Nothing can have an effect on young girls like the death of their mother, and this is exactly the case with Beck and Riley. Their mother was an investigative reporter whose untimely death took away any and all sense of normalcy from Beck and Riley. Beck has hopes of finding that feeling again after receiving a mysterious letter from her mother telling her to come find her in a town called Backravel in Arizona, but when the girls arrive they quickly discover that all is not as it seems in Backravel. Lacking cemeteries, churches and cars, but containing a giant shiny treatment center on a plateau overlooking the town, Backravel is a town where the residents can’t remember how they got there or when. As Beck attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding Backravel and her mother, she must be careful not to lose who she is, or her sister Riley.

Where Echos Die is a novel that hooked me right away. There were a few things that I had figured out rather early on in the narrative, but there were still plenty of surprises along the way. I really liked Beck; she is such a tough character with her heart in the right place, even if that leads her to questionable decisions. She, along with many of the other characters, drew me into their lives, making me want to know why they are the way they are and in the situations they find themselves in. While this may not be an edge-of-your-seat thriller/horror, it is definitely a novel that will grab your attention.

I also really enjoyed the audio book. LaBlanc uses intonation and inflection, as well as pace changes, to hook the listener. I did need to speed up the pace due to my own personal preferences, but I still found the pace after the adjustment to be spot-on. Often I like to have a physical/electronic copy to follow along with, but this was one where I was able to fully enjoy the audio book without the words in front of me, which is a testament to LaBlanc’s narration.

First off, my favorite thing about this audiobook was the narrator.

The story is lovely, heartbreaking, and engaging. Beck is not perfect, but her desperation to find out more about her late mother is understandable.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the spooky and atmospheric vibes this book had, I was unable to get fully invested in the characters and the plot like I had with Gould's debut.

This was creepy and had a lot of atmosphere. It read very much like a movie. I could see this whole thing in my head. I think it would have worked better as a movie or tv show with scary music and awesome cinematography.

I really wanted to like this book since the previous book by this author was creepy, engaging, interesting and different. Well, I am sad to say that I did not really feel the same about Where Echoes Die. To be fair, the book was different- but more in the extreme I had no real idea what was going on and by the end when everything was wrapped up in a super unrealistic bow, I just don't think I cared anymore. There was some super great potential for creep here too, but it was lost in the pacing and randomness that didn't really fit. I am sure others will love this mystery mixed with a hint of supernatural and romance, but it was not for me. I will check out more from the author in the future though since I have enjoyed her previously.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job with her interpretation of the story, I just don't think it was enough to keep me engaged with the story. I would listen to more books read by this narrator in the future.

This book started off really strong but unfortunately ended with a whimper.
For the first 30% I thought I had found a new favourite. The vibes were immaculate; spooky town, creepy mystery, gloomy characters...
Unfortunately the next 70% went downhill. I quickly lost interest as the plot didn't seem to progress, and when it did it was over in the blink of an eye.
Still, I think this read was worth it and is the right vibe for the month of October.

I absolutely hate leaving negative reviews, but I just couldn’t get into this one and it was strange (not in the good way). It wasn’t a bad book, just not for me.

This was was a bit weirder than I was anticipating. We go into it with some degree of willing suspension of disbelief but the direction of the plot stretches those bounds. It's surprisingly plodding and contemplative. All of the action happens at the very end when it jumps in with both feet.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook! The story was interesting & emotional + had a sapphic romance that I spent the whole book rooting for.. I was also super invested in the mystery and liked the sci-fi elements to it. However, after all of the building, the ending fell a little flat for me.

4 stars!!

WHERE ECHOES DIE by @gayowyn . Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @macmillan.audio for the audio-ARC.

This coming of age mystery set in the fictional town of Backgravel, Arizona starts out with sisters Rebecca (Beck) and Riley arriving at this mysterious town that their recently deceased mother was obsessed with in life. Beck hopes that by visiting the town she can find a reason why her mother left them so many times to return to this community.

When they first arrive, the town folk seem genuinely welcoming until they start to realize that memory loss is a theme among the Backgravel residents. When she starts speaking to Ricky, the unofficial town leader about the "treatments" that he provides to residents she starts to realize there is much more to this town than beautiful desert backgrounds and tourism. When Ricky takes Riley for treatment and won't let Beck see her, Beck knows she is in a race to secure Riley's safety before it is too late.

I loved the flawed yet introspective character of Beck - always searching for more answers juxtaposed with her optimistic, hopeful and trusting sister Riley. The longing for quelling the painful and upsetting parts of life felt so human and the hubris that they could be quelled by ourselves without consequences even more so.

The narrator of this one did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life and injecting the appropriate fear, urgency and desperation of the characters.

This was my first Gould but I also have a copy of THE DEAD AND THE DARK that I definitely plan to read! I am a sucker for a good coming of age story and it seems that paired with a mystery is Gould's specialty. This one came out Tuesday so check your local bookstore for it today!

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Gould knocks it out of the park when it comes to eerie settings and complex characters, and Where Echoes Die has made her an instant read author for me.

Where Echoes Die was eerie, mysterious, and full of twisty turns that left me hooked to finding out what exactly happens in Back Gravel. There was a lot of thought that must have gone into the world building and plot for this novel, and it showed. It was never obvious, but it was never so vague that it was boring. By the time the end arrived, there were mysteries that were explained in a satisfying way.

Beck was a character that screamed oldest daughter vibes to me, and I fell in love with her as she strove to figure out what exactly drew her mother to the cult like community of Back Gravel. This was an edgy, intense read I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where echoes Die is a slow burn mystery about sisters traveling to small Arizona town to figure out why their dead mother was obsessed with the town. As they start to ask questions, they find themselves in weird encounters with the town's residents. The mystery that the town is keeping further draws them in. This is a story of mystery but also one of grief. The way that Gould dealt with the sisters' grief was beautiful and real. The mystery was surprising but it took so long to get to. Despite the extreme slow burn, the novel deals with complexity of loss and the ways we look for closure wrapped up in a mystery.

I enjoyed this darker YA read and have always enjoyed Courtney Gould's writing style. It is a deeper read and digs into hard truths that the sisters face. I would recommend

Quick synopsis: Beck and Riley pretend to vacation in a small Arizona town called Backravel after their mother's death. But really, Beck wants to figure out why their mother, an investigative journalist, was so raptured by this desolate desert town before she died.

What I liked:
✨Backravel: this town feels like a secret character that adds to the mystery. Backravel is an isolated location with quirky residents. All "seem" to be happy getting "treatments." But there are no cars, no churches, no animals, and no cemeteries.
✨Exploration of Grief: grief unravels throughout the story - how to process, how to accept, and most importantly, how to let go.
✨Narration: Isabella Star LaBlanc's delivery adds to the ominous tone of this book. She also accentuates how Beck and Riley are deeply flawed, frightened, and emotionally messy with grief. I ended up listening more than reading the physical.

Where Echoes Die blends sci-fi, horror, and mystery. I recommend this one for fans who love creepy, isolated towns, paranormal storylines, or slow-burn mysteries. If you are already making your spooky list for October, be sure to add this one.

This is my second Courtney Gould book and the second one I wanted to like more than I did. In this one, Beck was the most annoying character and it was really hard to feel sympathy for her when she kept making really selfish decisions. Obviously she's experiencing a lot of grief, but it was hard to root for her. Some of the twists were also pretty obvious to me.

The narrator was good, but I didn't love her male voices. Otherwise a good audiobook.

Beck and her sister Avery travel to a small isolated town to try to understand their mothers death and her connection to this strange town. Even as danger closes in, Beck refuses to give up her search for answers, putting herself and Avery in harms way. As the towns secrets are slowly revealed, Beck learns that living in the past with her grief is stealing her future; and that family bonds are forever.
Beautifully written, this book focuses heavily on grief and the struggle to move forward. This is a character driven story, which is not typically my favorite. However, the characters were well developed and the sprinkle of mystery and supernatural was just enough to bring it all together into an engaging story.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @wednesdaybooks @stmartinspress for the gifted copy of this book.

Courtney Gould consistently writes killer plot and relatable characters. I think I liked this book even better than her last, and that’s saying something. The themes in this story were so well developed and represented. The narrator did a great job—I enjoyed listening. I think my favorite thing was the relationship between the Riley and Rebecca.


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an audiobook version of this book. Opinions are my own.

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould is a book that has stayed with me for quite some time. This one had me at the edge of my seat and afraid to continue listening but yet I was so compelled to find out where the story was going and what was happening next so I binge listened. So good. This one left me super book hungover.

I enjoyed the town’s BIG mystery, the characters not so much lol. I really had a hard time connecting with them but that didn’t take away from my reading experience.

Many thanks to St Martin Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy and listening copy for me in exchange for my honest review.

Where Echoes Die is a story about two sisters who investigate the small town with which their mother was obsessed before her death. Once there, they have to unravel the mysteries surrounding the town and its people, and figure out their mother’s involvement. The book heavily features the themes of loss and grief, and contains a queer MC.

Overall, I found Where Echoes Die to be just “okay”. The story was okay, the mystery was okay, and the characters were okay, but I never found myself deeply invested in any of them. I wasn’t bored, but I wasn’t overly intrigued. Perhaps this would have been mitigated if I had read it as a physical book instead of an audiobook - the narrator always sounded just a hint bored.

Would give this 3.5 stars if I could. Not bad, just not standout.

I was blown away by this haunting young adult thriller focusing on grief and loss in the eerie desert town of Backravel, Arizona.

Our main character Beck and her sister Riley are mourning the sudden loss of their mother, a journalist who had a strange fascination with Backravel and often visited while leaving her daughters behind. Beck receives a mysterious letter in her mother's handwriting pointing her towards the town, so Beck brings her sister in hopes of finding answers before they have to move in with their father in Texas. The town has evasive but friendly locals, dilapidated military structures, no cars, cemeteries, or churches, and a mysterious "treatment center" sitting high on a plateau.

This is the type of story that you won't be able to put down. I was completely sucked into this story. I would highly recommend this read, but please be aware it focuses heavily on topics of death and grief.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.