Finnian bears the scar of an unspeakable crime. Tiria hides the pain of a terrible betrayal. When all their secrets are laid bare, will the truth rip them apart or forever silence the echoes of the past?
Seventeen-year-old Finnian Bell has been on the run for years, but he finally has a chance to rebuild his life while restoring an abandoned lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.
Tiria Lucas, the lightkeeper’s daughter, is still reeling from the pain of an event that has shattered her innocence. Fear and bitterness have turned her heart from Finnian, but he is determined not to let her go.
The lighthouse harbors dark secrets of its own… When Finnian and Tiria uncover the story of two teens hidden in the tower back in 1935, they discover a shocking connection that bridges time and death.
Half-contemporary, half-historical, Echoes in the Glass is a cross-genre young adult novel that offers a bit of paranormal, mystery, romance, and lighthouse lore.
"An intriguing mystery wrapped in dark (and sometimes doomed) romance. Fans of YA books should look it out."
Reviewer: Reader for Bookangel.
The light-house at Cape Sorrow has a dark history. Fiannan and Tiria, drawn together as part of the restoration effort, are about to find out that it is not over. In 1935, their grandparent's time, it was the scene of a tragedy, but as they learn about Morgan and Carina in the 1930's they also learn of the tragedy before even them, the story of Lady Gemma Graves. With the echoes of history reaching down to the present day, unknowing that they are both running from dark pasts, can they uncover the truth when the town nearby wants it buried, or will it play out again in their own lives?
One of the best things about the book is the character development. Fiannan is an arrogant and unpleasant individual when we first meet him, while Tiria is cold and hard to like, but as their respective pasts come to light it becomes understandable and as they slowly uncover the mystery they relax and become rather more likeable.
It is a very strong YA read, dark in places, and as the plot begins to be revealed, entirely gripping. I did find parts of the ending stretched disbelief, and oddly enough it was not the supernatural bits. Revealing it is something of a spoiler, but it is hard to believe that Fiannan thought he could work on a major project for his father's non-profit without ever meeting his father. Some of the secrets being kept seem rather pointless. While I could say the final villain is a bit too convenient, wrapping everything up at once, it fitted well with the theme of echoes through time and the recurring events at the lighthouse, so I'm not too bothered by it.
In ways it did remind me superficially of "The Watch House" by Robert Westall, but in tone, plot, and writing style this is a very different book.
With the supernatural handled sparingly, and left in the shadows and the corners of the eye, it is an intriguing mystery wrapped in dark (and sometimes doomed) romance. Fans of YA books should look it out.
Well I am not usually a romance buff, and I am not sure if Young Adult is really my thing anymore, but I cannot help but keep going back to an "intriguing mystery", and those are the stories I enjoy the most so I will have to take a second look here. Dark themes only add to my interest too, so thank you and I will add it to the list.
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