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.

The Dead and the Dark was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, and I ended up really enjoying it . So, when I was contacted to read this, I was over the moon! Gould manages to intertwine themes of grief and mental illness (like PTSD) so effortlessly throughout her novel, but without letting it absolutely take over the story itself. It's terrific. This story is yet another sapphic masterclass in sisterhood, creepy strange towns and the way grief colors everyday life and experiences. I loved the characters and their development, I loved the way the setting was realized and I love the way the themes were handled. Another homerun from this amazing author, I can't wait for even more from Gould going forward. I highly recommend this and I cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copies for my library!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first Courtney Gould book but I won't be my last. I'd definitely recommend this to my friends and anyone looking for a book that takes on topics like grief, mental illness, PTSD, etc. with a creepy, suspenseful approach.

CONTENT WARNING

The author does issue a content warning for: grief, loss of family member, emotional abuse from family, mental illness descriptions, PTSD and memory loss…

I personally did not feel triggered by any of the depictions in this book specifically even though I could definitely relate to what our MC was going through.

PLOT

Sisters Beck and Riley have just recently lost their mother to a brain tumor and are in the process of relocating to Texas to live with their dad. Before they can make it to Texas Beck has a some loose ends in regards to her mother she wants to tie up. Prior to her death their mother was an investigative journalist and she had been working on the story of Backravel, a mysterious town in Arizona. Their mother becomes obsessed with this town losing her marriage and her sanity in the process. Armed with a letter from their mother, which seems to have come from beyond the grave, and all her mothers notes on Backravel Beck sets off with her sister to follow in her mothers footsteps and see what had her so obsessed with this town.

SETTING

Backravel, population 1000. Arizona desert town.

CHARACTERS

Beck-MC

Riley-Sister

The Sterling’s-who they stay with in Backravel

Daniel-Sterling’s son

Avery-unofficial Backravel tour guide

Ricky-founder of Backravel

Desert Woman

WRITING STYLE

I thought that this was super easy to read. Not really a lot of “big” words or long complex sentences or paragraphs. Straightforward reading ahead.

EXECUTION

Upon reading the premise for the book I was really looking forward to reading this, but the execution of this book just didn’t land for me. The plot moves along swiftly enough, but honestly really not much happens and when something did happen, like the big reveal as to the mystery behind the town, I was underwhelmed. I was also able to predict another reveal that felt like it should have been more shocking. There’s nothing particularly supernatural about this story either. Also key parts of the story are poorly explained/described so it made it hard to feel shocked or even fully understand what was happening.

The setting was also a bit of a disappointment. I’ve been to Arizona and this felt like it could have been set anywhere in the US and the same effect would have been achieved.

The characters I listed were ok, but overall pretty flat. Nothing changes with them through the story. The other characters I didn’t mention were intended for the purposes of driving home some creep factor(in my opinion) that was just lacking in general so the characters felt a bit pointless.

More so in the beginning of the book it seemed like there were some really great metaphors and other writing devices used that did make some parts a lot more pleasant to read.

READ IT OR SKIP IT?

Honestly this wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great book. I tore through it hoping for a sweeter payoff than what I got and ultimately just feel meh about it. I probably could have skipped this one personally.

5/5
Courtney Gould has written another sapphic masterpiece, about strange towns, sisterhood, and the relentless hold of grief. Wandering the backroads south to Arizona, Gould draws us into the mind of Beck Birsching, a grieving young girl trying to piece together the legacy of her deceased mother while struggling to keep herself together. Where Echoes Die breaches the past to prove the longevity of grief upon generations, and the universal struggle of the human experience. Courtney Gould continues to amaze me and I'll be reading any and everything she does next!

My full review will be up on my blog shortly and will be linked here upon post

I received an eARC of this book from Wednesday books in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw this book on Instagram, I knew I had to read it. Anyone who knows me knows that the loss of my mom and the subsequent relationship change my sister and I had because of her death is a huge part of who I am.

I often struggle on the daily with staying in the present and moving forward. So often I just want to go back and be where we used to be. But I’m slowly learning that “goodbye is never easy, but it’s only the beginning.”

Enough about me - this book was really lovely. The description of so many things paints a picture like you’re in the desert. The way Courtney describes the world, makes you feel. It makes you sad, it makes you hopeful, it makes you scared, it just makes you feel.

This is a book about grief but it’s also a book about being present and why it’s important. It’s almost poetic how you root for <spoiler> Beck and Avery but at the same time you’re hoping Beck just survives and can get out of Backravel. </spoiler>

If you’re looking for a mysterious, sapphic, paranormal, grief-filled book - this is me telling you to read this. I wasn’t at all disappointed and my gut was right about reading this one.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

This book does a nice job discussing the desperation that comes from illness or a loss suffered and the great lengths people go to in order to avoid the reality of those situations.

“Where Echoes Die” speaks to a journey through grief offered through a twisted promise of hindsight as sisters Riley and Beck look to unravel the mysterious of their late mothers messages finding themselves in a small town time seems to have forgotten.

Jumping right in, the plot itself is wonderful giving us this last ditch effort to keep someone alive even if it’s simply their memory and following along on this investigation into the unfinished story of a mother taken too soon. Between Beck and Riley both girls are managing this loss differently and the strain it takes on them both together and individually is one just about all of us can relate to. Having Beck as our narrator was interesting as we see both the horror of what’s happening paired against the nurturing tug of submission and the peace offered if one just gave in and that back and forth was one of my favorite aspects of the book.

Each piece of the story was nicely laid out and creeps in like it should giving just enough strangeness to pull you closer and want to know all of the secrets the town has to offer. I picked up on some of the twists a bit early but it didn’t take away the experience once we hit the final reveal and there weee still some that I missed which was (without sharing spoilers) both fun and awful once it sank in just how much had been happening.

Overall this was a good read and moved along a bit faster than I expected and I’m very satisfied with my first book of the year!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Following the loss of her mother, Beck pulls her sister along into a trip to the isolated Arizona town that enamored their mother in life. Backravel is a small, isolated town where it’s immediately clear that something isn’t right. The more Beck digs, the more she doesn’t understand. Where Echoes Die is Courtney Gould’s latest novel of family bonds, hidden secrets and things that go bump in the night.

After devouring The Dead and the Dark, I was so excited to dive into this book. I was not disappointed. Where Echoes Die is a beautifully written novel, one that blends sci-fi, mystery, thriller and the supernatural. This book had me hanging on every word, waiting to see what happened next.

Gould has an incredible ability to immerse the reader into the setting of the book. Backravel is perfectly fleshed out. You can imagine the people, the places, the thrill. The characters were all unique, with their own secrets and personalities that unravel over the course of the book. They all feel realistic in their voice, something that you don’t get in every book. I loved the contrast of Beck and Riley’s grief over the loss of their mother contrasted against Avery’s anger over the sudden disappearance of her mother. I enjoyed seeing ever the most minor characters having their stories integrated into the overall book. My only wish was for the romance in the book to be more developed, as it felt kind of sudden and disorganized.

The plot of the book is unique and well paced. You get even the smallest of details without feeling like the storyline is being interrupted and I enjoyed seeing how all of those details built up into the crazy ending of the book.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Bit of an odd book. The premise was very creepy and it was a fast read but I’m not sure the ending explanation made a ton of sense. The answer to the mystery just led to more questions for me. But it was a quick fun read that kept me guessing.

*** I received an arc in exchange for an honest review

This book was WILD. It was super twisty and the mystery aspect was *chefs kiss*
The mystery of the town kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't figure out what was coming next!

A rare thing - a thriller where I didn't know how it would end! This setting of this book left me feeling unsettled in the best way and even though there were some connections and happenings that I saw coming, the ending was still a mystery to me until it happened. The descriptions of how disorienting the town of Backravel is made me dizzy and I could picture myself in Becks shoes as she began to spiral. I think everyone can relate to wanting to go back to a point in time before painful events which makes the prospect of the city even more compelling. Overall this was a quick read for me and I really enjoyed it!

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