Scan barcode
jessica_mcdermitt's review
4.0
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review and some social media promotion. Full disclosure part 2: I'm so glad I did because I enjoyed the heck out of this book!
I was a little unsure about the book in the beginning, honestly. I've had bad experiences with contemporary books and generally dislike the YA genre, but Echoes is eons away from your typical YA and so much better. I'm a huge fan of Broken Girl stories, and this one filled all the warm fuzzy spaces. There was also not a romantic subplot (or main plot), which I appreciate as contemporary romance does not float my boat. I appreciate how squeaky-clean the book was, as well--no language, no kissing, no sex scenes. I'd share this with my entire family without a second thought, and that's pretty impressive! Most books I read I have to warn them away from. And Natan's revelation at the end was one of my favorite parts of the entire book--it's rare to find a piece that integrates faith without seeming preachy or campy, and Echoes does it beautifully. I loved the characters and their interactions, particularly Emma and Natan's, of course. And the whole story had an air of mystery and intrigue that I enjoyed!
There were some things in the book I wasn't a huge fan of or didn't understand--for example, I'm a little confused on what, exactly, Emma's "weapon" was. I understand she's been altered (*tries desperately to avoid spoilers*) and that she has immense power, but I don't understand what that power is or does. Like, is it more of an energy-blasts-from-the-hands kind of power or an emotionless-super-assassin kind of power? Honestly, it's a pretty minor quibble. In some places, the writing style felt a bit bloated with simile and metaphor, but in other places the style was beautiful. I caught some typos, but I read an ARC, so those should be taken care of for you when you get the book!
Echoes releases on October 16, but is out for preorder right now (September 30)! 10% of preorder proceeds go to help hurricane victims here in the US, so go preorder yourself a copy--add a fabulous book to your tbr and do a good deed while you're at it! Besides helping people in need, you'll be supporting an amazing self-published author. So go! What are you waiting for?
Tl;dr: Echoes by Miranda Marie is a fabulous and refreshing book unsullied by the things I have come to absolutely hate in contemporary YA. I loved the characters, themes, and premise. Get yourself a copy and support an awesome self-published author!
I was a little unsure about the book in the beginning, honestly. I've had bad experiences with contemporary books and generally dislike the YA genre, but Echoes is eons away from your typical YA and so much better. I'm a huge fan of Broken Girl stories, and this one filled all the warm fuzzy spaces. There was also not a romantic subplot (or main plot), which I appreciate as contemporary romance does not float my boat. I appreciate how squeaky-clean the book was, as well--no language, no kissing, no sex scenes. I'd share this with my entire family without a second thought, and that's pretty impressive! Most books I read I have to warn them away from. And Natan's revelation at the end was one of my favorite parts of the entire book--it's rare to find a piece that integrates faith without seeming preachy or campy, and Echoes does it beautifully. I loved the characters and their interactions, particularly Emma and Natan's, of course. And the whole story had an air of mystery and intrigue that I enjoyed!
There were some things in the book I wasn't a huge fan of or didn't understand--for example, I'm a little confused on what, exactly, Emma's "weapon" was. I understand she's been altered (*tries desperately to avoid spoilers*) and that she has immense power, but I don't understand what that power is or does. Like, is it more of an energy-blasts-from-the-hands kind of power or an emotionless-super-assassin kind of power? Honestly, it's a pretty minor quibble. In some places, the writing style felt a bit bloated with simile and metaphor, but in other places the style was beautiful. I caught some typos, but I read an ARC, so those should be taken care of for you when you get the book!
Echoes releases on October 16, but is out for preorder right now (September 30)! 10% of preorder proceeds go to help hurricane victims here in the US, so go preorder yourself a copy--add a fabulous book to your tbr and do a good deed while you're at it! Besides helping people in need, you'll be supporting an amazing self-published author. So go! What are you waiting for?
Tl;dr: Echoes by Miranda Marie is a fabulous and refreshing book unsullied by the things I have come to absolutely hate in contemporary YA. I loved the characters, themes, and premise. Get yourself a copy and support an awesome self-published author!
ednapellen's review
5.0
*slowly closes book* *combusts from all the emotional pressure building inside me*
I don't usually read modern contemporary. It's a hard thing for me to get into because, to be frank, I don't like the modern world and prefer to use books to escape it.
And yet, Echoes, while based in this world I've always known, felt almost as if it was from a world all its own. And yet (yes, again) it felt like meeting an old friend for the first time (yes I know that doesn't make sense but it's still how it felt).
Preamble over. Let's get into the details.
PLOT:
As the author mentions in the interview at the end of the book, this was a character-based story. The plot is that of our dear main character, Emma, finding the truth about herself through another person, basically, despite the darkness of her past.
It was sweet, it was endearing, it was sad, and it was moving. It was not action-packed, it was soft and calm (but by no means slow) and deeply symbolic as it told this story.
I will admit that I went into this book with the wrong impression of it. What that impression was, I couldn't tell you, because I really don't know myself. That impression did have me confused at times as I tried to name what, exactly, this book was.
At the end of it, I found that this book was that of gentle discovery in a hurricane of pain.
CHARACTERS+WRITING STYLE:
I have to combine these two things for one very simple reason: The writing style is the main character, Emma. Every description, comparison, train of thought, it's all Emma.
I find this necessary to say because there some things about the writing style that I normally would have disliked, but because of this context, didn't.
Phrases, terms, and methods of saying things are repeated often. While I would normally brand that as a lesser experienced author's hand, I know from reading this (as well as Marie's other works) that this isn't so. Miranda Marie brilliantly used and reused these things in a way that gave a deeper look into Emma's mind and character.
It's not for a lack of creativity, but for an abundance of care for how Emma was shown to us, the readers, that these things are done. It just makes sense, when you read it, that Emma would latch on to these specific things and reuse it. It's what she knows, and if you've read the book, you know why that makes so much sense.
And if you haven't read it, well, you need to remedy that.
The other characters, Natan, Adrae, Daniel, as well as the others and even just passers-by, all showed their dimension through this writing style - through Emma's thought process and understanding - as well. We know them how Emma knows them, and Emma knows them how she knows everything; through symbolism. And as noted in this book, "symbolism [is] only a way of explaining the truth".
These characters were all well done. Natan is especially wonderful. The writing style is lovely and makes the atmosphere, no matter where the characters are at, seem to glow with color and detail. Seeing life through Emma's eyes makes me view my own world with more appreciation.
CONCLUSION:
Miranda Marie has again told a wonderful story that I am glad to add to my bookshelf. Everyone should read Echoes. The themes explored in it so real even if Emma's particular circumstances aren't.
If you read Echoes and found it was too non-action-y for you, well, the interview at the back at the book suggests that the sequel, "Mirage", is more exciting. So you should definetly go read that one now (I say, having yet to read it myself, because I have full confidence in the author's abilities).
All that being said, Echoes gets 5/5 stars from me. This is a great book. Reading it was time well-spent, and I look forward to reading the sequel.
I don't usually read modern contemporary. It's a hard thing for me to get into because, to be frank, I don't like the modern world and prefer to use books to escape it.
And yet, Echoes, while based in this world I've always known, felt almost as if it was from a world all its own. And yet (yes, again) it felt like meeting an old friend for the first time (yes I know that doesn't make sense but it's still how it felt).
Preamble over. Let's get into the details.
PLOT:
As the author mentions in the interview at the end of the book, this was a character-based story. The plot is that of our dear main character, Emma, finding the truth about herself through another person, basically, despite the darkness of her past.
It was sweet, it was endearing, it was sad, and it was moving. It was not action-packed, it was soft and calm (but by no means slow) and deeply symbolic as it told this story.
I will admit that I went into this book with the wrong impression of it. What that impression was, I couldn't tell you, because I really don't know myself. That impression did have me confused at times as I tried to name what, exactly, this book was.
At the end of it, I found that this book was that of gentle discovery in a hurricane of pain.
CHARACTERS+WRITING STYLE:
I have to combine these two things for one very simple reason: The writing style is the main character, Emma. Every description, comparison, train of thought, it's all Emma.
I find this necessary to say because there some things about the writing style that I normally would have disliked, but because of this context, didn't.
Phrases, terms, and methods of saying things are repeated often. While I would normally brand that as a lesser experienced author's hand, I know from reading this (as well as Marie's other works) that this isn't so. Miranda Marie brilliantly used and reused these things in a way that gave a deeper look into Emma's mind and character.
It's not for a lack of creativity, but for an abundance of care for how Emma was shown to us, the readers, that these things are done. It just makes sense, when you read it, that Emma would latch on to these specific things and reuse it. It's what she knows, and if you've read the book, you know why that makes so much sense.
And if you haven't read it, well, you need to remedy that.
The other characters, Natan, Adrae, Daniel, as well as the others and even just passers-by, all showed their dimension through this writing style - through Emma's thought process and understanding - as well. We know them how Emma knows them, and Emma knows them how she knows everything; through symbolism. And as noted in this book, "symbolism [is] only a way of explaining the truth".
These characters were all well done. Natan is especially wonderful. The writing style is lovely and makes the atmosphere, no matter where the characters are at, seem to glow with color and detail. Seeing life through Emma's eyes makes me view my own world with more appreciation.
CONCLUSION:
Miranda Marie has again told a wonderful story that I am glad to add to my bookshelf. Everyone should read Echoes. The themes explored in it so real even if Emma's particular circumstances aren't.
If you read Echoes and found it was too non-action-y for you, well, the interview at the back at the book suggests that the sequel, "Mirage", is more exciting. So you should definetly go read that one now (I say, having yet to read it myself, because I have full confidence in the author's abilities).
All that being said, Echoes gets 5/5 stars from me. This is a great book. Reading it was time well-spent, and I look forward to reading the sequel.
pauline_ljm_iii's review
5.0
Actual rating 4.75
I could fangirl about this novel for hours.
All of the symbolism and the poetry ties together so wonderfully. There’s so much to get from every word, and I will be rereading this many times because there’s so much hidden meaning to mine from this whole thing.
The themes are orchestrated so perfectlyy. Emma and Natan are darlings and they have the best relationship and I loved it so much.
The resolution of the character arcs was also so perfect and so satisfying. Honestly, read it; it’s breathtaking and honestly super thrilling.
The style of this novel is striking; the perfect blend of poetry and prose. The only thing for me that was wrong with this book (hence the missing quarter star) was that some places I had to go back and read again because my focus would slide over some of the poetic bits.
There’s also absolutely no content in it either, which is one of my favourite things about Miranda Marie.
As a writer myself, there’s a lot to glean from this book in terms of thematic elements, what sorts of metaphors work and when to bring them up more than once. This book is incredible and I will be enjoying it over and over again.
I could fangirl about this novel for hours.
All of the symbolism and the poetry ties together so wonderfully. There’s so much to get from every word, and I will be rereading this many times because there’s so much hidden meaning to mine from this whole thing.
The themes are orchestrated so perfectlyy. Emma and Natan are darlings and they have the best relationship and I loved it so much.
The resolution of the character arcs was also so perfect and so satisfying. Honestly, read it; it’s breathtaking and honestly super thrilling.
The style of this novel is striking; the perfect blend of poetry and prose. The only thing for me that was wrong with this book (hence the missing quarter star) was that some places I had to go back and read again because my focus would slide over some of the poetic bits.
There’s also absolutely no content in it either, which is one of my favourite things about Miranda Marie.
As a writer myself, there’s a lot to glean from this book in terms of thematic elements, what sorts of metaphors work and when to bring them up more than once. This book is incredible and I will be enjoying it over and over again.
rmarcher's review
5.0
This book is amazing. I’ll just start with that. This book is wonderful. The style, the characters, the plot… It’s just wonderful.
I had the privilege of reading excerpts of this book, since Miranda (Mandy) and I are in the same writing group (which in no way affects this review, because this book can more than stand on its own), and I immediately fell in love with the poetic writing style and intricate characters. Every excerpt just piqued my interest more, and by the time I was finally able to buy Echoes I was dying to read it. Unfortunately, I’d made it a reward for reaching my goal of 100k for NaNoWriMo (which I didn’t come close to), so I waited to read it until sometime in December (although I did cheat on a couple of chapters on days that I met my daily goal. Shhh).
Now I’ve finally been able to read the whole thing, and I love it even more. Fair warning, the style isn’t for everyone, and it crosses the lines in genre, but Mandy did an excellent job executing it. The writing style is poetic and unlike anything I’ve ever read, told from a limited third-person POV that allows the reader to see Emma’s fascinating, unique way of thinking and seeing things. Emma sees symbolism in anything and draws incredibly poetic parallels between things in her description. It’s gorgeous to read, and even though there’s very little dialogue, you never really get tired of reading the long descriptions because they’re so beautifully written.
The characters are incredibly well-developed, the two most prominent characters (Emma and Natan) being particularly distinct from any other characters I’ve seen. Emma is shy, and her quirks are well thought out and shown clearly and in a way that makes her particularly stand out as developed and unique. She doesn’t talk much, but that doesn’t detract from her character (or the story, for that matter) in the slightest.
The character relationships are another thing I really admire in this book. The contrast between Natan and Adrae (and their relationship in general), (**minor spoiler ahead**) the way that Natan protects Emma, the relationships between Emma and those she knows from her old life, etc. Mandy is excellent at skillfully writing the dynamics between characters so that they seem real. (And you ship couples way easier than in the majority of popular YA fiction. Or anything else for that matter.)
Overall, Echoes is definitely worthy of five stars, and I highly recommend it. :)
Originally posted on Scribes & Archers
I had the privilege of reading excerpts of this book, since Miranda (Mandy) and I are in the same writing group (which in no way affects this review, because this book can more than stand on its own), and I immediately fell in love with the poetic writing style and intricate characters. Every excerpt just piqued my interest more, and by the time I was finally able to buy Echoes I was dying to read it. Unfortunately, I’d made it a reward for reaching my goal of 100k for NaNoWriMo (which I didn’t come close to), so I waited to read it until sometime in December (although I did cheat on a couple of chapters on days that I met my daily goal. Shhh).
Now I’ve finally been able to read the whole thing, and I love it even more. Fair warning, the style isn’t for everyone, and it crosses the lines in genre, but Mandy did an excellent job executing it. The writing style is poetic and unlike anything I’ve ever read, told from a limited third-person POV that allows the reader to see Emma’s fascinating, unique way of thinking and seeing things. Emma sees symbolism in anything and draws incredibly poetic parallels between things in her description. It’s gorgeous to read, and even though there’s very little dialogue, you never really get tired of reading the long descriptions because they’re so beautifully written.
The characters are incredibly well-developed, the two most prominent characters (Emma and Natan) being particularly distinct from any other characters I’ve seen. Emma is shy, and her quirks are well thought out and shown clearly and in a way that makes her particularly stand out as developed and unique. She doesn’t talk much, but that doesn’t detract from her character (or the story, for that matter) in the slightest.
The character relationships are another thing I really admire in this book. The contrast between Natan and Adrae (and their relationship in general), (**minor spoiler ahead**) the way that Natan protects Emma,
Overall, Echoes is definitely worthy of five stars, and I highly recommend it. :)
Originally posted on Scribes & Archers
More...