WE ARE THE SONG

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.