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A review by monetp
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
4.0
"Black and female and a siren is just layers upon layers of trauma." ~ [b:A Song Below Water|39085465|A Song Below Water|Bethany C. Morrow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573233301l/39085465._SY75_.jpg|60654169]
Okay, first of all, this is one of the most gorgeous book covers I have ever seen!!!! This is one of the most anticipated debuts of 2020 and I couldn't believe that I was on the library waitlist for 5 months and only received this book after 4 weeks! Everyone has been reading this novel and RAVING ABOUT IT...and I have to say it lives up to the hype. Not only is the diversity in the novel excellent, but the relationship development, mythology, and real-world revelations are incredible.
Let me start with a few things I enjoyed about the novel. First, the sister / best friend bond between Tavia and Effie is so effortlessly beautiful. I love how these characters communicate with each other (not just with sign language) but by avoiding the overused "miscommunication trope." Instead of wasting plot time by trying to "protect" each other, the girls tell each other everything. This kept the plot focused and direct, which I greatly appreciated. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the twist at the end - omg I did not see that coming with Effie! Very pleased with how her character development and self-discovery storyline unfolded. Also, can I just say how impressive it is that [a:Bethany C. Morrow|14685233|Bethany C. Morrow|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1511337313p2/14685233.jpg] managed to create a fictional gargoyle character that was engaging and interesting?! What I loved most about this story was the commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement, specifically the commentary on what it means to be a woman in the world today. As someone who loves reading about intersectional feminism, I felt that this novel could be used as a tool to study modern interpretations of feminism in literature.
As for my critiques, I don't have critiques so much as some confusion. Since I've never read about this kind of mythology before, I had trouble understanding it. Specifically, the siren storyline was straightforward but I felt that the elokos were never explained. I've never heard this term before. I'd love to see Morrow dive into the mythology of elokos more because they sound fascinating! I didn't comprehend why sirens were persecuted more often than elokos; was it because of race? There was so much mythology being poured into this novel that I struggled to keep up. I'm hoping Morrow speaks more about her use of siren mythology in the future!
Okay, first of all, this is one of the most gorgeous book covers I have ever seen!!!! This is one of the most anticipated debuts of 2020 and I couldn't believe that I was on the library waitlist for 5 months and only received this book after 4 weeks! Everyone has been reading this novel and RAVING ABOUT IT...and I have to say it lives up to the hype. Not only is the diversity in the novel excellent, but the relationship development, mythology, and real-world revelations are incredible.
Let me start with a few things I enjoyed about the novel. First, the sister / best friend bond between Tavia and Effie is so effortlessly beautiful. I love how these characters communicate with each other (not just with sign language) but by avoiding the overused "miscommunication trope." Instead of wasting plot time by trying to "protect" each other, the girls tell each other everything. This kept the plot focused and direct, which I greatly appreciated. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the twist at the end - omg I did not see that coming with Effie! Very pleased with how her character development and self-discovery storyline unfolded. Also, can I just say how impressive it is that [a:Bethany C. Morrow|14685233|Bethany C. Morrow|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1511337313p2/14685233.jpg] managed to create a fictional gargoyle character that was engaging and interesting?! What I loved most about this story was the commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement, specifically the commentary on what it means to be a woman in the world today. As someone who loves reading about intersectional feminism, I felt that this novel could be used as a tool to study modern interpretations of feminism in literature.
As for my critiques, I don't have critiques so much as some confusion. Since I've never read about this kind of mythology before, I had trouble understanding it. Specifically, the siren storyline was straightforward but I felt that the elokos were never explained. I've never heard this term before. I'd love to see Morrow dive into the mythology of elokos more because they sound fascinating! I didn't comprehend why sirens were persecuted more often than elokos; was it because of race? There was so much mythology being poured into this novel that I struggled to keep up. I'm hoping Morrow speaks more about her use of siren mythology in the future!