Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Echoes by Alice Reeds Narrator: Christina Traister
Series: Echoes #1
Published by Tantor Audio on June 21, 2022
Genres: Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult
Length: 10 hours, 22 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to.
Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discovery: something else is on the island with them.
Something that won't let them leave alive.
Echoes, is the first book the Echoes duology, maybe trilogy I’m not sure but it will twist your head and make you wonder the entire time what is going on, much like this show Lost or The Maze Runner. What is real, what is happening, who can be trusted. Well the short answer is I still really don’t know, and I love it.
I haven’t been reading a lot of YA lately. I don’t know if I’ve outgrown it a little or if the tropes have just gotten a little redundant and obvious that I’ve lost interest in so much of it. But that said, this is one of the few YA novels that have gripped my attention in awhile and I’m sure that has everything to do with the what the heck is going on aspect of the book. Even after the ending I’m still not entirely sure and I don’t think you will be either.
Miles and Fiona have never gotten along well in school but both are picked for an internship with a pharmaceutical company in Europe and will be working with with each other for the duration or at least that is what they thought. The story is only told from Fiona’s PoV and alternates between an island she and Miles have crashed on, and Berlin, the city they showed up in for an internship that isn’t at all what it seems. I seriously spent the entire time trying to figure out which location timeline came first. Did they go to Berlin and forget before being put on an island or is it the other way around? Also wtf is going on with this pharmaceutical company that they got the internship with and what is their role in Miles and Fiona being totally lost and confused as to what is going on.
I will say, it did keep me at the edge of my seat wondering what is really happening most of the book and even at the end I was interested in jumping into the next book right away. There were plenty of unexpected twists for readers to ponder and enjoy. I only have one complaint, and I make this with a lot of YA, is there is the romance happening that is a bit slow and quick for me all at the same time. Miles and Fiona have been adversaries most of there time knowing each other and then stuck together they realize, hey maybe there is more to this other person than I thought and O.o I might really like them. Like kiss a lot like them. It is sweet and cute but I’m older so it was a bit boring to me but perfect for the YA crowd.
Overall, a nice jaunt into the unknown and a solid thriller/mystery. The characters are pretty cool dealing with some teen stuff and while coming from very different backgrounds they found a lot of common ground. Now I just hope to find out more about the circumstances that led them into the arms of an evil pharmaceutical company and their machinations.
Narration:
I know Christina Traister from the Harmony Black series and have really enjoyed her in that performance. So it was no surprise to really enjoy her narration of Echoes. She does first person narration really well and while there was one character I thought sounded very much like another all the other characters were very discernable to me. She kept the mysterious feel of the story running strong throughout. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
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I’m intrigued by it just from your review. 🙂
I’m hoping to get to the second book soon to see if it still holds up. Very interesting premise and story
Is the second book out? I read this one when it came out, and liked how it kept you guessing about everything throughout, but then I forgot to look for the next book. Oops! 🙂
Looks like. I’m hoping the audio is also available so I’ll be able to start soon I hope.
Oh, this does sound good, Robin!
Definitely interesting. I really like intriguing stories like this.
I love books that keep me guessing so I have a feeling that I would enjoy this one.
Oooo this sounds good.
I read this when it came out and wasn’t a huge fan of it. Glad you enjoyed it though! Great review!