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A review by jaclyn_sixminutesforme
Echolalia by Briohny Doyle
4.0
“Echolalia is a horror story, although it is not billed as one (that’s part of the horror).” - @_declanfry review of ECHOLALIA by Briohny Doyle in @sydneymorningherald had me sold!
I listened to the audiobook in my own sleep-deprived fugue, in lockdown nonetheless. There’s a way I’m connecting to stories now that feels more intense, and none feel more immediate than those with a domestic setting tapping into the darkness that can lurk in that space. I found the suburban idyll of sorts that Doyle depicts an incredibly effective setting for suspending expectations and turning the notch on these horror elements that Fry so deftly articulates (these sorts of developments always make me think about Levittown - well worth a google if you’ve not come across before!). I also love narratives that explore motherhood with such nuance and complexity, particularly experiences postpartum that look at *not* connecting. (@polyreader not sure if you’ve read this yet but I’d love to hear your take on this book!)
I’ll revisit in print form soon as I think the dual timelines were perhaps trickier for me to appreciate fully just listening on audio (which says more about my own reading comprehension than any failing of the book, to be clear)
I listened to the audiobook in my own sleep-deprived fugue, in lockdown nonetheless. There’s a way I’m connecting to stories now that feels more intense, and none feel more immediate than those with a domestic setting tapping into the darkness that can lurk in that space. I found the suburban idyll of sorts that Doyle depicts an incredibly effective setting for suspending expectations and turning the notch on these horror elements that Fry so deftly articulates (these sorts of developments always make me think about Levittown - well worth a google if you’ve not come across before!). I also love narratives that explore motherhood with such nuance and complexity, particularly experiences postpartum that look at *not* connecting. (@polyreader not sure if you’ve read this yet but I’d love to hear your take on this book!)
I’ll revisit in print form soon as I think the dual timelines were perhaps trickier for me to appreciate fully just listening on audio (which says more about my own reading comprehension than any failing of the book, to be clear)