This stunning debut and wholly original queer middle grade novel-in-verse retelling of “Orpheus and Eurydice” adds a new chorus to the songs of great love, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World. Love at first sight isn’t a myth. For seventh graders Olivia and Eden, it’s fate. Olivia is a capital-P Poet, and Eden thinks she wants to be a musician one day, but for now she’s just the new girl. And then Eden shows up to Poetry Club and everything changes. Eden isn’t out, and she has rules for dating Olivia: don’t call. Don’t tell her friends. And don’t let anyone know they’re together. But when jealousy creeps in, it’s Olivia’s words that push Eden away. While Eden sets out to find herself, Olivia begins a journey to bring Eden back—using poetry. Both Olivia and Eden will learn just how powerful their words can be to bring them together . . . or tear them apart forever. "Immediate-feeling verse traces painful self-discovery and heady first love in Fussner’s debut, a queer retelling of “Orpheus and Eurydice.” Snappy verse embodies the girls’ achingly real alternating voices while thoughtfully considering topics such as coming out, mental health, parental abuse, and peer pressure. Hand this yearning-tinged slice-of-life romance to fans of Ashley Herring Blake and K.A. Holt." — Publishers Weekly "In this gorgeous tale, Fussner delivers what feels like…a song. Of us. Of anyone who has ever been in love. Or anyone transformed by it. An impressive debut!" — Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author "A tender book about first crushes, peer pressure, and parental problems in middle school. Written in glorious verse, The Song of Us is an ode to love—love that defies expectations, overcomes disappointment, and transcends grief, love that springs in our hearts like song." — Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor-winning author of Red, White and Whole “A stunning song of first love, heartache, and the freedom of knowing yourself. Eden and Olivia will linger in my heart.” — Lambda literary award winning author Rebecca Podos
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0Rating: 5 stars or 9.23/10
Characters-10
The characters in this book really pull on your heartstrings. Olivia and Eden were so sweet, and each had a distinct personality, making the story work. I felt like Eden and Olivia had a way of interacting; as characters, they balanced each other out really well. Lexi and the poetry club members, plus Eden’s friends, added to the story with their interactions.
Plot-9
This was a very mature story for Middle-Grade. For me, it rode the line between Middle-Grade and YA. I’m new to novels in verse, but they’re such an exciting way to tell a story. Eden and Olivia have a story that was so sweet, and I loved the way they interacted with each other. The reason I said this story rides the line is because of some of the mature themes, like growing up and finding yourself over the course of the book. This was also a mature middle grade because romance played a large role in the plot. I loved the other elements of the story, like the girl’s individual journeys, and how they could come together at the end of the story.
Writing-9-
Kate Fussner does a great job of telling the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as if they were young pre-teen girls. The writing style used in The Song of Us was a novel in verse, which worked well for this story considering the original myth would be told in a style similar. The poetry flowed well and worked well to tell the story. Kate Fussner wrote The Song of Us in a way that captivated me and kept me hooked from start to finish..
Enjoyment- 10
I loved this book! The story was both fun and heartwarming, talking about tough topics in a way that young readers understand. Eden and Olivia were great characters, and their story was so sweet.
03.5*
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