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michaelion's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Bethany C. Morrow, you MUST be a good writer, because I hated this girl so much, I really did, and I still kept reading! Miss Morrow MUST be TALENTED because there are real life people like Naema who I'd have no problem humbling, I don't care for their perspective for how bad or disrespectful of a person they are, and yet I had to finish this one! Props to Morrow!
I am being dramatic; I love me a story from the villain's perspective (although it is weird to call a kid a villain, even if it's true). In fact I couldn't go 5 pages without leaving a note about something that made me laugh or made me angry or a comment about something happening in the world. Usually if something is so bad it's good I'll comment that but this book and series are just good. Like okay good not excellent or superb. Like a pleasant okay good.
I had similar issues for this book as I did the first one (the world building isn't fleshed out (although I do understand it more the second time round now), the back half of the book hooked me a lot more than the first half then it was over so quick). I think it's a good message for the youths to be aware of though, and my teenage self would've ate this up.
For the third book, let Naema say fuck. She needs it, PLEASE. Let her express herself!
I am being dramatic; I love me a story from the villain's perspective (although it is weird to call a kid a villain, even if it's true). In fact I couldn't go 5 pages without leaving a note about something that made me laugh or made me angry or a comment about something happening in the world. Usually if something is so bad it's good I'll comment that but this book and series are just good. Like okay good not excellent or superb. Like a pleasant okay good.
I had similar issues for this book as I did the first one (the world building isn't fleshed out (although I do understand it more the second time round now), the back half of the book hooked me a lot more than the first half then it was over so quick). I think it's a good message for the youths to be aware of though, and my teenage self would've ate this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Racism, Stalking, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Classism and Bullying
anna_wa's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
When I was about to start reading "A Song Below Water", I saw that it had a sequel that I didn't know about. I barely looked at the description before requesting an interlibrary loan for it (since my University library didn't already have it on their own). I saw the word "influencer" and little else, so after finishing the first book, I assumed this was going to be about Camilla Fox.
When I found out it was actually about Naema, I was slightly disappointed but moreso excited. I love media where we get the antagonist's perspective, because almost nobody is mean for no reason at all; they have a reason even if it's not a reason I like or agree with.
The story starts off with Naema a year after she was turned to stone and then subsequently freed from stone. Her popularity with the Portland community who used to love her is in the pits and all the positive attention she used to get just from being Eloko is now turned into negative attention because she was the one who recorded everybody getting turned to stone.
Fed up with Portland, she asks her parents if there's somewhere else she can go for a while since it's the summer and she doesn't have to stay here and go to school. She then goes down to the Pacific Northwest where she meets her cousins, aunts, uncles, and many other relatives who have gathered for the yearly family reunion (a tradition Naema and her parents haven't been part of before, but her mom still contributes to from Portland). Even though they make it clear that she has to be more than just an Eloko to impress them down here, it's through them that she figures out who she really is. Down there, Naema unlocks new magic she never knew she had and she also learns that not all adoration is good adoration and getting revenge on Tavia is not the only thing (or even close to being the most important thing) that matters to her.
It did lose half a star with me because of certain aspects of the ending.I'm all on board with Tavia and Naema teaming up and burying the hatchet. I did, however, get queasy at The Good Cop Who Does The Right Thing In The End character... But nevertheless, I enjoyed this and its predecessor a lot and I hope Morrow writes more YA in the future because I'd love to read it.
When I found out it was actually about Naema, I was slightly disappointed but moreso excited. I love media where we get the antagonist's perspective, because almost nobody is mean for no reason at all; they have a reason even if it's not a reason I like or agree with.
The story starts off with Naema a year after she was turned to stone and then subsequently freed from stone. Her popularity with the Portland community who used to love her is in the pits and all the positive attention she used to get just from being Eloko is now turned into negative attention because she was the one who recorded everybody getting turned to stone.
Fed up with Portland, she asks her parents if there's somewhere else she can go for a while since it's the summer and she doesn't have to stay here and go to school. She then goes down to the Pacific Northwest where she meets her cousins, aunts, uncles, and many other relatives who have gathered for the yearly family reunion (a tradition Naema and her parents haven't been part of before, but her mom still contributes to from Portland). Even though they make it clear that she has to be more than just an Eloko to impress them down here, it's through them that she figures out who she really is. Down there, Naema unlocks new magic she never knew she had and she also learns that not all adoration is good adoration and getting revenge on Tavia is not the only thing (or even close to being the most important thing) that matters to her.
It did lose half a star with me because of certain aspects of the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Stalking and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement and Pedophilia
anna_23's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
Moderate: Stalking
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