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Echo
On the surface Emily Porter, aka Echo, has it all: plenty of money, a close-knit group of friends, permissive parents, a job in fashion. But what she really wants is less. Much less. Less food, less flesh, less fat, less of the body she sees as her captor and her cage. A chance to model in an upcoming Gothic fashion show is the perfect deadline, and Echo takes this opportunity as a challenge to achieve less -- a chance to reduce herself to nothing. At first the transformation is effortless. Echo loses weight, meets a new boy, hosts the social event of the holiday season. But soon there are problems: weakness, temptation, blackouts, freak-outs, trouble with family and friends. What begins as diet and exercise soon turns into blood, pain, obsession, and as Echo's mind and body begin to change so does her view of herself. She cannot see the woman in the mirror, nor the danger she is facing. Can she stop herself, see herself, before it's too late?
- GenresYoung AdultFiction
Paperback
First published February 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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March 6, 2013ECHO is a page-turner. I love the relationship Echo has with her main group of friends. I love how her and Julian are so close.I love her blossoming romance with Eddie. There are so many things to like about this story.
Of course, Echo has a lot more going on in her life than a rich boyfriend being embarrassed to be seen with her. Echo is struggling to overcome the damage her terrible mother causes. There has never been a more deserving person of the title “Evil Witch.” Echo’s mother calls her fat, belittles her interests, and dismisses her successes. If it weren’t for her friends and fashion she’d be in trouble.
I admire how all of her friends try to get her to eat. I think it is realistically portrayed.I would have liked to see more of the disorder though. I wanted a little more evidence of the damage she was doing to her body would have made it even more riveting. There was a mention of something bad, but we didn’t “see” it happen. Just her after-the-fact thoughts.
This is definitely a book you are going to want to put in your collections - both middle school and high school. It is needed! In addition to the eating disorder, it also demonstrates how you don’t have to follow the mainstream to be happy in life.
Of course, Echo has a lot more going on in her life than a rich boyfriend being embarrassed to be seen with her. Echo is struggling to overcome the damage her terrible mother causes. There has never been a more deserving person of the title “Evil Witch.” Echo’s mother calls her fat, belittles her interests, and dismisses her successes. If it weren’t for her friends and fashion she’d be in trouble.
I admire how all of her friends try to get her to eat. I think it is realistically portrayed.I would have liked to see more of the disorder though. I wanted a little more evidence of the damage she was doing to her body would have made it even more riveting. There was a mention of something bad, but we didn’t “see” it happen. Just her after-the-fact thoughts.
This is definitely a book you are going to want to put in your collections - both middle school and high school. It is needed! In addition to the eating disorder, it also demonstrates how you don’t have to follow the mainstream to be happy in life.
February 22, 2013
Great debut YA book by Amanda Clay! Fast pace, OKC setting, great characters and much to think about as Echo strives for her own sense of perfection within herself. But what is perfect?
As a parent, my heart aches for Echo and her mother's relationship, and it was so hard to take in the control fueled decisions Echo makes in regards to food. I wanted to just give her a hug and a drive to a therapist.
But, even with the uncomfortable subject, I found myself hooked to this story and I could not put it down because I enjoyed its style, pacing and character development. Can't wait to read more from Amanda Clay!
November 9, 2022
I thought it was good. The mentions and descriptions that it had on eating disorders were amazing. Other than that, I thought it was mediocre. The characters weren't as memorable and likable as I had hoped (I do like main characters that I hate, but I was indifferent towards all the characters in this book.) I do want to say that it felt foggy? I don't know how to explain it. The story felt foggy and damp in my head.
February 27, 2013
Emily(Echo to her friends) is getting ready to go to Nocturne in Vancouver. A place where her cousin will be showing off her newest clothing creations. Emily is looking forward to modeling one of those creations. Of course she wants to look her best and that best means being the skinniest she can be. Echo at first starts out by limiting her intake of food. It then progresses to times of binging and purging. When Echo sees herself in the mirror all she can see is the fat content of her body. Soon her best friend Julian confronts her about becoming too skinny but Echo assures him that she is eating and being careful. When her new boyfriend Eddie and several other friends begin to take notice and express concern, once again Echo assures them all that she is being careful. Echo knows that she is in control and nobody can stop her from reaching her goal. Echo wants to be perfect, she finds out at Nocturne what a steep price being perfect can be.
My Thoughts:
ECHO sucks you in from the first page to the very last. It is told from Echo's perspective so the reader is able to see all of Echo's thoughts and feelings that lead her on this journey of destruction. ECHO's characters bring a variety of feelings to the reader also. Echo's best friend Julian is gay and they share many evenings together working on just the right outfit to put together. His care and concern for Echo is heart-warming as he confronts her about her eating disorder. I could not stand Echo's mother! In my opinion she is the majority of the problem in Echo's eating disorder. Instead of a nurturing mother she is more like a jealous high school girl willing to do what it takes to cut out the competition. Eddie made a great boyfriend for Echo as he too had a dysfunctional family life.
Amanda Clay did a great job portraying the progression of Echo's eating disorder. The characters were well thought out and consistent in their behavior. A great story for teens who love to read about angst and drama and real-life situations. My one warning about the story would be that some of the language could be offensive to some readers. While I have read books with much more cursing, the "F" word is scattered throughout the story. An entertaining first novel from Amanda Clay that has me looking forward to her next novel.
My Thoughts:
ECHO sucks you in from the first page to the very last. It is told from Echo's perspective so the reader is able to see all of Echo's thoughts and feelings that lead her on this journey of destruction. ECHO's characters bring a variety of feelings to the reader also. Echo's best friend Julian is gay and they share many evenings together working on just the right outfit to put together. His care and concern for Echo is heart-warming as he confronts her about her eating disorder. I could not stand Echo's mother! In my opinion she is the majority of the problem in Echo's eating disorder. Instead of a nurturing mother she is more like a jealous high school girl willing to do what it takes to cut out the competition. Eddie made a great boyfriend for Echo as he too had a dysfunctional family life.
Amanda Clay did a great job portraying the progression of Echo's eating disorder. The characters were well thought out and consistent in their behavior. A great story for teens who love to read about angst and drama and real-life situations. My one warning about the story would be that some of the language could be offensive to some readers. While I have read books with much more cursing, the "F" word is scattered throughout the story. An entertaining first novel from Amanda Clay that has me looking forward to her next novel.
March 4, 2013
ECHO is a page-turner. I love the relationship Echo has with her main group of friends. I love how her and Julian are so close. I love her blossoming romance with Eddie. There are so many things to like about this story. During the scenes when Echo and Julian were working I kept seeing this in my mind:
[Insert picture of Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink working on her prom dress.]
Of course, Echo has a lot more going on in her life than a rich boyfriend being embarrassed to be seen with her. Echo is struggling to overcome the damage her terrible mother causes. There has never been a more deserving person of the title “Evil Witch.” Echo’s mother calls her fat, belittles her interests, and dismisses her successes. If it weren’t for her friends and fashion she’d be in trouble.
I admire how all of her friends try to get her to eat. I think it is realistically portrayed.
I would have liked to see more of the disorder though. Not that I wanted another WINTERGIRLS, but a little more evidence of the damage she was doing to her body would have made it even more riveting. There was a mention of something bad, but we didn’t “see” it happen. Just her after-the-fact thoughts. Also, only a couple of mentions of her weight.
This is definitely a book you are going to want to put in your collections - both middle school and high school. It is needed! In addition to the eating disorder, it also demonstrates how you don’t have to follow the mainstream to be happy in life.
I look forward to reading more about Echo and her friends in Amanda’s future books.
[Insert picture of Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink working on her prom dress.]
Of course, Echo has a lot more going on in her life than a rich boyfriend being embarrassed to be seen with her. Echo is struggling to overcome the damage her terrible mother causes. There has never been a more deserving person of the title “Evil Witch.” Echo’s mother calls her fat, belittles her interests, and dismisses her successes. If it weren’t for her friends and fashion she’d be in trouble.
I admire how all of her friends try to get her to eat. I think it is realistically portrayed.
I would have liked to see more of the disorder though. Not that I wanted another WINTERGIRLS, but a little more evidence of the damage she was doing to her body would have made it even more riveting. There was a mention of something bad, but we didn’t “see” it happen. Just her after-the-fact thoughts. Also, only a couple of mentions of her weight.
This is definitely a book you are going to want to put in your collections - both middle school and high school. It is needed! In addition to the eating disorder, it also demonstrates how you don’t have to follow the mainstream to be happy in life.
I look forward to reading more about Echo and her friends in Amanda’s future books.
June 21, 2013
As a middle school teacher I'm always looking for books that I can recommend to students. In particular, I look for books that are thought-provoking and that provide positive depictions of girls/women and LGBTQ people.
Echo is creative and a hard worker. She is driven to succeed in her chosen field (fashion design) and we see her working on her designs, networking with other designers, and promoting her work and the work of others. It's rare to see talent depicted in this way in YA books and I think it makes the character more realistic.
I also liked Echo's friends. You really get a sense that they are individuals and, even though they are concerned about Echo and rally around her when she needs them, they aren't just a backdrop for the main character.
Echo is creative and a hard worker. She is driven to succeed in her chosen field (fashion design) and we see her working on her designs, networking with other designers, and promoting her work and the work of others. It's rare to see talent depicted in this way in YA books and I think it makes the character more realistic.
I also liked Echo's friends. You really get a sense that they are individuals and, even though they are concerned about Echo and rally around her when she needs them, they aren't just a backdrop for the main character.
September 26, 2015
Not what I was expecting...
Wow! This was a very good book! It was quirky, insightful and funny, despite the very serious subject of the book. Echo was a really cool character--one that I won't soon forget. She was very uniquely written, and in a book on this topic, that is rare. All the secondary characters were very real, too. I would highly recommend this one. It's sort of a dark comedy, with a lot of crazy moments and characters. I especially liked the character of Julian. This is rare for me, because I usually loathe the addition of queer characters, but he was very funny (no pun intended). This is definitely one you should give a chance. I doubt you'll be sorry.
Wow! This was a very good book! It was quirky, insightful and funny, despite the very serious subject of the book. Echo was a really cool character--one that I won't soon forget. She was very uniquely written, and in a book on this topic, that is rare. All the secondary characters were very real, too. I would highly recommend this one. It's sort of a dark comedy, with a lot of crazy moments and characters. I especially liked the character of Julian. This is rare for me, because I usually loathe the addition of queer characters, but he was very funny (no pun intended). This is definitely one you should give a chance. I doubt you'll be sorry.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews