A Chorus Rises - (Song Below Water) by Bethany C Morrow (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

THE LATEST NOVEL FROM YA SENSATION BETHANY C. MORROW

Meet Naema Bradshaw: a beautiful Eloko, once Portland-famous, now infamous, as she navigates a personal and public reckoning where confronting the limits of her privilege will show Naema what her magic really is, and who it makes her.

Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw has it all: she's famous, stylish, gorgeous--and she's an Eloko, a charismatic person gifted with a melody that people adore. Everyone loves her--until she's cast as the villain who exposed a Siren to the whole world.

Dragged by the media, and canceled by her fans, no one understands her side: not her boyfriend, not her friends, not even her fellow Eloko. Villified by those closest to her, Naema heads to the Southwest where she is determined to stage a comeback... to her family, her real self, and the truth about her magic. What she finds is a new community in a flourishing group of online fans who support her.

At first, it feels like it used to--the fandom, the adoration, the community that takes her side--but when her online advocates start targeting other Black girls, Naema will realize that--for Black girls like her--even the privilege of fame has its limits. And only Naema can discover the true purpose of her power, and how to use it.

"A watery and melodic crossroads of the real and the mythic, A Chorus Rises lures readers with its seductive and beautifully Black siren song. An enthralling tale of Black girl magic and searing social commentary ready to rattle the bones." --Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles series

A Chorus Rises is a timely confrontation of the evolving nature of popularity in a society that chooses "exceptions" and rewards "model minorities."

Review Quotes

Praise for A Song Below Water

"A watery and melodic crossroads of the real and the mythic, A Song Below Water lures readers with its seductive and beautifully black siren song. An enthralling tale of black girl magic and searing social commentary ready to rattle the bones." -- Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles series

"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 and Star Wars: Resistance Reborn

"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

"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 The Girl from Everywhere

"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 the Nightmare-Verse series

"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

"A Song Below Water is a lush, colorful, and deeply moving masterpiece about mythology, the sometimes masked evils of racism, and all the ways the world hurts black girls. An irresistible and perfectly bewitching read that I couldn't put down!" --Jay Coles, composer and author of Tyler Johnson Was Here

"A Song Below Water is a captivating tale about the magic of sisterhood and the importance of being seen for who you truly are." --Parker Peevyhouse, author of The Echo Room

"An incredible exploration of character...among the best YA has ever seen." --Buzzfeed

"Morrow gives an excellent look into Naema's healing and growth. Readers will also enjoy the themes of race, intersectionality, media exploitation, social media, and ancestry. -Morrow has woven another refreshing YA tale where young people can discover the roots and sources of their magical voices." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Bethany C. Morrow is a national bestselling author. Her young adult novels include A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and the Little Women remix, So Many Beginnings, and she is editor/contributor to the young adult anthology Take The Mic, which won the 2020 ILA Social Justice in Literature award. Her adult novels include Mem, and the social horror, Cherish Farrah. Her work has been 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