Well done and unique, has me keen on checking out more books by this author.
There are two main characters in Echoes Between Us, Veronica and Sawyer. At first glance the two might seem like average YA protagonists but they are surprisingly unique and distinctive. The point-of-view shifts from chapter to chapter.
It was always easy to feel which character was centered, even if I bookmarked a page mid-chapter. In short, their voices are well-realized and lifelike.
Starting with Veronica, she has supernatural abilities but keeps her gifts low key and approaches terrifying situations with a brave curiosity. She expects to not live long due to a brain tumor. I'd like to state also that the depiction of her illness (the side effects she encounters on account of having a brain tumor) are mostly down-to-earth and seem well-researched/convincing.
Now onto Sawyer, he suffers from major depression and his chapters are often much darker than Veronica's. His inner world and outer exterior are at odds, and most people assume he is living a sort of charmed life due to his looks and talent.
The storyline can be grim and on the mature side of YA, but the characters are handled carefully and I ended up liking both leads. They connect in a complementary and meaningful way. They are the standout stars of the narrative, the other side characters have some quirks and there is effort put toward their development but I didn't connect nearly as much with them as I did with the two leads.
The final thing worth mentioning is the unusual atmosphere of this title. Kind of moody and intelligent contemporary with a splash of magical realism. I haven't found many stand-alones or series that adhere to a similar style, one I can think of at the moment is The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle) series by Maggie Stiefvater. Echoes Between Us has a somewhat similar feel, but definitely carves its own path.
Many thanks to BookishFirst and Tor Teen for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.
It was always easy to feel which character was centered, even if I bookmarked a page mid-chapter. In short, their voices are well-realized and lifelike.
Starting with Veronica, she has supernatural abilities but keeps her gifts low key and approaches terrifying situations with a brave curiosity. She expects to not live long due to a brain tumor. I'd like to state also that the depiction of her illness (the side effects she encounters on account of having a brain tumor) are mostly down-to-earth and seem well-researched/convincing.
Now onto Sawyer, he suffers from major depression and his chapters are often much darker than Veronica's. His inner world and outer exterior are at odds, and most people assume he is living a sort of charmed life due to his looks and talent.
The storyline can be grim and on the mature side of YA, but the characters are handled carefully and I ended up liking both leads. They connect in a complementary and meaningful way. They are the standout stars of the narrative, the other side characters have some quirks and there is effort put toward their development but I didn't connect nearly as much with them as I did with the two leads.
The final thing worth mentioning is the unusual atmosphere of this title. Kind of moody and intelligent contemporary with a splash of magical realism. I haven't found many stand-alones or series that adhere to a similar style, one I can think of at the moment is The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle) series by Maggie Stiefvater. Echoes Between Us has a somewhat similar feel, but definitely carves its own path.
Many thanks to BookishFirst and Tor Teen for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.