Echo Northby Joanna Ruth Meyer
January 15, 2019
389 pages
Goodreads Summary:
Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.
Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.
Review
Echo North was a book I had not heard of until I was gifted a copy from Indigo Books & Music Inc. (thank you). It's one of those books that comes out of nowhere and surprises you.
What I Liked:
- beautiful writing
- the hints of fairy tales yet it's an original story
- the mystery kept me interested
- the overall story was very enjoyable
- the twist at the end wow-ed me
- the house with its strange yet fascinating rooms
- the book-mirrors reminded me a lot of The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser which I really loved
The Not So Much:
- the pacing was slow
- some parts were not very engaging or memorable
I'm really glad I got the chance to enjoy Echo North. The story was all at once familiar yet unique. I recommend it for lovers of fantasy and fairy tale retellings!
*I received a copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way.
This sounds amazing! It's a bummer about the pacing being a bit slow but the book sounds super magical and fun. Glad you enjoyed it overall!
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely unique despite the pacing!
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