A review by danilanglie
Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall
4.0
I'm glad I've decided to keep reading this author's work, because truth be told I don't pick up a lot of YA novels anymore and this gives me a chance to dip my toes into the genre! I also don't read horror as a rule, so reading horror aimed at teens is maybe the right move for me. This shit is spooky!
I think that's where Marshall's greatest strengths lie, in describing the atmosphere and the creepy, supernatural elements. In that regard, this book was stronger than her last, Rules for Vanishing. I also appreciate how she's creating a "cinematic universe" of sorts. These books are not direct sequels or anything, but they exist in conversation, and have the unifying theme of the Ashford files tying them together.
That was another element where it feels like this book improved on the last: the way that we see pieces of the story through narration, and then other pieces through video records and interviews. By the end, the story has caught up with itself and we're getting pieces woven together through camera footage and then through recounting later on as well. That was really neat and gave the book something unique!
I will say that on the characterization front, these characters are not particularly well-rounded or complex, and I found the romance between Sophia and Liam to be incredibly flat. I kept wondering if Abby and Sophia would become a thing, but I guess not! In any case, I'm glad I read this and will certainly read whatever she's got planned next in this world!
I think that's where Marshall's greatest strengths lie, in describing the atmosphere and the creepy, supernatural elements. In that regard, this book was stronger than her last, Rules for Vanishing. I also appreciate how she's creating a "cinematic universe" of sorts. These books are not direct sequels or anything, but they exist in conversation, and have the unifying theme of the Ashford files tying them together.
That was another element where it feels like this book improved on the last: the way that we see pieces of the story through narration, and then other pieces through video records and interviews. By the end, the story has caught up with itself and we're getting pieces woven together through camera footage and then through recounting later on as well. That was really neat and gave the book something unique!
I will say that on the characterization front, these characters are not particularly well-rounded or complex, and I found the romance between Sophia and Liam to be incredibly flat. I kept wondering if Abby and Sophia would become a thing, but I guess not! In any case, I'm glad I read this and will certainly read whatever she's got planned next in this world!