A Song Below Water: A Novel

by Bethany C. Morrow

Overview

Legacies meets Nic Stone’s Dear Martin in Bethany C. Morrow's debut YA, A Song Below Water, about two best friends discovering their magical identities against the challenges of today’s racism and sexism

Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Nevermind she's also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she's also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.

“I love this book so, so much! Bethany C. Morrow delivers a blistering modern classic with this gorgeous tale of friendship and power. A Song Below Water somehow manages to be intensely happy and sad at the same time and all in the balance of great, riveting storytelling. The best YA novel I've read all year.” — Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250315328
Publisher:	Tom Doherty Associates
Publication date:	06/02/2020
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

BETHANY C. MORROW is a recovering expat recently returning from six years in Montreal, Quebec, to live and write in northcountry New York. A California native, Bethany graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Sociology. Following undergrad, she studied Clinical Psychological Research at the University of Wales, Bangor, in Great Britain before returning to North America to focus on her literary work. She is also the author of the adult novel Mem (Unnamed Press) and the editor of the young adult anthology Take the Mic (Arthur A. Levine Books).

Editorial Reviews

I love this book so, so much! Bethany C. Morrow delivers a blistering modern classic with this gorgeous tale of friendship and power. A Song Below Water somehow manages to be intensely happy and sad at the same time and all in the balance of great, riveting storytelling. The best YA novel I've read all year.” — Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper

“Morrow masterfully blends the real lives of Black girls in contemporary Portland with a mythic world of sirens, gargoyles and other supernatural creatures to create a compelling coming-of-age story in which two sisters, bound by love and fate, find their voices and their power.” —Rebecca Roanhorse, Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell Award Winner, author of Trail of Lightning

“Empowering and full of surprises, A Song Below Water reminds us how important it is to use our voices, even when we’re afraid. Morrow has created a world that’s both familiar and brimming with fantastical creatures, and the result is timely, necessary, and utterly captivating.” —Akemi Dawn Bowman, award-winning author of Starfish and Summer Bird Blue

“The world is lush and intense, the voice intoxicating, and the message eternal. Morrow will have you under her spell from page one.” — L.L. McKinney, author of A Blade So Black and A Dream So Dark

“A lush, colorful, and deeply moving masterpiece. An irresistible and perfectly bewitching read that I couldn't put down!” —Jay Coles, composer and critically-acclaimed author of Tyler Johnson Was Here

“A compelling tale packed with endlessly inventive magical concepts, blazingly current social commentary, and heroines you'll fall hopelessly in love with. I'm obsessed.” — Sarah Kuhn, author of Heroine Complex series and finalist for the John W. Campbell Award

“A rich, intricate dive into mythology, misogynoir, and the way the world makes black girls out to be monsters. Like the siren's song, A Song Below Water is irresistibly compelling.” —Heidi Heilig, award-winning author of For a Muse of Fire and The Girl from Everywhere

“Morrow seamlessly blends timely topics with timeless myths in a story that will convince readers of the power of their voice.” —Parker Peevyhouse, author of The Echo Room

From the Publisher