Echo

Block, F. (2001). Echo. New York: Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins.

This fantasy novel is about a girl name Echo caught between two worlds. One in which her reality is a disappointment and the other where she can fall in love with a boy she meets by the sea with angel wings on his back. She is about to start college in the fall after her father is diagnosed with cancer. Echo’s mother is somewhat despised by Echo as she feels overshadowed by her. Echo’s relationship with her father has always lacked connection. After his death she still feels he never loved her leaving her to long for a man’s attention throughout the story. As she goes off to school she meets Thorn, a poet who she moves in with. Echo experiences a an eating disorder, deals with a distressed mother and confused relationships. In the end she reunites with Storm, the boy she met years ago by the sea. I’ve got to admit this book was somewhat confusing to me as the author shifts point of views linking stories together to narrate the full story. I would recommend this book to avid reader who can take on a challenge. As an educator, I would not bring it up to a reluctant reader because I feel that to have them risk being confused through out the story would actually hinder their reading lifestyle even more. Although I can’t say I’m a fan of the book, the themes of depression and feeling disconnected to parents are topics of interest that might appeal to high school readers developing emotionally.