Review: The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinion are my own.  

This was so creepy and intense, I don't usually have to take breaks from horror books, but I had to put this down and read something while I was reading this.  I'm not sure how to classify what type of horror book this is.  While this does have some paranormal/magical realism (I think), I think I would classify this more in the social horror category.  Morrow's books tend to fall in that space and this one is an unsettling commentary on religion, power dynamics, misogyny, morality, and more.

Mavis was brought what I would consider by two religious zealots.  She never could quite live up to her parents expectations, and when she didn't marry the man they wanted their judgement and guilt trips become almost unbearable.  When she finally gets married and breaks away from their church, she is still harshly judged, but Mavis is able to gain a bit of control over her life or so she thinks.  Now seven years into her marriage, she suspects that something is wrong and takes things into her own hands.  Her choices and actions lead her down a path of gruesome attacks on herself and her marriage that have her turning back to the two people she least wants advice from.  

This book was unexpected, and while Mavis seems naive at times and you are often left asking "what did you think would happen?"  Her upbringing and desire to please lead to a reckoning when she finally lets her rage out and she has to come to terms with the consequences.  The ending was equally unexpected, but it fits the story perfectly.  This felt like a fever dream the whole time where you weren't sure if Mavis was actually experiencing what was going on or if was all made up.  It had moments of "gore" but they weren't over the top, most of the horror was phycological and trauma based as Mavis comes to terms with what is going on and the things she has experienced and been told to accept.  I'm not usually one for religious or cult horror but this was dark and creepy in the best way!

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Review: Cherish Farrah Bethany C. Morrow

Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. This may have teenage main characters, but it is pretty dark. The author herself states that this is an adult social horror book but it could go either way. A mature young reader may find this entertaining, but it is geared toward the adult reader. If you enjoyed A Song Below Water it has her same beautiful writing style, but it is not the same.

This follows Farrah in the wake of parents unfortunate change in financial situation. She is used to living at a certain standard, so naturally she feels personally attacked and like she has lost control when her home is put up for foreclosure. Her best friend Cherish is the only other Black girl in their country club community and private school, but Cherish was adopted by white parents. While Farrah is used to a certain level entitlement that her parents wealth affords her, Cherish is a whole different level of spoiled and protected from the world. Farrah is determined to regain control of her life, and she has decided that she is going to manipulate her way into Cherish's family to do it. The longer she stays with Cherish, the more she finds that something is not quite right. The control she thought she had continues to slip away day by day as Farrah is plagued with illness and injury that have no explanation. To say more would be a spoiler.

I thought the characters were wonderfully portrayed here. Farrah comes off as a spoiled brat, while Cherish is portrayed as naïve. They are both spoiled in different ways, and their parents have tried to protect them from the horrible things in the world. Their relationship as best friends is complicated and intense. None of the characters are very likable, but you are quickly drawn into the story. The story starts of a bit slow but as things progress they get pretty dark.

This is a wonderful yet dark exploration into class and race. It is suspenseful and as far as psychological thrillers go, I had no idea what was going on until it happened. The story progresses fairly slowly. It keeps you on your toes waiting for things to happen. I enjoyed it!

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Review: A Chorus Rises by Bethany C. Morrow

A Chorus Rises by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved A Song Below Water, and was ecstatic to find out there was going to be a sequel. While this book focuses on Naema in the aftermath of what happened in book 1 and her own self discovery journey I would highly recommend reading A Song Below Water first. You could probably read this as a standalone, but you will likely be confused about the events that are mentioned and who the characters are as they are already established going into this book. Much like the first book this is full of social commentary, had great character development, a magical fantasy element, and so much more. I will say that this is more contemporary than the first book. While it does have a fantasy/magic element, it is not the main focus nor as prominent as it was in the first book. I felt Naema's character development and the social justice element were at the forefront, with the fantasy element being a nice compliment.

Naema was a bit of a villain in book 1. As an Eloko, she is beloved because of her magical abilities and put on a pedestal by her parents and the people of Portland where she lives. Naturally she's a bit of a spoiled brat. It took me quite a while to warm up to her in this. Stick with her though, she is on a journey. When she is cast in a poor light after exposing Tavia as a siren last year at prom, she has to deal with the blow back on her social media platform. She has to deal with the trauma she experienced that night, and how the story is being told without her input. Determined to set the record straight, Naema wants to tell people what really happened that night at prom. There are 2 sides to every story and Naema's side is either twisted or left out. In the mean time, a social media group dedicated to Naema is forming and wants to protect her, especially from sirens. This loyal group, turns out to be a radical group targeting African American girls and women they suspect of being sirens in Naema's name. Clearly she is not OK with that when she realizes their intentions, and has to put aside her differences with Tavia to use her power, privilege and influence for good and to protect the innocent.

Naema leaves Portland to connect with family and discovers that there is more to being Eloko than her melody and social media following. She realizes that there is more to Naema than being an Eloko, she is more than one thing she has to figure out who she is. Race is at the forefront of her mind as she spends time with her non-magical family, especially when she experiences racial profiling first hand. Her status as an Eloko has protected her from the prejudice her family experiences regularly. I thought her cousin Courtney was a great side character who called her out for some of her self-centered actions and was a good sounding board for her. He was a huge part of her development. I really enjoyed her development as a character.

I thought that the narration of the audiobook was really well done. The narrator was able to give the different characters unique voices so I was able to distinguish who was speaking. I also thought the mixed media aspect of the book was interesting as there were several chapters told in chat room format, interviews, etc. and that wasn't lost in the audio format. It also wasn't awkward to listen to nor did I find it confusing.

I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

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Review: A Song Below by Bethany C. Morrow

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was fantastic!

It is a YA Fantasy mixed with a good amount of social commentary. I've had this ARC on my TBR for a while, it as it was just published at the beginning of June, but the timing could not have been more perfect given the the current social climate. Morrow weaves the social commentary elements beautifully into the fantasy and mythology elements. I also loved that she used lesser known types of fantasy beings. Words cannot express how wonderful the relationship between Tavia and Effie is. They always have each other's backs, and even though they aren't sisters by blood, they truly are family.

Siren's are not accepted in society because they can use their voices to compel someone to do what they want or appeal someone to do what someone else wants. Tavia lives in secret, and wants to get rid of her siren voice. She uses sign language instead of talking so she won't let her siren voice out by accident. People of color are already a minority where she lives, but she has a network of people with magic willing to help keep her secret. When a woman is murdered and suspected of being a siren, Tavia's world is turned upside down as her idol and favorite vlogger reveals that she too is a siren and won't be silenced.

Effie, has been plagued by blackouts and has seen watery mirages her entire life. No one will tell her why, and her mother passed away before she could tell her anything. Her grandmother refuses to tell her what is going on and explain some of the weird things that happen to Effie. Her only reprieve is the Renaissance Faire she performs at for 2 weeks every year as a mermaid, and her best friend and play-sister Tavia. Effie has gone to live with Tavia, and while they call each other play-sister, they truly are sisters. They always have each other's back and understand each other like sisters. As opening day of the Faire approaches, more strange things being happening to Effie and people begin suspecting that she is a real mermaid or even a siren. The reveal of what she really is was really good. I didn't expect it at all!

The character development in this is excellent. I loved that each of the girls had to develop on their own, as well as together. They never stopped needing each other, but they both had to make decisions on their own to find their place and their voices. Again, I can't say how much I loved this modern take on the mythology and how it was woven in with the commentary on several social justice issues.

I was provided and ARC in exchange for an honest review.  This book was published on June 2, 2020.  Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Teen for providing me a copy to read and review.

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