Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail
Police brutality does not happen to main characters, but the police do sniff around the MC and it is obviously a concern. There is a mention of an off page event of police brutality involving guns.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved the message of the importance of community especially in a YA book. It was great to see some afro-latine representation as well! Overall, I thought the story flowed very nicely from beginning to end1
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Police brutality
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The plot and concept was pretty good, but the writing fell a bit flat for me.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Historical fiction is often a difficult sell to my readers, but this blend of history (the burning of the Bronx in the 1970s) and today (the Echo Game) will get around that reluctance.
If you weren't aware of the history, this book doesn't do the best job of explaining the time when slumlords ruled, when buildings were allowed to burn because the absentee landlord and the lack of tenants meant the abandoned spaces were valuless. White flight was real, and the Bronx took quite the hit. So making the echo of that time, the trauma those who couldn't afford to leave (or who moved there because it was all they could afford), an urban legend and a game the characters here get caught up in is a clever way to introduce that era to today's readers. As far as the plot goes, the pacing is uneven, but the relationship between Raquel and Charlize unfolds naturally. There's more horror here than is hinted at, but it's spaced out nicely and isn't so scary readers won't continue.
Copy provided by publisher.
If you weren't aware of the history, this book doesn't do the best job of explaining the time when slumlords ruled, when buildings were allowed to burn because the absentee landlord and the lack of tenants meant the abandoned spaces were valuless. White flight was real, and the Bronx took quite the hit. So making the echo of that time, the trauma those who couldn't afford to leave (or who moved there because it was all they could afford), an urban legend and a game the characters here get caught up in is a clever way to introduce that era to today's readers. As far as the plot goes, the pacing is uneven, but the relationship between Raquel and Charlize unfolds naturally. There's more horror here than is hinted at, but it's spaced out nicely and isn't so scary readers won't continue.
Copy provided by publisher.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed listening to this audiobook! I enjoyed learning about the racist destruction of The Bronx in this thriller YA format. I thought the progression of the plot was a great pace (fast like I like 'em!), the characters didn't make me hate them constantly, and my interest was maintained throughout. I rated this a 4/5 only because I enjoyed this book, but didn't absolutely love it.