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When the Echo Answers: An Alternate Perspective to In the Echo of this Ghost Town
Maxwell Wallace has spent most of her vagabond life moving from fixer-upper to fixer-upper with her dad, and though she loves her dad, she’s ready to move onto the next thing—college—to find her own version of home. Given that her whole life has been transient and temporary, when she meets Griffin Nichols, she figures it will be another relationship that shifts like the tumbleweeds on a breeze, here one moment and gone the next. Except, even as she leaves for college and the next phase of her life, she can’t shake her feelings for Griffin. Max begins to question everything she believes about herself as someone who stays, and what it means to truly have a home to return to.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2024
123 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Walters
13 books98 followersAs a kid, CL Walters’s world revolved around two things: stories and make believe. She’s built a real life around those two passions as a teacher of stories and a writer of make believe.
From a small town in Oregon, she attended college in a smaller town in Oregon majoring in English and adding experiences to fill her creative reservoir. She married her college sweetheart and moved to Hawaiʻi where she now lives. The rich diversity and cultural complexity of Hawaiʻi has added to the tapestry of her creative journey.
In 2020, she started Mixed Plate Press —a publishing imprint—with her husband and has grown it into a thriving business as a published author, writing coach, ghostwriter, editor, and teacher.
She says she reads and writes everyday and her mission as a writer is to create stories that resonate with the truth and offer a place of hope.
From a small town in Oregon, she attended college in a smaller town in Oregon majoring in English and adding experiences to fill her creative reservoir. She married her college sweetheart and moved to Hawaiʻi where she now lives. The rich diversity and cultural complexity of Hawaiʻi has added to the tapestry of her creative journey.
In 2020, she started Mixed Plate Press —a publishing imprint—with her husband and has grown it into a thriving business as a published author, writing coach, ghostwriter, editor, and teacher.
She says she reads and writes everyday and her mission as a writer is to create stories that resonate with the truth and offer a place of hope.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 9, 2021
4/5⭐
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!
Before I start the review I want to say that I have not read any other books from the author, so I have NOT read In the Echo of this Ghost Town, which I’m pretty sure is a complementary story from Griffin’s perspective (that should be interesting)
This book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between.
Plot:
Max has been moving from house to house since she was little with her dad, and after like 9 houses, she’s ready to finally move on and find another version of herself in college without her dad. Because she moved a lot, she never had time to adapt and have relationships with other people, until the last house where she meets Griffin. Griffin is kinda the bad boy with a bad attitude who doesn’t care about anything. Griffin and Max really hit it off when they meet and start being friends, going to parties… Max starts to like him, but we don’t really know how Griffin feels (he’s a puzzle and I didn’t understand his actions half the time, which is why I kind of want to read In the Echo of this Ghost Town which is from Griffin’s POV)
Now, the plot sounds basic, but some things happen towards the end that made me so frustrated with both of them!! But I’m glad that we could see some character development from Griffin and that he took responsibility for his actions.
Characters:
-Max: Oh, I loved her. She had this mental dilemma in her head for most of the book about what she should do about her dad, about leaving him behind, and their relationship was so precious. Max is really strong, and she adapts really well to new environments, but she’s also really sensitive and insecure, and we could see through the book how she and Griffin teach each other valuable life lessons on acceptance of oneself.
-Griffin: I’m really curious about his character because I didn’t understand him half the time. This story is told from Max’s perspective, so we don’t know what Griffin is thinking most of the time. I want to get inside his head to understand him, because he made me FRUSTRATED. And at the beginning, he said that reading was gross… ok, Mr. My favorite color is black (one of my favorite colors is also black; this is just a joke). Anyways, I liked his character and development; he’s so funny and sweet sometimes. And I loved his texts to Max towards the end of the book, how excited he was for what was happening to him… those texts made me emotional.
Romance:
I loved how their relationship grew from a friendship to something more, and how sometimes not even them would acknowledge their feelings for each other. They made each other feel like the best version of themselves, and if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
Also, the “hard” joke came up at the most serious and inappropriate moments, but it still made me laugh so hard (I'm sorry, but Griffin would laugh at my pun). Griffin sometimes acted like a child lol.
I will add some of my favorite quotes when the book comes out :)
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!
Before I start the review I want to say that I have not read any other books from the author, so I have NOT read In the Echo of this Ghost Town, which I’m pretty sure is a complementary story from Griffin’s perspective (that should be interesting)
This book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between.
Plot:
Max has been moving from house to house since she was little with her dad, and after like 9 houses, she’s ready to finally move on and find another version of herself in college without her dad. Because she moved a lot, she never had time to adapt and have relationships with other people, until the last house where she meets Griffin. Griffin is kinda the bad boy with a bad attitude who doesn’t care about anything. Griffin and Max really hit it off when they meet and start being friends, going to parties… Max starts to like him, but we don’t really know how Griffin feels (he’s a puzzle and I didn’t understand his actions half the time, which is why I kind of want to read In the Echo of this Ghost Town which is from Griffin’s POV)
Now, the plot sounds basic, but some things happen towards the end that made me so frustrated with both of them!! But I’m glad that we could see some character development from Griffin and that he took responsibility for his actions.
Characters:
-Max: Oh, I loved her. She had this mental dilemma in her head for most of the book about what she should do about her dad, about leaving him behind, and their relationship was so precious. Max is really strong, and she adapts really well to new environments, but she’s also really sensitive and insecure, and we could see through the book how she and Griffin teach each other valuable life lessons on acceptance of oneself.
-Griffin: I’m really curious about his character because I didn’t understand him half the time. This story is told from Max’s perspective, so we don’t know what Griffin is thinking most of the time. I want to get inside his head to understand him, because he made me FRUSTRATED. And at the beginning, he said that reading was gross… ok, Mr. My favorite color is black (one of my favorite colors is also black; this is just a joke). Anyways, I liked his character and development; he’s so funny and sweet sometimes. And I loved his texts to Max towards the end of the book, how excited he was for what was happening to him… those texts made me emotional.
Romance:
I loved how their relationship grew from a friendship to something more, and how sometimes not even them would acknowledge their feelings for each other. They made each other feel like the best version of themselves, and if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
Also, the “hard” joke came up at the most serious and inappropriate moments, but it still made me laugh so hard (I'm sorry, but Griffin would laugh at my pun). Griffin sometimes acted like a child lol.
I will add some of my favorite quotes when the book comes out :)
October 14, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Even though When the Echo Answers is technically considered the sequel to In the Echo of this Ghost Town it felt kind of pointless to me. We get the same story but from different point of views. The first book is from Griffin's and this one is from Maxwell's. I didn't really see the point in have two books just for that reason alone. Especially since this could have been meshed into a giant dual pov book.
Maybe it's just me thinking this way?
Now I liked Max in the first book. I also liked see more about her relationship with her dad and her mom throughout this. Especially when we know that her mom walks back into her life in Griffin's book. As for her time in college? Well it did absolutely nothing for me. The way she kept thinking Griffin was cute in the beginning? Also did nothing for me because I got how she felt when I was reading his book.
Again, this one just didn't make sense. The only thing I really wanted to know was what was going on with her when they weren't talking after their little fight. That was it. Once I got it, I was a little disappointed because it just kind of seemed like she wasn't doing much with her life. Just moving forward in a weird way but finally realizing her true feelings for Griffin.
In the end, it was okay but I wished these two could be merged into one book. Just one. Dual pov.
Even though When the Echo Answers is technically considered the sequel to In the Echo of this Ghost Town it felt kind of pointless to me. We get the same story but from different point of views. The first book is from Griffin's and this one is from Maxwell's. I didn't really see the point in have two books just for that reason alone. Especially since this could have been meshed into a giant dual pov book.
Maybe it's just me thinking this way?
Now I liked Max in the first book. I also liked see more about her relationship with her dad and her mom throughout this. Especially when we know that her mom walks back into her life in Griffin's book. As for her time in college? Well it did absolutely nothing for me. The way she kept thinking Griffin was cute in the beginning? Also did nothing for me because I got how she felt when I was reading his book.
Again, this one just didn't make sense. The only thing I really wanted to know was what was going on with her when they weren't talking after their little fight. That was it. Once I got it, I was a little disappointed because it just kind of seemed like she wasn't doing much with her life. Just moving forward in a weird way but finally realizing her true feelings for Griffin.
In the end, it was okay but I wished these two could be merged into one book. Just one. Dual pov.
October 22, 2021
After surprising myself with loving the first book in this duology so much I had to pick up this one next. It basically is the story told from Max’ perspective and it was great; it just wasn’t as good as ‘In the echo of this Ghost town’.
We got to know Max from Griffins perspective and now we get to see a little more inside her head, which was great because she experienced so many encounters with Griffin so different from him. Since I knew what he was thinking it was fun to see how she interpreted some of his actions. And actually, everything was totally believable.
Reading her side of the story was so interesting and if I haven’t read the other book first, I probably would have reacted and incorporated a lot of things the same way she had, even though Griffin’s intentions were totally different.
It was a really good book but in comparison to the first one, this lacked a little character development for me. But comparing Max to Griffin that way is probably unfair because Max was a great character to begin with and didn’t need that much development. Both books are now part of my favorites of this year and will be reread soon.
We got to know Max from Griffins perspective and now we get to see a little more inside her head, which was great because she experienced so many encounters with Griffin so different from him. Since I knew what he was thinking it was fun to see how she interpreted some of his actions. And actually, everything was totally believable.
Reading her side of the story was so interesting and if I haven’t read the other book first, I probably would have reacted and incorporated a lot of things the same way she had, even though Griffin’s intentions were totally different.
It was a really good book but in comparison to the first one, this lacked a little character development for me. But comparing Max to Griffin that way is probably unfair because Max was a great character to begin with and didn’t need that much development. Both books are now part of my favorites of this year and will be reread soon.
July 20, 2021
When the Echo Answers is a companion story to In the Echo of this Ghost Town. It tells Max's story from her own point of view.
After reading In the Echo of this Ghost Town I was eager to read When the Echo Answers. I wanted to reread the love story of Griffin and Max so badly... 'cause... let's face it... it really is one of the most captivating love stories ever told! But you know what? While reading When The Echo Answers I ended up finding myself equally captured by Max's personal story because she really is a great character. Max's authentic, resilient and tough. Whether she's building a house or a friendship, she follows one simple rule: always try to see through the damages to all the way you can make it new. So, as a friend she's always willing to trust, talk, share and forgive... and she secretly longs to find someone who will do the same for her. When she meets Griffin, she falls head over heels in love with him. But can such a problematic guy as Griffin be the answer to Max's wishes? Can he be the one who'll like her for who she is, who'll make her feel seen, wanted, at home in her own skin?
One of the main themes of this book is indeed the need of teenagers to seek for other people's approval and the author develops it in an extraordinary delicate way. As a matter of fact, what I like the most about the love story of Griffin and Max is that they both learn that, in order to find other people's approval, they must accept themselves first. The most beautiful message this book conveys (and the reason why I think everybody should read both In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers) is that your opinion of you is all that matters. You need to find out what makes you the best version of yourself. Only then will you find a person who can contribute to that version.
Thank you CL Walters for always giving readers such amazing books and for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
After reading In the Echo of this Ghost Town I was eager to read When the Echo Answers. I wanted to reread the love story of Griffin and Max so badly... 'cause... let's face it... it really is one of the most captivating love stories ever told! But you know what? While reading When The Echo Answers I ended up finding myself equally captured by Max's personal story because she really is a great character. Max's authentic, resilient and tough. Whether she's building a house or a friendship, she follows one simple rule: always try to see through the damages to all the way you can make it new. So, as a friend she's always willing to trust, talk, share and forgive... and she secretly longs to find someone who will do the same for her. When she meets Griffin, she falls head over heels in love with him. But can such a problematic guy as Griffin be the answer to Max's wishes? Can he be the one who'll like her for who she is, who'll make her feel seen, wanted, at home in her own skin?
One of the main themes of this book is indeed the need of teenagers to seek for other people's approval and the author develops it in an extraordinary delicate way. As a matter of fact, what I like the most about the love story of Griffin and Max is that they both learn that, in order to find other people's approval, they must accept themselves first. The most beautiful message this book conveys (and the reason why I think everybody should read both In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers) is that your opinion of you is all that matters. You need to find out what makes you the best version of yourself. Only then will you find a person who can contribute to that version.
Thank you CL Walters for always giving readers such amazing books and for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 4, 2021
This story was a surprise. I never intended to write it, but most of the way through In the Echo of this Ghost Town, I knew I had another story— Max’s version of her own journey in addition to Griffin’s.
I love Max.
As characters go, I’m so proud of her. She pops off the page and while this is a companion story to In the Echo of this Ghost Town, her story feels like it could definitely stand on its own too.
I hope you love Max and her Dad, Cal, as much as I do.
I love Max.
As characters go, I’m so proud of her. She pops off the page and while this is a companion story to In the Echo of this Ghost Town, her story feels like it could definitely stand on its own too.
I hope you love Max and her Dad, Cal, as much as I do.
July 12, 2022
This book made me cry, laugh and everything in between.
I have read In the Echo of This Ghost Town which follows the same story but from Griffin's POV. I woudl've prefered if both books were mashed in one bigger one and read it as a double POV instead of reading two books.
I mainly wanted to read this book because I wanted to see what happens from Max's perspective when they weren't talking after their fight.
Her side of the story was as interesting as Griffin's but the entire time I felt like it would've been better as one Dual POV book. This one didn't have as much characther development but Max was already a great characther in the other book, so I could let this one go.
Overall, I recommend reading this amazing story from either POVS but not both, as it seems more repetive and unnecessary.
This is a voluntary review. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
I have read In the Echo of This Ghost Town which follows the same story but from Griffin's POV. I woudl've prefered if both books were mashed in one bigger one and read it as a double POV instead of reading two books.
I mainly wanted to read this book because I wanted to see what happens from Max's perspective when they weren't talking after their fight.
Her side of the story was as interesting as Griffin's but the entire time I felt like it would've been better as one Dual POV book. This one didn't have as much characther development but Max was already a great characther in the other book, so I could let this one go.
Overall, I recommend reading this amazing story from either POVS but not both, as it seems more repetive and unnecessary.
This is a voluntary review. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
October 5, 2021
This was such a beautiful written story which follows Max from in the school of this ghost town.
I loved finding out more of Max and Cal and their lives and how they came to move around so much and I also enjoyed following Max through college and through the heartbreak which she goes through.
I thought this was beautifully written and I can't wait to see what Cami writes next.
I loved finding out more of Max and Cal and their lives and how they came to move around so much and I also enjoyed following Max through college and through the heartbreak which she goes through.
I thought this was beautifully written and I can't wait to see what Cami writes next.
May 27, 2025
Regards to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with this digital ARC. All opinion posted here are my own
I will start this review to say that this is my first experience with C.L. Walters. I haven't read In the Echo of this Ghost Town, the supposed main story of this book. Consequently, I read this book as a standalone and not as a companion story.
I like many things about this book. The characters are amazing (and I have a special adoration to Cal, who is the most amazing father I have read about in a while). I both like Max and Griffin respectively, maybe Griffin a little bit more. I honestly would like to read about Griffin's intentions because I didn't quite catch his thoughts?? That ending honestly broke my heart a little bit, but I am glad it finished the way it was. (Griffin the responsible king)
However, the true highlight of this book for me is relationship development. It's amazing to see how Max and Griffin slowly becoming friends, then from friends to more. I love it so much I can't put my feelings into words. Do with it as you want.
The first reason why this book is a 3.75/5 and not a 5/5 is the writing style. Some passages feel like crumbs being patched up together to make a sentence. Although it was a pretty quick read, I had to pause several times because of the writing.
In the end, it was still a very good read, and I will maybe read In the Echo of this Ghost Town because I am genuinely curious to see the story plays out from Griffin's perspective.
I will start this review to say that this is my first experience with C.L. Walters. I haven't read In the Echo of this Ghost Town, the supposed main story of this book. Consequently, I read this book as a standalone and not as a companion story.
I like many things about this book. The characters are amazing (and I have a special adoration to Cal, who is the most amazing father I have read about in a while). I both like Max and Griffin respectively, maybe Griffin a little bit more. I honestly would like to read about Griffin's intentions because I didn't quite catch his thoughts?? That ending honestly broke my heart a little bit, but I am glad it finished the way it was. (Griffin the responsible king)
However, the true highlight of this book for me is relationship development. It's amazing to see how Max and Griffin slowly becoming friends, then from friends to more. I love it so much I can't put my feelings into words. Do with it as you want.
The first reason why this book is a 3.75/5 and not a 5/5 is the writing style. Some passages feel like crumbs being patched up together to make a sentence. Although it was a pretty quick read, I had to pause several times because of the writing.
In the end, it was still a very good read, and I will maybe read In the Echo of this Ghost Town because I am genuinely curious to see the story plays out from Griffin's perspective.
October 23, 2021
After reading ‘In the Echo of this Ghost Town’ from Griffin’s point of view, it’s now time to read Max’s. What is Griffin like in someone else’s eye? What is Max’s story? I actually really like Max’s character through Griffin. She seemed headstrong, sensible and most importantly, reliable. Because of Max, Griffin wanted to be better, do better.
This story follows Max, who has been moving from house to house with her dad, Cal since she was a little girl. This means she doesn’t have the opportunity to build meaningful friendships since she isn’t in the same place for long. Max was about to go to college and possibly start a stable life and make friends when she moved into the last house and met Griffin. She liked Griffin almost immediately and tried to be friends with him. Max then discovered all the pain and frustrations Griffin is trying to hide. She wants to be there for him and maybe take their friendship further but she also didn’t want to get hurt. What choices will she make?
I love that Max and Griffin started off as friends and grew from there. They taught each other how to accept themselves for who they are. They really bring out the best version of each other. Their relationship is very precious and they are constantly there for each other. I also love Max’s relationship with her dad for the same reason! I love that Max shows her vulnerable side here and how the past made her who she is today.
I did find parts of the book repetitive because of the previous book but I enjoyed reading Max’s personal story too. You can read this as a stand-alone but I preferred ‘In the Echo of this Ghost Town’ more. I think the titles of both these stories are a meaningful touch to what Max and Griffin mean to each other.
This story follows Max, who has been moving from house to house with her dad, Cal since she was a little girl. This means she doesn’t have the opportunity to build meaningful friendships since she isn’t in the same place for long. Max was about to go to college and possibly start a stable life and make friends when she moved into the last house and met Griffin. She liked Griffin almost immediately and tried to be friends with him. Max then discovered all the pain and frustrations Griffin is trying to hide. She wants to be there for him and maybe take their friendship further but she also didn’t want to get hurt. What choices will she make?
I love that Max and Griffin started off as friends and grew from there. They taught each other how to accept themselves for who they are. They really bring out the best version of each other. Their relationship is very precious and they are constantly there for each other. I also love Max’s relationship with her dad for the same reason! I love that Max shows her vulnerable side here and how the past made her who she is today.
I did find parts of the book repetitive because of the previous book but I enjoyed reading Max’s personal story too. You can read this as a stand-alone but I preferred ‘In the Echo of this Ghost Town’ more. I think the titles of both these stories are a meaningful touch to what Max and Griffin mean to each other.
October 13, 2021
I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After reading In the Echo of this Ghost Town, I was really excited to pick up When the Echo Answers and this book was equally as beautiful and heartbreaking. From the previous book, I found Max to be a resilient and endearing character who has a strong commitment of ensuring that she stands up to any challenge thrown her way. Having experienced so many upheavals in her life, she finds a sense of steadiness in Griffin and their bond is so fulfilling and satisfying.
A key theme in this book is that of acceptance and how often as human beings we seek to find acceptance through the eyes of other people, when we fail to accept ourselves. Both Max and Griffin work on accepting themselves, including their mistakes and obstacles they face in their life and understand that all these experiences are what shape them to be the person they are. I believe this speaks so strongly to young adults who may feel that they don't fit the norms of society.
I am so glad that Walters chose to write this companion novel that gave us Max's journey, which is rare with YA books to have both perspectives in different novels. Griffin and Max have absolutely won my heart over and I can't wait for the world to get to meet them through these incredible books!
After reading In the Echo of this Ghost Town, I was really excited to pick up When the Echo Answers and this book was equally as beautiful and heartbreaking. From the previous book, I found Max to be a resilient and endearing character who has a strong commitment of ensuring that she stands up to any challenge thrown her way. Having experienced so many upheavals in her life, she finds a sense of steadiness in Griffin and their bond is so fulfilling and satisfying.
A key theme in this book is that of acceptance and how often as human beings we seek to find acceptance through the eyes of other people, when we fail to accept ourselves. Both Max and Griffin work on accepting themselves, including their mistakes and obstacles they face in their life and understand that all these experiences are what shape them to be the person they are. I believe this speaks so strongly to young adults who may feel that they don't fit the norms of society.
I am so glad that Walters chose to write this companion novel that gave us Max's journey, which is rare with YA books to have both perspectives in different novels. Griffin and Max have absolutely won my heart over and I can't wait for the world to get to meet them through these incredible books!
October 27, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy for a review.
This is my first book by CL Walters. I will definitely be reading more.
This story is told by Max's perspective. I love every minute. It showed us her going through school and heart break. I loved that we learned so much and the character development was great. I am going to circle back and read book 1.
This is my first book by CL Walters. I will definitely be reading more.
This story is told by Max's perspective. I love every minute. It showed us her going through school and heart break. I loved that we learned so much and the character development was great. I am going to circle back and read book 1.
October 1, 2021
The perfect companion! Of course we already know Max from Griffin’s book, but being inside of her head as she processes through her experiences, moves, losses, and transitions was so relatable. It really took her to a three-dimensional and personal level. LOVE this book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews