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briely's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Suicide attempt and Police brutality
daya_fae's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Firstly this book did a great job at double POV from two totally different characters. I felt like I was fully stepping into each of Tavia and Effie’s separate narratives and emotions. I was worried at first that this book would be more of Tavia’s story with Effie just being the side character who occasionally gets her own POV to so her side of the narrative. But no at the end it was equal both of their story even though it started with Tavia’s more extreme issue. Secondly I have mix emotions on how the main conflicts were solved. On one hand having the characters clearly state that a lot of fighting would still need to be done was a great way to end this story. On the other hand some of the main characters who were very off but by the Supernatural/Magical seem to eager to get comfortable with the new way of life the story ends on. With the way it ended also made me excited for the series to continue. I can’t wait to read “A Chorus Rises”. I also do hope in the future the author releases another book about Tavia and Effie’s college years and see if anything has greatly changed in their society.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality and Racism
shadereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
It's very slow to start and I'm having trouble getting into it. I generally have trouble with YA contemporary and this feels more YA contemporary/fantasy than I'd like.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Death, Racism, Murder, and Sexism
Minor: Self harm
TW for Harry Potter reference.jessthanthree's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, and Bullying
bobby_obiviously's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
bibliorama's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Enjoyment - 3.75
This has an interesting premise and pulls in different mythical creatures that aren't typically shown in most media. I think that fits well with the themes. This book is definitely a message book rather than a fantasy focused one and its setting is a contemporary Portland. The lives of the teenagers seem to be fairly normal, just with the occasional magical creature thrown in. I like this combination of real and fantasy, it just was hard to get a full grasp of how these magical aspects fit into our real world. This is partly because the main perspectives aren't outsiders to this world and and their first person narrative doesn't tend to offer more information beyond what is needed for the scene at hand. There are leaps that I could make though considering the real-world conflicts this book touches on, so I could work through what some of the mythical aspects are supposed to represent. Granted, it didn't feel like we got to see a lot of magic being used because Tavia is trying to hide hers and Effie doesn't know what hers even is. Mainly, I feel like this book would have been able to hit harder if it had an extra 100 pages. It jumped from point to point so quickly that I really wanted some of the books scenes to have breathing space. It also hit a lot of its points on the head and felt like it didn't trust me as the reader to understand the metaphors of the magic, particularly how the siren voices relate to the voices of black women. However, some people might want that overt messaging. The best part of this book by far were the characterizations of Tav and Effie.
Start - 3.75
I liked the start, it really drops you in the world and expects you to pick up the magical creatures as you go. The magic comes second to the struggles of being a black girl in America, and I think from the opening the book is clear on that point. I also think that Tavia's struggles with her siren nature are introduced really well.
Characters - 3
I really like Tavia and Effie. They are so specific and youget to know a lot of details about their lives from their hair to interests, to how they feel about their family relationships. They felt very real and I love when characters have those small traits about them that bring them to life. For Effie it was her itchy skin, while for her the issue is magic related, it was described so realistically. Maybe it helped that this time of year my skin absolutely hates me as well, but I digress. For Tavia, I enjoyed her talking about her love of hair, and youtube, and choir. Their sisterhood and love is also very real and I liked getting to see such a healthy depiction of friendship. The reason that this category is lower than what it sounds like it should be is because all of the side characters fell flat. They felt far more 2 dimensional in comparison, especially when they're put up against Tavia and Effie and how fleshed out they were.
Atmosphere - 3.5
Like I said early, I like the idea of combining these mythical beings and the modern world. I even like how a lot of the creatures had twists to them and weren't cookie-cutter from the myths. I just didn't like the full execution of how these elements were conveyed to the reader. Some of it felt like it was more confusing than it needed to be and some felt like pieces of information were missing. Personally, the Eloko's didn't feel fleshed out. Not that it felt like the author didn't know how they interacted with the world, just that it wasn't written very specific. They seem to be liked by everyone but how their power works and why people are okay with what seems like influence over others (but not being okay with the influence of sirens) I wish had more time to be explored.
Plot - 2
This is the lowest score and the main contributor to my overall feelings. This book is pretty short for how much ground it's trying to cover. This leads it to feel like it jumps from major-plot-point to major-plot-point. It doesn't have the smaller scenes that let its ideas and plot develop fully. It also jumps time a lot moving us forward too rapidly. The fact that it is also told in first person perspective gives some of the scenes a more stream of consciousness feel which sometimes seems to lead the focus of the reader towards non important things. Which can make some of what it talks about confusing, like "why are we now here when we were just there?" Hopefully my description even makes sense XD. If not we can all be jumbled together.
Ending - 3.75
I think it's resolved too quickly and some of its points I don't feel were foreshadowed enough, but I like the idea of how all of these points came together by the end. I could see why they were all brought up by the end, but like I said earlier another 100 pages I really think would've done this story a service.
Style - 2.5
Combined with the stream of consciousness feel, so many plot points it was trying to cover, plus the sometimes heavy-handed writing, it didn't feel like the strongest part. I enjoyed pieces of it, mostly when we got to see the girls experiencing their magic. Those moments felt compelling. I also really liked the writing involving the little kid statues in the park, how they got there and the resolution that comes from them. Those moments were some of my favorite. They felt really grounded and unique.
Overall - 3
This has an interesting premise and pulls in different mythical creatures that aren't typically shown in most media. I think that fits well with the themes. This book is definitely a message book rather than a fantasy focused one and its setting is a contemporary Portland. The lives of the teenagers seem to be fairly normal, just with the occasional magical creature thrown in. I like this combination of real and fantasy, it just was hard to get a full grasp of how these magical aspects fit into our real world. This is partly because the main perspectives aren't outsiders to this world and and their first person narrative doesn't tend to offer more information beyond what is needed for the scene at hand. There are leaps that I could make though considering the real-world conflicts this book touches on, so I could work through what some of the mythical aspects are supposed to represent. Granted, it didn't feel like we got to see a lot of magic being used because Tavia is trying to hide hers and Effie doesn't know what hers even is. Mainly, I feel like this book would have been able to hit harder if it had an extra 100 pages. It jumped from point to point so quickly that I really wanted some of the books scenes to have breathing space. It also hit a lot of its points on the head and felt like it didn't trust me as the reader to understand the metaphors of the magic, particularly how the siren voices relate to the voices of black women. However, some people might want that overt messaging. The best part of this book by far were the characterizations of Tav and Effie.
Start - 3.75
I liked the start, it really drops you in the world and expects you to pick up the magical creatures as you go. The magic comes second to the struggles of being a black girl in America, and I think from the opening the book is clear on that point. I also think that Tavia's struggles with her siren nature are introduced really well.
Characters - 3
I really like Tavia and Effie. They are so specific and youget to know a lot of details about their lives from their hair to interests, to how they feel about their family relationships. They felt very real and I love when characters have those small traits about them that bring them to life. For Effie it was her itchy skin, while for her the issue is magic related, it was described so realistically. Maybe it helped that this time of year my skin absolutely hates me as well, but I digress. For Tavia, I enjoyed her talking about her love of hair, and youtube, and choir. Their sisterhood and love is also very real and I liked getting to see such a healthy depiction of friendship. The reason that this category is lower than what it sounds like it should be is because all of the side characters fell flat. They felt far more 2 dimensional in comparison, especially when they're put up against Tavia and Effie and how fleshed out they were.
Atmosphere - 3.5
Like I said early, I like the idea of combining these mythical beings and the modern world. I even like how a lot of the creatures had twists to them and weren't cookie-cutter from the myths. I just didn't like the full execution of how these elements were conveyed to the reader. Some of it felt like it was more confusing than it needed to be and some felt like pieces of information were missing. Personally, the Eloko's didn't feel fleshed out. Not that it felt like the author didn't know how they interacted with the world, just that it wasn't written very specific. They seem to be liked by everyone but how their power works and why people are okay with what seems like influence over others (but not being okay with the influence of sirens) I wish had more time to be explored.
Plot - 2
This is the lowest score and the main contributor to my overall feelings. This book is pretty short for how much ground it's trying to cover. This leads it to feel like it jumps from major-plot-point to major-plot-point. It doesn't have the smaller scenes that let its ideas and plot develop fully. It also jumps time a lot moving us forward too rapidly. The fact that it is also told in first person perspective gives some of the scenes a more stream of consciousness feel which sometimes seems to lead the focus of the reader towards non important things. Which can make some of what it talks about confusing, like "why are we now here when we were just there?" Hopefully my description even makes sense XD. If not we can all be jumbled together.
Ending - 3.75
I think it's resolved too quickly and some of its points I don't feel were foreshadowed enough, but I like the idea of how all of these points came together by the end. I could see why they were all brought up by the end, but like I said earlier another 100 pages I really think would've done this story a service.
Style - 2.5
Combined with the stream of consciousness feel, so many plot points it was trying to cover, plus the sometimes heavy-handed writing, it didn't feel like the strongest part. I enjoyed pieces of it, mostly when we got to see the girls experiencing their magic. Those moments felt compelling. I also really liked the writing involving the little kid statues in the park, how they got there and the resolution that comes from them. Those moments were some of my favorite. They felt really grounded and unique.
Overall - 3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death of parent, Hate crime, Police brutality, Murder, Racism, and Grief
Some of these tags seem like they'd be quite intense, but the book handles them all in a way where they aren't in such explicit detail or over sensational. I think high schoolers would be able to handle the content of this book, they might just need to talk about some of it afterwards.haylzno's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
High schoolers Effie and Tavia not only have to navigate their way through high school life as teenagers but also as mystical creatures that are often ostracized and discriminated against. The two girls use their sisterly bond to help each other through pressing times and personal changes.
I very much enjoyed the magical realism of this book. I imagine that if sirens and serpents and gargoyles were incorporated in todays social atmosphere that it would be very much like this novel. Racism and xenophobia are always hard to read about but just it's important that these issues be talked about.
I wish there was a tad more about the sirens outside of the high school POV, but overall I enjoyed this novel. The narrators were fantastic!
I very much enjoyed the magical realism of this book. I imagine that if sirens and serpents and gargoyles were incorporated in todays social atmosphere that it would be very much like this novel. Racism and xenophobia are always hard to read about but just it's important that these issues be talked about.
I wish there was a tad more about the sirens outside of the high school POV, but overall I enjoyed this novel. The narrators were fantastic!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Death of parent, Child death, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Because fantasy is not my typical genre, I had a hard time understanding some of the different types of characters that came up and the world building wasn’t as encompassing as I would’ve liked for it to be. That said, the allegory used to connect this fantasy story to present day was incredibly powerful. I loved the characters, Tavia & Effie, and their bravery, their commitment to each other, and to being authentically themselves. This was an enjoyable YA book for me and I learned a little about fantasy lit along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
serena_hien's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide attempt