We Are the Song

by Catherine Bakewell

Overview

A lush and beautiful fantasy set in a world where music is magic and the fate of many thrones lies with one girl…

“Excellent.”—Booklist
An Amazon #1 Children's Music Book at Release

Twelve-year-old Elissa has been raised in seclusion as a devotee of the Mother Goddess. She is a special child, a blessed child, a child who can sing miracles into being. Her voice can heal wounds, halt landslides, cure hunger—and even end wars.

But there are those who would use her gift for darker things. And when Elissa finds herself the farthest from home she’s ever been—along with her vain and jealous music tutor, Lucio—she will have to develop the judgment to decide who wants to use her song to heal… and who wants to use her song to hurt.

In this astonishing debut—perfect for music lovers—Catherine Bakewell presents not only a wholly unique musical magic system, but a sumptuous baroque world filled with soaring basilicas, gilded palaces, dazzling food, and snow-piled wildernesses. It is a world both beautiful and treacherous, with a fiercely determined girl blazing brightly at its center. Can a lone voice change the world?

“Spellbinding.”—The Horn Book
“Beguiling.”—Publishers Weekly
“Unique.”—BCCB
“Captivating.”—School Library Connection
“Enthralling.”—YA Books Central
“Alluring.”—School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823448890
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,067,831
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Catherine Bakewell is a writer, artist, freelance editor, and an opera enthusiast. We are the Song is her debut.

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2022

Twelve-year-old Elissa is one of the goddess Caé’s 12 chosen Singers, individuals whose voices possess bewitching power capable of healing wounds, invigorating crops, and stopping landslides through song. She travels her homeland, Cadenza, with her overprotective music tutor and composer, Lucio, providing aid and relief to the war-torn nation’s citizens. During a stop at a royal palace, Lucio shows increasing disregard for his songwriting responsibilities and agrees to perform music with the potential to incur great harm, causing Elissa to question her role as a “mouthpiece of the goddess.” Her role is further put into question when military leaders attempt to weaponize her gift. After a mysterious visitor emboldens Elissa to write her own musical spells—something Lucio disapproves of—she sets off on a harrowing journey to save Cadenza from ruin. The cast sometimes feel like vehicles for the story’s events rather than fully formed individuals, making it difficult for readers to foster connections with the protagonists. Nevertheless, Bakewell’s beguiling debut—brimming with high-stakes adventure, expansive worldbuilding, and a uniquely detailed magical system—steadily crescendos to a gratifying conclusion. Major characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agents: Devin Ross, New Leaf Literary & Media. (May)

Publishers Weekly

05/01/2022

Gr 3–7—Music has an otherworldly power. What if there was an ethereal place where music is magic and singers and composers were highly revered? What would happen if songs were manipulated for evil? Twelve-year-old Elissa is a rare accomplished singer in fairy-tale–like Cadenza. When the king of Cadenza died without an heir, it sparked a world war. For the past two years, Elissa and her composer Lucio have been traveling performers, gifting small acts of hope and goodwill to the common people with their songs. On their journey, Elissa experiences firsthand how power corrupts. Bakewell's middle grade fantasy novel weaves mythology with Baroque backdrops replete with Christian connotations: Elissa resembles Joan of Arc guided by a goddess named Cae. While music lovers will appreciate all the harmonious vocabulary and sonorous celebration, this title lacks the romance and strong chemistry of friendship that other fantasy novels carry. It also comes off as pontifical at times. Otherwise, it's a sweet fantasy work with an independent female lead. VERDICT An alluring fantasy exploring the influence of music, the importance of listening to one's own voice, and knowing who your friends are.—Laura Dooley-Taylor

School Library Journal

2022-01-26
A young vocalist with a divine gift has a crisis of faith.

Elissa, a 12-year-old Singer with a mane of blond curls, has a special ability: She can channel the goddess Caé through song and create miracles. With her Composer, Lucio, she travels through the war-torn lands, helping to repair and heal, all while spreading the love of the Goddess. Only allowed to sing, Elissa secretly begins to compose her own songs and discovers that they hold immense power. When the two warring kingdoms of Basso and Acuto learn of Elissa’s abilities, they each hope to weaponize her talents to ensure their own victories. While Elissa wants the war to end, she knows that Caé wouldn’t want her to use her talents for destructive purposes, leaving her to ruminate over the Goddess’ true intentions for her. Bakewell’s medieval-tinged fantasy draws heavily on religious themes, exploring the struggle of having faith in the unseen. Music factors prominently throughout, with the text relying heavily on musical terminology (even using quarter rests for scene breaks); a glossary may have been helpful for those less acquainted with their meaning. At times, Elissa, with her wide-eyed innocence and Pollyanna-ish spirit, can feel a bit facile and without nuance. Elissa and Lucio are default White; secondary and minor characters are diverse in skin tone and sexuality.

An exploration of devotion and finding one’s voice. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"Bakewell’s beguiling debut—brimming with high-stakes adventure, expansive worldbuilding, and a uniquely detailed magical system—steadily crescendos to a gratifying conclusion."—Publishers Weekly

"Elissa’s desire to follow her divinely inspired abilities and overcome the barriers to her musical ambitions echo women’s historical experiences in classical music. . . . And constellations of race, sexuality, and gender expression lend richness to an already unique world."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This fast-paced fantasy is full of action and intrigue, taking place in a war-torn world that still holds much beauty and magic. Readers will come to love Elissa, who struggles with doubts as she faces heartbreak, tragedy, and loneliness and tries to fight for what is right. An excellent addition to middle-grade fantasy collections."—Booklist

"Bakewell crafts a spellbinding narrative."—The Horn Book

"An alluring f­antasy exploring the influence of music, the ­importance of listening to one’s own voice, and knowing who your friends are."—School Library Journal

"Fantasy fans will queue up for this delightful novel with its strong female characters and carefully drawn fantasy world. . . . Fast packed action will keep readers totally engaged. This captivating novel promises a good future for this first-time author."—School Library Connection

"An exploration of devotion and finding one’s voice."—Kirkus Reviews

"Brimming with elegant writing and striking magic, We Are the Song will captivate readers with its thoughtful portrayal of the healing power of grace. Simply poetic."—Juliana Brandt, author of The Wolf of Cape Fen
 
"An enchanting, beautifully written book that teaches readers how to find their own voice even in times of despair. Magically woven together, with worldbuilding that sings on the page, it hits all the right notes and ends in a page-turning crescendo."—Mindy Thompson, author of The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams
 
"The language of music absolutely suffuses the book, from its structure to the names of people and places to the way characters perceive their world. But ultimately, this poignant and lyrical story is about recognizing the power in our own voices, and understanding that if we use that power wisely, each of us has the capacity to help bring peace to a broken world."—Kate Albus, author of A Place to Hang the Moon
 
"Elissa is the kind of main character one can’t help but root for: generous, empathetic, and determined to do what is right. This story reads like a song itself, a well-balanced harmony of heart and hope; a testament to the healing power of music and of the peace we can usher into the world when we all work together in love."—Lorelei Savaryn, author of The Circus of Stolen Dreams and The Edge of In Between

From the Publisher