“Morrow masterfully blends the real lives of Black girls in contemporary Portland with a mythic world of sirens, gargoyles and other supernatural creatures to create a compelling coming-of-age story in which two sisters, bound by love and fate, find their voices and their power.” ―Rebecca Roanhorse, Hugo, Nebula and John W. The best YA novel I’ve read all year.” ―Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper A Song Below Water somehow manages to be intensely happy and sad at the same time and all in the balance of great, riveting storytelling. Morrow delivers a blistering modern classic with this gorgeous tale of friendship and power.

“I love this book so, so much! Bethany C. An enthralling tale of black girl magic and searing social commentary ready to rattle the bones.” ―Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles series “A watery and melodic crossroads of the real and the mythic, A Song Below Water lures readers with its seductive and beautifully black siren song. Morrow elevates mermaids and sirens to legitimate and compelling vanguards for social change.” ― School Library Journal “Morrow has deftly woven a contemporary tale with mythical elements to take on the invisibility and marginalization of Black women, touching on issues such as misogynoir, body image, social justice, and generational trauma. A Song Below Water is a must-read for lovers of fantasy and contemporary stories alike. It looks like the second book in the series, A CHORUS RISES, came out in 2021, and follows one of the side characters from this book.“Morrow expertly and smartly explores race, bigotry, oppression, and injustice against a backdrop of ordinary life with a dose of the supernatural added to the mix. I’m absolutely sure I will read more by Bethany C.

I think I bought a copy of this book the year it came out, but it took me a long time to finally get to it. This book drew me right in, and I desperately needed to know what was going to happen. The story stays centered around Tavia and Effie, following them as they learn to use their voices and find confidence in who they are. Both Effie and Tavia felt like unique characters, too, with different voices, but they also felt deeply connected by their relationship.Ī SONG BELOW WATER is one of those books that might start off a little slow, but it’s not long before the tension starts building pretty high. They all made the story so rich and interesting. Effie’s relationship with her grandparents. The characters in general hooked me into the story. A lot of the story has to do with figuring out some of the things Effie is experiencing, which isn’t mentioned at all in the copy. It’s told from both Effie and Tavia’s perspectives, which I loved. I kind of feel like the cover copy sells this story a bit short.

A song below water characters