At age eight she was hit by a car while riding her bike home and her head was cut open. Sandra Ruttan was a walking disaster in her formative years.

Parts of the story could be challenging for readers who’ve experienced racism, police brutality, and other forms of discrimination. Especially if it could cost you your freedom or life. Hot Take: Sometimes it’s easy to play it safe, but it takes real courage to stand up to injustice. Once this story gets going, it builds to a boil. For me, it meant the first part of the book moved a little slower than the last, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. As I said, I’m not sure I’d call that a weakness. You piece things together as you read and add to your knowledge. It takes a little bit to start weaving the threads together because Morrow doesn’t info-dump or insert a lot of backstory to catch readers up. The magic system in Morrow’s world is fully fleshed out in her mind, and readers are immersed. Weaknesses: It’s perhaps unfair to call this a weakness. What it means to be a friend, a family member, and part of a community are all under the microscope as Tavia and Effie come to terms with who they are, and what that means for their future. Some beings are extremely popular, while others are considered a danger to society. It’s interesting how Morrow illustrates so many things about our society with the magical beings. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the characters and their stories. The characters and their journeys are key to the story, and she doesn’t sacrifice plot when weaving social commentary into this book.

She also focuses on personal character arcs and develops the tension effectively. Strengths: Morrow has fleshed out her world and her magic system extensively. Ideal Audience: Fans of fantasy stories using a contemporary setting that integrate the fantastical with the real world. Morrow uses mythical beings with magical powers to illustrate racism and prejudice, and how biases affect society. The Nitty Gritty: In A Song Below Water, author Bethany C.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow