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ashleibby613's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Racism, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
talislibrary's review
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Whilst I think this YA was aimed at the lower end of that bracket, and therefore I was not the target audience, I did enjoy this story. In this multiple-perspective story, you follow Tavia and Effie who show that family doesn't need shared blood. Rich with mythology, A song below water introduces sirens, mermaids and more to our world. The ending was a little rushed for me, not giving me the satisfaction I wanted, but the rest of the book more than made up for it. Bonus - I learnt so much about caring for black hair which was a pleasant surprise!
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Mental illness
rini's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality and Racism
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Ableism, Stalking, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
thewildmageslibrary's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I'll admit the first third-ish of this book seemed to drag. However, when it picks up, it was difficult to stop reading! Tavia and Effie have a wonderful sister bond and I loved the way they had each other's backs. The discourse on racism, hate crimes, and what it means to be a Black woman hits. I did NOT see the big reveal coming until right before it happened. I love the ending and thought it was perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide
onemamareads's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Suicide
typedtruths's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
quick thoughts:
of all the books to be disappointed by, i really didn't think this would be the one.
PROS:
• the sisterhood. i'm a sucker for family in books, and Effie & Tavia's sisterly relationship was a big focus of this story. also, the emphasis on bond > blood was perfect.
• the premise & themes. the idea of using mythological creatures as a metaphor for misogynoir worked so well, especially how siren powers were used to justify Black women being silenced. it did a good job of exploring sexism & racism, including a really powerful protest scene.
• urban fantasy elements. as much as i adore a good werewolf, fae & vampire urban fantasy, the fact we had gargoyles, elokos & sirens instead added a different layer.
CONS:
• the plot. the clunky, disjointed way scenes jumped around made the dozens of subplots knot in an impossible tangle. i could barely follow what the hell was happening at any given point. i read the last 50 pages twice and i still couldn't explain the ending.
• the world-building. while i adored the bare bones of the premise, the execution was lacking. i don't usually mind being thrown into a world and slowly piecing the world together from context, but when there is no context or any background, it makes it a little difficult to follow.
• the writing. my personal preference for writing styles sways more toward the lush, descriptive side. the pacing was so rapid, there was no time to build the landscapes or develop the characters in the way i personally prefer. i live for those slower moments so the fact i couldn't picture anything pulled me out of the story. i also hated how the characters explained their jokes in parenthesis.
• the characters. if the chapters weren't labelled, i don't think i could have told effie & tavia apart. their voices weren't distinctive.
- the secondary characters. i can't lie, i liked wallace but i don't know why. we know nothing about him! or any of the characters really. the cast fell flat.
there is no denying this is an important read, however, so i recommend reading some #ownvoices reviews. you can check out leelynn @ sometimes leelynn reads's review here and sammie @ the bookwyrm's den's review here.
▷ Representation: Tavia (mc) & Effie (mc) Black; Wallace (li) Latinx; Black & BIPOC scs.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram
of all the books to be disappointed by, i really didn't think this would be the one.
PROS:
• the sisterhood. i'm a sucker for family in books, and Effie & Tavia's sisterly relationship was a big focus of this story. also, the emphasis on bond > blood was perfect.
• the premise & themes. the idea of using mythological creatures as a metaphor for misogynoir worked so well, especially how siren powers were used to justify Black women being silenced. it did a good job of exploring sexism & racism, including a really powerful protest scene.
• urban fantasy elements. as much as i adore a good werewolf, fae & vampire urban fantasy, the fact we had gargoyles, elokos & sirens instead added a different layer.
CONS:
• the plot. the clunky, disjointed way scenes jumped around made the dozens of subplots knot in an impossible tangle. i could barely follow what the hell was happening at any given point. i read the last 50 pages twice and i still couldn't explain the ending.
• the world-building. while i adored the bare bones of the premise, the execution was lacking. i don't usually mind being thrown into a world and slowly piecing the world together from context, but when there is no context or any background, it makes it a little difficult to follow.
• the writing. my personal preference for writing styles sways more toward the lush, descriptive side. the pacing was so rapid, there was no time to build the landscapes or develop the characters in the way i personally prefer. i live for those slower moments so the fact i couldn't picture anything pulled me out of the story. i also hated how the characters explained their jokes in parenthesis.
• the characters. if the chapters weren't labelled, i don't think i could have told effie & tavia apart. their voices weren't distinctive.
- the secondary characters. i can't lie, i liked wallace but i don't know why. we know nothing about him! or any of the characters really. the cast fell flat.
there is no denying this is an important read, however, so i recommend reading some #ownvoices reviews. you can check out leelynn @ sometimes leelynn reads's review here and sammie @ the bookwyrm's den's review here.
▷ Representation: Tavia (mc) & Effie (mc) Black; Wallace (li) Latinx; Black & BIPOC scs.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, and Suicide
Moderate: Police brutality, Self harm, and Bullying
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
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