Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Nevermind she's also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls' favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she's also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore- soon Portland won't be either.
There are two things I appreciated most about A SONG BELOW WATER. One of them was the social justice conversation woven into the story. Yes, yes, yes, and thank you to Bethany C. Morrow for sharing that aspect with her readers. The other aspect I really liked was the variety of mythical creatures she chose to weave into her world. No vampires and werewolves in Portland - instead, we've got sirens and eloko and mermaids and more. Loved that.
However, if you're not familiar with some of this less seen mythology, the magic in this book may leave the reader a little lost. It's well worth spending the time to dig in and familiarize yourself with a being once its mentioned because A SONG BELOW WATER takes off running and doesn't necessarily wait for the reader to catch up. It's worth sticking with it, though, because the characters are powerful and inspiring and the story is creative and the messages are important.
All in all, I liked this book a lot and I'm looking forward to the companion novel in the spring!
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Reading updates
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Started reading
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3 September, 2020:
Finished reading
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3 September, 2020:
Reviewed