valkyrie08's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Blood, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
_ladypearce_'s review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I did like this a lot better than Rules for Vanishing. I liked that not all of it took place in spooky land because thatโs what I didnโt like about RFV.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, and Gun violence
abookwormwithwine's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I seem to be getting a lot of books lately where it is almost impossible for me to pinpoint my feelings about them and Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall is no exception. This is such a strange and gruesome book, but I thought the way it was executed was fantastic. The story is told from the viewpoint of Sophia but with other media mixed in like chapters titled Video Evidence and various exhibits. I love when authors mix in things like this, and it really heightened the overall experience I had while reading it. I didn't even realize that the setting was Alaska because it felt like this book had a whole world to itself and it didn't feel real. It seemed like a mix of horror and sci-fi to me, with many thrilling elements mixed in. The setting is very bleak and foreboding and I spent the whole time worrying about what was to come.
Even just THINKING about this book makes me not want to eat food, and there are tons of gross parts to the story which I definitely couldn't eat during. I listened to the audiobook, and I loved the three different narrators - Kathleen McInerney, Robbie Daymond & Rob Shapiro. They were all great picks to voice Our Last Echoes and I especially loved McInerney as Sophia. She was completely into her narration of the story, and you could practically feel every emotion thanks to her. Some parts of the audiobook are very intense to listen to, but it is totally worth it. The mystery aspect of the book really leads to some shocking discoveries, and I don't think I was quite expecting the level of supernatural elements it had. I think this would be a great read for someone who is a fan of YA novels and loves the supernatural mixed in with their horror. This would be a great book to read around Halloween as well and it was extremely dark and creepy!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Even just THINKING about this book makes me not want to eat food, and there are tons of gross parts to the story which I definitely couldn't eat during. I listened to the audiobook, and I loved the three different narrators - Kathleen McInerney, Robbie Daymond & Rob Shapiro. They were all great picks to voice Our Last Echoes and I especially loved McInerney as Sophia. She was completely into her narration of the story, and you could practically feel every emotion thanks to her. Some parts of the audiobook are very intense to listen to, but it is totally worth it. The mystery aspect of the book really leads to some shocking discoveries, and I don't think I was quite expecting the level of supernatural elements it had. I think this would be a great read for someone who is a fan of YA novels and loves the supernatural mixed in with their horror. This would be a great book to read around Halloween as well and it was extremely dark and creepy!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
girlonbooks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ย ๐น๐น๐น Three stars (as rated in all the clues on Abby's camera)
It's been years since Sophia's mother vanished into the Alaskan mist and no one seems to know exactly what happened. All Sophia has are fragmented memories and a story that doesn't make sense. Posing as an eager, bird-loving intern, Sophia makes her way back to the remote refuge of Bitter Rock - a bird preserve shrouded in constant cover of a nearly anthropomorphic mist. But with the answers she's sought for decades almost in reach, Sophia realizes that this truth comes at a price that isn't hers to pay.
It's been years since Sophia's mother vanished into the Alaskan mist and no one seems to know exactly what happened. All Sophia has are fragmented memories and a story that doesn't make sense. Posing as an eager, bird-loving intern, Sophia makes her way back to the remote refuge of Bitter Rock - a bird preserve shrouded in constant cover of a nearly anthropomorphic mist. But with the answers she's sought for decades almost in reach, Sophia realizes that this truth comes at a price that isn't hers to pay.
โWhatโs down there?โ she asked. โA crack in the world,โ I answered automatically."
I was excited to finally be getting to this one as it was the Cancer pick on my new release book rec list for the month March. Not that it matters that much, but I stand by my designation that this is a total book for Cancers. It's actually a bit ridiculous how much of a water sign book this is. ๐๐**
What I enjoyed most about this book is that I went into it with a certain idea of what was happening, and while that misconception crumbled beneath me the plotline that took it's place ended up being 5x better. Kate Alice Marshall brings a nice dose of originality to the "something lurking in the mist" trope and I rather enjoyed that.
โจ Reasons to read (or listen to) this book: diverse cast of side characters that are not stereotypical or problematic (an apparent feat for white authors, let's be real), Native American voice actor
โจ Content warnings for this book: murder, violence, death, blood, spooky and unsettling themes, vomit
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Cursing, Terminal illness, Violence, and Body horror
colleensreadingadventures's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Doesnโt thisย cover scream creepy scary good?! Thatโs what I thought, and Iโm a huge fan of thrillers and horrors so I was pretty excited to read this. I even read the book prior, Rules For Vanishing because Iโve heard they correlate without actually being a part of a series. I hate to say I did not really enjoy either book. โฃ
โฃ
Kate Alice Marshall has a wonderful writing ability that much is clear. She set the tone perfectly for a creepy, chillingย book. But it didnโt follow through. The characters fell flat, I didnโt really care either way what happened to the them, they just didnโt seem to have a real enough qualityย and I felt no connection. So suffice to say the romance involving Sophie the MCย was something I could not get on board with. โฃ
โฃ
I think the way the story unfolded told from video recordings of the events and then to the events themselves as they happened intermittently made it feel like a documentary or a story being told, not like something that was/had actually taken place. Maybe too much video recordings Iโm not sure, but it took away something from the story, for me at least. It does seem like a lot of people really enjoyed that aspect. Also I thought there was way to much action. It was a bit overdone. Not enough time to absorb what was going on. โฃ
โฃ
The plot also just didnโt gel with me. This is why I donโt like Sci Fi. That is not the main element but there definitely were traces of it. The way everything was explained kind of confused me. Maybe Iโm just not smart enough to get it! That is a definite possibility! ๐๐โฃ
โฃ
I hate to slam a book this hard but I want to be honest about my feelings and I do believe Kate Alice Marshall has writing talent that needs to be explored. This book just wasnโt a hit for me. โฃ
โฃ
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ฌโฃ
โฃ
Kate Alice Marshall has a wonderful writing ability that much is clear. She set the tone perfectly for a creepy, chillingย book. But it didnโt follow through. The characters fell flat, I didnโt really care either way what happened to the them, they just didnโt seem to have a real enough qualityย and I felt no connection. So suffice to say the romance involving Sophie the MCย was something I could not get on board with. โฃ
โฃ
I think the way the story unfolded told from video recordings of the events and then to the events themselves as they happened intermittently made it feel like a documentary or a story being told, not like something that was/had actually taken place. Maybe too much video recordings Iโm not sure, but it took away something from the story, for me at least. It does seem like a lot of people really enjoyed that aspect. Also I thought there was way to much action. It was a bit overdone. Not enough time to absorb what was going on. โฃ
โฃ
The plot also just didnโt gel with me. This is why I donโt like Sci Fi. That is not the main element but there definitely were traces of it. The way everything was explained kind of confused me. Maybe Iโm just not smart enough to get it! That is a definite possibility! ๐๐โฃ
โฃ
I hate to slam a book this hard but I want to be honest about my feelings and I do believe Kate Alice Marshall has writing talent that needs to be explored. This book just wasnโt a hit for me. โฃ
โฃ
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ฌโฃ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Child abuse
Minor: Gun violence
bookcheshirecat's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Gore
joceraptor's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I adore the way Kate Alice Marshall writes YA supernatural horror. Rules for Vanishing was one of my favorite books I read in 2019, and while I didn't love Our Last Echoes quite as much, I was so happy to be back in the world of the Ashford Files. The atmosphere, the mixed media, the friendship, the body horror... it all very much works for me.
We start with a young girl named Sophia who is coming to an isolated island in search of answers about her mother, who disappeared when she was very young. Over the course of the novel Marshall explores the titular "echoes" and what this means for both Sophia and the world she inhabits. This also, like Rules for Vanishing, has such an incredibly haunting ending and I am keen to continue to explore what that means for the universe Marshall has so meticulously crafted.
It's hard to talk about this without spoiling it, especially as I feel like dark thrillers/horrors often work best the less you know, so I'll end it there. But if you're interested in ghosts, unexplained horrors, and interconnected stories, I urge you to pick up this companion series.
We start with a young girl named Sophia who is coming to an isolated island in search of answers about her mother, who disappeared when she was very young. Over the course of the novel Marshall explores the titular "echoes" and what this means for both Sophia and the world she inhabits. This also, like Rules for Vanishing, has such an incredibly haunting ending and I am keen to continue to explore what that means for the universe Marshall has so meticulously crafted.
It's hard to talk about this without spoiling it, especially as I feel like dark thrillers/horrors often work best the less you know, so I'll end it there. But if you're interested in ghosts, unexplained horrors, and interconnected stories, I urge you to pick up this companion series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, and Violence
juliezantopoulos's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I adored Kate Alice Marshall's Rules for Vanishing when I read it as an ARC so getting the advance reader copy for this book really excited me. I dove right in and was pleasantly surprised to realize it exists in the same world as Rules for Vanishing (not a spoiler-if you read the synopsis well ...unlike me...you can riddle that out, too).ย
This story is spooky-like downright gave me nightmares and was difficult to read at night but I loved it. It wasn't my "perfect" Kate Alice Marshall because some of the themes weren't as "me" as Rules for Vanishing but oh my gosh did I love it, still. Her writing is amazing, the way she crafts a story and writes her characters is fantastic. There are a lot of people mentioned, so much like Rules for Vanishing, there is a lot to keep straight. I don't mind this, at all, as a full cast makes the world feel "real" for me.ย
This one does come with some creepy body gore and a lot of trauma and history with suicidal thoughts, mental illness, depression, and emotional repression. It's dark-her books tend to be, but nothing I couldn't handle. There is some mutations of people and animals and death of people and animals in the novel including a violent assualt on a child that is shown in flashbacks. Know yourself and if you can handle it...but it's fantastic.ย
This story is spooky-like downright gave me nightmares and was difficult to read at night but I loved it. It wasn't my "perfect" Kate Alice Marshall because some of the themes weren't as "me" as Rules for Vanishing but oh my gosh did I love it, still. Her writing is amazing, the way she crafts a story and writes her characters is fantastic. There are a lot of people mentioned, so much like Rules for Vanishing, there is a lot to keep straight. I don't mind this, at all, as a full cast makes the world feel "real" for me.ย
This one does come with some creepy body gore and a lot of trauma and history with suicidal thoughts, mental illness, depression, and emotional repression. It's dark-her books tend to be, but nothing I couldn't handle. There is some mutations of people and animals and death of people and animals in the novel including a violent assualt on a child that is shown in flashbacks. Know yourself and if you can handle it...but it's fantastic.ย
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Body horror, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse
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