Book Review✨
Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould
3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
PUB DATE: June 20,2023

First, thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my eARC of this novel for my honest review!

I would like to start by saying that this book pulled me in by title, the beautiful cover art, 😍 as well as its description!

A very interesting book for sure. A different sci-fy/mystery route into grief and moving on. My first in this genre. 😲

But in the end it was just okay for me.

Did it keep me wanting to know what was going on in this small town in Arizona? Yes. I was flipping through just to fill in my own guesses.

It definitely had a great spooky atmospheric vibe throughout which I enjoyed. Gave me a cult-like vibe as well.

The characters were just a bit flat to me, I found it difficult to connect with the MC, Beck. I found her to be a bit annoying and someone who only thought about herself with little regard for her sister Riley.

The ending happened quickly within the last few chapters. But I do feel as though everything was explained. I was just left feeling a bit ehh, underwhelmed with it as a whole.

I would still like to read more from the author! I would recommend this to those who like:

- a small town mystery
- Cult like vibe
- Science-fiction

That is all, as always, happy reading 💕

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

I was expecting a lot more than I got with this. Will be DNFing... Doesn't keep my attention and I don't find myself wanting to get back to it.

COURTNEY GOULD YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!

Where to begin…this book is pure magic. The way the atmosphere builds, the way the setting is a character in itself, everything about this book is a marvel to me. I spent much longer on this book than I do with most because I kept wanting to go back and analyze what I read, I couldn’t stop thinking about every aspect of it.
So so so so excited to make everyone in my life read it when it comes out in June.

This is hard to explain: On the one hand, this has an incredibly direct and clear identity. On the other, well, it doesn't. Illuminating right? Yeah...so there are points that really drag and some important things that happen lightning fast and, overall, it didn't feel worth the constant fight to orient yourself.

Wow! This one had me hooked from page 1, certainly did not want to put it down but work got in the way!

Quick Synopsis: Beck and Riley have just lost their mother and are on their way to live with their father in Texas but along the way they make a 2 week pitstop in a small town in the desert called Backravel. Ellery ,the girl's mom, a journalist, was in the midst of writing an article about the town and had made several visits, so they want to see what all the fuss was about. Once they get there things just aren't what they seem. I'm all in at this point!

What I really liked about this one was the town and people within it. It gave off that perfect creepy vibe and had that mystery element with a twinge of sci fi mixed in that was done really well. Not giving anything more away, you need to pick it up for yourself. No spoilers here! Even though I could write all day about what went down.

There were only two minor quibbles I had(very minor):
1. When going into a bit of the backstory with Ellery, one sentence she was referred to by Beck as their mother and the next as Ellery. It confused me at the beginning because I thought they were two separate characters. I just had to pause a few times before it sunk in. Then I got used to it.

2. I would have loved to have the ending a bit longer and the delved more into the history of the town. It all happened so fast I got whiplash. But loved the idea of it especially once the festival started and afterwards. I'm just a sucker for history of weird towns, so that's just a me thing.

Again, this did not ruin anything for me as it was IMO excellent and something much different and unique to read.

One thing to note it is considered YA, which I normally don't read. I had requested this solely on the description alone and I personally wouldn't have picked it up had I known, but I think it caters to all audiences very well. Me being one for sure! I will be checking out this author's other works in the very near future.

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for a chance at this advanced copy for an honest review

3.5⭐️

I’m so so happy to have had this be the first e-ARC that I’ve received to review. This was also the first book I’ve read by Courtney Gould and I’m looking forward to picking up more in the near future! ALSO I am absolutely obsessed with this cover!!!

This is a captivating YA horror novel with some little sci-fi twists! I really enjoyed the writing style and the setting being a creepy small town. My main issue was that I felt constantly annoyed with Beck throughout the entirety of this book. She comes off a little selfish and at times I didn’t agree with the way she treated her sister. It’s very difficult for me to fully love a book when I just don’t care for the main character. I definitely think the book could have benefited by having the reader see through Riley's perspective as well.
Overall, it was a unique concept and an entertaining read.

Read if you like:
- a splash of sci-fi
- strange town setting
- slow burn

Huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for sharing a digital copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise for Where Echoes Die sounded creepy and mysterious and full of questions. Beck and her sister arrive in the town of Backravel to solve the mystery that their mom was obsessed with before her death. It's not only a journey to uncover the secrets of the town, but also for the girls to come to terms with the death of their mother. On the surface this sounded like a solid story.

For me this fell really flat. There was a lot of mystery and oddity and build up, but the payoff was pretty lame and predictable Also, there was a romance put in that I felt like was there to be intentional and current to the times, but it didn't make a ton of sense and was very underdeveloped.

This was the first book by this author I've read, and I'm not sure whether maybe this was a one off or if perhaps I may be in the minority on this one.

Where Echoes Die is less about two sisters exploring a haunting town to find out why their journalist mother was so interested in it, and more about the pain of grief - and the lengths people go to to avoid or survive that pain.

The story unfolded slowly, and from about 10%-60% of the book I truly did not know what was going on, or how much I cared. The protagonist is somewhat dislikable, and though the author did a good job making me feel sympathy for her it was hard for me to root for her when her actions were so selfish. Also, the romance, in particular, felt forced. But the relationship between Beck, Riley and their mother was so interesting and felt vividly real. The last 40% of the book was strong, and I even connected with the ending so much that I actually shed some tears.

This book is for readers who like light sci-fi, bewildering mysteries (don’t worry, your questions are answered), examinations of grief and slow burn plots.

*Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC e-book in exchange for an honest review.*

Two sisters investigate their mother's death in a small town in Arizona that is full of secrets. Beck wants answers to her mother's death and hopes researching her mother's last investigation as a journalist will give her those answers. Except she uncovers more danger than she may be able to handle.

Readers who love YA books set in small towns full of creepy atmosphere and mysteries will enjoy this one. It's also a sapphic romance that has a nice blend of romance and mystery that play well into each other. The mother's death adds heavy emotion to the story right from the start and adds tension to the sister's relationship as they both cope in different ways. Overall this book tackles grief well when it comes to exploring how tough moving on can be after losing a loved one.

3/5 stars

Absolutely loved the author's previous work, the dead and the dark and I had high expectations for this one but it wasn’t as good as I expected.
The story was kind of predictable and I could not connect with the characters. The first few chapters were very slow-paced. Beck was annoying at times and it was really hard to relate to her or like her. Another thing I was annoyed by was the repetitive words and the absence of synonyms. I also wish this book was a dual POV, I would've liked to know Riley's side of the story as well.
Beck and Avery barely spent enough time together to develop their relationship and it was very underdeveloped.
Overall I think the book was fine, a bit underwhelming but not boring to read.

For at least the first half of Where Echoes Die, I could not figure out what was going on. I mean that as a compliment: I love a mystery that I uncover at the same time as the characters, and the slow (slowww) reveal of the circumstances underlying the novel's central conflict kept me hooked. The novel begins with sisters Riley and Beck arriving in Backravel, the town that captivated and changed their newly-deceased mother. While Riley is ready to move on to a new life with their dad, Beck can't let go of the past, and she embarks on a mission to discover the secret of Backravel. Gould is great at atmospheric details, and Backravel is creepy and confusing in equal measure. Why can't anyone in the town give Beck a straight answer about when they arrived? Why aren't there any cemeteries? What goes on in the imposing treatment center overlooking the town?

One strength of the book is that way it uses sci fi elements to concretize the emotional experience of grief. At times, it's unclear whether Beck's flashbacks and sense of stasis are a product of being in the town or of grappling with the disorientation she feels after losing her mom. While the novel slowed down for me at the end when the sci fi elements became a little more overt and slippery, I appreciate the way Where Echoes Die offers a different angle on the age-old question of how we move on after someone we love is gone.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed "Where Echoes Die", and as someone who has been to Everett, Washington, I got jumpscared a little every time the main character said "back in Everett--" or something similar. But that's not what this book is about. Backravel, Arizona is a fascinating setting full of mysteries for the protagonists to unravel. Well. Mostly Beck.

I loved this book -- the characters were developed and interesting, the setting was interesting, and the mystery and lore kept me drawn in. My main critique is that the ending and romance felt a bit rushed. The Netgalley version seems to have less pages than the print hardcover edition (287 vs 352), so hopefully these extra pages are adding to those specific aspects.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The idea behind this novel sounded amazing, and it was a pretty freaking entertaining story (with notable disturbing/grief-based sections that make it impossible to describe as 'fun' all the way through). The ending/reveals were a bit bonkers, so for me it didn't quite stick the landing, but it's a strong A+ for atmosphere and writing. I'll definitely read more of Gould's books going forward.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for allowing me to read a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions and views in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This was a well written novel full of suspense, thrills and heartbreak. Courtney Gould weaves together a compelling and beautifully written story that is sure to intrigue all who read it.

A time traveling, speculative story starring two sisters on the hunt to learn their mother's secrets.

When Beck and Riley arrive in Backravel, Arizona, it is clear that the town has some secrets. The former military site seems to be almost deserted and the families continue to greet the sisters with surprise. But Beck has her mother's journalistic notes and she knows the answers to her death lie somewhere in town.

If you are ready for a creepy thriller, a time traveling mystery, a coming of age story for the ages, then Where the Echoes Die is for you!
#STMartins #WhereEchoesDie #CourtneyGould

I will be thinking about Backravel forever. Would you want to stay? I am an overly curious disaster of a human so I'd probably want to be there to look into it and literally die.
But I am also morose and like being morose so I might not chance it. Let me keep my darkness yall!
Anyway, I totally got why our teen was there and wouldn't leave. Teens are a disaster and don't make the smartest choices. It is part of human development.
I could not get enough of this book. I am so proud of our author.

Arc provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books

This was a tough read that took me quite a while to get through due to the content and pacing but was overall a beautifully written story of loss and grief. Ellery Birsching was always chasing mysteries in her lifetime as an investigative journalist and after her passing she became the mystery that her daughter Beck began to chase.
I loved the concept of the seemingly magical mysterious town of Backravel and its sinister leader Ricky Carnes. This book combined two of my favorite things to read which is difficult relationships between mothers and daughters and impossible places. The dynamic between Beck and Riley, especially how differently they handled their grief and how that affected their actions was really interesting to me.
I also loved the mystery of the town and understand how Ellery and Beck got so drawn into it. Many of the elements of this story reminded me of some of Emily Henry’s young adult novels which were the first books that reignited my love of reading a few years ago with their small towns that were much more than meets the eye and deeply emotional character journeys.
I think the only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was the pacing. It worked for the story and nothing really felt too drawn out plot wise but it was just slower than what I typically read and for that reason I struggled with getting though it at times and would have to take a bit of a break from reading for a day or two but I do intend to read more from Courtney Gould in the future.

I had no idea what Courtney Gould had in store for the reader with her latest spooky and mysterious story. I knew it would be a queer, ya novel, but I had no idea how much the theme of grief and how one delas with it would be so encompassing. Its difficult to explain what happens without spoiling, so I'll just say, it caught me by complete surprise and you should go experience it too.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this. It was reminiscent of Don't Worry Darling but in my opinion this was much better executed. I adored the author's previous book and I was nervous this book wouldn't completely live up to my expectations. However, it exceeded them and I loved this even more!!

The mystery combined with a rich and dusty atmosphere and ultimately a deep contemplation of grief made this book a standout of the year for me!!