Author: Katie McGarry
Release Date: January 14, 2020
Publisher: Tor Teen
Hardcover: 384 pages
Description:
Echoes Between Us is bestselling author Katie McGarry’s breakout teen contemporary novel about a girl with everything to lose and the boy who will do anything to save her.
Veronica sees ghosts. More specifically, her mother's ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines caused by the brain tumor that keeps her on the fringes and consumes her whole life haunt her, even as she wonders if it's something more...
Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but his adrenaline addiction draws him to Veronica.
A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose--can they conquer their demons together?
Praise for ECHOES BETWEEN US:
"One of my favorites she’s ever written. SO INCREDIBLE.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series
Praise for ONLY A BREATH APART:
“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable
"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine
“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review
“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist
“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C. J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author
“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series
“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author
“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World
“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species
“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author
“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe
You can purchase Echoes Between Us at the following Retailers:
Echoes Between Us is an amazing new young adult contemporary novel that readers are sure to love. I personally don't usually read YA contemporary because it's just not my thing, but the paranormal/ghost aspect drew me in. I've also read the author's work before and really enjoyed it, so I knew this was bound to be a great read. I'm incredibly glad that I took a chance with this one. It was everything I hoped for and more.
After reading the description, it becomes obvious what the major plot of the story is. Sick teenage outcast girl plus golden boy who feels caged in his own life come together for one reason or another. It sounds like a redundant theme in the genre, which is part of the reason I don't read it, but it ended up being so much more than that. The general plot is there but the author adds in these complex main characters with so much happening in their lives. I got drawn into their lives and the story - but the author talks about some serious topics throughout the book as well. Things like accepting and loving yourself, grief, loss, love, friendship and family, dysfunction, and a lot more. The author subtly adds these topics into the heart of the story so easily that it feels natural and the author doesn't even realize they're thinking about these topics while they're reading.
The two main characters, Veronica and Sawyer, were both very well rounded and realistic. I immediately connected with Veronica at the beginning of the story. She is who she is and she's proud of it. Other kids think that she's weird and avoid her, but she tries not to let it bother her. She doesn't hide her eccentricities but displays them proudly. She doesn't pretend to be someone that she's not and she won't put up with that crap with other people. She's sick - she's had a brain tumor since she was eleven - so her life tries to revolve around it. But she refuses to let it. She's strong, smart, brave, compassionate, fiercely loyal to her friends and her Dad, and loving. She can also be a bit odd, cold towards others, and standoffish, which only makes her more realistic to the reader. I loved getting to know Veronica throughout the book. The author's writing style allowed for me to really connect with her.
Sawyer is the golden boy with the seemingly perfect life, but who's secretly ashamed of his learning disability, his family situation, and feels caged in by everyone's expectations of him and plans for his future. He's also an adrenaline junkie - which seems to be the only thing that allows him to feel alive and in control. He took a bit to warm up to for me, but I eventually got to know his character and liked seeing his story play out. He was realistic too with good personality traits and flaws, which made him easier to empathize with throughout the book.
The author's writing style is a huge deal for me with this book. If you've read any of my other reviews, you know that this incredibly important and can seriously make or break a book for me. The author chose to write this story in the first person (my favorite!) with alternating chapters between Veronica and Sawyer. So we get to form a deeply personal connection with each of the main characters throughout the book. We see everything from their perspective and with the added bonus of knowing their innermost thoughts, hopes and fears, dreams, memories, and everything in between. I absolutely love that the author used this writing style for the story! I think it's a perfect fit and perfectly allows the reader to know both Veronica and Sawyer personally and see their stories (both alone and together) through the characters' own eyes. It was the icing on the cake for me and what really made me love this book as much as I did. Very highly recommended for fans of YA contemporary fiction, paranormal/ghosts, and romance.
Photo Content from Katie McGarry
WEEK ONE
JANUARY 13th MONDAY Tween to Teen Book Reviews REVIEW
JANUARY 14th TUESDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW
JANUARY 15th WEDNESDAY Twirling Book Princess EXCERPT
JANUARY 15th WEDNESDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW
JANUARY 16th THURSDAY Wishful Endings REVIEW
JANUARY 17th FRIDAY A Bookish Dream REVIEW
WEEK TWO
JANUARY 20th MONDAY A Court of Coffee and Books REVIEW
JANUARY 21st TUESDAY A Dream Within A Dream REVIEW
JANUARY 22nd WEDNESDAY BookHounds YA REVIEW
JANUARY 23rd THURSDAY Book Briefs REVIEW
JANUARY 24th FRIDAY Kait Plus Books EXCERPT
JANUARY 24th FRIDAY We Live and Breathe Books REVIEW
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