I'll keep my review here short & sweet (for a more detailed review, check my Goodreads page. I've been live-blogging it there).

Echo North is both a unique folk tale and a reimagining of several fairytales the reader will recognize. Our heroine, Echo, is a scarred girl who has been ostracized by almost everyone except for her father and brother. With the introduction of a new stepmother, Echo is driven into the woods by an emotional conflict (of which I have my issues with, but I've already aired that over on GR). She reunites with the wolf who injured her as a child, learns he can talk and is spirited away to his enchanted home in the forest where he teaches her to bind magic to the house and she learns to read book-mirrors, which are essentially portals that place her in the story of a book.

This is, of course, a simplified version of the story's events, but it will serve my purposes here. What did I think of Echo North? It was an engaging, enjoyable read despite the cliches and predictable plot (spoilers here, but I thought the Hal situation was clear from the first or second meeting between him and Echo, as well as some other plot points). While not the best YA retelling I've read, I had fun with it. I'm in the final stretch of the book now, but I'm reviewing ahead of time because I also feel like the story would have been fine ending with Echo's Big Decision, whatever it may have been in that version of the story. I think Echo North works better as a romance with a slight fantasy/adventure element to it rather than a full adventure story, which it seems like the book is leaning toward after she meets "you", or Ivan. I'll be leaving a more detailed review on GR when I finish the book officially, but overall; I'd give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The story sounded like one we've seen before, but ended up being different. From what I saw it's not a Beauty and the Beast retelling but a Norse Mythology one. No matter what it's based off of it was still an exciting wonderful book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

While the frame is one we've seen before, Echo North is uniquely beautiful and haunting. What seems like a familiar fairy tale retelling will surprise you. It's biggest strength is in its atmosphere.

I can’t say Echo North covers any new ground, but it travels the familiar paths so endearingly, I didn’t care. Echo trades a year of her freedom to a mysterious talking wolf in order to save her father’s life, but she comes to love her magical new home and an enigmatic stranger she meets there. When the time is up, she will have difficult choices to make. Does she have the strength to defeat very powerful magic? Without giving too much a way, my favorite thing was that our protagonists’ love was not at its most powerful not when the relationship was sweet and beautiful, but when that love was strong enough to forgive. I think that's important for teens to see.

Fans of of fairy tale retellings should definitely be adding this book to their list. Echo North hits all the right parts of a fairytale from a wicked step mother, a bargain to save her father and of course our main character Echo who because of her looks has been the talk of the town since she was a child. This book was an adventure from start to finish.

First ARC of the year complete and just like last year, I started off with a good one! I feel like there have been a lot of re-tellings out/coming out recently. I had only vaguely remembered what the stories of Tam Lin, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and even the myth of Cupid and Physche. I myself looked them all up after I saw another reviewer mention them and I would actually recommend not doing so. While this story is obviously unique, there were a few things that I think I was able to piece together sooner because I had just skimmed those tales.

This is a story of Echo, named such for the fact that she echoed her late mother's heartbeat with her own. When she is young, Echo is disfigured by a strange white wolf in the forest and grows up being reviled by her village. When she is sixteen, she has another encounter with the same wolf and ends up bartering one year of her life for the safety of her father. She ends up spending that year in this awesome house that all of these different rooms that she learns to tend to from the wolf. OBVIOUSLY my favorite one was the library that had the cool mirror books. Basically you could step into them and live out that particular story and leave whenever you wanted. It's in those "books" that she meets Hal and the story progresses and mistakes are made and ~feelings~ begin, and...................that's basically all I'll say about it. You'll just have to pick the book up once it comes out and find out yourselves!!!

Anyway. I think I liked the second half of the book more than the first (even though the first had the mirror books). The second half featured Echo actually DOING something to try to save a certain someone. I felt like in part one there were too many instances of her wasting time, trying to figure things out. Maybe it's just because I've read so many books and fairy tales but I was like damn, girl, you need to figure your crap out already! Overall I loved the ending and this was a very solid book to start out 2019. I recommend!

Echo North is based off several fairytales, including Tamlin, Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun and West of the Moon and Cupid and Psyche. The most prominently featured fairytale (or at least the one I noticed the most) was probably East of the Sun and West of the Moon, but only because I noticed the similarities to 'Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow' by Jessica Day George.

But don't this book isn't unique or original. It's both. I practically devoured this book. (it was also the first book I read in 2019!!) Echo is a great main character, whose motivations are easy to follow and relateable. There aren't a lot of main characters (most of the book is only Echo, Mokosh, Hal, and the Wolf), but all of them are well fleshed out and interesting, with a surprising amount of connections that aren't discovered until later.

I have to admit that I found much of the book to be predictable, but I don't think that takes away from it's ability to be a good story.

Overall it's a great retelling and I hope to read more of this author's work in the future!!

Echo North is a story woven with themes from very familiar and beloved fairy tales. It was a very atmospheric read and I loved the lush prose, which definitely helped in turning the pages. Venturing into the wolf's enchanted home alongside Echo was a delicious experience. I enjoyed all the characters' conflicts and triumphs. I do feel the plot dragged in some parts, but the story was engaging enough for me to continue on. I look forward to reading the author's work in the future.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a simple fairy tale retelling, a fresh spin on something I've heard a million times. Beauty and the Beast is a beloved fairy tale and known to many, but I guarantee nothing about this will feel stale or uninspired. This book is more of a mash up of several fairy tales with the author's imagination stamped in the fine details. Meyer held me spellbound and captive to her words, there's no other way to describe it. One minute you're strolling through her world, naively thinking you'll coast on comfortably 'til the end. The next, the force of the story slaps you in the back with unexpected momentum. And you're careening through its twisted, thorny path so fast you're breathless with wonder.

I'm sitting here trying to form coherent, linear thoughts to write down. But my mind is still dizzy with the adventure I reluctantly returned from. I'm in the enchanted house under the mountain where nothing is as it seems. Your smallest wish is granted, and the nightmare you never knew existed waits for time to slip through your fingers. The answers to this enigmatic puzzle are as ephemeral as a dream you can't quite remember when you wake. Teasing the edge of your consciousness. Echo must have the cunning to solve the mystery, and the courage fight an ancient adversary with immeasurable power. You will agonize every step of the way with her. One wrong move will have all hope for the future folding in on itself like a house of cards.

Echo Alkaev was disfigured by a mysterious white wolf in the woods as a child. Once she led a normal life, now she's reviled and feared because of the scars mapping one side of her face. Her father and brother have always given her unconditional love, but her confidence has been shattered by small minded people who cannot see past her surface imperfections.

Growing up in her father's book shop has garnered a passion for reading, and a thirst for knowledge. Yet nothing outweighs the loyalty and love she has for her family. So when her father disappears one winter after a journey into the woods, she sets off alone. Desperate to find him. Stumbling upon his half frozen and unconscious body, she's frantic to get him home. The white wolf from her past appears, and offers a bargain. One year of her life in exchange for her father's safe return.

That year is a two-sided paradox of euphoria and despair, like a coin flipped and suspended in the air holding her fate in the balance. Even as she swears to uncover the wolf's past and set him free, the house's magic dazzles her with distractions. It's a visceral feast on your senses. Who wouldn't be enthralled with a library that allows you to enter its mirror-books, silver spiders spinning webs that can bind collapsing rooms, and a venomous garden with poison roses and vines? At night the house cracks and moans, cackling in evil delight. Echo doesn't know what forces threaten outside her locked bedroom door, but she doesn't truly know who's locked inside with her either.

This book had so many dualities to explore. Layered characters with secrets and muddled intentions. Jaw clenching, white knuckled suspense where time ceases to exist. Just when you think you've reached the pinnacle of the adventure, you're steered on a harrowing voyage that seems doomed to end in failure. But this is where Echo's heart is exposed the most. She's a true heroine that may get knocked down, but she dusts herself off and runs fiercely towards the challenge again. Her courage never fails her, even on her darkest days.

I was nothing short of frenzied this morning when I woke up and immediately dove right back into the book. I blew through 300 pages without pause, refusing to put it down until the conclusion. That's how good it was, I didn't have any choice in the matter. The lush, dark landscape was constantly shifting, the characters along with it. I loved not only this author's writing, but her finesse in storytelling. I'm an instant fan and cannot wait to read more from her in the future. I'm not sure why this book hasn't gotten more notice, but boy am I glad I found it. Do not hesitate!! If I could heft a huge a neon sign up that blinks, "READ ECHO NORTH" I would. I want everyone to experience this exhilarating, fantastical tale.

The latest in a recent spate of fairy tales set in Russia, Echo North combines a number of fairy tales (Tamlin, Beauty and the Beast, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, Cupid and Psyche among others) to tell the story of Echo, a Russian maiden beset by a wicked stepmother who consents to spend a year in the magic house with talking wolf in exchange for her beloved father's life. The book is very fast paced and often hits the right note between fantasy and horror in part one, before taking on a more heroic saga tone in part two. Fans of fairy tales should enjoy it, but I would caution readers not to enter into the narrative expecting something precisely in the vein of Naomi Novik or Katherine Arden.

This is ultimately yet another bland East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling. It's not unique or compelling enough to be a true reinterpretation of the original. Yet the quality of writing is not nearly good enough to make it satisfying as a straightforward retelling.

In the afterward, the author wrote that she was inspired by Beauty, East, and Fire and Hemlock. And I had to laugh because those were, I swear, exactly the three books I was thinking of while reading this. Which would normally be amazing! Except I was thinking that this read like those three books mashed together to create something inexplicably bland. I felt general apathy at the 'twists' and big reveals because I wasn't invested at all in these characters. Flavorless dialogue, bland characterization, and vague world building all leech away the potential pathos of Echo North.

That said I think this might appeal to readers who (a) have never read an East of the Sun, West of the Moon retelling, (b) have a lot of patience for these retellings, or (c) are unfamiliar with Tam Lin (even though its just tacked on at the end).

I was feeling overwhelmed with work and hadn’t read a book in weeks, but then I was approved for an arc of Echo North through Netgalley. I initially opened it just to get a feel for it but then I read the first page, and the one after that and the one after that ... until I had the book finished a few hours later. I needed this book more than I can convey. It helped me relax and release some of the tension I was carrying around.

It’s a light read but a beautiful read. If you’re already familiar with the fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon then I think this book will hold a special place in your heart too. Echo North takes the original fairytale and makes it their own.

Echo’s father goes missing for weeks so she goes in search of him and finds him frozen in the snow, she’s then approached by a wolf and asked if she would like to make a bargain: she can come live in the wolf’s house for a year in exchange for the magic to release her father so he can go home.

So this house, I’ve never read a EotSWofM retelling with a house like this. The rooms have to be bound to the house or they disappear and that’s the wolf’s job and that’s what he’s training Echo to do. My favorite room (and Echo’s) is the library, it’s a room with paintings all over the wall and once you touch the painting you enter it’s story. You become a participant! You can talk to the characters, interact, help them on their quest or escape imprisonment. It was completely fascinating and I really wish my library could do this because “hello, Rhys” *grins*

“It is like any wild thing that has been tamed. It is sometimes safe, and sometimes not.”

Just like in the original fairytale the heroine must sleep in a room without lighting any candles and seeing who else is in the room (I know I’d last half the night before striking a match lol). She knows the wolf is in the room with her when the lights go out but then it seems someone else takes his place ...

“She wept in the snow and crumbled to ash, for I was only pages in a book, burned and lost and gone forever.”

So one year, one year at this house goes by quickly for Echo, and every night she resists lighting a match until finally ....

“Don’t let go, says my heart.”

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an Arc in exchange for an honest review and thank you for the author for writing such a masterpiece (though I’m still sad over that reindeer).

Review featured on my blog, morramor.wordpress.com on 12/27/18. Cross posted to goodreads.

This story follows Echo, a young woman who was mauled by a wolf she saved as a little girl, who later agrees to live with the wolf for a year in his enchanted home in order to save her father’s life. I was expecting this to essentially be a beauty and the beast retelling, but what I got was so much more and so much better than beauty and the beast. In the acknowledgements – the author lists many different references for inspiration: east of the sun west of the moon, tam lin, and other similar fairytales. All of it was blended perfectly to create a unique, fun, and enjoyable story that is just as excellent as the classics it’s based off of.

Echo North reads like a fairytale your parents might have had your parents read to you while you were tucked in bed. It’s beautiful, magical, and so creative I found it so hard to put the book down. I devoured this book in 2 days – it would have been less if I hadn’t been so busy. Every second of the novel I was drawn into the story – I felt like I was there with Echo, with Wolf, with Hal, inside the enchanted home in the woods. I loved the characters – the life each brought to the story, the way they were all connected in some way. I wish I could find the proper words to tell you how amazing this story was.

The plot is so brilliantly crafted that to this day, nearly two weeks later, I still think about it. It brings me so much joy and happiness when I think back to the events. This was one of those books where the answer is right in front of your face, and you may or may not notice it. I was able to guess at some of the bigger reveals, but then I was STILL surprised at some of the other things Joanna added in at the end that had me literally gasping out loud. The plot line and timeline might seem a little strange at some parts, or things not make entire sense in the beginning but I beg of you KEEP reading, wait until the end, because this novel was so worth it.

I wish I could erase my memory and read this book all over again from start to finish because it was just THAT good. Please add Echo North to your TBRs, preorder, request on netgalley, do WHATEVER just please read this book. If you’re a fan of Bear and the Nightinggale, Beauty and the Beast, Uprooted, ACOTAR, etc, you’ll LOVE this book. It should be put in the classic fairytales section, because it was just…so magical.

Dark, creepy, and fabulous in the best way possible. Loved this retelling and hope everyone will give it a try.

I found the concept of Echo North to be fascinating, but unfortunately, it did not live up to it.

My first turn-off was the evil stepmother trope (it’s a cliche at this point, right). The woman had no reason to be as cruel as she was, so it was hard to believe in her actions.

I found the setting and world building to be too vague (were they in Russia? I just couldn’t get a handle on where’s Echo and her family lived.) I never had a clear picture of setting or the world the author created.

Because of how many fairy tale retellings come out for YA, I look forward to books with rich worlds and tropes twisted on their head. I did not find that in Echo North, unfortunately.

Though it took me a while to finish Echo North, I am incredibly glad I did. It felt like a very familiar story, but one I couldn't nail down. As I continued reading, I thought of tales that seem blended into this one book -- specifically East (Edith Pattou), Beauty and the Beast (Robin McKinley) and a few others - I don't want to give away more. I rarely read author's notes (for the same reason I never watched movie 'extras'), but after reading Echo North, I needed to know if I was right in the stories that inspired this book (and I was! it was the coolest feeling - down to the very same authors!).

Ms. Meyer did an amazing job telling Echo's story -- a young girl scarred by a white wolf who (to save her father) goes to the white wolf's enchanted home. There, she grows close to the wolf, determined to free him from a spell. Yet through more than one betrayal, Echo must fast the Wolf Queen for the ultimate act of bravery and love. It was a lovely book that combined tales I loved into one great book. I'm so happy to read new authors inspired by some of my favorite authors. Echo North is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who likes fairytale retellings and I will continue to follow Ms. Meyer's novels for sure.

A lush, magical book! Echo North is a beautiful blend of fairy tales in a hauntingly beautiful world. As a child, Echo was marred by the wolf she saved from a trap. Later on they meet again and embark on a magical journey to defeat the evil Wolf Queen who has cursed the wolf. A must read for those who enjoy re-tellings of fairy tales.

Echo North is a beautifully dark, grim fairy tale with a wonderful, heartwarming ending. I loved every second I spent reading this book!

Wow. Just wow.

I have forever loved the tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, especially after reading East by Edith Pattou, which introduced me to the story. Not only did the cover of this novel draw me in, but the review of an author of a debut novel which I just adored. The synopsis did me in, and I had to request it. Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street for allowing me the wonderful chance to review this title ahead of its release date.

This story follows Echo, a seventeen-year-old girl who lives with her bookseller father and brother. An encounter with a white wolf when she was young, left one half of her face scarred. This led to a life of cruelty which did not end even when she grew. Her father marries an equally cruel woman who forces her father to venture off to make money for his family. When he does not return, Echo goes off to look for him and finds not only her father but the white wolf she'd rescued as a child.

The wolf tells Echo that he will save her father if she comes to live with him for a year. Fearing for her father's weak state, she agrees and is whisked away to a magical house. The only rule the wolf has is that she cannot look upon him after midnight.

The house in which Echo finds herself was simply amazing. All the different rooms and the idea that the house stitches itself together was so cool. When Echo comes upon a magical library in which she can step into stories through mirrors and meets the handsome Hal and the pretty girl, Mokosh, her adventures becomes so much more engrossing. There are surprises and magic at every turn and kept me reading way past my bedtime.

This book takes East of the Sun, West of the Moon and spins it into something unique. It gave me a lot of Howl's Moving Castle vibes, which is one book I adore. The character of Echo grows into a meek girl wanting to hide her deformity to a brave woman finding her strength. The writing was gorgeous and kept excellent pace with the story. There is not one thing about this novel that I did not dislike.

I love when I stumble upon books like this. Echo North was fresh and imaginative. If you love retellings, fairy-tales, books that give you all the FEELS and drown you in magic, this is the one for you. I will be buying a copy to have on my shelf.

Once upon a time there was a book named Echo North. Within its pages holds the story of young woman who loses her family only to get tricked by a magical wolf. One year with the wolf in the woods in exchange for the life of Echo's father...

Deals have been made, and she is taken to a magical house under a mountain filled with an ever-changing kaleidoscope of rooms. Some are filled with danger and some with delight. Every day she is able to explore a few more rooms and the wolf explains her predicament a little more. He is the keeper of the house, yet after this year he will die and the house will fall apart. Echo and the wolf strengthen the seams by trying to bind the rooms tighter to each other...

The most fascinating is a room with its walls full of book mirrors: enchanted doorways into stories. Echo escapes in to these stories and finds people she can interact with and what she hopes will be clues to counteract the house's curse.

Magic, mystery, and music. An atmosphere that burns a strong tension throughout. Is the truth that hard to tell? And help that hard to accept? There are always deals to be made, love for life and sometimes more.

Filled with incredible storytelling. A mix of fairytale and adventure. Meyer writes Echo as a young woman bent on finding the truth, her love, and her destiny. A fully-formed character. Caring, broken in many ways, violent when needed, yet always striving forward.

Once upon a time in a story about the woods and the wind and love.

4.5 out of 5

Releases on Jan 15th.

Thank you to NetGalley, Page Street Kids, and Joanna Ruth Meyer for an advanced copy for review.