get me wrong, A Song Below Water was a good book, I just expected to enjoy it a lot more than I did.

The first half of the book was slow, it took me a while to get into the story. At some points I didn’t have any idea where the story was going. The fantasy elements weren’t explored as much as I hoped they would be. I wanted to know more about the sirens and all the other magical things, but this book didn’t deliver in that aspect. A Song Below Water tackles many issues in our current society – police brutality, racial profiling, racism, sexism and many more. I loved the way the author was discussing these issues, but for a book under 300 pages there were too many issues to discuss them all in full. Some of them just felt skimmed over.

A Song Below Water is told from two characters points of view, Tavia and Effie. I had problems distinguishing between their voices, they were very similar and sometimes in the middle of the chapter I was wondering from whose perspective I was reading. I didn’t connect to the characters, they felt very flat and underdeveloped. Something that I did love about this book is the sister relationship between Tavia and Effie. I loved seeing how much they cared about each other and how far they were willing to go for the other person.

Overall, A Song Below Water wasn’t the book I expected it to be. It was a good book and I would definitely recommend it, but I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

A Song Below Water is a magical realism novel following sirens. The writing is beautiful. The meaning and commentary behind the sirens are beautiful. I didn't love the plot which is why I only gave it three stars. I recommend that you read some Own Voices reviews as I am a white review and this book is about black women and how the world treats them.

This book is why we need more #ownvoices reviewers.
While I enjoyed reading this book, the nuances of intersectionality between being a Black girl and this fantasy landscape would have been lost on me without reading own-voices reviews.

All that to say, I cannot speak to the experience of reading this as a Black woman (I am White). I am hesitant to even share my thoughts because I know I will have missed some of the nuances of this book. So, what I will say is this, if a book that explores coming into your own, finding your voice, a relationship between sisters and how this intersects with being Black in a White city AND with a unique mythos in the background sound interesting, you will enjoy this. I did.

Another point I wanted to address is what expectations to have going into this book. I have heard this described as a tale about mermaids. This is not true. Also, you are thrown into the world and a lot of the book is figuring out how this world works, while getting to know these sisters. It took a few chapters to get a handle of what is going on, but after that, it really flowed. One more thing is that (to me) this felt more of a character-driven novel. While there were definitely things that happened and moved the plot, they were not always expounded upon and the focus was always more on the sisters and it's effect on them.

Overall, I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Macmillan for this advanced readers copy.

Reasons to Read A Song Below Water:

Let me repeat: Black, own voices fantasy that is unfortunately relevant to the reality of our world today. Along with A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, The Gilded Ones, and others on the Love Yo Shelf to-read list, A Song Below Water is one of the much-awaited Black fantasy stories for YA in the world. Growing up, I didn’t see many fantasy stories starring BIPOC, and Black womxn as protagonists wasn’t something I remember seeing at all. This is not to say that they didn’t exist ten years ago! But when it came to what was on the shelves at my mainly Asian middle school, diverse fantasy came in the form of White girl with powers she didn’t want but still managing to be the hero. Now let me be clear, I’m not recommending it for the pure reason of it being Black-centered fantasy, although I’m gonna tell you right now that you need more of it in your life. The fantasy aspect is so ingeniously written that it makes magic feel not so far away. If you’re like me and hope that when you finish a book, the magic is somehow real and you’ve been awakened by reading the book, this is perfect (she says, singing in the shower, pretending she’s a siren).
2. Mythology and supernatural creatures in contemporary context. This goes along with #1, but the worldbuilding around sirens and elokos and gargoyles in Portland??? I’m sorry, I just could not help but laugh and smile at both the contemporary descriptions of Portland and the PNW, and the underlying magical elements that were right below it. It was the kind of storytelling that builds up and you learn little things about the supernatural world as they come into play instead of throwing all the info at you at once. And one of my favorite parts was that it felt so well-researched. There were little nuances about each creature that I didn’t know before, but still felt exactly right. ALSO, the fact that Bethany uses mythology to illustrate a supernatural hierarchy AND apply that to a racial hierarchy?? Shit is top tier. In this world, sirens are exclusively Black women and nobody knows why. Sirens are also the only supernatural beings with government-created power-neutralizing devices, and the only ones who inspire fear on such a large scale. The story starts with the murder of Rhoda Taylor, who is never actually confirmed as a siren, but the moment that she is suspected of being one, it suddenly becomes (even more) justification for her murder. On the other hand, elokos like Tavia’s (White) kind-of-ex-boyfriend and his crew are beloved and able to exist publicly. I dare someone to tell me that that those stereotypes don’t sound familiar.

3. Collective AND individual character identity development. The relationship between Tavia and Effie is officially one of my favorites (right next to Laila and Zofia – if you know, you know). From the very beginning, it’s clear that they both rely on each other for some sense of stability, but as each faces their own issues, their identity changes and so does their relationship with each other. Rather than using those individual issues to separate them, Bethany uses that to fuel their connection to each other. They both understand that they can never fully understand, but it doesn’t stop them from trying and being there! I cannot tell you how emotional this book made me, from identity development, to the cruel, harsh realities of the marginalized groups, to learning how to find and make a home in other people. It was such a good representation of growing together and apart, and still figuring out how to make it work for both Tavia and Effie.

4. Learning to come to terms with – and embrace – an initially unwanted identity. This was definitely the bit that got me the most. Tavia hates being a siren, and she even goes as far as trying to take her voice herself. For much of the book, she’s trying to find her grandmother to ask her to take the power away from her. Tav’s disgust with her power doesn’t even come from just herself of the world’s fear of sirens, but her own father’s fear of her. To make things worse, he keeps Tav away from her grandmother, so she never learns how to use her powers, but that also means she never learns to control them. Eventually, with the siren trials going on with Rhoda Taylor, Tavia finds the power to use her voice instead of hiding it, effectively debunking the myth that marginalized people are somehow voiceless when in actuality, they’ve been terrorized and vilified into suppressing it *stares at hidden camera and mouths “America”*. On the other hand with Effie, she doesn’t know exactly what she is, just that she has a past that keeps on haunting her, and that Eupehmia the Mer (the character she plays at the Ren faire) is the perfect way to suppress what she’s actually becoming. Herself. Effie doesn’t know what she is, and fears what she could become, while Tavia fears what she is and longs to be anything else. AKA, the perfect pairing in a journey of self-discovery.

3.5 stars Positive, lovely. There's a lot to unpack and the commentary on the lives of black Americans in thr modern US is needed . The characters weren't my cup of tea but not badly done, just not for me. The allegory felt heavy-handed to me, but, knowing that I'm not the intended audience, I think teens will appreciate it

I absolutely loved this story. It is a great and timely allegory about the national climate. I found the characters so interesting and the love between the sisters was amazing. The different mythos was so interesting and I this book is so well written. I was completely captivated with this story. I highly recommend this book.

Hard-hitting, relevant to our world in 2020 (painfully so), and full of Black Girl Magic and the bonds of what sisterhood means, A Song Below Water is an important story about two Black girls living in a world that wants to silence them because of who they are and what they can be.

Effie and Tavia have an amazing relationship. They stick by each other and support one another through challenges they face together and as individuals, especially living in a majority white city where they face racism and injustice. Although they are not related by blood, they are truly sisters and their support and love for one another is written in such a beautiful way, especially when their families are not supportive of them because of the fear they are taught to live in with Tavia being a Siren and Effie being the only survivor of a childhood incident in a public park.

Morrow does a great job at writing for her audience, but adults should definitely read this book too because the view is that of teenagers who are experiencing and seeing the ugliest parts of the United States.

Magical realism is no easy genre to write, and overall, I think Morrow did something spectacular by bringing in so many magical elements. However, the mythology was never very well explained, which makes the first half of the book a bit challenging to read because things are just said, not shown. Readers unfamiliar with sirens, gargoyles, spirits, etc. will need to do their research while they read. The lack of showing also makes it difficult to imagine Morrow’s version of Portland.

Despite a slow first half, A Song Below Water picks up towards the middle with plenty of action and a few plot twists.

Whether or not magical realism is something you typically read, I recommend A Song Below Water. It is a timely story that goes into depth about racism, how Black people (especially women) are treated, what family is, and how it is difficult to be a Black teenager in a world like this.

The first time I saw the cover of this book I was blown away. And after read the synopsis I just wanted to dive into it. I am so grateful to Netgalley for giving me this opportunity. I enjoyed every aspect of my reading. The story, the characters, the subject and the moral behind it.

I love the way the author addresses common issues like skin disease, self-discovery, racism and many others. I enjoyed the way the author builds her story based of many fantastical aspects and real historical event and the way their are related to the current situation. Their are portrayed with intensity and truth. This is a modern fantasy story with many important subjects that everybody should read.

The relation between Tavia and Effie was wonderful. I have been emotional by their friendship and their connection. The two characters were very touching. At the beginning, my favorite was Tavia. But at the end, it was Effie. Her storyline evolved in the most significant way. However, both of their story were inspirational and highlighted their struggle to find their place in a judgmental society.


What about the end? It was surprising and unpredictable.
A song below water is a must read. I want to add so many things, but I just feel like I don’t have the right words for it.

I hope that one day, this story will be brought to life in the movie theater. Because I really want it to reach more people.

Black Girl Magic meets Black Lives Matter in this must- read Fantasy Fic

Reading A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow feels like reading the script of an episode of Law and Order: Sirens Victims Unit. Set in Portland, Oregon, Captain Olivia Benson is played by secret siren Tavia, and her trusty partner Detective Elliot Stabler is play-sister/bestie Effie.
A Song Below Water delivers for those fresh off of reading All the Stars and Teeth by Adelyn Grace, and are more than ready for another book about badass mermaids. Further, this book is perfect for those anticipating more upcoming books about Black Girl Magic, like A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown, and Angie Thompson’s Concrete Rose. In the end though, Morrow takes readers on a journey they could never have imagined.

A Song Below Water is a magical The Hate You Give, a fantasy with social justice undertones. Morrow weaves in current political messages within her tales of sprites and elokos, with terms like "say her name"

Readers, get ready to submerge yourself in Tavia and Effie’s measured telling of their magical meltdown and rebirth!

Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you so much for the publisher and NEtGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange of my honest review!

I LOVED IT! What a well crafted novel! Sirens and mermaids plus magic all in one book? Sign me up!
At first it was a bit hard for me to understand the world's system in the book, but after knowing more about the magic, sirens and the black community I could easily devour the book in just a few days!

Our 2 main characters are strong, independent and showing a really good picture of a young black girl, who also have a secret, being outcasted and always being suspicious for basically nothing,
It was adventurous, touching and eye-opening! I wish there were more own-voices books like this out in the market featuring beautiful black girls!

Please read it! You won't regret choosing it!

This is a wonderful YA fantasy book with strong female protagonists and families who bravely face their fears of discrimination, violence, and being othered in a world that often tries to repress what it does not take time to fully understand. For teachers and librarians looking for books that address social justice and racism within the genre of YA fantasy, I would highly recommend this book. When teachers insist the best way to continue to address issues of civil rights and racism is To Kill A Mockingbird, I will use this book as example of why incorporating literature of #ownoices is so important. This book brings in the world and experience of teenage black girls in a way that is poignant and compelling for all readers. The mystery of the powers and identity of the protagonists keeps the reader engaged in the story while the imaginative world and beauty of the language brings the reality of living in a racists society as a black girl into sharp focus. This is a stunning book with much that book clubs and classes could discuss in relation to the current events and larger themes of democracy, equality, and justice. A must have for all high school libraries.