Beck has been the adult in her family for a long time, even before her mother died. Now she and her sister Riley travel to the isolated town of Backravel that captivated her mother enough for her to make dozens of trips there in her last years, growing more absent-minded each time she returned. Something is off as soon as Beck and Riley arrive— no one can say for sure how long they've lived in the town, and there are no churches or cemeteries. But the true cause is even stranger and harder to swallow than they could have expected.

This is nominally a contemporary sci-fi novel of sorts with a small sapphic romance, but it's ultimately a book about processing grief. The delicate, nuanced descriptions of Beck's internal struggles and panic attacks are heart-rending. The relationship between Beck and her sister— the easy camaraderie, the division of labor, the topics not to be discussed— feels so real. Beautiful.

This was a different kind of read for me. Interestingly, it was categorized as a supernatural thriller, but I would describe it more as a blend of Sci-Fi and Mystery. Beck and Riley are two sisters who have lost their mother to cancer. She was a vibrant, driven journalist that became immersed in her research and writing, and in so doing, was a distant and enigmatic figure to her daughters. After her death, Beck receives a note in her handwriting to "come and find me" in a little town called Backravel AZ. The town and its mysterious leader was the subject of her mother's obsession for years prior to her death, so Beck cannot resist the temptation to try and learn more about her mother's time there. Beck and Riley go there to stay in a trailer for two weeks prior to moving to Texas with their father and step-mother.

Backravel has a strange and otherworldly aspect, with a mix of shiny new construction alongside the ruins of old military buildings. The town residents seem to have no memory of their lives prior to moving to Backravel, and there are no churches, vehicles or cemeteries. Beck feels a bizarre pulsating energy in the town that seems to emanate from underground, and the only ones who seem to know the town history are the town leader Ricky and his daughter Avery. Riley must get to the bottom of this mystery before she has to leave and move to Texas.

The author did a masterful job of describing Backravel - ominous, strangely empty and stuck in a time warp with its vague inhabitants. Beck must decide whether to stay in Backravel and continue to live in her past life or to move forward with whatever unknowns life has in store. What will she do and what impact will her decision have on her sister?

Backravel is a metaphor for the state of grief, where one can stay immersed in their memories of the person they lost and times past, or consciously choose to keep moving forward and rejoin the world of the living. It is well-imagined and well-written, with a perfect desert setting and memorable characters. Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan.

5 stars. This was a book that made my most anticipated list and it did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat from the first page and this has become one of my favorites already in the beginning of the year. The writing flowed and it reminded me of her first book that i enjoyed. I will forever keep my eye on the author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Courtney Gould (the author), St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Young adult mystery novel with sci-fi, yes! I am so in.

Loved the setting, the little town called Backravel, the characters Beck and Riley, and wierd towns huge secret.

The romance between romance between Beck and Avery could have been developed more and it needs more of the sci-fi paranormal, but overall a great book.

Recommend.

Wow! This one was absolutely crazy from start to finish for me. There's so much to think about as our main character and her sister make their way to Backravel to discover the truth behind their mom's lifelong obsession after her death. There are some insane elements to this one as we unravel the strange curiosities that stem from this strange little town and why they do things so differently. It keeps you guessing pretty much the entire book and the ending shoves it at us and waits for us to be undone by it. I think for those who love a bit of mystery and sci-fi mixed with a low-key romance this is most definitely for you. It's something unique and tantalizing in the best of ways.

Two sisters travel to an isolated Arizona town to investigate its connection to their mother’s death but uncover more than they bargained for in this supernatural thriller from the author of The Dead and the Dark.

I am a big fan of Courtney Gould's The Dead and The Dark so I was prepared to love Where Echoes Die. And I did. One of the pitfalls of YA is that the main characters tend to be teenagers and teenagers tend to be bratty, but I can forgive Beck and Riley for it considering the recent loss they've been through and the absolute craziness they are dealing with in Backravel, Arizona. A lot of the interpersonal conflict could have been avoided if Beck just communicated with Riley instead of lying and dragging her into things she didn't want to be involved in. But that's sisters for you.

The town was suffocating and the people in it gave me the creeps. The "Treatment Center" was a fascinating sci-fi element. And the mystery was well structured and executed. This book is a great study of grief, family, and the effects of time. I loved it and would definitely recommend it.

3 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
Beck is on the trail of her journalist late mother's last story, and has both lied to her father about it, and dragged younger sister Riley along for the ride to the mysterious town of Backravel.

Review
I only recently came across Courtney Gould’s first book, The Dead and the Dark . I liked it, and when I saw this, I picked it up.

My fear after reading The Dead and the Dark had been that Gould would write a sequel and just keep following the same characters. I didn’t feel they could support the weight of a series. I’m happy to say that Gould didn’t do that; the story is all new. Unfortunately, while the characters are nominally different, there’s a great deal of sameness to them – the first book had a somewhat generic group of muddled teens meeting a troubled outsider who falls for one of them, and this book … has a somewhat generic group of muddled teens meeting a troubled outsider who falls for one of them. In both cases against a background of murky ‘bad stuff’ and problematic parents. The characters are so similar that early on I kept wanting to check whether it was somehow a sequel.

I felt the actual horror of Gould’s first novel was the weakest part, and again I felt that in this book the mysterious power (some sort of military site pollution with unlikely effects) was poorly supported. While, as in the first book, the characters were stronger (and similar), I also this time found them very frustrating. The protagonist, Beck, not only seems to have no care at all for her younger sister (but is not really presented that way), but consistently – in the course of her investigation – fails to follow up on lead after lead after lead. The story ends up being a jerky, start-stop process, constantly derailed by … it’s never clear exactly what.

In the end, I decided that the book was not intended as a straight novel at all, but as an allegory about … loss? depression? I’m not sure. Read that way, I give it a little more room. As a novel, it didn’t really work for me. Gould is a talented writer, but I’m thinking the stories she wants to tell are just not to my taste.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Some books you devour in hours, and some take longer. Some take root inside of you and can only be visited in increments. That was Where Echoes Die for me. Courtney Gould's writing style is so fluid and easy, you get lost in it. The way she writes about loss is heart wrenching, but beautiful.

Grief is such an unpredictable thing. Learning to move past it is an underlying theme here. While much of the book is told through the POV of someone lost and confused, all of this book felt intentional and certain in it's plot. I loved the atmospheric eeriness, the concept of the science fiction elements, and how it all came together to tell a story. I didn't feel like I was missing anything. And while I didn't always feel a connection to the characters themselves, I felt a deep connection to the grief that was preset throughout. What a honor it is to read a book that lets you experience emotions that are not your own.

"We all lose each other eventually. Living in an echo isn't enough."

Well, I bet it's safe to say that Gould could write a bunch of gibberish down on a piece of paper and I guarantee you I would still buy it to read it!

I think I could have tried to do a cartwheel when I seen this sitting for request.
That's how excited I was!
I loved The Dead and the Dark but WED is freaking amazing y'all!

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould is unlike anything I've read before!
The plot is perfectly paced. The twists keep you moving along. And the characters are relatable and understandable. The character building is so well done here.
The town of Backravel is described so well it’s like I’m there. And the plot was well thought out and executed.
Everything flowed well together, connecting the characters, the plot and everything in between.
Courtney keeps you interested, builds the suspense, and masterfully tells a phenomenal story that's unforgettable.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
After absolutely loving "The Dead and the Dark" I was super excited to read Courtney Gould's next book! I absorbed this book; Gould's writing is a style I really enjoy and it's so easy to just keep reading. This book, similarly to her first, is in the horror/mystery/sci-fi overlapping genre area and all the moving pieces worked well together for the most part, though I did find myself confused as to what was happening some times. The town of Backravel and its history was intriguing and at some times I felt just as invested in figuring out what was going on as Beck did. The characters in this book sadly did not grip me in the way I wanted them to, however. Beck is a tough character, having had to step up and take care of her sister while her mother was ill and after her death, but I just couldn't bring myself to feel much for her other than sympathy and a little frustration at how she treated Riley. Overall though, I think this book is absolutely worth a read and will leave your head spinning at the end. A great second book and I can't wait to see where Gould goes next!

Courtney Gould drew me into the mysterious Arizona town she crafted, where nothing seems quite right. I hardly put the book down all day, eager to find out what Beck had gotten herself and Riley into in Backravel. But I think I enjoyed the build up more than the finale.

Enraptured as I was by this world, I had so many questions that haven’t quite been answered, although I guess that could be the point.

I also wish we heard more from Riley - she had some great moments, and I would’ve loved to get more of her perspective on their time in AZ.

That aside, I still was fully taken in by this book. Beck’s journey through grief, as pieces of her mom’s past in Backravel slowly come to light, (and a side of a sweet lil romance) kept me invested, even though I didn’t necessarily like Beck the whole time. I’m definitely adding the author’s other book to my TBR.

Holy f***!! I know I'm late to the party, but wow. I don't even know what to add, this was just such a crazy ride? I enjoyed every single part of it. Let's go gays!!

Where Echoes Die is all at once lyrical, atmospheric, horrifying, and heartbreaking. Set against the backdrop of the mysterious town of Backravel, Gould embarks on a raw exploration of the different effects of grief. This was such a vivid tale of loss, emotional abuse, and familial bonds. I just wish there had been a bit more wrap up and closure at the end. Sure to be one of the must read books of 2023!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Courtney Gould has an incredible talent for creating stories that feel claustrophobic and insular. Where Echoes Die is no exception. Her grasp of writing about oppressive small towns is unmatched. I just loved this book. It was spooky, mysterious, and exactly the type of book I love. It you’re a fan of Stephen King, Courtney Gould is the YA author for you!

This book covers the topic of grief wonderfully. It talks about how to let go and move on after losing someone, while keeping the mystery of the story at the forefront.

4 ⭐️

this was an excellent YA thriller and I was hooked!

I don't wanna give anything away but this book is literally so good. It has a arizona setting, sister bond, mystery, cool twists

Thankyou so much to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me access to read this one early

Where Echoes Die is the story of Beck, a girl haunted by the death of her mother, her younger sister traveling with her, and the tiny town of Backravel where their mother spent so much of her time before her death.

Courtney Gould spins another delicious dark and twisted story with enough turns that I couldn't seem to stop reading. The location is fantastic, and the characters are prickly and realistic, but it's the mystery behind Beck's mother, and the town itself that drew me in and kept me turning page after page.

It's a fast read, but not one I can sum up easily or simply...and I've been trying for a few weeks now. It revolves a lot around the bonds we share with people, the way grief can consume us, with memory and consent, and manipulation...and more to boot, all while weaving a gorgeously intricate story.

An intriguing mystery wrapped in a creepy town with a story that explores family dynamics, love, grief, memory and more.

Just phenomenal. Great queer representation, wonderful writing, a creepy, twisty story. In my opinion, this was even better than Gould's previous book. I'll recommend this to everyone upon its release.

2.5 stars

This was an ambitious book; lots happening, dual timelines and told from one perspective (Beck). Everyone else around Beck is kind of half drawn, which is a bummer bc I think more time spent outside of Becks head and in her interactions with Avery and Riley would flesh the story out and have more emotional resonance.

The main 'mysteries' do get resolved but not in a real fulfilling way. I still have like 20 questions that I need answered before I'd say ok, we explored all of this.

My biggest quibble though is they have a parent that seems to be steady, was in their lives and yet didn't pay child support? Why were they struggling so much? Yes this seems like a stupid plot point but the estrangement seemed to be more for the sake of the story than making actually any real sense.

Any time I get invested in a story I do tend to find these nitpicks which is why it's 2.5 and a recommended read for the YA crowd. It's got a lot of good elements and a nifty sci Fi plot, it just needs to tighten up a bit or be more than one book.

4.5 stars actually. I wasn't sure how I was going to fare with this one. There are elements of PNR and sci-fi - and those types of reads usually make me feel like I'm dumb and swimming upstream. As if there was something I'm supposed to take away that I'm just to slow to catch on to. However, Courtney Gould does an amazing job of making it perfectly alright. There's just enough given to let you know what's going on, wonder what the heck is going on, and still feel like you're not lost. There is a lot of action and intrigue and mystery that keeps you racing through the pages.