Echostar is a frightening glimpse at the ever real world of AI and technology and the dangerous influence they can have on a person.

When Deva initially tells Ruby about Echostar, Ruby feels betrayed by her best friend for cheating and not telling her about it. When Ruby turns to Echostar for help, she couldn’t possibly imagine where its use would lead her. A frightening set of events culminate in an explosive ending showing the damaging impact this kind of technology can have on someone’s life - especially a vulnerable child. The end of the story sent a little shiver down my spine!

A Black Mirror-esque short story which a huge impact and a story which will stick with me as our reality becomes more and more influenced and controlled by technology.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke, Melinda Salisbury and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Book Review: EchoStar: is always listening by Melinda Salisbury

EchoStar is a teen science fiction novel about a fourteen year old girl that downloads an app that is supposed to help her with school and instead turns her life upside down.

Ruby Brookes is a teenage theatre kid who is looking forward to attending a performing arts summer camp with her best friend Deva. But Deva won’t be able to go unless she gets her grades up and she finds an AI app (EchoStar) that will help her cheat in her classes. When Ruby gets her progress report she realizes she’s in the exact same boat she tracks down a representative of EchoStar to get her own copy. When their friendship starts to fall apart and the app starts saying strange things Ruby realizes she is in way over her head.

Although the publisher has EchoStar rated as young adult it felt similar to a middle grade technological thriller or horror to me. This isn’t a knock against the book but just a missed opportunity in marketing as it’s only 128 pages and has no extreme violence or any romantic content that would make it inappropriate for this age group. The storyline about bullying, friend groups and cyber stalking is the perfect topic for younger teens and the fast pace would keep them interested.

A teenager starts to use an untested app to improve her grades but then becomes concerned when it seems to be interfering with all aspects of her life. Ruby and her best friend Deva are planning to a theatre summer camp but only if their grades improve - when Ruby finds out Deva is using 'Echostar', a new app that helps her have all the answers in class and improve her work, she wants to use it as well. Quickly she finds herself in over her head as she isolates herself from Deva and becomes increasingly dependent on Echostar, and the app then seems to want to help her by carrying out revenge on a girl who is bullying her at school

This is an unsettling, very readable tale dealing with very pertinent themes and with a real sense of palpable tension and creepiness. This is really effectively achieved in a short, accessible text so really good for Hi-Lo readers or a general teenage quick read as the themes are so relatable - getting into dangerous territory with online communications, trying to cheat to get ahead at school, petty bullying and changing friendships as your teenage personality and interests develop and change.

This was terrifyingly brilliant. What it had to say about AI and our over reliance on it was very important. Really packs a punch

What can't Melinda Salisbury deliver?

This delivered what I'd wanted from Naomi Gibson's EVERY LINE OF YOU back in 2021.At its core, it is honest and truthful and tender about the mortifying ordeal of being a teen girl in the world. Beyond that, it is a thriller of those who prey on vulnerable people seeking refuge in the most postmodern way, and the many ways technology may seem as our salvation while hiding unforeseen dangers instead.

Echostar is a quick, fun read. Like all Barrington Stoke books it aims to be accessible without being boring, and I think it definitely manages that. It is fast-paced and engaging, with a fun premise. We follow Ruby who, desperate to improve her grades at school, starts using a mysterious new piece of technology. What starts off seemingly innocent and helpful, of course takes a sinister twist.

Recommended to younger teen readers looking for a fun, contemporary thriller.

Melinda Salisbury just has a way of writing thats always sure to suck me in.

Echostar is always listening, is CREEPY. With current developments in AI, it’s a timely tale that reminds you that you never really know who’s on the other side of the screen. It Think Black Mirror and get ready to spend the rest of your week staring at your phone with mistrust.

From its technological themes to its exploration of friendships and the heart-break of losing your best friend and how bitter a break up this can be, you are sure to be hooked and locked into this emotional rollercoaster.

Melinda Salisbury has yet again created an intense tale, that you won’t be able to out down.

3.5 ⭐️

EchoStar Is Always Listening, like other books from this publisher, is a high-interest, easily accessible novel for teens. This dark sci-fi story has Black Mirror vibes and really reminded me of some of the stories in Andrew Duplessie’s YA short horror collection Too Scared to Sleep !

Best friends Ruby and Deva both end up using a top-secret AI app called EchoStar in an attempt to rescue their failing grades at school, but very quickly, things turn dark and sinister. Be careful what you agree to when you accept those terms and agreements!

Overall, the story is pretty engaging, though it is fairly predictable and feels a little heavy-handed with its “lesson.” It really is short—nearly a short story more than a novel—but I understand that this is *by design* as it’s aimed at reluctant readers. I would happily and easily recommend it to someone looking for a book with a catchy premise and that isn’t too daunting!

Review posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6123819433

This book is a quick read, but it isn't light on the storytelling. We follow Ruby as she navigates the struggles of high school (year 9) life and all the drama that comes with it. When Ruby's friend Deva tells her about an app called EchoStar that has been helping her pass her classes, Ruby wants in. But EchoStar isn't simply a powerful AI tool. It has access to her entire life. Soon things begin spiraling out of Ruby's control as EchoStar begins to believe that it knows what is best for her better than she does.

I was completely engaged throughout this story. The theme of "be careful who and what you trust online" is strong throughout and will make some second guess the apps they trust. The story's shorter format honors the story and the time of the reader., plus potentially addresses the attention span concerns we have with this age group. I love that Melinda Salisbury didn't make the story longer just for the sake of it being longer. Teens will enjoy this one!

This was such a cool book, and very entertaining.

At the beginning of the story, Ruby and her friend Deva talk about using an app called Echostar, that was created to assist users who have social anxiety.

I think that in an age where technology is so present in everything we do, it's important to remember that it can help or hinder. I think it is very interesting to see technology and apps incorporated into a story like this, but it's important that technology is portrayed in a helpful way. This was an entertaining story that had me turning the pages quickly, and it highlighted the importance of online safety.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me that we don’t know who is on the other side of our phone. It also makes me grateful that we didn’t have cell phones growing up.

This book is creepy and I loved it. I couldn’t put it down and flew through it in a couple of hours.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an eARC of the book for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read! I think this book is really important for a world where we put so much trust into the internet without really considering all of the risks. It did feel too short and I wish there was a bit more resolution and character development, but I think it is a great read for a younger audience hopefully to make them think before trusting apps and people online

Such an interesting concept! Perfectly creepy and filled with thriller-like tension. I loved that it felt so real and will really resonate with young people today! A great villain and a wonderfully naive protagonist!

What a great way to experience the dangers of technology and the importance of friendships! Salisbury really does a great job of adding chills and thrills but making this easy for a younger audience to digest.

A striking and compelling story that explores the darker side of technology and online relationships. Salisbury has a stunning way of building the most tense, on edge type of atmospheres that will have you on the edge of your seat - a must read!

Echostar by Melinda Salisbury is a good fit for young learners to explore and learn the darker side of technology and online relationships, with a focus on themes of surveillance, manipulation. Kids could read this and understand the dangers of exposing your informations to a stranger as this is a portrayal of a textbook case of cyber stalking.

The writing didn't seem that captivating for middle schoolers. Some of it seemed dated, and the MC was just too dramatic.

Thank you to Netgalley for a preview copy of this novella. I loved it, not Melinda Salisbury’s usual style but engaging and accessible for for many readers. targetting lower reading ages students but of interest to reluctantm more able readers. There is a distinct lack of lower reading age fiction of interest for girls, so this volume is a welcome addition to this arena. The story is engaging, as are the characters and a lovely twist on AI/social media and it’s role in society; the pitfalls and associated vulnerabilities are clearly identified. i would have liked more description around the denouement, but still it has a distinct role in supporting reluctant and weaker readers.

This adds a new perspective in educational settings, the idea of apps is scary but also a celebration of technological advance, brining up the questions of right / wrong especially int he education setting.

Barrington Stoke are the UK’s leading publisher of high interest fiction aimed at kids with lower reading ages and are Dyslexia friendly. The content of the excellent EchoStar is aimed at kids of eleven plus, who have a reading age of around eight, but this was such a tight story anybody could read it and it had me hooked for a highly entertaining hour. Barrington Stoke has been the market leader for hi/lo books for a number of years and in recent times have attracted many leading YA authors and I always take a particular interest when a hi/lo book is written by an author I am a fan of. I have read most of Melinda Salisbury’s dark fantasy and horror fiction and was intrigued how she would fare with shorter, easier to read fiction. If you have never come across Melinda, my top tips include the Sin Eater’s Daughter series (2015-17), Told Back the Tide (2020) and Her Dark Wings (2022).

It is also heartening to see that Barrington Stoke, who historically focused on realistic issue-based fiction, are now releasing much darker fiction, 2023 saw Hiliary McKay release ghost story Jodie and YA horror author Cynthia Murphy gave us Welcome to Camp Killer. EchoStar gripped from the very start, fourteen-year-old Ruby discovers that her best friend Deva is using an experimental type of AI technology to help her at school, she has a tiny camera in her classes and via an earpiece the computer helps her answer questions and get better grades. Apart from drama, Ruby is doing terribly at school and if her grades do not improve will not be allowed to go on a summer drama course. Seeking help from the AI, she uses Deva’s passwords to access the information she needs to track down the shadowy AI. In doing so, she compromises Deva’s deal who gets cut out of the AI experiment. This leads to the girls falling out and Ruby finds herself alone and without anybody except the AI. This was a very clever book, as it pitches the insecurities of teenage girls, friendship issues, bullying and the hustle and bustle of school life absolutely perfectly. It was an easy, but gripping read and an incredibly well-structured story which will hook everybody. For readers interested in this sort of AI technology and the threats it poses I also recommend Naomi Gibson’s gripping Every Line of You (2021). AGE 8-TEEN.