I really enjoyed this authors first book so I was excited to be able to read her follow up novel - she's got this great ability to move us into eerie small towns and create a fabulous atmosphere. Backravel feels like a town frozen in time and our main character is trying to find out what's going on after losing her mom. Unfortunately for me, i found thr majority of the book a little confusing and it stretched out a little too long before being resolved for me.

Book Summary:

Beck Birsching's mother was brilliant. But as with many brilliant minds, she was also trouble. She worked as an investigative reporter right up until the day she died. Her death sent Beck adrift, unsure of where the shoreline was.

That is until a letter arrives. It's in her mother's handwriting. This new mystery puts some life back into Beck as she determines to travel the clues. Thus, she and her sister end up in a small but strange town named Backravel.

My Review:

If you're looking for a book that is a little bit of everything (mystery, thriller, horror, prosaic, etc.), Where Echoes Die is a worthwhile book for you to check out.

Where Echoes Die had a solid start, I was immediately hooked, curious about the mystery of Beck's mother, not to mention the strange town she's been led to. Unfortunately, I did find myself losing the thread before long.

While the writing is stunning (Courtney Gould knows how to write evocative descriptions), I struggled to connect to the characters. That's a problem, given that we should be connected and rooting for Beck. In truth, I couldn't bring myself to care – or root for her.

All that said, I do think Where Echoes Die is worth the read. However, I wish I could go back in time to adjust my hopes/expectations before diving in. That would have significantly altered my experience for the better.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
LGBT+
Horror Elements

Trigger Warnings:
Familial Death

This ones hard to nail down genre-wise -- it's got so many different things going on, woven together seamlessly! A little sci-fi, part western in vibes, and also some horror/thriller stuff going on -- I'm not even sure where to start & kind of wish I could go back and immediately reread it now that I'm done, which to me is the sign of a good book!!

4.5 stars!!!

I generally enjoy YA horror/mystery/thrillers and this was no different! This novel follows two sisters as they set off to a town in the middle of the desert that their late mother had an obsession with, and when they arrive, things are much werider than they every imagined. The pseudo-science had me super interested and just how weird everyone who lives in this town was made it hard for me to put this down. I just needed to know all the answers! This features a very sweet female/female romance that I wasn't expecting and my biggest gripe is that I wanted more of them! I'm super excited to read Courtney Gould's other full length novel and anything that she writes in the future!

I loved this author's first book, but unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. The vibes are creepy and unsettling and there is solid character development and a remarkable exploration of grief and loss, but the underlying plot was a big miss for me. If you are less concerned about a mystery having an explanation and everything tying together, you will still enjoy this book. For me, I was hooked early, but then quickly realized that this was going to be one of those books where we never really figure out what is going on in this town, and I lost a lot of my interest.

However, I love this author's dark writing style and I am still interested in reading whatever she writes next.

The desert air was stifling, making each breath more difficult than the last, but she had to keep going. This town was interesting, capturing her attention, something hidden beneath the dusty layers that was calling to her. The people here were friendly, but seemed different from others she had encountered. She’d figure this out, even if it killed her.

Where Echoes Die is a YA horror following Beck who is tracking down answers to her mom’s unfinished news story. The town she must visit had intrigued her mom for months, but there is something wrong with this town. Sinister.

This book was slow paced, but Courtney wrote in such a way that little pieces that began to unravel kept my attention throughout, even with the slower moving plot. It was a very unique take on a time travel element and I kept turning pages eager to find out what was going on. Overall an entertaining read!

If you’re looking for a queer YA horror (that isn’t scary), with a unique twist on time travel, then I’d recommend picking this one up.

This book was definitely an interesting one! I really liked the beginning. It seemed a little obvious at the beginning that something was up with the town but it wasn’t the most intriguing. I really didn’t think the story needed the relationship between Beck and Avery. It seemed forced. And towards the end, Riley just disappearing with Ricky seemed rushed. I did still get emotional at the end so it managed to do that. Overall a solid read with a few pain points.

This was my first novel by Courtney Gould and I really enjoyed it. The plot captures your attention from the very beginning and pulls you into it because you just have to know what’s going on. Short recap two sisters have lost their mother and decide to venture to the town she frequently visited to find out why but what they find when they arrive is more than they could have ever expected. This book involves lost loved ones, working your way through grief, a budding romance and learning when to let go. The twisted element of the unexplained happenings of the small town kept me wondering right up until the very end when it’s finally revealed. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read this novel but enjoy horror, mystery or a bit of sci-if this book is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy.
This book was atmospheric and filled with tense moments that were very well written. The plot was so good and the twist was a good surprise. It was a overall good young adult coming of age novel that was suspenseful and enjoyable to read.

*Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC for review.

Book points:
☀️The Twilight Zone vibes
☀️Creepy Arizona town with strange residents
☀️Past/present timelines
☀️Intriguing mystery
☀️Sci-fi/horror elements
☀️Themes of grief and loss
☀️Sister/family relationships
☀️Sapphic

I enjoyed Courtney Gould’s debut “The Dead and The Dark” so I was super excited to read her latest book. I thought “Where Echoes Die” was an intriguing ya mystery/thriller. There are some heavy topics explored in this book, including grief and trauma over the loss of a family member and emotional abuse. Be aware of trigger warnings before going into this one.

This story had sci-fi elements that I found interesting. I loved the creepy small town setting and I definitely got The Twilight Zone vibes while reading this book. I thought the main characters, Beck, Riley, and Avery were well written and compelling characters. I liked the relationship that was forming between Beck and Avery throughout the story.

I guess my only con would be the pacing, as the story was a little slow in parts. Certain chapters were told in the past and that kind of slowed down the pacing for me. Also, I thought parts of the story were a little confusing. These parts definitely had me scratching my head and I am still a little confused. 🤔

Overall, I thought this was another fun mystery/thriller by Gould that I would recommend. I look forward to Gould’s next book!

4/5 stars

I waited a good couple of years after the cover reveal for this book to be released, the mysterious small town setting with secrets to be uncovered is always something that intrigues me. This book was interesting, but I felt like there was a lot of missing details.

Beck and Riley arrive in the poorly named town of Backravel after their mother's death, Beck hoping to uncover the secrets of the town her mother dedicated so much of her life to revealing. Along the way she meets Avery, daughter of the owner of the town, and they find solace in their shared grief.

A lot felt missing, or not completed, at the end of this story. There was a big question I had about Avery that was never revealed, and the background cast of teenagers never felt like real people. I did like that the family Beck and Riley were staying with hold a big clue as to what was happening however.

The author was trying to keep the mysterious vibe by having the town feel so empty, but it really needed something to make the town feel more realistic. Beck mentions that the houses along the street feel like no-one is inside, and I would have loved a reveal when she went to check that out for herself.

Overall, I do think that Remember Me Gone wove a story about small towns and lost memories so much better, and there wasn't quite enough to make me really root for Beck and Avery as a couple. I was curious as to what their future might be, and would have liked an extra chapter showing us.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read an e-arc of this!

The writing style, plot beats, and how the flashbacks were placed were so much fun to go through and see how things connected. Beck and Riley were really intriguing characters and I wished that there were more scenes with Riley in them instead of some of the detailing we got for the town of Backravel. I'm a sucker for the eerie atmosphere within small towns but this story was sadly not for me, and that was just due to personal reasons.

This book is like the quote from the Eagles: "We are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave." But Backravel, AZ is no Hotel California. It's weirder and mysterious, with no cars, no graveyards, and seemingly no actual past. Beck and her sister Riley head there after their mom died. Ellery Birching spent a lot of time in Backravel researching for an article she never finished. So Beck is taking up the mantel.

I love a quiet horror that creeps up on you, and boy did this book creep. Atmospheric and sinister with the thread of Beck's grief woven throughout. I also LOVE that Beck calls herself a lesbian on the page so that there is no question in the reader's mind. We need more of this clear representation, especially the messy kind.

An absolutely wow of a book and just speculative enough to keep me asking what is actually happening? Already have a shelf talker for it up in the store.

Thank you for the review copy!

Big thank you to NetGalley as well as Courtney herself for sending me this arc! (Baby’s first arc, I’m a little emotional 🥹)

This book was SO good, I got sucked in right away and it was always crushing when I had to put it down to do real world stuff. All I wanted to do was just sit down and read it in one go (and honestly probably will in the future!). I’m already a big fan of her writing style after reading TDATD, but I just cannot thank her enough for not falling into the “romantic small town” trope. Thank you for giving us the creepy, weird, little off putting bits of small towns because it’s way more realistic.

The characters were seriously great. I adored the sibling dynamic between Beck and Riley, it felt like an actual relationship I have with my own sisters where it’s not always great all the time! Sometimes it’s a little messy and confusing but that’s alright! I also felt very seen by Beck’s inability to let things go. As someone else who has a hard time letting things rest and needing to know every detail, it was so nice to read about someone with similar habits.

Anyways this review is a rambling mess, sorry not sorry. I genuinely loved it and I can’t wait for the publication date to roll around so more people can discover it.

4.5/5 stars ✨

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I put it off longer than I meant to but I’m glad I came back to it. It was strange and creepy and poignant. Gould has a talent for creating atmosphere. It was stifling and oppressive and the tension only grows as the story drags in, as if you’re on this quest right along with Beck to uncover the secrets of Backravel, AZ. I don’t want to get into the details of the story because I don’t want to give away spoilers. I didn’t really understand the blurb so I felt like I was going in blind but by the second chapter I was hooked. I hope lots of people read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I appreciated the work by Courtney Gould for "Where Echoes Die". I was given the opportunity to read an ARC of it, and having not gotten the pleasure to read Courtney's work prior I was not disappointed. A lot of the story resonated with me, and I can't wait to get my own physical copy in the future!

Rating: 3.1 leaves out of 5
Characters: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Horror: .5/5
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller/Sci-fi/LGBT/Romance
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: Yeah


Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to listen to this book.

For the people who know me, they know I don't like YA. I am very turned off by the genre BUT this was kind of well done. Yes, Becca has her YA moments but given what she has gone through I can't fault her for it, plus you know... her age and all. Though I usually say that writers need to stop making their characters stupid. Just because they are a teen doesn't mean they don't have freaking brains. These adult AF writers need to learn that shit real fast.

Courtney is a prime example of having a teen be a teen but have brains. Kudos. You might be asking well, if you liked it so much why is it so low rating? Well, as you can tell it is the horror part of it all. I wouldn't call this a horror. I'd call it a mystery thriller. I get the concept of it all could be scary but in the end I am not really scared at all. Also, reactions. BOY LEMME TELL YA. How she treated her sister that WHOLE time and how her sister was a WEE bit mad but MEH about it all? That isn't a normal reaction nor can it be justified. I was gravely disappointed in that whole bit. This could have been an easy 4.5 or even 5 if it hadn't have been for those two things.

In the end, is it worth? YES! If you like things like A Cure for Wellness I HIGHLY suggest this book to you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really twisty ride that had me guessing almost until the end (I picked up some things, but others? Yikes). There are horror elements, but with definitely more of a science fiction spin, so if you're into the melding of those two genres, and want a little sapphic romance in the mix for fun, this is the book for you. Unless you've recently lost someone, in which case, maybe give this one time, because it is, first and foremost, a novel about grief, and how different people cope with it.

Backravel, AZ is not your normal town. Beck realizes this as soon as she arrives, following a mysterious note from her deceased mother telling her to go to the middle-of-nowhere desert town. The more time she spends in this town, the more she needs to know its secrets and find out what really drew her mother here and why she left. It also helps that she's being pulled toward Avery, one of the town's residents.

I hate to compare this to The Dead and the Dark because aside from the author, these books are completely different. However, I LOVED The Dead and the Dark, but Where Echoes Die just didn't have the same impact on me. I didn't much care for Beck, and when what the town was all about was revealed, I wasn't that impressed as I thought it would be something with much more impact.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC, but this book just wasn't for me.

This book wasn't for me. I can see how others may like it.. especially those in the YA era. I usually enjoy YA but this one just wasn't a great fit for me!