A Song Below Water

Hello, and welcome to the second installment of Ariel’s Arcs – a guest segment on Kriti’s Armed With a Book. I am sharing about A Song Below Water by Bethany C Morrow today.

Setting:

Let’s go to modern-day Portland, Oregon– but with a twist. This alternate universe of A Song Below Water brings readers to an urban fantasy where sirens, eloko, sprites, and gargoyles roam freely as people go about their lives. In this world, sirens are seen as dangerous and manipulative on a societal level, and much has been done to quell their threat: such as silencing collars and protective ear plugs. There are other human cryptids like eloko, who use bells to hypnotize potential victims, but they are given societal privilege and seen as harmless. It is through this world that our characters maneuver through their coming-of-age adventures.

Summary of A Song Below Water:

Tavia and Effie just want to get through their next high school year. Adopted sisters and also best friends, they’re fiercely protective of each other’s secrets. Tavia is secretly a siren, and she must be hidden by a protective network in order for her to enjoy everyday freedoms. Effie doesn’t know what is going on with her strange health-related issues, but she tries her best to forget them by escaping to the community pool to swim and feel free from life’s worries. She fights traumatic memories as best as she can, while also trying to uncover family secrets. 

Thoughts:

This book is a wonderfully written young adult drama that utilizes mythological cryptids such as eloko and sirens to explore the nuances and intersectionality of racism and sexism. There is a bit of contemporary young adult fiction within the plot that addresses the daily life of teens in high school, and the high school elements are major components of the plot. The pacing in the first two thirds of the book were good, but the final third of the book amps up to a wonderful conclusion that made me extremely happy with the book as a whole. 

I picked up this book because not only did the premise sound wonderful but the cover is so beautifully designed I could not resist! Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys modern/urban fantasy in the young adult genre, and also for anyone who enjoys young adult with social commentary like Angie Thomas or Elizabeth Acevedo.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teens for providing me the arc for review!

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Final Rating:

★★★★

** Be sure to preorder or check out A Song Below Water when it is published on June 3rd, 2020! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle

Cover image: Photo on Pixabay