Where Echoes Die is a compelling book that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Courtney Gould’s writing is descriptive and engaging, which allowed me to vividly imagine the story. I loved how relatable and complex the characters were and that they had incredible growth throughout the book. There were several plot twists that kept me invested until the end. However, there were a couple of issues that kept me from fully enjoying this book. The book sometimes suffered from pacing issues, with certain parts feeling a little slow and dragging on for too long. Also, a couple of subplots seemed underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more depth and resolution. All in all a solid debut novel. I’m excited to see Gould’s writing improve in future books! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys exploring the complexities of human emotions and is willing to overlook some pacing issues along the way!

Not what I expected at all!

There were a couple of things for me about this book. The first thing being the age of the characters and being allowed to just go on vacation on their own. I get it… they didn’t tell their dad the whole truth, but still.

This book was a little slow for me. Hard to get into. Overall the story was creepy and unsettling but that’s what the author was going for.

Interesting book. Read it if you’re looking for something a little different.

I’d like to thank Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Courtney Gould is a fantastic writer, there's no denying that. She writes weird low-intensity thrillers with queer girls and I'm all here for it.

This one had a really interesting concept and I loved the idea of this strange little town. Beck and Riley come to Backravel for a vacation before moving in with their dad, to investigate what their moms fascination with the town was.

This was a very slow paced book - even the romance portion was extremely slowburn (which I actually really enjoyed, team #noinstalove)

Riley was more of a side character so I don't feel like I fully got to know her or the other teens in Backravel - but Avery and Beck are well rounded and enjoyable characters. I truly truly loved Avery, she has my entire heart and I feel so bad for her and everything she's endured.

I didn't really see the plot twist coming and I was pleasantly surprised with the turn of events and finding out what was really happening in Backravel.

In the end I feel like this book helped me in a way, the way that Beck and Avery dealt with their grief and the way that the citizens of Backravel dealt with both their emotional and physical pain was...so real. There's a point in the story where Beck discuss's if life is worth living while hiding/suppressing your pain and grief and the difficulties of moving on, remembering, and learning how to live. It was difficult to read but something that I felt like I needed to hear.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was an engaging story with fun and interesting twists. I will definitely continue to read Gould's books!

I initially thought this was a sequel to The Dead and the Dark (which I loved!). So the first chapter took me by surprise.

I didn’t really care for any of the characters and I did not understand anyone’s motivations. Both Beck and Riley were stubborn, and I found myself annoyed by both of them most of the time.

I was intrigued by the town in the beginning, but it really dragged for me. The twists were good, but weren’t enough for me to completely fall in love with the book.

It wasn’t a bad book by any means, I think I was just expecting something completely different.

I was honored to be sent an advanced copy of Where Echoes Die without having requested it, as I very much enjoyed Gould’s previous book, The Dead and the Dark. Unfortunately, I felt this one was a little underwhelming, in the sense that, while it had a strong sense of place, the plot and world building left a lot to be desired. One of my main issues being something I also found bothersome about The Dead and the Dark, the plot device of a character searching for answers, all while knowing the “mystery” could easily be solved by some just telling her what they know. I felt like the story didn’t make good use of its time, in some ways feeling like it dragged on, all while not feeling like we knew much about any of the really interesting stuff by the end. That said, I would still give the author another try, depending on the subject material, based on my enjoyment of her strong atmosphere and consistent, if not entirely my personal favorite, sapphic relationships. Thank you to Wednesday books for an advanced copy.

#NetGalleyarc I really enjoyed this book, it was very suspenseful and thrilling. It kept me hooked throughout the entire story and this would be a great October read.

Two sisters go looking to solve the mystery of what mystery their reporter mother was working on during her final years before dying of cancer. Creepy and wholly addictive. I couldn't put this one down.

I really wanted this to be better. This was so messy. Like, the concept was cool. The main character was fine, as were the side characters, even the setting was fine and well developed, but it was just cluttered, drawn out, and messy. It felt like it needed at least three more editing go-rounds.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Beck is struggling since her mother, a brilliant and troubled investigative reporter, died. She can't stop thinking of happier days and things more normal. So when she got a letter in her mother's writing, telling her to come find her in a small town at the center of her last investigation, Beck and her sister Riley decided to investigate. But the town of Backravel, in Arizona, is definitely weird. There are no cars, or cemeteries or churches and it's a mix of dilapidated military buildings and shiny ones, overseen by a treatment center high on a pleateau. None seems to remember how they got there and the sisters start to understand something wrong is going on and that the town's enigmatic leader and his daughter, Avery may know more.
As they start to investigate, Beck and Avery are more and more drawn to each other, but more time it passes, more she risks to lose herself and the way out of the town.

From the same author of the magnificent The dead and the Dark, Where Echoes Die is a supernatural thriller and it's impossibile not to love. The author mixed fantasy, sci-fi, queer romance and contemporary in this investigation, setting everything in a creepy and isolated Arizona town where weird things happen. With complex characters, weighed down by their losses, creepy setting and weird things happening, Courtney Gould explores with care and sensitivity loss and grief, the deep desire of not letting go of the past and to remember the good and easier days and the struggle of moving on and saying goodbye to our loved ones.
Mixed with supernatural, the author talks about love and sisterhood, the bond between mother and daughter, first love, queer love, curiosity, investigation and so much more, leaving the reader captivated and uneasy until the very end of the book.
I felt deeply involved in this book, I found it magnificent, I felt moved and sad and hopeful and scared and I loved everything.

This one was hard to rate for me. I'm thinking 3.5 is where I'm most comfortable, though.

I loved Gould's last book, so I knew I had to read this one as soon as I could. This one was very complex, dark, and mysterious, much like the last. But this one didn't quite drag me in like the other.

It was well written and kept me on my toes, but I think it was missing more of the horror aspect. I saw another reviewer state that it was more sci-fi, and I would have to agree. It isn't quite what you are thinking you'll be reading.

I was definitely feeling an empty Arizona desert town with this one. The atmosphere felt very empty, dry, and sparce. Though maybe it would have been nice to have a little more storyline with a few more townspeople. But I understand what the author was trying to get at with not too many people being brought into the mix.

The MC's were well written, but at times, felt as dry as their surroundings... maybe it was meant to be that way, but I wanted to feel a little more from them. I felt like there was such a separation from the sisters, and sometimes, it felt like the other sister wasn't even there.

I did, however, like they storyline of the mother and the crazy outsider lady. I think the author did a great job on that and I would have maybe loved a little more of that.

It was still a good book, and I will always be open to see what comes from this author.

After reading The Dead and the Dark, I already knew Courtney Gould was a terrific writer and Where Echoes Die certainly did not disappoint. This novel is an eerie atmospheric tale with elements of science fiction and horror/thriller tendencies. I love a good queer novel that showcases representation done in a good way and Courtney Gould's novel certainly does that. The plot is gripping and the characters are fascinating and the mystery is absolutely enthralling. Five well-earned stars!

𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝕰𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖊𝖘 𝕯𝖎𝖊 is the second book by Courtney Gould that I've read. I wasn't sure if this was going to match the same quality or if it would be a let down. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I liked the plot of the story as well as the cover. I think Gould does a good job of establishing these characters with authentic backgrounds so the reader is invested in them very early on into the story. The setting reminded me of her previous book, but in a good way. It felt like a typical town that you could drive into anywhere in the world--relatable--and I liked that. I don't believe in spoilers, so I'll sum it up by saying that this is definitely worth reading. It's also a book I can see myself picking up again to read during spooky Fall season when the season matches better with the tone of the book.

This didn't quite grab me the way Gould's debut did, but it was solid and well-written. I liked Beck a lot as a protagonist, but thought the romance element was a little underdeveloped. A couple of the big plot twists/reveals were also very obvious far enough out that it felt unrealistic for her to not realize. That said, this was a really compelling meditation on loss/grief, while also being about one of my favorite things, which is a town that's Just Kinda Fucking Creepy.

It's a bit of a slow burn, but holds your interest as you follow sisters delving into their mother's past, which leads them to a very mysterious, secretive town and it's enigmatic leader. It's slow and atmospheric, so best read on a rainy day when you can enjoy the drawn out tension and search for answers.

Courtney Gould does very well writing Sapphic characters and giving those subtle hints at interest or flirting and I love that about her books. I do find them confusing, this is the second book I've read of hers and the first one I was confused even after the ending. This one panned out with a bit more explanation but I know the twists before they happened. All in all this was a quick, good read and I did enjoy it even with the confusion.

I thought this book was a compelling concept that did a good job of holding my attention even while handling difficult fantastic real concepts. However, I found some parts of it to be just a bit too confusing and not super deep.

I thought the familial relationships were the most well done, but I found the romance subplot to be very surface level and somewhat unnecessary.

That being said, I enjoyed reading the book and liked that it took a bit more of a horror spin than her last book

A sad story about grief and loss after a mother dies. This book was hard for me to get into and to keep reading.

I was a big fan of this author’s debut novel, so I couldn’t wait to read her sophomore release. And what a cover!

Sisters Beck and Avery are still grieving after their mother’s death. She was a talented journalist who’d developed an unhealthy obsession with the small town of Backravel, Arizona over the past few years to the point that everything else fell to the wayside – bills, family, her marriage. She also seemed to be confused about where she was at times. After she passes away, the girls tell their father they’re going on vacation with a friend for two weeks before moving in with him and his new family in Texas. In reality, they’re going to Backravel. Beck is determined to uncover the truth about the town and the note she receives in her mother’s handwriting.

No doubt about it, Backravel and its citizens are a little strange to say the least. Beck notices there are no cars, churches, cemeteries, or pets. What’s up with that? There’s a mysterious treatment center in town no one wants to talk about, but plenty of citizens have been treated. Some of these citizens are slipping in the same way Beck’s mother did. Something just isn’t quite right. After she becomes friends (and maybe a little more) with Avery, the town leader’s daughter, Beck begins to unravel the mystery. And soon wonders if she’s starting to lose herself like her mother did.

This is a slow burn story with a tangled web of secrets that I needed to uncover as much as Beck did. The author is skilled at creating an air of mystery, but I did get impatient at the amount of time it took to get answers. It’s a baffling twist that still stick with you after finishing the book.

I’d recommend this novel for readers who enjoy strong family bonds, first love, and perplexing mysteries that gradually unfold.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How far would you go to get rid of your pain and grief?
Personally I’d go very far.


On goodreads it is marked thriller/horror/mystery/young adult. I started reading it blind thinking it was contemporary fiction and it was great. The book a bit too slow and melancholic for a thriller and horror elements are also more vague.

Sad girl summer (in this book it is more than just sad, main character is dealing with grief), Stephen King small town vibe, coming of age story and reflections on how far we can go to get rid of our pain and loss.

It is difficult to describe without giving away plot details and the plot is very interesting in this book. Loved the poetic writing as well and great characters, you can 100% relate to the main character and her struggles but also clearly see why other characters do what they do and it is a very big question whether you would do the same or not.

Courtney Gould never misses! This book is truly incredible. I was instantly hooked and along for the ride. The town’s characters were the right level of eerie and sus to keep me grounded in the secrets and intensity of their world, and the main plot with the sister’s was both heartbreaking and hopeful. Can’t wait to read more from this author!