Book Details
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Publication: June 1, 2021 by Tor Teen
Series: A Song Below Water, Book Two
Synopsis: Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw has it all: she’s famous, privileged, has “the good hair”— and she’s an Eloko, a person who’s gifted with a song that woos anyone who hears it. Everyone loves her — well, until she’s cast as the awful person who exposed Tavia’s secret siren powers.
Now, she’s being dragged by the media. No one understands her side: not her boyfriend, not her friends, nor her Eloko community. But Naema knows the truth and is determined to build herself back up — no matter what.
When a new, flourishing segment of Naema’s online supporters start targeting black girls, however, Naema must discover the true purpose of her magical voice.
My Thoughts
Rating: ★★★★☆
I was a bit nervous going into this one because I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first book, but I actually did. It’s well-written and engaging, and I enjoyed reading it through Naema’s perspective. Though this one can technically be read as a stand-alone, I highly suggest reading A Song Below Water first, as it could get confusing at times without the background knowledge.
I was hoping this book would change the way I felt about Naema’s character, and I was right. She could be extremely frustrating at times, especially toward the beginning, but the character development was pretty strong!
The social issues are still a part of this book as well, but it felt a little less prominent that it was in the first book. This book had quite a bit of focus on social media, which I thought was neat.
This book is told only through Naema’s perspective, but there’s media mixed into it. I don’t think I’ve read many books with this, if any at all, but I loved it. It was unique and interesting!
If you enjoyed A Song Below Water, I recommend picking this one up as well. Even if you disliked Naema in the first book, I really do think that could change, or at the very least, you’d be able to understand her. I really enjoyed being able to see how she felt about everything and understand where she was coming from.
Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via JeanBookNerd Tours in exchange for an honest review.
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Meet the Author
Bethany C Morrow is an Indie Bestselling author who writes for adult and young adult audiences, in genres ranging from speculative literary to contemporary fantasy to historical. She is author of the novels MEM and A SONG BELOW WATER, which is an Audie, Ignyte and Locus finalist. She is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology TAKE THE MIC, the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award winner. Her work has been chosen as Indies Introduce and Indie Next picks, and featured in The LA Times, Forbes, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She is included on USA TODAY’s list of 100 Black novelists and fiction writers you should read.
Connect with Bethany: Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
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