My interests have vastly changed during this pandemic. I learned a lot about myself, and I have learned what I would like to spend some more time doing. Things are going to change in my posts, and I feel that a warning is in order for those who may not be interested. If you are not interested in more political content, then my future content may not be for you. My political views are very far to the left, so if you do not agree with that then I also suggest that my future content may not be for you. I am in no way going to state that what I will be writing is straight facts, they will be merely my opinion on the topics that I would like to discuss based on what I am reading. My posts will still remain book-themed in nature, but will be more akin to essays rather than blog posts. I will pepper in more light-hearted posts from time to time, but for the most part I would like to spend my spare time researching and sharing my thoughts on topics that I feel matter. I can’t be a bystander anymore.
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow – A Book Review
As a kid, I was enamored with mermaids and all things underwater fantasy. So, as soon as I saw this beautiful cover, I was immediately drawn to this novel. It’s shorter than most books I read, but that didn’t mean it lacked any of the detail I usually find in longer novels.
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow is a tale of two best friends (and basically sisters), Tavia and Effie, who struggle with both typical high school drama and siren related drama. There is a whimsical blend of mythos and reality that I really enjoyed, especially sense it brought up mythical creatures that I don’t think I have seen often in past books that I have read. Usually I get a little bored when a character goes on constant thought spirals in between dialogue, but every spiral had something insightful to add to the narrative, so I thoroughly enjoyed those bits.
Warning: The rest of this review may contain spoilers…
Here is a little bit about the book:
Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.
But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.
Here is what I loved most about this book: The magic and the self acceptance. Magic is something interwoven with modern society in this novel, and I absolutely love it.
A Modern Twist on Mythos
First of all, that gargoyle? Amazing. There are some wonderful twists that involve this stone character, and I highly recommend reading this novel if you’re wondering about what exactly those twists are. (Minor spoiler: The gargoyle isn’t who you think they are…)
Next on the mythos list, the siren. Sirens are hated and feared, which makes it hard for Tavia to truly be herself. A sirens voice holds power, and the people are afraid of it. It is seen as an excuse to paint a victim of murder as a villain despite the lack of evidence. This is part of the main conflict that Tavia faces because after her favorite social media influencer comes out to announce that they are a siren, which furthers the tension between Tavia and her father.
Lastly, there is the true form of Effie. I won’t spoil that because it was so much fun to see the little clues throughout the novel, which elude to the big twist at the end. The big reveal is one of my favorite parts of this novel and it definitely tops the cute dialogue between Tavia and the gargoyle.
Self Acceptance
There isn’t much for me to say about this particular part, except that I adore seeing these two girls grow throughout the novel. The ending is honestly just the beginning of the sisters’ story, and I think that is the perfect way to end it.
Here is my rating:
June 2020 Wrap-Up
It only took me three whole months to adjust to my new life during a pandemic, but I can happily say that my appetite for books and writing have finally returned! I spent countless hours forcing myself to read even when I didn’t want to, simply because I knew that it would be a better use of my time than staring out the window and letting my depression win.
June has been my most productive month of 2020, and I hope that July will be even better! There have been some things happening in my life that I don’t think are appropriate to share with the internet, but what I can say is that it has definitely been a rough three months. I’ve gotten very little writing done despite the abundance of time that being laid off has given me, and with no jobs currently hiring, I feel that there is no better time then now to force out a couple thousand words each day even if it physically hurts my brain to do so.
Anways… Books! I have read/listened to a total of 6 books this month, which is my all-time high for 2020! I consider that to be something to celebrate. All of them were wonderful, and if I have done a review on them, then I will make sure to leave a link if you are interested in reading about my thoughts.
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates: 5/5
- Home Before Dark by Riley Sager: 4/5
- Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: 5/5
- The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon: 5/5
- Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell: 5/5
- Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik: 5/5
I will be starting up another writing project that I began a few months ago and will write some bad poetry in my journal just so I can say that I am at least trying. There are plenty of reviews coming this July, and I can’t wait to share my bookish thoughts with everyone!
What was your favorite book from your June 2020 reads? Do you have a large TBR stack ready for July, or are you going to see where the books take you and find new books as you go? I’ve got a growing list of books that I would like to read throughout July, but I tend to wander from the path that I had planned earlier…
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell – A Book Review
With the Coronavirus continuing its world tour, a road trip is the last thing you want to embark on. Lucky for you, my dear reader, Wayward Son incorporates an exciting (and very dangerous) road trip across the US to visit an old friend! It’s also perfect for your pride reading list if you are looking to add any last minute reads for the month of June.
This book is absolutely adorable, and I can’t wait to dig deeper into what I loved about this second novel in the Simon Snow series.
Warning: The rest of this review may contain spoilers…
Here is a little bit about the book:
The story is supposed to be over.
Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…
So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?
What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…
That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.
They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…
With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.
Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun.
The main things I would like to cover about this book is three things: The relationship between Simon and Baz, the insane vampire cult, and the slightly annoying ending that made me throw the book down in frustration (don’t worry, this wasn’t a negative reaction, I promise).
A Crumbling Relationship
Throughout the entire novel, Baz and Simon struggle to grasp where they are at in their relationship and if it is going to end. The action continuously pulls them back to each other, but it leaves them wondering why they are unable to remain that passionate for each other when they aren’t fighting for their lives.
This inner turmoil they both face was interesting to read and is one of my favorite parts of this novel. It explores what happens after the “happily ever after” moment that occurs at the end of the first novel. This conflict between the two is never resolved, so I hope that this remains a major part of the third novel.
Oh, by the way, there’s a vampire cult
Agatha, Simon’s ex-girlfriend, finds herself on a retreat that is being run by a group of vampires that are looking to acquire the abilities that the magicians hold. This adds yet another layer to the action and I enjoyed theorizing about this mysterious cult, which goes by the name of NowNext. With the way this book ends (which I will get to in a minute), I wonder if these vampires will continue to pose a threat to Simon and his crew of mages. Despite NowNext’s apparent defeat at the end, there could still be some villains leftover to wreak more havoc.
The ending tore my heart out
Now nothing insanely dramatic happened at the end (I won’t spoil that for you, don’t worry), but it felt so abrupt that I couldn’t help but drop the book wonder what I just spent so much time reading. It wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but it still hurt when I realized just how long I would have to wait for the story to continue.
As an avid reader for most of my life, endings like these are not new, and yet they never fail to make me cry out in frustration. Mild spoiler: It’s a very cliche cliffhanger and I’m not a patient person, so that is why it hurts me.
Here is my rating:
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender – A Book Review
As someone who is still questioning their own identity, this book was very helpful with accepting and loving myself. I’ve been called things that, to this day, still sting, so I very much enjoyed the discussion of different identities that this book brings up. Felix Ever After is probably number one in my list of favorite reads for 2020 (there’s still time for it to be dethroned, but I honestly doubt that will happen).
Warning: this review may contain spoilers…
Here is a little bit about the book:
Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.
When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….
But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.
Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.
There is so much that I loved about this book, that is impossible for me to cover every single thing in this review. From the romance, the self discovery, and the rollercoaster of emotions that I felt while reading this – there was nothing that I disliked about it.
The sort-of love triangle that leads to self-discovery
Felix falls for both his best friend, and his enemy. He misjudges those relationships throughout the novel, and it results in many awkward conversations and a bit of social distancing from the two guys he is crushing on. It forces Felix to rely on himself alone for validation, and it helps him to find out how to love himself. Another thing it helps him with is this “niggling” that persists throughout the novel, which causes Felix to second guess his identity.
One major conflict for Felix is his portfolio, which he struggles to find a theme for. After the temporary loss of his best friend, Felix loses himself in self portraits. The description of each one captivated me, and it honestly brought me to tears to read about how happy Felix felt when he lost himself in his painting.
Don’t get me started on the emotional rollercoaster that is this book…
Felix Ever After will you have you laughing one second and then crying to next. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. It’s just such a cute romance between Felix and Ezra, and the growth of each character is just so beautiful. I was so happy that Felix was able to really love himself and his identity before he figured out his relationship with Ezra, which I think is an important message to give to the youth. Self confidence is something that I struggled with a lot while growing up, so I think middle school me would have benefited a lot from this book.
Here is my rating:
Thank you for reading this review! If you’ve read this novel too, feel free to tell me your thoughts in the comments! I enjoy seeing other’s points of views on what I have read.
I’ve got plenty more reviews on the way, so feel free to follow my blog to be notified about any new posts!
Liza Reads 
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