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lizzillia's review
4.5
Published 1 August 2024. This is a super novel told with multiple perspectives across different timelines and set in Australia and London. Max has died and his ghost, his spirit is watching his partner, Hannah, watching her grief and trying to find out why she was always so silent about her past and never wanted him to meet - or even speak to - her parents. Through through different voices we see the life of her grandmother and her mother where violence/trauma is suggested but never described. What the author describes is the effect of the violence. Hannah came to London to escape, her mother went to Australia, with her brother, to escape. The flat Hannah and Max live in is a couple of street away from where her grandmother lived. There are Then, Before and After 'chapters' where different voices are heard. After is Max describing his afterlife as he watches Hannah, Before is Max and Hannah's life together and Then is Hannah growing up in Australia in a place called The Echoes where there was once a school for Aboriginal girls who had been taken from their families, and the graveyard where they were buried. Echoes can also relate, I suppose, to the echoes of the generational trauma that lingers. Max's narrative is quite emotional at times, especially the final section, and as you learn about Hannah's life and the reasons for her silence, you understand the effect the echoes of the trauma suffered by her mother, her grandmother has had upon her. There was the odd moment - if I am totally honest - where I did get a little confused, but overall this is a touching read and I enjoyed - if that is the correct word considering the darkness - seeing the parts of Hannah that she had kept hidden from all around her.
savidgereads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
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