By Kaylie Seed
Bethany C. Morrow’s debut novel, A Song Below Water made a huge splash when it was released in June of this year. This Young Adult novel is a fantasy lover’s dream that was published at the precipice of the Black Lives Matter movement. Morrow has written about the lives of Tavia and Effie as they navigate womanhood, racism, friendships, and family troubles all while being mythical creatures that live in Portland, Oregon amongst everyday people. It’s already difficult enough for Tavia and Effie to make their way through high school trying to be normal teenagers when they are thrown into the mythical world that despises sirens causing Tavia to take special precautions to hide her true self.
Morrow has created two likeable main characters who rely heavily on each other for character development throughout A Song Below Water. Tavia and Effie are not biological sisters but they consider one another sisters since Tavia’s family took Effie in as their own daughter when her mother passed away. The two of them share an incredible bond and that bond becomes the focal point for the entire story.
Morrow has written a coming-of-age story that has some twists especially relating characters that are unknowingly mythological creatures forced to hide who they truly are from everyday people. The writing is easy to read and easy to follow, making this an excellent read for younger readers. At times A Song Below Water circles the same topics more than once so readers will find it familiar and at times may want to jump forward in the story. Morrow uses A Song Below Water to bring up important topics surrounding racism and sexism which brings an educational element to her work.