Echo North
By Joanna Ruth Meyer
My review:
The first quarter of Echo North was wonderful and had me captivated as everything was setting up, but the rest of the book was up and down for me. I wanted to fall in love with this book, but it turned out to be just an okay read for me.
The story begins with Echo, a young girl who lost her mother at birth and now lives with her father and brother. After attempting to help a wolf in a trap escape, Echo is attacked and her face is permanently scared. She’s treated differently because of her scars and ends up working in her father’s bookshop with little belief in herself. After being reunited with the wolf who attacked her, she agrees to live in his magical house for one year which will spare her father’s life. The wolf intends for her to be the new ‘keeper’ of the house because he’s dying and there is no one to tend to it. Echo wishes to find a way to save his life as she struggles to help keep the house from unbinding, with more rooms disappearing each day.
“Everyone is searching for their true selves. But everyone hides their true selves from each other. Look for the truth. If you find it, you will see through the enchantment.”
I love retellings and did feel the similarities (although subtle) to Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun and West of the Moon, but the book had some definite uniqueness to it. I can say with certainty that I haven’t read a book with a library of enchanted ‘book mirrors’ in it before, where you enter a mirror and become part of the story within it, visiting all different sorts of book-worlds, all containing different adventures. The idea is unique to me and what I found most interesting in the tale. I also had questions throughout the story with certain parts that were puzzling, but appreciated that everything was nicely wrapped up by the end of the book.
Something I didn’t love about the tale was how Echo was treated poorly by the village people due to the scars on her face, as if she were plagued with some horrible disease. It really does damage her character. It seemed as though her brother was the only one that actually believed in her. I did appreciate their close family relationship with their father though. It was parts like these that reminded me of Robin McKinley’s Beauty because that close family bond was something I was drawn to in that retelling as well. Echo’s character is flawed, but she really blossoms throughout the book as she begins to understand true beauty and just how important she is.
“If others cannot see your true self, if they refuse to see it— that is a flaw in their own character. Not in yours.”
The writing here is beautiful, lush, and descriptive; it’s hard not to appreciate this book. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough going on to fully keep my interest and I didn’t have a whole lot of connection to the characters by the end of the story. I had to push through the slower parts, especially where the story was drawn out at times. I was very pleased with the ending though, and extremely thankful for the epilogue.
I did still enjoy this tale and I’m happy to have read it. If you like retellings, give this one a try.
3.5 stars
Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon
- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Page Street Kids (January 15, 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1624147151
- ISBN-13: 978-1624147159
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction
This is book #4 for the Retellings Reading Challenge. If you’d like to see my progress, you can click here.
Thanks for reading my review. Have you read this book? Let’s chat in the comment’s section. Happy reading!
❤ Mischenko
I’d be interested in finding out how everything turned out for echo and the wolf. I think the last quote you had in the review is so true. Children especially need to learn this fact early in life and carry the thought with them through life.
Awesome review Jen! 🙂📖
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I loved that quote and totally agree.The wolf definitely shares some wisdom with Echo. I think you might enjoy this one. It’s interesting how the characters ‘connect’ in the end. Thanks! 😁
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Thoughtful and well-balanced review, favorite M! I love a retelling, so I may still check this out. I hope you love your next read more! ♥️
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Thanks, Jen. ❤
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that’s a great review ❤
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Thank you. 💙
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Oh. You’re making really want to read this now. I’ve seen a few reviews and thought it loooks pretty interesting. Oh my… another one to add to the list! Lol
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It’s definitely interesting. I still recommend it for those who like retellings. Thanks, Nina. 😉
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Hehe. That part about the dragging though… lol. We shall see 😉
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This one sounds like an interesting concept. I like the idea of the mirrors! Sorry it wasn’t a better read for you!
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That was my favorite part of the book. I thought it was unique because I’ve never read a story with book mirrors before, but I suppose it could be out there. I did still enjoy it and recommend! 😉
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I do want to read this still 🙂 it does remind me a lot of East by Edith Pattou which is a retelling of that same story so I wonder what this book will do differently. Great review!
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Does East have the book mirrors too? I haven’t read it, but I do have it on my list. I thought this was a neat retelling. 😉 Thanks!
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No but it’s similar with a girl going to a new place and having to live there with an animal. That’s all I can think of with the similarities…
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I see. Looking forward to it! Thanks 😉
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No problem! Anytime
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Great review Jenn. This book sounds like it had a lot of potential and good things, but the story just didn’t reach that high level. i love the idea of “book mirrors”. What an interesting concept and twist. I also love that final quote from the book. I wish we could have that plastered everywhere today.
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Thanks, Carla. The book mirrors are so neat and unique. I agree on the quote! ❤
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Really love the sound of the writing! Definitely want to check it out 🙂 Great review!
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I hope you enjoy it if you read it. Thank you! 😉
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