A review by claudiamacpherson
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.5

I 100% picked up this book because it's set in Portland and I just moved to a new country and wanted something familiar, and I did love being able to picture the setting as places I know well (but the audiobook reader did mispronounce Willamette, smh). It started pretty slow and I had a hard time getting into the world and sorting through all the magical creatures, but the second half definitely picked up. Definitely the best part about this book for me was how Morrow used the magical elements to parallel racism and sexism rather than replace or stand in for them. I've read a lot of books that use magical powers and concepts as metaphors for systemic issues, but I liked the way Morrow showed the intersectionality of multiple prejudices. The writing was very YA but it was a good Portland comfort read!

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe):
Hopeful! There were some elements of the plot that couldn't be wrapped up in a perfect little happily-ever-after but overall the ending was pretty happy.
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