Bethany C. Morrow Books in Order

Where to Start with Bethany C. Morrow

Bethany C. Morrow is a master of speculative fiction, weaving social justice, identity, and magical realism into narratives that challenge traditional genre boundaries. Because her work spans multiple genres—ranging from young adult urban fantasy to adult historical sci-fi and chilling contemporary social horror—the best place to start depends entirely on your reading preferences.

If you enjoy Young Adult Urban Fantasy with rich world-building, magical creatures, and strong themes of sisterhood and social justice, start with A Song Below Water. This is the first book in her only multi-book series and serves as a highly accessible introduction to her writing style.

If you prefer Adult Science Fiction and Conceptual Stories, start with her debut novel, Mem. It is a brief, lyrical, and deeply philosophical story set in an alternate 1920s Montreal that explores memory, personhood, and autonomy.

If you are a fan of Psychological Thrillers and Social Horror, start with Cherish Farrah. This novel is a dark, slow-burn exploration of social dynamics, privilege, race, and control within an affluent, white suburban household.

If you love Historical Fiction and Literary Remakes, start with So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix. Part of a multi-author collaborative project, this standalone novel reimagines Louisa May Alcott's classic through the eyes of a Black family during the American Civil War.

The A Song Below Water Duology

This young adult series is Morrow's only connected set of novels. Set in a modern-day Portland, Oregon, the series imagines a world where magical creatures like sirens, gargoyles, sprites, and eloko exist alongside humans, but face systemic discrimination, prejudice, and public scrutiny. To experience the full story arc and character development, you should read these books in their strict publication order:

1. A Song Below Water (2020): This novel introduces readers to Tavia and Effie, two Black teenage girls navigating high school while hiding dangerous secrets. Tavia is a siren—a magical being whose voice can influence others and who is heavily policed by society. Effie is haunted by literal and metaphorical demons, dealing with a mysterious past that links her to stone skins and gargoyles. Together, they must navigate the perils of their identities in a society that fears them.
2. A Chorus Rises (2021): Rather than continuing directly from Tavia and Effie's perspectives, this companion sequel shifts the spotlight to Naema Bradshaw. Naema was a minor antagonist in the first book—an eloko and a popular teen influencer whose life was upended after a public exposure. The novel explores Naema's journey as she travels to the South, deals with internet fame, confronts the exploitation of her magical charms, and learns what it means to find her own authentic voice in a world eager to commodify her.

Standalone Speculative Fiction & Horror

Morrow's standalone novels showcase her versatility across genres. These books do not share characters or universes, meaning they can be read in any order at your convenience.

Mem (2018)

Morrow's debut adult novel is a compact, atmospheric science fiction story set in an alternate, Art Deco-era Montreal. In this world, a scientist has created a procedure to extract traumatic or unwanted memories from human minds. These extracted memories manifest as physical, humanoid clones called "Mems." Mems are typically kept in a facility called the Vault, where they endlessly repeat the single memory they were created from until they fade away. The story follows Elsie (Dolores Extract No. 1), the first Mem capable of creating her own memories and experiencing independent consciousness. When her "Source" demands that she be returned and wiped, Elsie must fight to prove her humanity and secure her right to exist.

Cherish Farrah (2022)

Marking a turn toward contemporary social horror, this adult novel focuses on Farrah Turner, a calculating seventeen-year-old Black girl living in a wealthy, predominantly white country club community. When her family faces financial ruin, Farrah manipulates her way into the home of her best friend, Cherish Whitman. Cherish is the adopted Black daughter of a wealthy, progressive white family who treat her like a spoiled princess. Farrah's attempt to maintain control of her future begins to unravel as unsettling events occur within the Whitman home, including mysterious illnesses, strange fever dreams, and a hidden journal, culminating in a tense psychological struggle over identity and possession.

The Remixed Classics Contribution

In 2021, Morrow contributed to the Remixed Classics series published by Feiwel & Friends. This is a collection of standalone books by diverse authors who take classic works of Western literature and retell them from marginalized perspectives. While these books are grouped under a single series name by the publisher, they do not share a narrative thread, and you do not need to read the other books in the collection to enjoy Morrow's contribution.

• So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix (2021): Set in 1863, this novel reimagines Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women. The story follows the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they build a new life in the Union-occupied Freedpeople's Colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Morrow details the unique struggles of the family as they navigate post-Emancipation life, white missionary paternalism, and personal dreams of love, writing, music, and family.

Anthologies and Collaborative Works

For readers who want to explore Morrow's work as an editor and short story writer, she has compiled and contributed to young adult collections celebrating resistance and diversity.

• Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance (2019): Morrow served as the editor and a contributor for this YA anthology. The collection features short stories, poems, and comics from various authors exploring how young people resist oppression, prejudice, and daily challenges in their everyday lives.

Summary Checklist: Bethany C. Morrow Books in Publication Order

If you prefer to read an author's bibliography in the order the books were presented to the world, use this simple chronological checklist:

1. Mem (Standalone Novel) — 2018
2. Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance (Anthology Editor/Contributor) — 2019
3. A Song Below Water (A Song Below Water Book 1) — 2020
4. A Chorus Rises (A Song Below Water Book 2) — 2021
5. So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix (Remixed Classics Book 2) — 2021
6. Cherish Farrah (Standalone Novel) — 2022