This was a great read! Very suspenseful, with a creeping sense of unease and horror for the main character that translated really well for me as the reader. I loved the themes around grief and moving on versus trying to live in the past.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

I liked the characters in the story; both Beck and Riley were relatable and well written. Avery was a bit confusing and some of the other characters too but goven the nature of what was going on in the town, that became more understandable later. I did feel like the windup took a very long time, however, and the twist was not as surprising as it could have been.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved the atmosphere, and I really connected well with the characters. I did seem to figure out the ending a little early, but that didn't bother me at all, I was there for the ride and it didn't feel disappointed. I really love Ms. Gould's writing style, she makes such creepy environments with with a relaxed-yet-thrilling tempo (is that physically possible?) that kept me glued to each page. This was my second book by her, and I plan on picking up the others to immediately add to my shelf. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Atmospheric, and the suspense builds slowly over time. I found myself wanting to know more about Backravel's history than was provided in the narrative, but overall it's a well-developed mystery.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing this advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

This story focuses on Beck (Rebecca) and Riley Birsching, who travel to the mysterious fictional small town in southern Arizona called Backravel, in an effort to understand the fascination that their mother had with the town and work to come to terms with her sudden death.

The story was very unique and constantly had me at the edge of my seat. There is a slight lull in the story about half way through, but otherwise, it was very imaginative and I love the overall allegory used to exhibit to love each day and appreciate the beauty in life.

I enjoyed this book and will be excited for it to release later this year.

This book was everything. The character development was bomb. The plot chefs kiss. I finished this book and I wanted more.

I tried to get into the plot of this book, but I ended up not enjoying it as much. The ARC I received didn’t appear to be edited, which is totally fine but I am super picky and am easily bothered by typos/narrative shifts. The plot seemed interesting at first, what with the mysterious town and the inhabitants and why they all seem so weird. Beck’s mom was also a mystery to me but I didn’t want to solve it. Overall, the plot was interesting but the book didn’t hook me in and I didn’t enjoy my time reading this. I would recommend for people who enjoy thrillers but it wasn’t a favorite of mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing this advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

This story focuses on Beck and Riley Birsching who go to the mysterious small town of Backravel in an effort to understand the fascination that their mother had with the town and work to come to terms with her passing.

It also asks the reader to consider the passage of time and how, if we could live in a perfect day or even a perfect week, would we choose that over living our normal life, even knowing the pain and loss that comes with it.

I enjoyed this book and will be excited for it to release on 6/20/2023!

Thank you to NetGalley and Courtney Gould for approving my request to read an ARC edition of Where Echoes Die in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book had an interesting and unique story concept. It's a slow-burn mystery story following two sisters who recently lost their mom. They travel to a mysterious town where the MC, Beck, tries to uncover secrets her mother had been investigating. She needs to know what's so special about this isolated town in the middle of the Arizona desert, and it start to become an obsession. Meanwhile, Beck and her sister, Riley, are still grieving the loss of their mom...each in their own way.

It is a slow-moving story, but interesting nonetheless. Especially when things started to come together, all the pieces of the mystery making sense leading up to the WOW moment at the end of the book. Like I said, it's an interesting and unique story concept. And if you enjoy mysteries revolving around magical or fantasy realism, then I highly recommend reading this book:)

Would you give up the world to bring back someone you’ve lost?
Where Echoes Dies brings that question into play using some science-fiction and mystery elements.

Ellery Birsching was formerly an investigative journalist until one story caused her to change completely. After she dies, Beck, her 17 year old daughter decides to travel to Backravel, Arizona after receiving a letter with the words “Come and find me.”

This felt like reading the Lotus Casino section of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief if it took place in a podunk town in the middle-of-nowhere Arizona.
I felt like the characters other than Beck, Avery, and Ricky were not fleshed out as well as they could have. The mystery was a little predictable and I had figured it out at about the 40-50% mark.
That being said, the book was still enjoyable and I would recommend it to readers around 14-18.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me read an advanced copy of Where Echoes Die! This is my very first ARC and attempt at a longer review.

Interesting concept for this book! It reminds me of a Stephen King book but for young adult! A little weird, but intriguing enough that you can't look away! I've enjoyed the authors novels in the past and am always looking forward to her next releases.

Okay.. well.

This was a journey but I’m not sure it was the one I wanted to take.

Things I liked:

The setting and the plot. - I love small town mysteries! They’re always filled with that kind of slow, creepy, uneasiness that settles into your belly, that keeps you glued to the pages.
Riley - She deserves better. All she wanted was to spend time with her sister, and Beck couldn’t care less.

Things I didn’t like:

Referring to Mom with her full name “Ellery Birsching” - It’s used 74 times in 350 pages. It pops up so much I started groaning and rolling my eyes.

Beck. I hated Beck. She was stupid, selfish,reckless, neglectful and just awful to her sister, who she DRAGGED to this podunk town under false pretences and then ignored her the entire time. Then she refuses to leave even when Riley begs her too because she’s afraid of what the town is doing to them. She spends more time worrying about Avery than she spends worrying about Riley.

Avery was rude from the very first meeting with Beck for no reason, maybe that was to show her growth later on in the book? There wasn’t much of that either.

The romance - I didn’t believe it. Beck and Avery have zero chemistry. Avery witnesses Beck have two panic attacks and helps her through them and then all of a sudden they’re besties and hooking up? It just feels convenient and unearned?

The ending. - Dissatisfying and it left me with 20 more questions.

Also can someone please explain how these girls struggled so hard growing up? Dad seems to be pretty successful and a near solid parental figure (it’s mentioned in so many words) but he never paid child support? He just sat back with his new wife and allowed his daughters to pinch pennies and eat 7-11 frozen pizzas every day?

A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was a little confusing with the sci-fi stuff but ok overall. It was odd to me, the relationship the girls had with each other and also with their mother but maybe that’s just because it’s unrelatable for me. I can’t imagine leaving my younger sister on her own while I go off in a strange town where we don’t know anyone so it was just kind of unrealistic for me.

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.

I did enjoy this book though it was very difficult to get behind the protagonist because she was so unlikeable. I just couldn’t care about her at all. That made the read a little difficult for me. I did love the final twist though. Wow.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy. This is my first book by the author, and it did not disappoint. The storyline keeps you guessing and then takes you into a world where you are not sure what is real and what is not. Take a chance and check it out!

Part Don't Worry Darling, part A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and part Running Out of Time, Courtney Gould's Where Echoes Die is a compelling and beautifully written novel. The fantastical aspects of the novel run parallel to the exploration of grief and loss, ultimately tying together to form one cohesive story. I found myself as enraptured with Backravel as Beck was, desperate to understand what had happened in this small town and why it mattered. While I wish there was a little more understanding of secondary characters, everyone in the novel felt as real as they possibly could—even in the midst of such a complex premise. Plot twists were surprising and rewarding, with seeds planted early in the novel. Overall, Where Echoes Die is a beautiful book that is unafraid to ask its readers one of the most difficult questions: How do we become who we are?

In this solid sophomore effort from Courtney Gould, readers get more of Gould's unique and occasionally funky-in-a-good-way piecemealing of genres. At times sci-fi, mystery, and coming-of-age, Where Echoes Die is a good choice for readers fond of books about characters wrestling with things they can't let go of and questions they can't leave unanswered.

I enjoyed learning, along with Beck, what was going on in this strange town. Gould's thematic play with the concepts of time, memory, loss, and difficult choices was enjoyable to read and, in small and sudden flashes, even profound. The worldbuilding is at times too wispy to follow, and though I think this was intentional due to the thematic content of the story, it too often left nothing to grab on to. I felt the book difficult to connect to. This was primarily owing to the protagonist, Beck. Searching for the truth behind her mother's obsession with the mysterious small town of Backravel, Beck tricks her sister, Riley, into taking a trip there following their mother's death. Hiding her own investigation from Riley, Beck then abandons her sister while she searches for answers. Riley's role in the story felt like a plot device to drive Beck's character forward, but ultimately it was baffling to follow a protagonist who cares more about the love interest she has just met than her own sister.

Wow. I loved this twisty, crazy story. The characters I absolutely enjoyed.

Courtney kept me interested, and masterfully tells a amazing story that's unforgettable. A definite recommend.

Thank you netgalley and publisher

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

I would rate this a million stars if I could.

This book has effected me in a way that MAYBE 2 or 3 other books have in my entire life. Starting off I thought it was just going to be a spooky action packed thriller, I had no idea that I was about to dive deep into the realm of grief and human connection.

Beck struggles turned out to mirror a lot of the deeply seeded ones I've struggled with without knowing it. The storyline in itself was so involved and mysterious that I never want to set it down. And when I did my thoughts were consumed by what I had just read and what I thought would happen next. Gould did a masterful job of stretching reality just enough to keep it fun, but didn't push to far to make the reader scoff in the unrealistic-ness of it like a lot of other Sci-Fi books do.

I really fell in love with these characters, but especially Beck, Ellery and Avery. I've cried only once in my entire life from reading a book, and today it increased to 2. The entire scene where Beck gets to talk to Ellery again on the river, and her progression of realizing what she has to do (get to shore) and what that means for her and her mother was so incredibly heart wrenching and so filled with love between a mother and daughter. I cried real tears both during and after I finished that chapter and I know that it'll stick with me for a long time. And the symbolism of the glasses screw that popped up every now and again was such a smart Easter egg.