“‘You might want to put Dad’s gun back or you’ll be in serious trouble,’ Justin retorted.
Mark changed position, resting the gun on one forearm and closing one eye. ‘Go ahead,’ he said. ‘Make my day, punk.’
Deciding to change tactics, Mark pointed the gun at his own head. ‘If you don’t change the channel, I’m gonna kill the kid,’ he said in a gruff voice.
‘Be my guest,’ Justin replied.
For the rest of his life, Justin would never hear anything louder than the sound of the gun going off.” (6)
Déjà vu takes on a new meaning in Kate Morgenroth’s thriller Echo. It begins with the traumatic event of Mark, Justin’s younger brother, playing with his father’s gun. Before he knows it, Mark takes the game too far when he shoots himself in the head and Justin is standing shocked with blood splattered all over their parent’s bedroom.
Immediately, the reader travels with Justin to the one-year anniversary of Mark’s death and sees the world from the bleak perspective of Justin. Everything has changed: friends are enemies, girlfriends are repulsed, and Justin is now the outcast.
It’s bad enough everyone thinks Justin is responsible for Mark’s death, but Justin’s day doesn’t get any easier when faced with his former- best friend, Billy. Before he know it, Billy wants to confront Justin in an empty stairway and things spiral out of control as Justin watches Billy fall backwards over the stairs and crash down at the bottom—blood instantly oozing out of his head.
Believing suicide is the only solution to the chaos that surrounds Justin’s life, he tries to kill himself, only to find himself waking up to the same day over and over and over again… However, each time Justin relives the traumatic, out-of-body experience, new clues, new perceptions, and new attitudes are revealed to the audience.
Will Justin’s miserable cycle ever end? Is this what death is for Justin? The answers are revealed as the reader reaches the conclusion, which leaves a lasting impression.
Kate Morgenroth knows just how to create a piece of literature that will engage students, yet allow them room for interpretations and analysis. While the novel contains heavy themes, such as tragedy and death, violence, suicide, fitting in, and standing out, it is an engaging read for an older young adult audience (think junior and seniors). This page-turning novel not only highlights the social issues today’s young adults face, but also provides insight on how to cope with both traumatic experiences and the difficulties of adolescence.
Mark changed position, resting the gun on one forearm and closing one eye. ‘Go ahead,’ he said. ‘Make my day, punk.’
Deciding to change tactics, Mark pointed the gun at his own head. ‘If you don’t change the channel, I’m gonna kill the kid,’ he said in a gruff voice.
‘Be my guest,’ Justin replied.
For the rest of his life, Justin would never hear anything louder than the sound of the gun going off.” (6)
Déjà vu takes on a new meaning in Kate Morgenroth’s thriller Echo. It begins with the traumatic event of Mark, Justin’s younger brother, playing with his father’s gun. Before he knows it, Mark takes the game too far when he shoots himself in the head and Justin is standing shocked with blood splattered all over their parent’s bedroom.
Immediately, the reader travels with Justin to the one-year anniversary of Mark’s death and sees the world from the bleak perspective of Justin. Everything has changed: friends are enemies, girlfriends are repulsed, and Justin is now the outcast.
It’s bad enough everyone thinks Justin is responsible for Mark’s death, but Justin’s day doesn’t get any easier when faced with his former- best friend, Billy. Before he know it, Billy wants to confront Justin in an empty stairway and things spiral out of control as Justin watches Billy fall backwards over the stairs and crash down at the bottom—blood instantly oozing out of his head.
Believing suicide is the only solution to the chaos that surrounds Justin’s life, he tries to kill himself, only to find himself waking up to the same day over and over and over again… However, each time Justin relives the traumatic, out-of-body experience, new clues, new perceptions, and new attitudes are revealed to the audience.
Will Justin’s miserable cycle ever end? Is this what death is for Justin? The answers are revealed as the reader reaches the conclusion, which leaves a lasting impression.
Kate Morgenroth knows just how to create a piece of literature that will engage students, yet allow them room for interpretations and analysis. While the novel contains heavy themes, such as tragedy and death, violence, suicide, fitting in, and standing out, it is an engaging read for an older young adult audience (think junior and seniors). This page-turning novel not only highlights the social issues today’s young adults face, but also provides insight on how to cope with both traumatic experiences and the difficulties of adolescence.
3 comments:
I wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not, but instead of 'gun' you wrote 'fun' multiple times in the first paragraph. Other than that, you review was great! It definitely makes me want to read the book.
haha- thanks kristy! yeah, the intro definitely doesn't have the same impact with "fun" as it does with "gun" :)
Good review! I like that you only included a few major parts to build interest. I think that I want to read this book! It is definitly something that young adults would want to read as well because it deals with a bad situation that can either hit close to home, or just be a good pageturner.
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