A Chorus Rises: A Song Below Water, Book 2
By Barbara Saunders,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Girl reclaims her truth from her image in thoughtful novel.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
When A CHORUS RISES begins, Naema, a Black teen from Portland, is preparing to head to the Southwest to stay with family, in the aftermath of dramatic events at her high school prom. She wants to regroup and figure out how to reclaim her story from the press, movie and television producers, and her online fans.
Is It Any Good?
This is a satisfying sequel to its predecessor. In A Chorus Rises, readers learn what happens in the aftermath of the events in the first book of the series, from the perspective of that previous story's villain. Whereas A Song Below Water alternates between two points of view, this book is narrated by a single voice -- that of a girl who's very self-absorbed, and because of that, mildly annoying. The book begins with a summary of where the previous book left off, but readers who haven't read A Song Below Water might find it hard to appreciate the stakes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of privilege in A Chorus Rises. What are the areas of your life where you are privileged? In what areas do you lack privilege?
How does the quest for popularity affect the characters' relationships? Have you ever done something to be popular that you wouldn't have done otherwise?
In A Chorus Rises, the main character is an actual person, an online persona, a subject for news stories, and a character in fictional stories. When you read or watch stories based on real life, what strategies do you use to know what is factual, what's an interpretation, and what's not true?
Book Details
- Author: Bethany C. Morrow
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Communication, Integrity
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
- Publication date: June 1, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 18
- Number of pages: 272
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: May 12, 2022
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