4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

A Chorus Rises is the followup to last year’s A Song Below Water, which is definitely recommended reading before picking up this one. The events of the two books are very heavily linked, and it also helps to get to Naema, who played a major supporting role in that book, with ASBW’s co-protagonist, Tavia, now in a supporting role here.

Given that Naema was kind of the mean girl in book one, I was intrigued by how Bethany C. Morrow developed her character here. She’s flawed, and I’m glad it’s not a case where “she’s just misunderstood by the other characters,” with her own POV completely being out of character. She’s dealing with the fallout of her actions from the prior book, and in the process comes to discover more about herself due to being ostracized.

I also liked how her character fed into the concept of toxic fan culture, as that comes to the forefront when some fans take their mission to protect her too far by hurting innocent Black girls and women. It also continues the conversations around racism posed in the first book, but also dipping into the issue of gender roles, especially those of the archetypal white women in relation to whiteness and the masculinity of Black men, and where Black women fit into the conversation.

Of the two books, I definitely liked this one more, due to the complexity of Naema’s character, although ASBW has grown on me more since I’ve read it. Bethany C. Morrow impeccably blends our fantastical elements with a narrative reflecting the present and all the issues young Black women face. If you enjoyed ASBW, I encourage you to give this a chance, even if you don’t like Naema, as the character growth is excellent.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

Not gonna lie, when I finished A SONG BELOW WATER, I was fully on board the #TeamTavia bandwagon and thought Naema was just a spoiled rich mean girl. And here comes Morrow with a second book in this world and she's got me all turned around. Because now it's not that I'm no longer on Tavia's side, it's that I'm also on Naema's side and realizing there's way more depth to her than I gave her credit for in the first book.

I'm grateful to Morrow for giving readers the chance to get to know Naema. And for taking the racial justice dialogue one step further, it needs to be said, and it needs to be heard - screamed louder for the folx in the back. This is such an important series to read and Morrow is a master of storytelling it was wonderful being back inside this narrative and able to spend more time with these characters.

This was such an interesting novel. For the first half, maybe, I couldn't stand the main character, Naema. She was such a rich, entitled, privileged b*tch. Her previous interactions with Effie and Tavia certainly didn't help. But... over the course of the novel she slowly expanded her worldview and started to change. Very slowly, and very reluctantly, but she soon became someone I could cheer on and be fully invested in. Because underneath all the awfulness, she cares. Deeply. And not, as it first appears, just for herself.

I questioned Bethany Morrow's judgement in making Naema the protagonist of this follow-up novel, but I have to admit it was a genius move. I actually ended up liking this novel more than the first one. Its exploration of race and privilege and how they intersect was thorough, brutal, and enjoyable. I will definitely be reading her future novels.

The audiobook was excellent, and the narrator captured Naema's voice perfectly from beginning to end. The other character voices were also excellent, and it was a joy to listen to.

*Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Tor-Forge, and MacMillan audio for providing an e-arc and audiobook arc for review.

I'm not having very good luck with books lately. I enjoyed A Song Below Water, but I'm having a hard time with A Chorus Rises. I was hoping that there would be more explanation / world-building, but the fantasy element is still pretty minimal. I love the concept of these books, but they get a little confusing at times. Naema is frustrating as a main character, and I had a more difficult time getting invested.

I liked this book. The main character; Naema Bradshaw is well crafted. It's easy to connect and sympathize with her. If you are looking for a character driven book than I do recommend it.

I enjoyed Bethany C. Morrow’s A Song Below Water, so I gladly took a review copy for Morrow’s latest, A Chorus Rises. A Chorus Rises is set in the same universe as A Song Below Water, and I honestly didn’t look further than that when I put in the review request.

That may have been a blessing. Imagine my surprise when I opened A Chorus Rises and found it centered on Naema Bradshaw. Naema was the “mean girl” from A Song Below Water. At first, I hoped her sections would be balanced by portions of the story from another character’s POV. While I agree that protagonist’s don’t have to be likeable, I was squarely in Tavia’s corner in book one. And from the outset, Naema makes it clear she doesn’t regret her actions during the events that led up to the stoning on the night of the junior prom.

The thing is, Naema has such a strong voice I was pulled into the narrative. While early on, part of me wanted to see someone teach her a lesson, Morrow had better things in mind than revenge. Naema’s journey is an unexpected one that brings her full circle and forces her to confront some of her own regrets.

I definitely don’t want to give away the plot. This is a story that sneaks up on you. It doesn’t always feel like a highly plot-driven story, which is fine, but the author does an excellent job of tying things together and making everything relevant. Instead of a scenario where adults constantly try to change Naema or correct her, she’s usually indulged and pampered. It isn’t until she steps outside her comfort zone and interacts with people who don’t treat her like she’s special that she really examines herself, her relationships with others, and the role she’s played in some of the conflict in her life.

Naema’s extremely self-confident. There’s a fine line between confidence and conceit, and part of me had a hard time relating to someone who seemed so full of themselves. Ultimately, though, Naema’s personality is a critical factor in the outcome of the plot. When she’s forced to make a choice about where she stands, it’s Naema’s self-confidence and security in her identity that enables her to confront her own actions and stand up to others. Naema shows what she’s really about, and it isn’t getting revenge or being worshipped.

This book can and should inspire whole essays. Morrow doesn’t shy away from the way people perceive “mean girls” or how popularity affects perception. Naema realizes people can use prejudice against sirens to conceal their racism. Yes, it’s possible for people who’re saying something you agree with to be wrong about other things. Her confidence never waivers, but her experiences force her to think about people other than herself and how her actions could affect them. Morrow also develops Elokos more in this novel, adding to our knowledge about their abilities.

Morrow also underscores a critical truth. We won’t be friends with everybody, and when you don’t get along with someone it can be just as simple as a personality clash. It doesn’t mean that person’s evil.

I think it’s a great thing that I wasn’t a Naema fan from the start of this book, because Morrow crafted an engaging tale that was almost impossible to put down and won me over. I stayed up late in the night, finishing this story in two days, and it’s stayed with me. I highly recommend it. 5/5 stars.

I didn't realize this was a sequel, and I haven't read the first book. Perhaps the color schemes or subjects of the covers could be more similar? Did not finish.

3.5 Stars

*There are spoilers for A Song Below Water in this review*

In this sequel to A Song Below Water, teen influencer, Naema Bradshaw is cast as the bad person who exposed a siren’s powers. As she’s being dragged by the media, she has no one in her court, not even her friends or her Eloko community. But Naema isn’t deterred from her mission of getting the truth out there about what really happened between her and Tavia last year.

I’m not going to lie- I didn’t realize this was a sequel until about halfway through the book. The reason for that being 1) I don’t *fully* read book summaries usually and 2) Bethany Morrow did such a fantastic job at retelling the events of A Song Below Water that I just thought these memories weren’t told previously. At no point did I feel confused, and I think that really speaks to Morrow’s skill as a writer. I did, however, go back and read A Song Below Water and then finish the second half of this book.

Let’s talk characters. Our main character, Naema, is angry at the world and at Tavia and Effie, who turned her to stone in A Song Below Water. Since that event, Naema has been dealing with the trauma of being ostracized from her Eloko community and her friends. She is dealing with the trauma of being turned to stone. Morrow writes about healing from trauma in a respectful, informative, and accurate way. Anyone who has dealt with PTSD or trauma can absolutely relate to Naema and her healing process.

Throughout the book, Naema really grows as a character. At the beginning, there were times where I found her obnoxious and unlikeable, but I think that it had more to do with the fact that I didn’t love her internal monologue. By the middle of the book, I really liked Naema’s character and was absolutely rooting for her to achieve her goals.

The thing that really bugged me about the writing style of A Chorus Rises is that a lot of the book was Naema’s internal monologue. I felt that a lot of it was superfluous, a little whiny, and at times repetitive. I think if there was less monologue and more action, I would have liked the book more than I did. I also felt that there were several chapters where just nothing happened, so I did get bored from time to time.

This book really does an awesome job at discussing topics such as racism, PTSD, anxiety, and gentrification. There were a lot of plot points that surrounded being a black woman in a racist America that were extremely poignant, raw, and powerful.

If you enjoyed A Song Below Water, you would love A Chorus Rises. I felt that it really tied in very nicely and gave a different perspective on Naema and the events that preceded it.

📚 A CHORUS RISES is the sequel to A SONG BELOW WATER, and it's tough to talk about the plot without spoiling the first book, so I'm going to be a little vague.
📚 This book is much more about internal exploration for Naema as she navigates the fallout of the first book's events, so it moves much slower, but I greatly enjoyed getting to know her.
📚 This book is more complicated and messy than the first one, but still no less true to life, magical beings aside. Every time you think Morrow can't fold in another aspect of modern life, she does, and it's spectacular.
📚 It was quite heartbreaking to watch Naema discover that her Eloko identity quickly takes a backseat when people decide her Blackness is more important (in a bad way). However, it was in equal measure heart-filling to see her find home in her family and her ancestors.

First of all, the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous.

While this is the second book in the *A Song Below Water* series, I found that I was able to piece together the events that had happened in *A Song Below Water* as they affected Naema Bradshaw, the antagonist of *A Song Below Water,* fairly easily*.*

Naema is an Eloko, a person gifted with a magical voice that entrances anyone who hears it. She's beloved in Portland, where she's a bit of a local celebrity on an app for Eloko. That is, until she's revealed to the media as the person who exposed Tavia as a secret siren. This book is about the fallout of what had happened in *A Song Below Water,* and takes place a year after the events that happened.

I found Naema's character arc to be satisfying (for a book that takes place over the course of about a week) and realistic. While she grated on my nerves a bit in the beginning with the way that she was accusing everyone of betraying her, I found the conclusion that Naema comes to as she grows and learns what it means to be an Eloko, what it means to be an influencer, and what it means to be a black girl were all wonderfully done. I also appreciated that she eventually comes to understand the issues in her actions from *A Song Below Water,* and how she's able to use her platform for something bigger than herself later on.

I loved the commentary throughout the book about various themes, which I thought were done really well. I loved the worldbuilding in this story, especially as Naema makes her journey, both the magical worldbuilding and cultural worldbuilding, especially as it relates to all of Naema's identities.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for the ARC.

I am sorry to say I was disappointed by this book - not because it was bad, but because it was not what I expected. I was expecting a sequel to Song Below Water, which is a fantasy novel about sirens and gorgons, and those who interact with and protect them. And this is, indeed, a sequel - but it is not a fantasy novel. It is a novel about acceptance and racism, about fitting in and being yourself - but the magic that I so enjoyed in the previous novel is virtually nonexistent in this one. This doesn't make it a bad book - it's a very good book - but it is not a true sequel to its predecessor. It is the story of Naema Bradshaw, dealing with the aftermath of the events in Song Below Water - but without magic, except for knowing about her family without ever having been taught, and something that could have been done (granted, with effort) without magic. I started this novel looking for sirens and gorgons, for the continuing story of how sirens and gorgons and their protectors fit into society, as an analogy for racism that omitted specific races, making the story more accessible to anyone who had experience any time of prejudice, and instead got an insightful novel about racism, particularly about how racism is experienced by young Black women, about growing up, and about the influence of social media on peoples' lives.

This is a good thing, and a good novel - but those who are looking for a true sequel to Song Below Water won't find it here, and since that's what I was looking for, I was disappointed. Read this as a stand-alone novel, without expecting it to have the magic of the first book, and you will enjoy it a great deal more.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book for free.

A Chorus Rises is a book about Elokos, Sirens, and Gorgons who live among us. Naema exposes a Siren and the becomes an outcast in her community.

I could not get into this book. The first few chapters were confusing to me, despite the exposition-heavy “news article” in the second chapter. The premise was interesting but I just couldn’t get into it. Did not finish.

EDIT: I just looked this book up on Goodreads, and realized that it is book two in a series. Wish I’d known that before starting it! No wonder it didn’t make a lot of sense.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for the eARC.

I enjoyed it.
It spoke to me generally about three things:
•Community
•Identity
•Racism

Naema deserves some accolades. Going through all that and still protecting this community she so loves but betrayed her.
Rookie, siren and gorgon.
Black magic is everything.
Love always has that magic.
Her comeback reunites family and friends, exposes the knights and ensures the safety of a black girl.

“Sometimes when you’re strong, people don’t think you get hurt. They don’t think to help you unless you ask.”

I'll be honest, when I requested this book I didn't realize it was part of a series. I decided to read on anyways as it was said to also work as a standalone but I gotta say I disagree on this a little bit. The book starts after a big event that happened at the end of the first book and follows the fallout from it. I regret to say this falls into my 'did not finish' pile. I wanted to enjoy it, but the more I read, the more unclear I got about the story and the characters and their powers. I'm honestly still not quite sure what an Eloko is and what their powers are.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. I don't read Fantasy as much as I would like because I am a happy ever after chaser but this book changed my opinion. A Chorus Rises is the sequel to A Song Below Water by the same author and tells the story of Naema a famous influencer who we met in A Song Below Water. She is no longer famous or loved as she has been replaced with a siren called Tavia. Throughout the book, we follow her as she tries to understand who she is. This book will hook you and it's okay if you walk into closed doors. Read it when it comes out and BUY it because the cover is just worth it

The original story is one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far, and this follow up/companion title is just as magical and enchanting as its' predecessor

Having not enjoyed A Song Below Water because of the plot, I expected to really enjoy A Chorus Rises. In this book, we follow Naema, a character who appeared in the previous A Song Below Water, someone who kind of ruined Tavia and Effie’s lives. I thought it’d be a good redemption story, seeing as I’m a sucker for redemption arcs. But all I got was another mediocre YA story with unlikeable characters. I love reading YA stories don’t get me wrong, but when they’re unlikeable I cannot under them as annoying teens. It might be this series that just doesn’t work with me- I hope that’s what it is because I love mermaid books and I do think the author can write very interesting plot lines. But the dialogue, character actions (specifically Naema incapable of regretting what she did for most of the book), and overall character development simply didn’t work with me. A Chorus Rises is a great sequel though, for those who enjoyed A Song Below Water.

I loved this book. I loved being back into the world of eloki and sirens. The message of this book is great and I really felt for all the characters. It was also a good change getting to know the “mean girl”.

I wouldn’t say no to another book set in this universe as I feel like there is so much more to explore and learn about.

i was not a fan of naema in a song below water (like most people), so i was interested to get more of her in this book & see what i thought about her. she's your mean girl-esque type character, but what bothered me about her in the first book wasn't that, but what she did to tavia & effie. i love that bethany c. morrow didn't completely change her character to make her this nice, perfect person. she's still a mean girl; she's a bad b, knows it, & is unapologetic about it, but still ultimately owns up to her mistakes. her character development, specifically the things she learned about herself & her magic, was great. & the ancestral magic! so pretty and cool i loved reading about it. i do think the plot was a bit slow and then somewhat rushed at the end, but i did like the way things ended up. the writing/pace could be disorienting at times too & i'd have to reread sentences to figure out what was being said. overall enjoyed it though.

also apparently this can be read as a standalone? but i would definitely recommend reading the first book because i would think it'd be pretty confusing to jump into this book without the background/context of the first one.

Disclaimer: I received A Chorus Rises free of charge from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge. It was my choice to read and review.

After recently finishing A Song Below Water, I was excited to dive into this one. But, it did not live up to my expectations.

At first, when I started reading and saw it was going to be from Naema's point of view, I thought we might have a "Nesta" moment in this book. Meaning that this character, who readers didn't like from her mean girl attitude in the other book might redeem herself and we might understand her a bit more and dare I say even like her?? Unfortunately, the impact of Naema's journey did not hit me the way I was hoping it would. I did like the way it ended and enjoyed some of the last scenes but was left thinking "meh" instead of "wow" like I was hoping.

I already thought the first book could have had more detailed world-building so this one was a huge disappointment and didn't really add anything in terms of world-building. Also, the scenes from the first one I liked that had magical and mythological creatures and elements were nonexistent in this one so it didn't feel like it belonged in the same series.



Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Stalking