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Silent Echo
Haunted by silence, a mute teenage girl is mysteriously given back her voice ... and it is divine.
Rendered mute at birth, Portia Griffin has been silent for 16 years. Music is her constant companion, along with Felix, her deaf best friend who couldn't care less whether or not she can speak. If only he were as nonchalant about her newfound interest in the musically gifted Max Hunter.
But Portia's silence is about to be broken with the abrupt discovery of her voice, unparalleled in its purity and the power it affords to control those around her. Able to persuade, seduce and destroy using only her voice, Portia embarks on a search for answers about who she really is, and what she is destined to do.
Inspired by Homer's Odyssey, Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale is an epic story filled with fantasy, romance and original music.
Rendered mute at birth, Portia Griffin has been silent for 16 years. Music is her constant companion, along with Felix, her deaf best friend who couldn't care less whether or not she can speak. If only he were as nonchalant about her newfound interest in the musically gifted Max Hunter.
But Portia's silence is about to be broken with the abrupt discovery of her voice, unparalleled in its purity and the power it affords to control those around her. Able to persuade, seduce and destroy using only her voice, Portia embarks on a search for answers about who she really is, and what she is destined to do.
Inspired by Homer's Odyssey, Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale is an epic story filled with fantasy, romance and original music.
390 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
23 people are currently reading
4219 people want to read
About the author
Elisa Freilich
1 book79 followersElisa Freilich has enjoyed a love affair with language from her earliest days. Raised in rural Monsey, New York, Elisa spent her days reading whatever crossed her path and developed a keen appreciation for the ever-present music in her home – from classical to rock. French lessons and creative writing workshops complemented her adolescence, which was also greatly enhanced by a summer spent abroad at Cambridge University. From the time she could read and write, Elisa could often be found composing poems, song lyrics and satirical newspapers.
After her college years at Boston University, Elisa continued her creative pursuits, working as a junior VP of Marketing at a corporate graphic design agency and, later, as an interior decorator. Eventually, Elisa left the workforce to raise her family, in her now hometown of Englewood, NJ.
Throughout the years, Elisa has retained her devotion to all genres of books and music and was determined to synthesize her passions into one refreshing and original platform. The result is her debut novel, SILENT ECHO: A Siren’s Tale, which will be published by Diversion Books in September 2013. With her own lyrical style, Elisa has created a world that young adults around the globe will find intensely gripping and refreshingly original.
When Elisa is not writing, her creative outlets still abound. She is fierce with a set of knitting needles, a hot glue gun and any ingredients that can somehow be fashioned into a sinful and highly caloric babka.
After her college years at Boston University, Elisa continued her creative pursuits, working as a junior VP of Marketing at a corporate graphic design agency and, later, as an interior decorator. Eventually, Elisa left the workforce to raise her family, in her now hometown of Englewood, NJ.
Throughout the years, Elisa has retained her devotion to all genres of books and music and was determined to synthesize her passions into one refreshing and original platform. The result is her debut novel, SILENT ECHO: A Siren’s Tale, which will be published by Diversion Books in September 2013. With her own lyrical style, Elisa has created a world that young adults around the globe will find intensely gripping and refreshingly original.
When Elisa is not writing, her creative outlets still abound. She is fierce with a set of knitting needles, a hot glue gun and any ingredients that can somehow be fashioned into a sinful and highly caloric babka.
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August 10, 2013
Recommended for:
1. People whose knowledge of sirens is limited to those things in police cars that go "whoo whoo."
2. People who loved the poetry that their 7th grade crush wrote for them.
3. People who have eaten dinner beforehand and not susceptible to sugary metaphors.
4. Fans of Apple®.
This book is based on the Greek myths of the sirens. Let me preface by saying that the word "Greek mythology" is my personal siren song. I am always, always, irresistibly drawn to types of books based on Greek mythology. I am a myth geek. This is the girl who read Bullfinch's Mythology cover to cover in middle school, so there's not much that can get past me in that sense. Don't get me wrong, I make room for suspension of disbelief. I know that sometimes a myth has to be bent somewhat to fit into some context of the story. However, I do not appreciate it when a myth is rewritten, when it is twisted and tortured beyond recognition, when it is bent to fit the story, instead of the other way around. It is disrespectful to the original, beloved myths, and it insults my intelligence as a reader. It is the equivalent of making the Gautama Buddha into a Bollywood star, of making Jesus into a weed-smoking hippie, it is the equivalent of making Sir Lancelot into his Monty Python equivalent: it is acceptable only within a parody.
This book is not a parody, but it reads as such. There is a difference between a "unique spin" on things, and then there is completely FUBARing it. For me, this book is an example of the latter.
The misuse and alteration of Greek mythology is a small grievance for me, in this book's context, because I felt there are so many bigger problems with it. I do not give a low rating without cause, and here are my list of problems for this book.
1. The writing:
The attempts at poetry: there is a lot of verses and poetry in this book, and to be honest, I felt they were absolutely terrible. I understand that some of the poetrry were meant to be 1) an attempt at humor and 2) an attempt at poetry. Most often, they were just cringe-inducingly bad. The poetry is of the sort that your emo teenaged boyfriend would write to you, and sure, they may seem adorable at the time, but 5 years later, you look back at your old love notes and just laugh at how utterly terrible the attempts were. Portia finds them wonderful, loveable, she reads them with starry eyes. That may be believable, seen through the rose-colored glasses of a 16-year old...but they just did not work for me, at all. I groaned every time I saw another verse. I let my teenaged sister read a few verses, and she burst out laughing.
This is an example of poetry which so swayed our Portia's heart, written by the hunky Max:
Use (abuse?) of language: I also felt the writing was...not good, to say the least. The similes, metaphors are so utterly melodramatic, superficial, and so strange, we're talking about oaky eyes, Granny Smith eyes, silkworms releasing melodic threads, etc.
And Max's voice, oh, god help me. The descriptions of Max's voice. Apparently, voices are edible. It's like "a block of chocolate wrapped in sandpaper," "warm caramel sprinkled with coarse sea salt,"sweet cotton candy wrapping itself around a paper cone, building up layer by billowy layer." Mmm...Max's voicecandy. *Homer Simpson drool*
Name/brand dropping: I felt like this book was trying too hard to appeal to a teenaged audience. You can barely read a page without seeing some kind of pop-culture reference. Apple, "stevejobs" password, Abercrombie & Fitch, Timbaland, Louboutins, iTunes, iCal, iChat, Facetime, Siri, True Religion, CSI, Law & Order, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson aka "Rpats."
Did I say there were a lot of Apple references? There are a lot of Apple references. I think we can safely assume that someone is a Machead. I wondered at times if there were royalties to be gained every time an Apple product is mentioned within the book... with the multitude of references throughout the book. I do enjoy some references, I do think it appeals to the reader and gets them connected to the book, but this book way overdoes it. It felt utterly forced.
2. Portia Griffin:
Her birth: emerges from her mother's womb, perfectly formed, with a rosebud mouth, sings away a storm of birds. Blood? Gore? Afterbirth? What afterbirth. Portia emerges from her mother's womb like Aphrodite emerges from the sea in a seashell, freaking perfect in every way. She is supposedly speshul and the only one of her kind born within millennias (that is THOUSANDS OF YEARS) because of the love her parents share. Ok, that's all good, but the reader is expected to believe that her parents are extra-loving because why? There is no explanation, there is no reasoning, there is no evidence of that. Helena and Joshua Griffin are extra-affectionate to each other in the book, but that's pretty much it. It is an absolutely flimsy premise for making Portia into the extra-special Siren that she is.
Her character: Most of the characters in this book did not appeal to me, they never felt real to me, but Portia's is all the more crucial because she is supposed to be the main character. I felt like she had no personality, she is boring, she is dull. Her character supposedly changes as she turns more seductive, more evil. The change felt unreal, her character development is nonexistent. Acting like a bitch, feeling sultry and seductive does not a Siren make. She was never a likeable character, Portia is initially silly and fluffy, and her sudden, capricious descent into a darker side felt forced and unnatural, it is not even a believable case of Jekyll and Hyde. She becomes an even more dislikeable character as the book progresses, and to me, Portia never redeems herself, even if she refers to herself as a "freestylin' Sarah Brightman."
Portia is a complete jerk to every one of her friends. She is manipulative...that's supposed to be part of her nature, but it doesn't make her any more likeable as a character. I didn't like the other characters in the book at all, but I ended up sympathizing with them throughout the book because of all the crap that Portia puts them through. She uses people, she treats them like dirt. She manipulates a girl who has been physically and mentally abused since childhood by her stepfather. She ditches her best friend since childhood to hang out with a boy she's known for a couple of days, so on and so forth.
Her transformation: Portia's training is completely unexplained, she is supposedly taught to use her powers by a teacher, but we don't see any of that. We are just asked to believe that she can do all these things.
3. The story: It was boring. It was all telling, no showing. We are supposed to believe that Portia is in danger, that she a potential danger. Well, there is little evidence of that. The middle of the book was a desert of boredom, nothing happens besides Portia learning about herself, exercising her powers on others, and being a jerk to everyone. There is no sense of danger, of thrills, of impending doom. There's a lot of people freaking out over nothing, as far as I can tell. The plot did not engross me at all. For me, there might as well have been no plot.
4. Thelack of mythology: I'm going to really have to censor myself here lest I go off completely on a long, expletive-filled rant on how inaccurate this was. Initially, I didn't think this was going to be any worse than, say, The Goddess Test, where Henry = Hades, among other abominations. I was wrong. Initially, the characters used are pretty obscure, so I overlooked how inaccurate it was, but eventually I just couldn't avoid all the niggling grievances. And there are many.
This book takes the mythology of the sirens and completely rewrites it. Name of mythical characters are used completely out of context, mythical creatures are slapped with the labels of "God" and "Goddess" regardless of their actual stature. A satyr? Sure, let's call him a god. Sirens? They're actually sea nymphs, but let's call them goddesses too. Ok, let's kill off a muse for fun. While we're at it, let's give Ares a couple of sons, and then have them die, too, completely without history or explanation. Oh, Athena needs to make a sacrifice to bring up a spirit...killing a goat is "so 500 years ago." Let's have her burn a Boca burger and soy chicken instead. And certainly the Greek Pantheon is useless and absolutely terrified of a couple of wayward Sirens. Zeus? Lightning bolt-shooting Zeus? The king of the Greek Gods? He's apparently just a king in name, a shadow puppet king, as useless as he acts within the book.
I need to stop talking about the misuse of mythology here, for my own sanity.
5. Romance: there is not only insta-love between Portia and Max, but there is also a love triangle. And everyone is in love with her, because Portia becomes so hot and seductive as a Siren. We have the Holy Trinity of romance tropes in this book. Portia can treat them like crap beneath her feet, and she does over and over and over; as frustrated and as angry as they are, the poordoormats duo of Felix and Max sticks by her side.
Do I need to say how unrealistic the portrayal of love in this book is? It is a crush. It is a girl's starry-eyed infatuation with a musician with a cowlick of hair over his eyes. Even Max doesn't feel like a real character outside of being Portia's hunk in shining armor. Felix is little more than newly developing muscles and biceps and emerging five o'clock shadow.
Not recommended.
I received a copy of this book for review through Netgalley. The quotes taken are from an uncorrected e-galley and is subject to change in the final edition.
1. People whose knowledge of sirens is limited to those things in police cars that go "whoo whoo."
2. People who loved the poetry that their 7th grade crush wrote for them.
3. People who have eaten dinner beforehand and not susceptible to sugary metaphors.
4. Fans of Apple®.
"I am blessed organological
My powers are robotical
I am your diametrical
You're no longer magistical!
We started antiphonical,
You thought your words demonical,
But my verse exorcistical---
The real Portia is mystical!"
This book is based on the Greek myths of the sirens. Let me preface by saying that the word "Greek mythology" is my personal siren song. I am always, always, irresistibly drawn to types of books based on Greek mythology. I am a myth geek. This is the girl who read Bullfinch's Mythology cover to cover in middle school, so there's not much that can get past me in that sense. Don't get me wrong, I make room for suspension of disbelief. I know that sometimes a myth has to be bent somewhat to fit into some context of the story. However, I do not appreciate it when a myth is rewritten, when it is twisted and tortured beyond recognition, when it is bent to fit the story, instead of the other way around. It is disrespectful to the original, beloved myths, and it insults my intelligence as a reader. It is the equivalent of making the Gautama Buddha into a Bollywood star, of making Jesus into a weed-smoking hippie, it is the equivalent of making Sir Lancelot into his Monty Python equivalent: it is acceptable only within a parody.
This book is not a parody, but it reads as such. There is a difference between a "unique spin" on things, and then there is completely FUBARing it. For me, this book is an example of the latter.
The misuse and alteration of Greek mythology is a small grievance for me, in this book's context, because I felt there are so many bigger problems with it. I do not give a low rating without cause, and here are my list of problems for this book.
1. The writing:
The attempts at poetry: there is a lot of verses and poetry in this book, and to be honest, I felt they were absolutely terrible. I understand that some of the poetrry were meant to be 1) an attempt at humor and 2) an attempt at poetry. Most often, they were just cringe-inducingly bad. The poetry is of the sort that your emo teenaged boyfriend would write to you, and sure, they may seem adorable at the time, but 5 years later, you look back at your old love notes and just laugh at how utterly terrible the attempts were. Portia finds them wonderful, loveable, she reads them with starry eyes. That may be believable, seen through the rose-colored glasses of a 16-year old...but they just did not work for me, at all. I groaned every time I saw another verse. I let my teenaged sister read a few verses, and she burst out laughing.
This is an example of poetry which so swayed our Portia's heart, written by the hunky Max:
And the rearview so appealing-Portia also serenades the hallowed Greek Pantheon (Zeus, Ares, Athena, etc.) with a poem involving the Golden Gate Bridge, Sex and the City, and Krispy Kreme's calories. That is but a few examples of the insufferable poetry used within this book.
God, where's the U-turn?
I've gotta see it again.
Cuz you're the Moyenne Corniche...
I'm Mario Andretti,
I'm stuck on the course,
And you, baby, are the Grand Prix.
Use (abuse?) of language: I also felt the writing was...not good, to say the least. The similes, metaphors are so utterly melodramatic, superficial, and so strange, we're talking about oaky eyes, Granny Smith eyes, silkworms releasing melodic threads, etc.
And Max's voice, oh, god help me. The descriptions of Max's voice. Apparently, voices are edible. It's like "a block of chocolate wrapped in sandpaper," "warm caramel sprinkled with coarse sea salt,"sweet cotton candy wrapping itself around a paper cone, building up layer by billowy layer." Mmm...
Name/brand dropping: I felt like this book was trying too hard to appeal to a teenaged audience. You can barely read a page without seeing some kind of pop-culture reference. Apple, "stevejobs" password, Abercrombie & Fitch, Timbaland, Louboutins, iTunes, iCal, iChat, Facetime, Siri, True Religion, CSI, Law & Order, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson aka "Rpats."
Did I say there were a lot of Apple references? There are a lot of Apple references. I think we can safely assume that someone is a Machead. I wondered at times if there were royalties to be gained every time an Apple product is mentioned within the book... with the multitude of references throughout the book. I do enjoy some references, I do think it appeals to the reader and gets them connected to the book, but this book way overdoes it. It felt utterly forced.
2. Portia Griffin:
Her birth: emerges from her mother's womb, perfectly formed, with a rosebud mouth, sings away a storm of birds. Blood? Gore? Afterbirth? What afterbirth. Portia emerges from her mother's womb like Aphrodite emerges from the sea in a seashell, freaking perfect in every way. She is supposedly speshul and the only one of her kind born within millennias (that is THOUSANDS OF YEARS) because of the love her parents share. Ok, that's all good, but the reader is expected to believe that her parents are extra-loving because why? There is no explanation, there is no reasoning, there is no evidence of that. Helena and Joshua Griffin are extra-affectionate to each other in the book, but that's pretty much it. It is an absolutely flimsy premise for making Portia into the extra-special Siren that she is.
Her character: Most of the characters in this book did not appeal to me, they never felt real to me, but Portia's is all the more crucial because she is supposed to be the main character. I felt like she had no personality, she is boring, she is dull. Her character supposedly changes as she turns more seductive, more evil. The change felt unreal, her character development is nonexistent. Acting like a bitch, feeling sultry and seductive does not a Siren make. She was never a likeable character, Portia is initially silly and fluffy, and her sudden, capricious descent into a darker side felt forced and unnatural, it is not even a believable case of Jekyll and Hyde. She becomes an even more dislikeable character as the book progresses, and to me, Portia never redeems herself, even if she refers to herself as a "freestylin' Sarah Brightman."
Portia is a complete jerk to every one of her friends. She is manipulative...that's supposed to be part of her nature, but it doesn't make her any more likeable as a character. I didn't like the other characters in the book at all, but I ended up sympathizing with them throughout the book because of all the crap that Portia puts them through. She uses people, she treats them like dirt. She manipulates a girl who has been physically and mentally abused since childhood by her stepfather. She ditches her best friend since childhood to hang out with a boy she's known for a couple of days, so on and so forth.
Her transformation: Portia's training is completely unexplained, she is supposedly taught to use her powers by a teacher, but we don't see any of that. We are just asked to believe that she can do all these things.
3. The story: It was boring. It was all telling, no showing. We are supposed to believe that Portia is in danger, that she a potential danger. Well, there is little evidence of that. The middle of the book was a desert of boredom, nothing happens besides Portia learning about herself, exercising her powers on others, and being a jerk to everyone. There is no sense of danger, of thrills, of impending doom. There's a lot of people freaking out over nothing, as far as I can tell. The plot did not engross me at all. For me, there might as well have been no plot.
4. The
This book takes the mythology of the sirens and completely rewrites it. Name of mythical characters are used completely out of context, mythical creatures are slapped with the labels of "God" and "Goddess" regardless of their actual stature. A satyr? Sure, let's call him a god. Sirens? They're actually sea nymphs, but let's call them goddesses too. Ok, let's kill off a muse for fun. While we're at it, let's give Ares a couple of sons, and then have them die, too, completely without history or explanation. Oh, Athena needs to make a sacrifice to bring up a spirit...killing a goat is "so 500 years ago." Let's have her burn a Boca burger and soy chicken instead. And certainly the Greek Pantheon is useless and absolutely terrified of a couple of wayward Sirens. Zeus? Lightning bolt-shooting Zeus? The king of the Greek Gods? He's apparently just a king in name, a shadow puppet king, as useless as he acts within the book.
I need to stop talking about the misuse of mythology here, for my own sanity.
5. Romance: there is not only insta-love between Portia and Max, but there is also a love triangle. And everyone is in love with her, because Portia becomes so hot and seductive as a Siren. We have the Holy Trinity of romance tropes in this book. Portia can treat them like crap beneath her feet, and she does over and over and over; as frustrated and as angry as they are, the poor
Do I need to say how unrealistic the portrayal of love in this book is? It is a crush. It is a girl's starry-eyed infatuation with a musician with a cowlick of hair over his eyes. Even Max doesn't feel like a real character outside of being Portia's hunk in shining armor. Felix is little more than newly developing muscles and biceps and emerging five o'clock shadow.
Not recommended.
I received a copy of this book for review through Netgalley. The quotes taken are from an uncorrected e-galley and is subject to change in the final edition.
August 9, 2013
Initial reaction: Some say bad verse begets bad verse, that lyrical cheese begets lyrical cheese. No two people are going to think the same way of a piece of music or poetry, but one would think that to pen lyrics and verse in a work, there's an art to being able to let the words carry themselves and to do so in strict moderation - otherwise, you run the risk of sounding insincere, puerile, or downright silly. "Silent Echo" felt like a bad musical with people randomly bursting out into song every five minutes with very little to no emotional resonance.
I don't think a love for music could've saved Elisa Freilich's "Silent Echo" - the technique in the verse was just...wrong on so many levels. I think I knew by a certain point that the approach to the verse here was little more than angsty random passages that had little to no flow to them. And the emotion was overwrought and overexpanded in each piece.
But that's not even the only problem with this work because looking at the characterizations, situations, and development - what could've been a promising work was formulaic, problematic, and a complete fail as far as a work based on mythology was concerned.
I hate to say it, but I don't think I've read a book that made me loathe verse in YA fiction as much as this one. Ye Gods (literally), this was bad.
Full review:
Author's Note: I had three renditions of songs for Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale, and this was the one that ended up winning out. All I have to say is that I've watched too much Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog. Those of you who know it probably know the tune "A Man's Gotta Do What A Man's Gotta Do," so this is written in the same progression. I had way too much fun with this one.
I'll add notes to this as I'm going along, and put the end notes at the end of the verse.
Need to Sing (featuring the cast of "Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale")
Portia:
I needed to sing more than I've ever needed to sing,
Never knowing all the chaos it would bring.
All I ever wanted was to have a voice,
But baby, I was born this way, not like I had much choice...*
Charlotte:
Thank you, Siren girl, you have saved my life!
And saved my mother too, from ever present strife.
Yes, my father was so horrible, from his constant abuse,
Never mind you tried to kill him by song, you're a hero and a muse…
Portia:
I don't need to sing more than I wanted to do,
These feelings I have are hard to follow through.
I have horrible dreams every night of trying to seduce,
And bathing in my lover's blood, it leaves me so confused.
Leucosia:
Don't worry, Siren girl, I am here for you
We'll keep the evil back, 'cause I'm a Siren too,
Yes the Siren's call is complex, it's an ever present curse,
Come to me when you need help…I am your school nurse.
Portia: (aside) And a goddess too!
Leucosia: (aside) No dear, sirens aren't goddesses. That's Athena's duty.**
Max:
I need to sing more than I've ever needed to sing,
There's a girl that means more to me than everything,
She's the beacon in the dark that makes all around me bright,
Never mind that it seems….she wants to take my life.***
Felix:
This is so unfair, she's my best friend,
These feelings I have for Portia are hard to comprehend,
I can't hear her sing cause I'm deaf, I feel I don't belong,
But I know in my heart of hearts - something with her is wrong.
Evil Portia: *evil laughter*
I need to sing with all this power at my hand!
All the men in the way are here at my command.
Soon I'll kill you Max, but be the best lover you ever had,
Soon you'll go crazy too, like your dear old Dad…
Max:
What is wrong with you, you are just insane,
Not the nice girl that used to call my name,
Portia, stop with this, who are all these people around?
Why can't I move, with your lovely sound?
Felix:
I need to speak more than I've ever needed to speak.
Used to think that not hearing her made me something weak.
But since I'm immune to Portia's lovely song,
I'm the only one who can save her now, but my memory burns along…
Leucosia:
This is all my fault, I was supposed to help you through,
But even as its over now, there's more strife to rue
I was responsible for a horrible thing, makes me want to hurl.
I should take my life, goodbye my lovely girl…
Portia: NOOOOO!
Portia:
I don't have to sing now more than I need to sing,
I have my Max with me, though he doesn't remember a thing,
I'll cut my losses and take what I can get,
But seriously…what the heck is wrong with Charlotte?****
Charlotte: *grins mischievously*
Fin.
* Portia was born mute, a perfect, precious child every way except for the fact that she couldn't speak. Seriously, the way the birth was portrayed had to be the most "special snowflake" fairy tale-esque version of a birth I'd ever seen in this genre. Oy vey.
** The book incorrectly attributes the role of sirens as something of goddesses despite there being VERY loose mythological ties in this story. Though...I would say the mythological passages came in massive infodumps and I was bored trying to weed through those. It's a shame because I actually love Greek/Roman Mythology. :(
*** Max is a singer who *tries* to serenade Portia at every chance he can get (but then again, everyone bursts into song in this book - a RAPPING Siren, a beatboxing tune from Portia...it just gets overwrought and ridiculous). But he actually doesn't know that Portia wants to kill him. He's left in the dark for a good portion of the novel, though he figures something's wrong when Portia becomes uber moody, even to the point of digging her claws in his hand and hurting him. @_@
**** It seriously has something of an odd ending to the entire book in the epilogue. I could spoil it, but it's seriously not even worth mentioning because it felt like it was supposed to be suspenseful, but it really wasn't.
Overall rating: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Diversion Books.
I don't think a love for music could've saved Elisa Freilich's "Silent Echo" - the technique in the verse was just...wrong on so many levels. I think I knew by a certain point that the approach to the verse here was little more than angsty random passages that had little to no flow to them. And the emotion was overwrought and overexpanded in each piece.
But that's not even the only problem with this work because looking at the characterizations, situations, and development - what could've been a promising work was formulaic, problematic, and a complete fail as far as a work based on mythology was concerned.
I hate to say it, but I don't think I've read a book that made me loathe verse in YA fiction as much as this one. Ye Gods (literally), this was bad.
Full review:
Author's Note: I had three renditions of songs for Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale, and this was the one that ended up winning out. All I have to say is that I've watched too much Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog. Those of you who know it probably know the tune "A Man's Gotta Do What A Man's Gotta Do," so this is written in the same progression. I had way too much fun with this one.
I'll add notes to this as I'm going along, and put the end notes at the end of the verse.
Need to Sing (featuring the cast of "Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale")
Portia:
I needed to sing more than I've ever needed to sing,
Never knowing all the chaos it would bring.
All I ever wanted was to have a voice,
But baby, I was born this way, not like I had much choice...*
Charlotte:
Thank you, Siren girl, you have saved my life!
And saved my mother too, from ever present strife.
Yes, my father was so horrible, from his constant abuse,
Never mind you tried to kill him by song, you're a hero and a muse…
Portia:
I don't need to sing more than I wanted to do,
These feelings I have are hard to follow through.
I have horrible dreams every night of trying to seduce,
And bathing in my lover's blood, it leaves me so confused.
Leucosia:
Don't worry, Siren girl, I am here for you
We'll keep the evil back, 'cause I'm a Siren too,
Yes the Siren's call is complex, it's an ever present curse,
Come to me when you need help…I am your school nurse.
Portia: (aside) And a goddess too!
Leucosia: (aside) No dear, sirens aren't goddesses. That's Athena's duty.**
Max:
I need to sing more than I've ever needed to sing,
There's a girl that means more to me than everything,
She's the beacon in the dark that makes all around me bright,
Never mind that it seems….she wants to take my life.***
Felix:
This is so unfair, she's my best friend,
These feelings I have for Portia are hard to comprehend,
I can't hear her sing cause I'm deaf, I feel I don't belong,
But I know in my heart of hearts - something with her is wrong.
Evil Portia: *evil laughter*
I need to sing with all this power at my hand!
All the men in the way are here at my command.
Soon I'll kill you Max, but be the best lover you ever had,
Soon you'll go crazy too, like your dear old Dad…
Max:
What is wrong with you, you are just insane,
Not the nice girl that used to call my name,
Portia, stop with this, who are all these people around?
Why can't I move, with your lovely sound?
Felix:
I need to speak more than I've ever needed to speak.
Used to think that not hearing her made me something weak.
But since I'm immune to Portia's lovely song,
I'm the only one who can save her now, but my memory burns along…
Leucosia:
This is all my fault, I was supposed to help you through,
But even as its over now, there's more strife to rue
I was responsible for a horrible thing, makes me want to hurl.
I should take my life, goodbye my lovely girl…
Portia: NOOOOO!
Portia:
I don't have to sing now more than I need to sing,
I have my Max with me, though he doesn't remember a thing,
I'll cut my losses and take what I can get,
But seriously…what the heck is wrong with Charlotte?****
Charlotte: *grins mischievously*
Fin.
* Portia was born mute, a perfect, precious child every way except for the fact that she couldn't speak. Seriously, the way the birth was portrayed had to be the most "special snowflake" fairy tale-esque version of a birth I'd ever seen in this genre. Oy vey.
** The book incorrectly attributes the role of sirens as something of goddesses despite there being VERY loose mythological ties in this story. Though...I would say the mythological passages came in massive infodumps and I was bored trying to weed through those. It's a shame because I actually love Greek/Roman Mythology. :(
*** Max is a singer who *tries* to serenade Portia at every chance he can get (but then again, everyone bursts into song in this book - a RAPPING Siren, a beatboxing tune from Portia...it just gets overwrought and ridiculous). But he actually doesn't know that Portia wants to kill him. He's left in the dark for a good portion of the novel, though he figures something's wrong when Portia becomes uber moody, even to the point of digging her claws in his hand and hurting him. @_@
**** It seriously has something of an odd ending to the entire book in the epilogue. I could spoil it, but it's seriously not even worth mentioning because it felt like it was supposed to be suspenseful, but it really wasn't.
Overall rating: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Diversion Books.
August 9, 2013
After thinking about this book more, I've downgraded it to 1 star. But I still think it deserves even less.
I’m going to be honest with everyone here. The few reviews that are already up for this book are glowing 4- and 5-star reviews. That’s what I thought I would be giving this book when I first read the description. A mute girl whose best friend is deaf? I was already sold. But I was extremely disappointed with this novel. If it hadn’t been an arc, I would have stopped reading around 35%.
I really disliked the third-person narrative that the author used throughout the novel. I feel like Portia's feelings and inner turmoil could have been much better described through first-person. I felt so detached from her throughout the entire novel, that I ended up not really caring what happened to her. You'll see from the description above that another author compared Portia to Katniss. NO . There is no resemblance whatsoever. Katniss actually had some character development and has only a few rivals in terms of badassery. Portia barely developed at all , and she isn't a badass at all. In fact, I found her wimpy and pitiable, and not in a good way.
You know how a lot of us that read YA are complaining about how women are treated by alpha males? Well, the roles are reversed in this book. Portia treats love interest Max like cheap dirt. Ladies, this is the kind of guy we've been waiting for in YA. He's sweet and kind, and it doesn't hurt that he's musically talented. Unfortunately, he just takes everything that Portia throws at him, and basically gets abused for the majority of the story.
The other characters were just so contrived that I couldn't get behind them. I am not trying to belittle any of the hardships the characters had to endure, but I felt like the abuse was just kind of thrown in to meet a certain quota of damaged characters. If it wasn't Max, it had to be Portia's best friend! Then we had Jaqueline, who was literally only in the story to be a quirky French friend who loved fashion and hated the American accent (hence why she hangs out with someone who can't talk).
Another issue I had was the slow-moving plot. I skipped 100 pages in the middle, and just kept reading. I literally didn't miss anything except for the worsening of Portia's condition. Even the climax of the novel didn't grab me. I just wanted to finish it. And I HATED the ending. Why would Portia decide to distance herself from Felix after everything that's happened?
So, if you're looking for a quintessential YA story with instalove, a love triangle, bad Greek mythology, and lots of angsty scenes, this might be for you. Unfortunately, I could stomach Portia and thought both Max and Felix could have done better without her.
An ARC was received from NetGalley
I’m going to be honest with everyone here. The few reviews that are already up for this book are glowing 4- and 5-star reviews. That’s what I thought I would be giving this book when I first read the description. A mute girl whose best friend is deaf? I was already sold. But I was extremely disappointed with this novel. If it hadn’t been an arc, I would have stopped reading around 35%.
I really disliked the third-person narrative that the author used throughout the novel. I feel like Portia's feelings and inner turmoil could have been much better described through first-person. I felt so detached from her throughout the entire novel, that I ended up not really caring what happened to her. You'll see from the description above that another author compared Portia to Katniss. NO . There is no resemblance whatsoever. Katniss actually had some character development and has only a few rivals in terms of badassery. Portia barely developed at all , and she isn't a badass at all. In fact, I found her wimpy and pitiable, and not in a good way.
You know how a lot of us that read YA are complaining about how women are treated by alpha males? Well, the roles are reversed in this book. Portia treats love interest Max like cheap dirt. Ladies, this is the kind of guy we've been waiting for in YA. He's sweet and kind, and it doesn't hurt that he's musically talented. Unfortunately, he just takes everything that Portia throws at him, and basically gets abused for the majority of the story.
The other characters were just so contrived that I couldn't get behind them. I am not trying to belittle any of the hardships the characters had to endure, but I felt like the abuse was just kind of thrown in to meet a certain quota of damaged characters. If it wasn't Max, it had to be Portia's best friend! Then we had Jaqueline, who was literally only in the story to be a quirky French friend who loved fashion and hated the American accent (hence why she hangs out with someone who can't talk).
Another issue I had was the slow-moving plot. I skipped 100 pages in the middle, and just kept reading. I literally didn't miss anything except for the worsening of Portia's condition. Even the climax of the novel didn't grab me. I just wanted to finish it. And I HATED the ending. Why would Portia decide to distance herself from Felix after everything that's happened?
So, if you're looking for a quintessential YA story with instalove, a love triangle, bad Greek mythology, and lots of angsty scenes, this might be for you. Unfortunately, I could stomach Portia and thought both Max and Felix could have done better without her.
An ARC was received from NetGalley
July 6, 2019
Started out very promising fell a little flat not enough sirens for me.
October 23, 2016
http://abooktopia.weebly.com
First things first, I have a love for Greek Mythology. I absolutely loved how Elisa Freilich managed to weave Homer’s Odyssey with modern technology so effortlessly that I was compelled right from the start! The front and back cover of this novel is absolutely gorgeous and stayed true to the story. It makes a wonderful edition to the bookshelf.
Portia Griffin is a sixteen-year-old girl rendered mute at birth. Without her voice she turns to music as her constant companion and her handicapped deaf friend Felix: who couldn’t care less whether she could speak or not. Everything soon drastically changes when she starts to develop a painful tightening sensation in the back of her throat, an ache in her back and uncontrollable mood swings that result in her mysteriously finding her long lost voice. Why can she all of a sudden sing with her alluring voice when her whole life she has never been able to utter a single syllable? But this is no ordinary voice; this is the voice of a Siren. With her dangerous newfound ability to control those around her, she soon finds out that there are others who will stop at nothing to turn her gift into evildoings… Portia must decide whether she wishes to use her powers for the better or worse, and must overcome the evil that is forcing its way in.
I enjoyed watching Portia evolve as she learns about her origin and the history of the original Siren’s tale. It was extremely interesting to see the main protagonist at times act as an antagonist as she battles the evil spirits of the Siren Goddesses.
This novel was an easy and compelling read as it took you from start to finish. Though the beginning may seem to start off slow, all the little details proved to have been of value as the story progressed. I also loved the symbolic of the birds, and the comparison of their singing to that of a Siren’s. I couldn’t help but be amazed by the alluring song lyrics, as I am not a much of a fan when it comes to lyrical poetry as I usually skim right over it.
Silent Echo was an enjoyable debut with a unique premise. I cannot wait for Griffin’s Call to be released along with Taking Flight. I was extremely fortunate to have received a complete full on signed Silent Echo package from the amazing author herself. She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet!
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
August 6, 2013
God’s that text? Mythological beings getting played by autocorrect? Dionysus with a MacBook?
Does all that get your nerdy blood flowing?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
I, for one, love Greek Mythology. It’s something that is completely interesting to me and I’ve always wished was real. (And it may be. Who am I to doubt Zeus?)
The fables have kept my dreams alive since I was a little girl, and is something that has followed me into adulthood. (If an adult is considered a 21 year old that chooses Adventure Time over CSI, then yes, I am an adult.)
There have been many variations all over the literary world, but this book is one that includes my favorites. Dionysus. (Recently, I saw a rendition of “The Frogs” at my local college and completely fell in love with him. And Pluto, but he’s another story.) There is a touch of all the greats in Silent Echo, and that is probably what makes this book great.
Portia, Felix, Charlotte, Max, and even dear Jacqueline are all well rounded characters. For a while, I thought this was just another contemporary, but then the supernatural undertones sprouted and took me on a grand adventure. (Although, this could have just been about a weird love triangle story, and I would have still loved it. There’s something about the writing that is…intoxicating. Mrs. Freilich, are you a Siren!?)
The writing is truly beautiful and I LOVED the songs and poems thrown throughout. Very clever indeed.
I’m assuming (hoping. praying) there will be another. That ending was like a shock to my system and I MUST know what will happen. (With Felix!)
Filled with constant surprises and uncanny revelations, Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale is a great read for anyone looking to get away from life. And delve into the mythological.
Does all that get your nerdy blood flowing?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
I, for one, love Greek Mythology. It’s something that is completely interesting to me and I’ve always wished was real. (And it may be. Who am I to doubt Zeus?)
The fables have kept my dreams alive since I was a little girl, and is something that has followed me into adulthood. (If an adult is considered a 21 year old that chooses Adventure Time over CSI, then yes, I am an adult.)
There have been many variations all over the literary world, but this book is one that includes my favorites. Dionysus. (Recently, I saw a rendition of “The Frogs” at my local college and completely fell in love with him. And Pluto, but he’s another story.) There is a touch of all the greats in Silent Echo, and that is probably what makes this book great.
Portia, Felix, Charlotte, Max, and even dear Jacqueline are all well rounded characters. For a while, I thought this was just another contemporary, but then the supernatural undertones sprouted and took me on a grand adventure. (Although, this could have just been about a weird love triangle story, and I would have still loved it. There’s something about the writing that is…intoxicating. Mrs. Freilich, are you a Siren!?)
The writing is truly beautiful and I LOVED the songs and poems thrown throughout. Very clever indeed.
I’m assuming (hoping. praying) there will be another. That ending was like a shock to my system and I MUST know what will happen. (With Felix!)
Filled with constant surprises and uncanny revelations, Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale is a great read for anyone looking to get away from life. And delve into the mythological.
February 3, 2015
*Scroll down for English review*
MI PERSONAJE FAVORITO: Ms. Leucosia fue uno de los personajes que más me sorprendieron y me gustó mucho el papel que jugó en la historia
Opinión: Recibí este libro a través de Netgalley y lo solicité porque sinopsis me pareció muy original, a pesar de que la portada no me convencía mucho es uno de esos casos en los que no hay que juzgar al libro por la portada.
Desde la primera página hasta la última el libro me enganchó, no sólo por la historia que es refrescante y cautivadora, si no por el estilo de escritura que es fluido e inspirador. La autora además ha escrito una historia dentro de otra historia, Silent Echo coge trozos de La Odisea, realmente no sé cuantos porque no he leído La Odisea (algo que definitivamente voy a hacer este año porque tras leer la historia de Portia tengo mucha curiosidad) y dentro de la historia de Portia las canciones forman una historia dentro de una historia. Las canciones me encantaron e incluso hubo alguna que se me quedo.
Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía un libro que tuviera tantos giros y descubrimientos inesperados. Cuando piensas que ya has descubierto todo lo que esconde la historia, de repente una escena vuelve a dejarte con la intriga y te desbarata todo lo que pensabas previamente. Es un libro hipnotizante que además de empezar enganchando al lector completamente, lo deja cautivado hasta la última página, literalmente.
La referencia a temas actuales me encantó porque además de reconocer sobre todo lo que la autora hace referencia fue un cambio que aportó realismo a la historia. Estaba harta de leer libros en los que los protagonistas adolescentes tuvieran gustos tan adultos, como gustarles los clásicos, no digo que no haya pero personalmente con las referencias que Freilich introduce en la historia (Apple, Harry Potter, Black Eye Peas) me sentí más a gusto porque son cosas con las que he crecido y me identifico (yo también soy una adicta de Harry Potter)
El libro está narrado en tercera persona, lo que da oportunidad al lector de disfrutar y entender los diferentes personajes o descubrir nuevas facetas de la historia. Los personajes están muy bien desarrollados y es muy fácil sentir empatía hacia ellos. Portia ha sido uno de los que más me han gustado, no sólo en esta historia, si no en general. Portia es madura, inteligente, dulce, carismática y muy buena amiga. Es valiente y fiel y a pesar de sus dificultados siempre se ha enfrentado a la vida con una sonrisa.
Desde el primer momento en el que Félix apareció me gustó, pero a la vez me pasó lo mismo con Max. Fue uno de los pocos casos en los que casi no podía elegir entre los dos, aunque Félix me llamaba más. Aunque estoy segura de que estos dos chicos me sorprenderán en el próximo libro porque creó que están más relacionados con La Odisea que lo que se aprecia a simple vista.
Todo el tema clásico siempre me ha fascinado y he leído muchas de las diferentes leyendas pero siempre me gusta ver nuevos aspectos sobre mitología. Además de que fue un elemento refrescante que añadir al género YA.
Sin duda Silent Echo se ha convertido en uno de los mejores libros que he leído este 2013 e incluso me atrevería a decir que de todos los que me he leído de YA
Puntuación: 5/5
MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Ms. Leucosia was one of the characters that surprised me the most and I really liked the role she played in the story.
Opinion: I received this book through Netgalley, I requested it because the synopsis seemed very original, even though the cover did not convince me a lot, but this is one of those cases where you must not judge the book by its cover.
From the very first page to the last one the book hooked me, not only because the story is refreshing and captivating but because the writing style is fluid and inspiring. The author has also written a story within a story, Silent Echo takes pieces of the The Odyssey, I really do not know how many because I have not read The Odyssey yet (something I'm definitely going to do this year because after reading the story of Portia I have a lot of curiosity) and within Portia's story the songs are a story inside Silent Echo. I loved the songs and there were even some that I kept singing in my head.
It´s been a long time since I´ve read a book that had so many switches, turns and unexpected discoveries. When you think you've discovered everything that is behind the story suddenly appears a scene leaving you with more intrigue and disrupts everything you previously thought. It is a mesmerizing book, it started engaging the reader completely enthralled till the last page, literally.
I loved the references to current issues because in addition to recognize everything about what the author refers, it was a change that brought realism to the story. I was tired of reading books in which the teens protagonists have hobbies as if they were adults, for example they like the classics, but personally with the references Freilich introduces in the story (Apple, Harry Potter, Black Eye Peas) I felt more comfortable because there are things that I've grown and I identify with(I am also addicted to Harry Potter)
The book is narrated in the third person, giving the reader an opportunity to enjoy and understand the different characters and discover new facets of the story. The characters are very well developed and it is easy to empathize with them. Portia has been one of the ones I liked, not only in this story, but in general. Portia is mature, intelligent, sweet, charismatic and a very good friend. She is brave and faithful despite her handicap she has always faced life with a smile.
From the first time, I liked Felix yet the same thing happened with Max. It was one of the few cases in which I almost could not choose between the two of them, though Felix has a place in my heart from the very beginning. Although I'm sure these two guys will surprise me in the next book because I believe they are more related to The Odyssey than what the author shows us at first sight.
All the classic theme has always fascinated me and I've read many different legends but I always like to discover new aspects of mythology. Besides, it was a refreshing element to add to the YA genre.
Certainly Silent Echo has become one of the best books I've read this 2013 and I even dare saying that is one of the best YA books.
Punctuation: 5/5
MI PERSONAJE FAVORITO: Ms. Leucosia fue uno de los personajes que más me sorprendieron y me gustó mucho el papel que jugó en la historia
Opinión: Recibí este libro a través de Netgalley y lo solicité porque sinopsis me pareció muy original, a pesar de que la portada no me convencía mucho es uno de esos casos en los que no hay que juzgar al libro por la portada.
Desde la primera página hasta la última el libro me enganchó, no sólo por la historia que es refrescante y cautivadora, si no por el estilo de escritura que es fluido e inspirador. La autora además ha escrito una historia dentro de otra historia, Silent Echo coge trozos de La Odisea, realmente no sé cuantos porque no he leído La Odisea (algo que definitivamente voy a hacer este año porque tras leer la historia de Portia tengo mucha curiosidad) y dentro de la historia de Portia las canciones forman una historia dentro de una historia. Las canciones me encantaron e incluso hubo alguna que se me quedo.
Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía un libro que tuviera tantos giros y descubrimientos inesperados. Cuando piensas que ya has descubierto todo lo que esconde la historia, de repente una escena vuelve a dejarte con la intriga y te desbarata todo lo que pensabas previamente. Es un libro hipnotizante que además de empezar enganchando al lector completamente, lo deja cautivado hasta la última página, literalmente.
La referencia a temas actuales me encantó porque además de reconocer sobre todo lo que la autora hace referencia fue un cambio que aportó realismo a la historia. Estaba harta de leer libros en los que los protagonistas adolescentes tuvieran gustos tan adultos, como gustarles los clásicos, no digo que no haya pero personalmente con las referencias que Freilich introduce en la historia (Apple, Harry Potter, Black Eye Peas) me sentí más a gusto porque son cosas con las que he crecido y me identifico (yo también soy una adicta de Harry Potter)
El libro está narrado en tercera persona, lo que da oportunidad al lector de disfrutar y entender los diferentes personajes o descubrir nuevas facetas de la historia. Los personajes están muy bien desarrollados y es muy fácil sentir empatía hacia ellos. Portia ha sido uno de los que más me han gustado, no sólo en esta historia, si no en general. Portia es madura, inteligente, dulce, carismática y muy buena amiga. Es valiente y fiel y a pesar de sus dificultados siempre se ha enfrentado a la vida con una sonrisa.
Desde el primer momento en el que Félix apareció me gustó, pero a la vez me pasó lo mismo con Max. Fue uno de los pocos casos en los que casi no podía elegir entre los dos, aunque Félix me llamaba más. Aunque estoy segura de que estos dos chicos me sorprenderán en el próximo libro porque creó que están más relacionados con La Odisea que lo que se aprecia a simple vista.
Todo el tema clásico siempre me ha fascinado y he leído muchas de las diferentes leyendas pero siempre me gusta ver nuevos aspectos sobre mitología. Además de que fue un elemento refrescante que añadir al género YA.
Sin duda Silent Echo se ha convertido en uno de los mejores libros que he leído este 2013 e incluso me atrevería a decir que de todos los que me he leído de YA
Puntuación: 5/5
MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Ms. Leucosia was one of the characters that surprised me the most and I really liked the role she played in the story.
Opinion: I received this book through Netgalley, I requested it because the synopsis seemed very original, even though the cover did not convince me a lot, but this is one of those cases where you must not judge the book by its cover.
From the very first page to the last one the book hooked me, not only because the story is refreshing and captivating but because the writing style is fluid and inspiring. The author has also written a story within a story, Silent Echo takes pieces of the The Odyssey, I really do not know how many because I have not read The Odyssey yet (something I'm definitely going to do this year because after reading the story of Portia I have a lot of curiosity) and within Portia's story the songs are a story inside Silent Echo. I loved the songs and there were even some that I kept singing in my head.
It´s been a long time since I´ve read a book that had so many switches, turns and unexpected discoveries. When you think you've discovered everything that is behind the story suddenly appears a scene leaving you with more intrigue and disrupts everything you previously thought. It is a mesmerizing book, it started engaging the reader completely enthralled till the last page, literally.
I loved the references to current issues because in addition to recognize everything about what the author refers, it was a change that brought realism to the story. I was tired of reading books in which the teens protagonists have hobbies as if they were adults, for example they like the classics, but personally with the references Freilich introduces in the story (Apple, Harry Potter, Black Eye Peas) I felt more comfortable because there are things that I've grown and I identify with(I am also addicted to Harry Potter)
The book is narrated in the third person, giving the reader an opportunity to enjoy and understand the different characters and discover new facets of the story. The characters are very well developed and it is easy to empathize with them. Portia has been one of the ones I liked, not only in this story, but in general. Portia is mature, intelligent, sweet, charismatic and a very good friend. She is brave and faithful despite her handicap she has always faced life with a smile.
From the first time, I liked Felix yet the same thing happened with Max. It was one of the few cases in which I almost could not choose between the two of them, though Felix has a place in my heart from the very beginning. Although I'm sure these two guys will surprise me in the next book because I believe they are more related to The Odyssey than what the author shows us at first sight.
All the classic theme has always fascinated me and I've read many different legends but I always like to discover new aspects of mythology. Besides, it was a refreshing element to add to the YA genre.
Certainly Silent Echo has become one of the best books I've read this 2013 and I even dare saying that is one of the best YA books.
Punctuation: 5/5
January 22, 2015
When I first read this book I was left speechless (which doesn’t happen a lot) simply because it was such an emotional story and to have the ending it had… just wow.
All the characters go through so much emotional turmoil which as a reader you feel first-hand and it pulls on your heartstrings. Portia particularly is such a strong character because while there were times her courage slipped and she wanted the easy way out (as we all would) it takes a special kind of strength to even admit that.
Her best friend Felix was also a very deep character who had already gone through so much alongside Portia, so to see their relationship was beautiful. The love triangle between Portia, Felix and a transfer called Max didn’t feel at all forced and while it had many theatrical moments, I wasn’t annoyed that it was there because it played just as much of a part in the story as anything else.
Plot wise, I thought the mythology elements, old and new, blended beautifully into the overall story. The story of the sirens didn’t quite catch my eye like the other Greek myths, when I first heard of them, but reading it again in this book with the added music was breath-taking.
I’m very musical at heart, so the songs scattered here and there were beautiful additions to an already addicting book. Also the references to our modern day with things like Apple and Twitter (there was also Harry Potter mentioned so props to the author for that) made it so much more interesting combined with the ancient mythology. Dionysus in particular should not be given access to the internet when he uses it to find new wine recipes, then get too drunk to remember how he’s supposed to be helping!
Silent Echo is a hauntingly beautiful story where old and new collide creating a rollercoaster you simply have to go on.
Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/
All the characters go through so much emotional turmoil which as a reader you feel first-hand and it pulls on your heartstrings. Portia particularly is such a strong character because while there were times her courage slipped and she wanted the easy way out (as we all would) it takes a special kind of strength to even admit that.
Her best friend Felix was also a very deep character who had already gone through so much alongside Portia, so to see their relationship was beautiful. The love triangle between Portia, Felix and a transfer called Max didn’t feel at all forced and while it had many theatrical moments, I wasn’t annoyed that it was there because it played just as much of a part in the story as anything else.
Plot wise, I thought the mythology elements, old and new, blended beautifully into the overall story. The story of the sirens didn’t quite catch my eye like the other Greek myths, when I first heard of them, but reading it again in this book with the added music was breath-taking.
I’m very musical at heart, so the songs scattered here and there were beautiful additions to an already addicting book. Also the references to our modern day with things like Apple and Twitter (there was also Harry Potter mentioned so props to the author for that) made it so much more interesting combined with the ancient mythology. Dionysus in particular should not be given access to the internet when he uses it to find new wine recipes, then get too drunk to remember how he’s supposed to be helping!
Silent Echo is a hauntingly beautiful story where old and new collide creating a rollercoaster you simply have to go on.
Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/
August 2, 2013
I always love when a story includes an author's unique spin on Greek mythology (prime example: Aimee Carter's The Goddess Test). Therefore, as soon as Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale landed on my radar, I added it to my "must read" list, and as luck would have it, it ended up being a fantastic read.
Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale begins the story of Portia, a young girl trying to find her voice. When born, Portia completely enchanted everyone with her beautiful wails. However, just as soon as they began, they ended. Ever since then, Portia's been mute, never uttering another word or sound. While some may be put off by the handicap, Portia has learned to live with it with the help of understanding friends and family. Everything changes, though, when Max Porter lands on the scene. Suddenly, Portia begins to fall hard, and more importantly, finds her voice once again. However, there's one tiny problem: her voice has the power to make anyone do anything, making her dangerously powerful. Now on a race to find out what she, Portia knows that one thing for sure: she's never letting anyone take her voice away from her once again, no matter the cost.
I'm always a little off put when a book features third person; however, with this book, it worked perfectly. I loved getting to see everything through Portia's eyes as well as a wide variety of other characters. Portia was probably my favorite out of the bunch. She was likable as well as brave. Plus I loved that she adored birds, as it was an interesting little tidbit. It was also fun to see her evolve as time went on, especially when it included her learning how to deal with the surprising facts about her origin and future. Anther favorite character of mine was Felix. He was such a great friend, and while I loved Portia and Max together, a part of me was always rooting for Felix to win Portia over in the end.
The plot in this was also a lot of fun. Plus, it involved so many great twists and turns! I enjoyed the way in which Elisa presented the Greek mythology, as not only did she spin into the character's story and text, but she also included some awesome flashbacks to the many gods's and goddesses's lives. It allowed for the story to develop nicely. Furthermore, I particularly liked seeing into the world of the sirens. It was crazy to see what they could do with their voices, good and evil. The little bit of romance was a lot of fun, and finally, a love triangle that I could actually tolerate! Max and Felix both have their good and bad points, and honestly, I was never sure who I wanted Portia to end up with, even at the end. Thankfully, there's two more books to help me make my decision.
Elisa's writing was decent. As mentioned before, I thought she did a great job with character and plot development. However, there was one thing that bugged me: I hated the constant references to all things iPhone related. It was just a little too over the top, and it felt like I was reading an ad for Apple in some scenes.
Spellbinding, romantic, and thrilling, Elisa Freilich's Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale was a thoroughly enjoyable debut. I simply can't wait to see what's next for Portia, Max, and the rest of the gang!
Grade: B+
Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale begins the story of Portia, a young girl trying to find her voice. When born, Portia completely enchanted everyone with her beautiful wails. However, just as soon as they began, they ended. Ever since then, Portia's been mute, never uttering another word or sound. While some may be put off by the handicap, Portia has learned to live with it with the help of understanding friends and family. Everything changes, though, when Max Porter lands on the scene. Suddenly, Portia begins to fall hard, and more importantly, finds her voice once again. However, there's one tiny problem: her voice has the power to make anyone do anything, making her dangerously powerful. Now on a race to find out what she, Portia knows that one thing for sure: she's never letting anyone take her voice away from her once again, no matter the cost.
I'm always a little off put when a book features third person; however, with this book, it worked perfectly. I loved getting to see everything through Portia's eyes as well as a wide variety of other characters. Portia was probably my favorite out of the bunch. She was likable as well as brave. Plus I loved that she adored birds, as it was an interesting little tidbit. It was also fun to see her evolve as time went on, especially when it included her learning how to deal with the surprising facts about her origin and future. Anther favorite character of mine was Felix. He was such a great friend, and while I loved Portia and Max together, a part of me was always rooting for Felix to win Portia over in the end.
The plot in this was also a lot of fun. Plus, it involved so many great twists and turns! I enjoyed the way in which Elisa presented the Greek mythology, as not only did she spin into the character's story and text, but she also included some awesome flashbacks to the many gods's and goddesses's lives. It allowed for the story to develop nicely. Furthermore, I particularly liked seeing into the world of the sirens. It was crazy to see what they could do with their voices, good and evil. The little bit of romance was a lot of fun, and finally, a love triangle that I could actually tolerate! Max and Felix both have their good and bad points, and honestly, I was never sure who I wanted Portia to end up with, even at the end. Thankfully, there's two more books to help me make my decision.
Elisa's writing was decent. As mentioned before, I thought she did a great job with character and plot development. However, there was one thing that bugged me: I hated the constant references to all things iPhone related. It was just a little too over the top, and it felt like I was reading an ad for Apple in some scenes.
Spellbinding, romantic, and thrilling, Elisa Freilich's Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale was a thoroughly enjoyable debut. I simply can't wait to see what's next for Portia, Max, and the rest of the gang!
Grade: B+
December 30, 2013
Okay now as a HUGE fan of anything to do with God's and Goddess's I must first state I LOVED how Elisa Freilich combined the Gods of old with modern technology! You ROCK Elisa!
I was completely absorbed in reading this book. I made the ultimate mistake of deciding to start reading it at 8 at night and needless to say I did NOT get to bed at my normal time. Thank the Gods I was on Holidays and could sleep in when I finally dragged my carcass to bed at 1 in the morning.
I have to have a little tell here about one character in the book, poor Dionysus always gets such a bad rap for being a drunk, and once again he is *sighs* too drunk to remember what he is supposed to do. But I have to laugh at his antics once again.
The character creation in this book is EXTREMELY sharp! It kept me on the edge of my seat with the dialogue and the absolute realism in such a fantasy type book. Portia, Felix, Max, Charlotte are all such well thought out and well written characters. You actually forget your reading and can picture these teens as being the kids next door.
I loved the topic of the Siren's, and I loved how the author used birds as a comparison, as a bird owner and lover I was sucked in by those aspects of the book. This book truly will keep you up late into the night because you simply won't want to put it down.
Once again I must state that this author used such realism while writing this book. References to websites, twitter, google all modern day aspects that made this book oh so enjoyable.
I personally didn't want it to end, and in the end I hope that this Author continues to write more tales with these Characters. I suspect she will since... well nevermind that aspect, because I just simply won't go further along that train of thought. But I seriously HAVE TO KNOW!!! *looks pointedly at the author*
This book is perfect for the reluctant YA reader. It has just enough action in it to keep them flipping pages, and I have passed my free copy on to my 10 year old son, so I think it is appropriate to grade 7 and up.
This is a 5 star read!!! And not just for the younger crowd but the old fogies like me as well!
I was completely absorbed in reading this book. I made the ultimate mistake of deciding to start reading it at 8 at night and needless to say I did NOT get to bed at my normal time. Thank the Gods I was on Holidays and could sleep in when I finally dragged my carcass to bed at 1 in the morning.
I have to have a little tell here about one character in the book, poor Dionysus always gets such a bad rap for being a drunk, and once again he is *sighs* too drunk to remember what he is supposed to do. But I have to laugh at his antics once again.
The character creation in this book is EXTREMELY sharp! It kept me on the edge of my seat with the dialogue and the absolute realism in such a fantasy type book. Portia, Felix, Max, Charlotte are all such well thought out and well written characters. You actually forget your reading and can picture these teens as being the kids next door.
I loved the topic of the Siren's, and I loved how the author used birds as a comparison, as a bird owner and lover I was sucked in by those aspects of the book. This book truly will keep you up late into the night because you simply won't want to put it down.
Once again I must state that this author used such realism while writing this book. References to websites, twitter, google all modern day aspects that made this book oh so enjoyable.
I personally didn't want it to end, and in the end I hope that this Author continues to write more tales with these Characters. I suspect she will since... well nevermind that aspect, because I just simply won't go further along that train of thought. But I seriously HAVE TO KNOW!!! *looks pointedly at the author*
This book is perfect for the reluctant YA reader. It has just enough action in it to keep them flipping pages, and I have passed my free copy on to my 10 year old son, so I think it is appropriate to grade 7 and up.
This is a 5 star read!!! And not just for the younger crowd but the old fogies like me as well!
December 30, 2013
Silent Echo: A Siren’s Tale is quite an interesting read. You meet a likeable character named Portia. She appears to be an ordinary teenager in that she’s dealing with being shy, insecure, wanting badly to fit in and is angry at her parents. Portia though is dealing with more than most teens as she has no voice. Thankfully she has made friends but that’s where it gets complicated for her, when she has a crush on a new guy, a friend decides that maybe he has feelings for her as well. So things seem like normal teenage stuff but as you read this story there is this underlying, intriguing thread of something dark lurking there.
Right at the beginning you’re introduced to some birds acting rather oddly, so it makes you wonder what’s going on. Slowly things start to unfold and you get this crossover of ancient legend with current day life. Strange things start to happen and Portia’s world changes drastically. Some bad things occur that Portia wants to stop only it seems that she might be the problem. She learns a truth about herself that shocks her but explains a lot about what is going on. Now she has to figure out how to take control of it or ancient forces will use her gift and her for their quest for revenge.
I liked Portia, I wanted her to get her voice, to get the cute new boy, to keep her current friends but there are a lot of things working against her. She’s a really caring, likeable person that even when she’s doing some not so nice stuff, you really want her to figure a way out of it.
It’s a good read that has an interesting mix of reality, fantasy and of the past and present. I like how the author brought Greek Mythology into this and used ancient mythology to blend with today for the rebirth of new life. It’s definitely worth reading. I was given a copy as part of a book tour.
Right at the beginning you’re introduced to some birds acting rather oddly, so it makes you wonder what’s going on. Slowly things start to unfold and you get this crossover of ancient legend with current day life. Strange things start to happen and Portia’s world changes drastically. Some bad things occur that Portia wants to stop only it seems that she might be the problem. She learns a truth about herself that shocks her but explains a lot about what is going on. Now she has to figure out how to take control of it or ancient forces will use her gift and her for their quest for revenge.
I liked Portia, I wanted her to get her voice, to get the cute new boy, to keep her current friends but there are a lot of things working against her. She’s a really caring, likeable person that even when she’s doing some not so nice stuff, you really want her to figure a way out of it.
It’s a good read that has an interesting mix of reality, fantasy and of the past and present. I like how the author brought Greek Mythology into this and used ancient mythology to blend with today for the rebirth of new life. It’s definitely worth reading. I was given a copy as part of a book tour.
November 15, 2014
Um, talk about a BAD ASS female!
"Game on, baby."
This book intrigued me on the first page. I have never read a book like this before, but I am so happy I did! Portia is such an strong and courageous character but at times can be quite creepy. The love triangle between Felix and Max was perfect. At times I was a little anxious and aggravated because of the way she acts but I understand why she was like that. Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars which is really good!
Elisa, keep up the amazing work because you haven't disappointed me yet! ;)
"Game on, baby."
This book intrigued me on the first page. I have never read a book like this before, but I am so happy I did! Portia is such an strong and courageous character but at times can be quite creepy. The love triangle between Felix and Max was perfect. At times I was a little anxious and aggravated because of the way she acts but I understand why she was like that. Overall, I give this book a 4/5 stars which is really good!
Elisa, keep up the amazing work because you haven't disappointed me yet! ;)
August 20, 2013
This review can also be seen at http://www.addicted2heroines.com/2013...
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book
Silent Echo has some really good things going for it. One of them is the interesting take on the story of the sirens from Homer's story. Only two of the original sirens are evil, one of them just goes along with the whole luring sailors to their death thing, because of a promise she made to her mother.
See, her mother loved her best because...well, the other two girls were kind of psychotic. And she'd heard from a seer that if her beloved daughter didn't go along with her sisters' nefarious plans, that they would kill her. So the mother made her promise (while she was dying) to go along with whatever her sisters wanted her to do. And that's how we ended up hearing the tale of three sirens who liked to eat sailors.
Then along comes Portia. She's been mute her entire life, and has given up on ever being able to speak. It's ok, though. She has wonderful parents, goes to a great school, and has good friends. Especially her best friend, Felix. He's deaf, and the the two of them have come up with their own special form of communication over the years. Life is pretty good, considering.
Well, it is until strange and scary things start happening to her body, including coughing and feeling that her throat is closing up. Lots of odd things happen, but long story short, she turns into a siren.
But I'm guessing you already knew that, right?
Enter the new boy, Max. He's hot, he's sweet, he's charming, and he's got musical talent oozing out of his pores. He's also head-over-heels for Portia.
But what about poor Felix, you ask?
Ah, yes. Felix has changed over the summer, and turned into a pretty good-looking boy himself. And he's also in love with Portia.
Warning! Warning! Triangle Ahead!
There's no avoiding this one, folks. She loves Max, she loves Felix. Whatshegonnado?!
I personally don't care who she ends up with, but I'm sure some of the fans out there will have t-shirts printed up by the time they finish the book.
Even with a love triangle, I still thought the plot was fresh and interesting.
In fact, I only have one real complaint. Unfortunately, it's a big one, and the reason that I just couldn't bring myself to rate the book any higher.
The Singing.
Huh? The book is about sirens. They sing. It's their superpower, right?
Yes. But this book is filled to the brim with these kids singing to each other. Max sings to Portia, he writes songs for her, he sings her to sleep (via webcam), he even pulls an impromptu song out of his ass in the freaking lunchroom about how badly she is treating him. Portia sings to Max, she has some sort of an Epic Rap Battle in the mirror with an evil siren, and she even sings to boys in the hallway. Speaking of the hallway songs... She actually asks one of the boys to beat-box to 'Bust A Move' so that she can impress them with her vocal styling. Yes, I'm serious.The list goes on and on.
By the end of the book, I felt like I had just had to sit through High School Musical or some other tween Disney movie with my girls...again. And ya know what? It's fun to watch those campy movies with my eight year old, because she and my five year old don't know any better. They actually think teenagers run through the hallways battling it out vocally.
*laughs hysterically*
*wipes tears from eyes*
Ahhh. That was fun.
But in reality, that doesn't happen. Well, unless high school has dramatically changed over the years. Somehow, I don't think so. However, if you are currently in high school and you and your chums run around having West Side Story song battles in the cafeteria? Feel free to correct me and leave your comments at the bottom. I've got a son heading into ninth grade soon, and if that's the case, I should probably get him in with a voice coach now...
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book
Silent Echo has some really good things going for it. One of them is the interesting take on the story of the sirens from Homer's story. Only two of the original sirens are evil, one of them just goes along with the whole luring sailors to their death thing, because of a promise she made to her mother.
See, her mother loved her best because...well, the other two girls were kind of psychotic. And she'd heard from a seer that if her beloved daughter didn't go along with her sisters' nefarious plans, that they would kill her. So the mother made her promise (while she was dying) to go along with whatever her sisters wanted her to do. And that's how we ended up hearing the tale of three sirens who liked to eat sailors.
Then along comes Portia. She's been mute her entire life, and has given up on ever being able to speak. It's ok, though. She has wonderful parents, goes to a great school, and has good friends. Especially her best friend, Felix. He's deaf, and the the two of them have come up with their own special form of communication over the years. Life is pretty good, considering.
Well, it is until strange and scary things start happening to her body, including coughing and feeling that her throat is closing up. Lots of odd things happen, but long story short, she turns into a siren.
But I'm guessing you already knew that, right?
Enter the new boy, Max. He's hot, he's sweet, he's charming, and he's got musical talent oozing out of his pores. He's also head-over-heels for Portia.
But what about poor Felix, you ask?
Ah, yes. Felix has changed over the summer, and turned into a pretty good-looking boy himself. And he's also in love with Portia.
Warning! Warning! Triangle Ahead!
There's no avoiding this one, folks. She loves Max, she loves Felix. Whatshegonnado?!
I personally don't care who she ends up with, but I'm sure some of the fans out there will have t-shirts printed up by the time they finish the book.
Even with a love triangle, I still thought the plot was fresh and interesting.
In fact, I only have one real complaint. Unfortunately, it's a big one, and the reason that I just couldn't bring myself to rate the book any higher.
The Singing.
Huh? The book is about sirens. They sing. It's their superpower, right?
Yes. But this book is filled to the brim with these kids singing to each other. Max sings to Portia, he writes songs for her, he sings her to sleep (via webcam), he even pulls an impromptu song out of his ass in the freaking lunchroom about how badly she is treating him. Portia sings to Max, she has some sort of an Epic Rap Battle in the mirror with an evil siren, and she even sings to boys in the hallway. Speaking of the hallway songs... She actually asks one of the boys to beat-box to 'Bust A Move' so that she can impress them with her vocal styling. Yes, I'm serious.The list goes on and on.
By the end of the book, I felt like I had just had to sit through High School Musical or some other tween Disney movie with my girls...again. And ya know what? It's fun to watch those campy movies with my eight year old, because she and my five year old don't know any better. They actually think teenagers run through the hallways battling it out vocally.
*laughs hysterically*
*wipes tears from eyes*
Ahhh. That was fun.
But in reality, that doesn't happen. Well, unless high school has dramatically changed over the years. Somehow, I don't think so. However, if you are currently in high school and you and your chums run around having West Side Story song battles in the cafeteria? Feel free to correct me and leave your comments at the bottom. I've got a son heading into ninth grade soon, and if that's the case, I should probably get him in with a voice coach now...
November 28, 2015
Final rating: 4.5 stars!
To anyone who is reading this: this review does not contain any spoilers so don't be afraid to read it! It just contains a summary of this wonderful book, some quotes from the book that really touched me, and my overall thoughts on it.
This is the overall summary of Silent Echo without spoilers:
Portia Griffin, the protagonist of Silent Echo, is mute for her entire life until one day, she mysteriously finds her voice--and it is not an ordinary voice--for Portia's voice is the voice of a Siren. If you did not know, Sirens are creatures from Greek mythology who have the most beautiful voices, but they use their powers to lure in sailors who come near their island. And as you can probably guess, Portia's voice is magnificent as the voices of the Sirens.
But following the days after Portia discovers her voice, Portia soon finds out that others are trying to use her--or her voice for terrible things...which you will find out about if you read Silent Echo!
These are my thoughts :
Silent Echo, in my opinion, was beautifully written and had a way of capturing my full attention as the story unfolded. I felt like I was one of the characters, like I was part of the plot, talking with the characters. The love triangle was also gorgeously crafted, although I myself do not know if I would be able to choose between Max and Felix. Speaking of Felix, I was annoyed by him throughout parts of the story, but he redeemed himself in the end. I especially love what Felix says from page 357 (Don't worry, no spoilers):
"...Even though I was only eight, I just knew. I knew that I had stumbled onto this, like, monumental discovery. Everything happens for a reason."
I thought this was a deep, touching quote and it really made me think about why things happen, and if they happen for a reason like Felix says.
Another reason I really enjoyed this book was because it had mythology in it. I love reading books with mythological aspects to it, and Silent Echo is a perfect example for that genre, except with a twist with Sirens, which I thought was really unique. Before this book, I had not read any book with Sirens as an important theme to the story, and I was really captivated by the new twist on mythology. Also, I really wish I had discovered Silent Echo before because I think it would really help me with my hangover after finishing The Heroes of Olympus Series back in October! Silent Echo really reminded me how much I enjoy reading books with mythological aspects in it.
Oh yea--did I mention this book has Harry Potter and Percy Jackson references in it? Well, it DOES. WOO-HOO!
Finally, I loved how Silent Echo had a lot of music and singing in it. Believe me, I can NOT sing. But this book made me feel like singing--so if you like music, then you'll love the musical aspect to the story, too!
I recommend this book to anyone who likes Greek mythology, fantasy, music/singing or ANYONE who enjoys reading something unique and beautiful. I can't wait to read The Griffin's Call when it is published! (Right when I thought everything was resolved, I read that cliffhanger. UGHH I need to get The Griffin's Call!)
And I think I have joined the #songbird fandom. That's what its called, right?
To anyone who is reading this: this review does not contain any spoilers so don't be afraid to read it! It just contains a summary of this wonderful book, some quotes from the book that really touched me, and my overall thoughts on it.
This is the overall summary of Silent Echo without spoilers:
Portia Griffin, the protagonist of Silent Echo, is mute for her entire life until one day, she mysteriously finds her voice--and it is not an ordinary voice--for Portia's voice is the voice of a Siren. If you did not know, Sirens are creatures from Greek mythology who have the most beautiful voices, but they use their powers to lure in sailors who come near their island. And as you can probably guess, Portia's voice is magnificent as the voices of the Sirens.
But following the days after Portia discovers her voice, Portia soon finds out that others are trying to use her--or her voice for terrible things...which you will find out about if you read Silent Echo!
These are my thoughts :
Silent Echo, in my opinion, was beautifully written and had a way of capturing my full attention as the story unfolded. I felt like I was one of the characters, like I was part of the plot, talking with the characters. The love triangle was also gorgeously crafted, although I myself do not know if I would be able to choose between Max and Felix. Speaking of Felix, I was annoyed by him throughout parts of the story, but he redeemed himself in the end. I especially love what Felix says from page 357 (Don't worry, no spoilers):
"...Even though I was only eight, I just knew. I knew that I had stumbled onto this, like, monumental discovery. Everything happens for a reason."
I thought this was a deep, touching quote and it really made me think about why things happen, and if they happen for a reason like Felix says.
Another reason I really enjoyed this book was because it had mythology in it. I love reading books with mythological aspects to it, and Silent Echo is a perfect example for that genre, except with a twist with Sirens, which I thought was really unique. Before this book, I had not read any book with Sirens as an important theme to the story, and I was really captivated by the new twist on mythology. Also, I really wish I had discovered Silent Echo before because I think it would really help me with my hangover after finishing The Heroes of Olympus Series back in October! Silent Echo really reminded me how much I enjoy reading books with mythological aspects in it.
Oh yea--did I mention this book has Harry Potter and Percy Jackson references in it? Well, it DOES. WOO-HOO!
Finally, I loved how Silent Echo had a lot of music and singing in it. Believe me, I can NOT sing. But this book made me feel like singing--so if you like music, then you'll love the musical aspect to the story, too!
I recommend this book to anyone who likes Greek mythology, fantasy, music/singing or ANYONE who enjoys reading something unique and beautiful. I can't wait to read The Griffin's Call when it is published! (Right when I thought everything was resolved, I read that cliffhanger. UGHH I need to get The Griffin's Call!)
And I think I have joined the #songbird fandom. That's what its called, right?
October 22, 2013
My take to follow Amazon Description: "Rendered mute at birth, Portia Griffin has been silent for 16 years. Music is her constant companion, along with Felix, her deaf best friend who couldn’t care less whether or not she can speak. If only he were as nonchalant about her newfound interest in the musically gifted Max Hunter.
But Portia’s silence is about to be broken with the abrupt discovery of her voice, unparalleled in its purity and the power it affords to control those around her. Able to persuade, seduce and destroy using only her voice, Portia embarks on a search for answers about who she really is, and what she is destined to do.
Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale is an epic story filled with fantasy, romance and original music."
My Take: Usually when I begin a novel, it takes me a while to get into it. But in Silent Echo, my attention was captured from the very first page. The visual imagery depicted in that first scene is so vivid, I felt as if I was watching a movie reel instead of reading static words on a page. The characters in the book are all so fresh and original. I loved the unique friendship between Portia who is mute and Felix who is deaf. So many books these days are written with one-dimensional characters who are superficial. Its important for tweens and teens to read books likes Silent Echo which showcase teens who are "different" yet are thriving and have wonderful, social relationships. I love that the concept of strong families is reinforced throughout the book with each of the main characters. If the book stopped here then it still would have been a great read, yet this author takes it so much further! The weaving of Greek mythology throughout the book (which I admit I knew NOTHING about) made me stop and google several times notes about The Odyssey and its key gods/goddesses. Anytime I get to learn something from a book, its a WIN for me. There are so many twists and turns; you don't see them coming and makes the reader truly feel like they are on a fantast-"ical" journey. Which brings me finally to one of the best parts of the book - the original lyrics. Never before have I read a book where music was such an integral part of the story, where I could practically "hear" the songs in my head. That "-ical" scene was absolutely incredible - I won't be surprised if JayZ or Eminem teams up with this author at some point in time. It was that good!! All in all, a great crossover book; cant wait for my daughter to read it!
But Portia’s silence is about to be broken with the abrupt discovery of her voice, unparalleled in its purity and the power it affords to control those around her. Able to persuade, seduce and destroy using only her voice, Portia embarks on a search for answers about who she really is, and what she is destined to do.
Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale is an epic story filled with fantasy, romance and original music."
My Take: Usually when I begin a novel, it takes me a while to get into it. But in Silent Echo, my attention was captured from the very first page. The visual imagery depicted in that first scene is so vivid, I felt as if I was watching a movie reel instead of reading static words on a page. The characters in the book are all so fresh and original. I loved the unique friendship between Portia who is mute and Felix who is deaf. So many books these days are written with one-dimensional characters who are superficial. Its important for tweens and teens to read books likes Silent Echo which showcase teens who are "different" yet are thriving and have wonderful, social relationships. I love that the concept of strong families is reinforced throughout the book with each of the main characters. If the book stopped here then it still would have been a great read, yet this author takes it so much further! The weaving of Greek mythology throughout the book (which I admit I knew NOTHING about) made me stop and google several times notes about The Odyssey and its key gods/goddesses. Anytime I get to learn something from a book, its a WIN for me. There are so many twists and turns; you don't see them coming and makes the reader truly feel like they are on a fantast-"ical" journey. Which brings me finally to one of the best parts of the book - the original lyrics. Never before have I read a book where music was such an integral part of the story, where I could practically "hear" the songs in my head. That "-ical" scene was absolutely incredible - I won't be surprised if JayZ or Eminem teams up with this author at some point in time. It was that good!! All in all, a great crossover book; cant wait for my daughter to read it!
August 27, 2013
Silent Echo is one of the top books character wise. They were so developed and I can't see anyway they could be better.
So basically we have a mute girl named Portia. Ever read a book about a mute girl before? I know that this was a first for me! Thumbs up for that. Then what better than to pair Portia with Felix, probably one of my favourite book best friends ever. Felix, is deaf, which means that he and Portia know sign language. Seriously - this book convinced me to try and brush up on my sign language! Of course I can't miss out some of the supporting characters like Max and Ms Leucosia (did I spell that right?) because I felt they were pretty important to the story.
I went into this story expecting a story about sirens who were like mermaids and that certainly isn't what I got. Not that that is a bad thing. I quite liked it actually, they were well described and easy to picture. Portia was definitely the right sort of character to pull it off - amazing and strong!
Never having read Homer's Odyssey, I can't really compare it to that. It was very interesting to learn a little about it and some mythology along the way. Admittedly, at times I got a bit muddled up with who was who but as a whole I found that I could follow.
Silent Echo was better than I had anticipated because I wasn't expecting much different than other typical mermaid/siren books but was it ever. There were poems and songs galore which I thought to be cool and I loved the language used in them. Some of the songs went on too long for my liking and were too frequent. They definitely got more frequent towards the end. I didn't have this issue with all of them, just the really long ones.
The plot was pretty good, I loved the parts where Portia was using and/or discovering her powers - especially the babysitting scene. It was a tad slow sometimes (I was easily distracted during the song scenes) but it was mostly consistent and I really enjoyed it.
I think that Silent Echo would be ideal for people who want a story on a familiar topic with a slight twist or even someone who is just looking for a great twist. An inspiring story about a silent girl with a voice to be heard.
4/5
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
So basically we have a mute girl named Portia. Ever read a book about a mute girl before? I know that this was a first for me! Thumbs up for that. Then what better than to pair Portia with Felix, probably one of my favourite book best friends ever. Felix, is deaf, which means that he and Portia know sign language. Seriously - this book convinced me to try and brush up on my sign language! Of course I can't miss out some of the supporting characters like Max and Ms Leucosia (did I spell that right?) because I felt they were pretty important to the story.
I went into this story expecting a story about sirens who were like mermaids and that certainly isn't what I got. Not that that is a bad thing. I quite liked it actually, they were well described and easy to picture. Portia was definitely the right sort of character to pull it off - amazing and strong!
Never having read Homer's Odyssey, I can't really compare it to that. It was very interesting to learn a little about it and some mythology along the way. Admittedly, at times I got a bit muddled up with who was who but as a whole I found that I could follow.
Silent Echo was better than I had anticipated because I wasn't expecting much different than other typical mermaid/siren books but was it ever. There were poems and songs galore which I thought to be cool and I loved the language used in them. Some of the songs went on too long for my liking and were too frequent. They definitely got more frequent towards the end. I didn't have this issue with all of them, just the really long ones.
The plot was pretty good, I loved the parts where Portia was using and/or discovering her powers - especially the babysitting scene. It was a tad slow sometimes (I was easily distracted during the song scenes) but it was mostly consistent and I really enjoyed it.
I think that Silent Echo would be ideal for people who want a story on a familiar topic with a slight twist or even someone who is just looking for a great twist. An inspiring story about a silent girl with a voice to be heard.
4/5
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2013
You can also find this review at http://girlinthewoodsreviews.blogspot...
Detailed Review: This book literally gave me the chills because it was so intense. I must say this book isn't lacking in the mystery and horror department. And the author really did her research, that's what made it so perfect and addictive at the same time.
Elisa manages to make the transition from reality into fantasy smooth, going easily with the flow. This is an admirable skill I like in authors. The story was unlike so many other fantasy books I've read so far. First, it was higher on the scare factor, especially in the end. I found that I couldn't stop reading just because of the fact that I was petrified that something would happen if I stopped. Second, the mythology in it is really strong, and not to mention were real. This turns the story into a more haunting one than some stories or myths created by the author himself.
The best part in the book though, was admittedly the characters because they gave depth to the story. It felt like they were shaping it, that the story was affected by their actions and words, not something that's made-up. The story felt like it was really happening and I was a spectator. The characters fit in so well with the story, for example Portia's deaf best friend Felix wasn't influenced by her powers because he simply couldn't hear her. He was clearly meant to help her not get controlled by her powers.
And like any good book. It has its twists. Good ones that will certainly leave you shocked and restless.
Now, this is what I call a good book... This is one hell of a story that will be hard to forget.
Brief Review: Mesmerizing and beautiful, this book manages to exploit music in a dangerous and seductive way, such that I got really overwhelmed and scared whenever I read it. Elisa shows consciousness of her readers and manages to surprise and stun at the most unexpected of times. I don't think it needs any more saying, but I'll say it. IT'S AMAZING.
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'
Detailed Review: This book literally gave me the chills because it was so intense. I must say this book isn't lacking in the mystery and horror department. And the author really did her research, that's what made it so perfect and addictive at the same time.
Elisa manages to make the transition from reality into fantasy smooth, going easily with the flow. This is an admirable skill I like in authors. The story was unlike so many other fantasy books I've read so far. First, it was higher on the scare factor, especially in the end. I found that I couldn't stop reading just because of the fact that I was petrified that something would happen if I stopped. Second, the mythology in it is really strong, and not to mention were real. This turns the story into a more haunting one than some stories or myths created by the author himself.
The best part in the book though, was admittedly the characters because they gave depth to the story. It felt like they were shaping it, that the story was affected by their actions and words, not something that's made-up. The story felt like it was really happening and I was a spectator. The characters fit in so well with the story, for example Portia's deaf best friend Felix wasn't influenced by her powers because he simply couldn't hear her. He was clearly meant to help her not get controlled by her powers.
And like any good book. It has its twists. Good ones that will certainly leave you shocked and restless.
Now, this is what I call a good book... This is one hell of a story that will be hard to forget.
Brief Review: Mesmerizing and beautiful, this book manages to exploit music in a dangerous and seductive way, such that I got really overwhelmed and scared whenever I read it. Elisa shows consciousness of her readers and manages to surprise and stun at the most unexpected of times. I don't think it needs any more saying, but I'll say it. IT'S AMAZING.
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'
December 12, 2013
What an eerily but beautifully written story. Silent Echo is like an addiction you just can't stop reading and you have to have more no matter the price. I fell in love with this story from the very beginning and with the turn of each page I found more and more reasons to love this book. The Greek mythology that intertwined with in Silent Echo was done so with such fluid like inspiration. There was no lack of detail as every scene played through my mind. The characters were amazing Portia is the main character and she in some ways was your typical teenage girl but yet she was so much more at the same time. She had been mute since birth but she didn't let that hold her back. Portia was an amazingly strong person who needed answers to questions she wasn't sure she was ready for. Felix is an adorable hunky guy who just happens to be Portia's best friend. He has been deaf since he was eight but again it didn't hold him back from being a wonderful, funny, lovable, guy that would do anything for his best friend! As Silent Echo weaves in and out of a story complete with all of the elements of a siren of Greek mythology essence you must be careful to not fall under it's spell from the glorious songs that only a siren can sing for once you are under it's spell there is no telling what may become of you. Elisa Freilich had me under her spell from the very first page it was if this book called my name and I had no choice but to answer it. I am completely under her spell now and like an addiction I want more and will be anxiously awaiting the next installment to this trilogy!
August 14, 2013
I'm afraid that I, like quite a few others, didn't get on too well with this book. I found the pages of poetry/songs tedious, the use of the siren myth badly-integrated, and the characters shallow. I don't like to give bad reviews, as it's all a matter of personal opinion really, but this book really wasn't for me, which was a shame as the premise was quite interesting.
Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2015
Silent Echo was absolutely amazing! This book made me cry, laugh and it was just beautiful. I cannot wait for The second book!
June 28, 2015
Actual rating: 0.5 stars
This review is also posted on my blog at Thoughts and Pens
Before we proceed to the actual review, here's an attempt to put some accurace into the blurb!
Silent Echo, a wannabe Glee meets Greek Mythology parody tale, is the ultimate modern day coming-out-from-a-loony bin story. It is a thrilling ride that achieves that perfect blend of instalove, no action, absence of humor, psychotic teen angst, apple technology, and most importantly, horrible music-- the universal language of pathetic Sirens and sissy boys.
My Review:
Attention: If you hate spoilers, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW! But if you’re angry and want something to fuel it then by all means, go ahead and read it.
Warning: If you are a Percy Jackson fan, please do yourself a favor and do not even attempt to read this. Chances are you’ll gonna end up comparing a lot of things in this book to that of Rick’s work. I am not saying that Silent Echo is a PJ rip off but because it’s about Greek mythology, one can’t but make some comparisons. Unfortunately, it happened to me while reading this book. Perhaps, I was so invested with PJ that I can’t help but be frustrated with Silent Echo. So frustrated that by the end, I was near to shredding the whole thing into pieces. Luckily, I was reminded that I am reading an e-book and the worst that I can do is delete it.
Although I hated Silent Echo to the roots of my hair, I couldn’t deny the fact that its beginning managed to suck me in. Who wouldn’t when Portia’s handicap was really interesting? Silent Echo would be my first read about leads who can’t speak and who can’t hear. But my happiness was fleeting as the numerous flaws of this book gradually overwhelmed me.
It started with me realizing Portia’s true personality. She had my sympathy at first and then as the story evolved, I saw the real her. She’s a brat with little to no depth at all. She had this on and off hatred for her mother just because she could feel that her mother was disappointed with her having no voice. By the way, it wasn’t thoroughly explained, just mentioned ephemerally. The whole time I was reading Silent Echo, I am more inclined to see how her parents loved her. As a matter-of-fact, I can’t see Portia suffering from any kind of abuse just because she couldn’t speak. I understand that her mother might be a little disappointed and who knows, might be hurt because her daughter lives on silence, but there was more love there. Her bratiness increased when her powers as a Siren began developing. She became this b-tchy girl who I just want to slap. It might be because she was possessed by the evil sisters Parthenope and Ligeia but I couldn’t see that she was striving so hard to fight them. Instead, goddess that she might be, she depended on the gods to help her. Her attempts to shake off the evil that’s possessing her were futile. She always ended up in the nurse’s clinic for Leto to fix her up. Throughout the whole story, there was little development to Portia’s character unless you count how her made up songs were getting worse to worst. And the way she treated Felix and Max, that wasn’t cool. The story ended with her not really comprehending the breadth of what she’d done. Even her regrets were superficial.
When I thought that I was getting a reprieve from Portia’s bratiness with the introduction of Max Hunter and Felix Fein, I was in for another disappointing ride. Felix is Portia’s bestfriend whose handicap is hearing. I expected that I would root for him but he’s just gorgeous on the outside but on the inside, he’s a total meeh. And then there’s Max Hunter, the love interest. Honestly, he’s just a prop. His character development only extends to being good at singing and writing horrible songs apart from being unreasonably kidnapped at the end by Portia. That’s what you only need to know about him.
Just forget about the parents, Jacqueline and Charlotte. The latter might have some issues going here and there but for me, this review can still get the message across without mentioning her.
And now, for the gods. I was mortally wounded after it dawned on me that I’m gonna be meeting cardboard versions of my favorite mythology gods and goddesses on this book. They’re so crisp and flat that you can interchange all of them and it wouldn’t make a difference. Oh wait, did I mention that Athena suffered amnesia here and forgot that she’s the goddess of wisdom and battle tactics?
“My dearest sisters, a great victory have you won here today. I pray there will be much time to rejoice. But now, I beg you, tell me how we shall treat the mortals that have witnessed both the horrors and the miracles we have seen here today?”
If that is not stupidity, I don’t know what to call it. Don’t even ask me about Ares, Dionysus and Zeus. Frankly, Silent Echo has the lamest cast of Olympian gods evah. The ending had me laughing and foaming with rage at the same time. Imagine a whole entourage of powerful gods being rendered useless by three Sirens (2 dead, 1 alive) and a wannabe minor god in the person of Proteus. That’s just great.
Silent Echo didn’t stop there. The romance tortured me too. Instalove was another downfall of this book. It was so sudden that I felt I was momentarily unseated. After knowing each other for days (around 4-5 days), Max and Portia was literally eating each other’s mouth. And without even thoroughly enjoying their instalove relationship, Portia started to hurt Max because of the evil that possessed her. Surprisingly enough, she took to Felix whom she ignored when she was all over Max. Even more surprising was that she told Felix all her secrets but she never told Max even at the end of the story. But she’s still going out with him. Anyway, more on that later.
Next, Silent Echo talks a lot about songs. Duh! Singing is Portia’s power you know. Expect that you’ll be reading a lot of made up songs here. I have mixed feelings about it though because one of the songs was in a way good.
Like this one…
You have a way, you charge the air,
With cobalt eyes and chestnut hair.
And though your lips don’t make a sound,
They speak of being pleasure bound.
Can one moment produce this draw?
And do you feel it too?
A current filled with shock and awe.
I’ll search for truth in you.
But this one here along with many others had me facepalming and laughing…
I am blessed organological,
My powers are robotical.
I am your diametrical.
You’re no longer majestical!
We started antiphonical,
You thought your words demonical.
But my verse exorcistical—
The real Portia is mystical!
Moving on, there’s the weak plot. Basically, Portia existed to combat the two evil sisters of Leto/Leucosia. As in literally. And I can’t understand the logic behind that. Portia wasn’t even a descendant of Leto (Khloe mentioned that she might be cousins with Portia’s parents in the end but that’s really fleeting. By that time, you’ve pretty much ripped this book apart with great satisfaction). The two evil sisters are already dead and serving time in the Underworld when Portia was born. Surely, the gods can handle them without the help of a mediocre godling, isn’t it? The story is not even about saving the whole world thingy. The only point of the story is that Portia solely existed to defeat Parthenope, Legeia, and Proteus so that they cannot bother Leto anymore (these three are already dead, mind you). If you think about how Venus made a special effort in choosing the parents who will create Portia, you’d think that the girl will have a larger and more important role to play. Apparently, the author got lost on how to weave a solid story for Portia. I couldn’t believe that I’ve spent my time reading 330 pages for a weak story such as this one.
As much as I want to finish this review, I couldn’t. I am more than frustrated that I need to vent all these feelings. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Silent Echo has the creativity of a slug. The world building sucked so bad. Mytikas (the highest peak out of the 52 peaks of Olympus) is just like any other mountain. I’ll bet our mountains here are more impressive than the dwelling of the gods. Even the communication system of the gods, no way. I was really thinking along the lines of offering drachmas to communicate to the gods but NO. Instead the author settled for the good old internet and Macs to communicate to the gods. And by the way, before I forget, this book is an Apple advertiser. Brace yourself for the onslaught of unnecessary information about all the things that you can do with a Mac or with an iPhone. That. Was. Terrific. In. A. Sarcastic. Way!
Lastly, the ending, it was a totally BOOMING WTF moment! Seriously?! Honestly?! Really? WTH? For the love of —– Heavens, save me from this ordeal! Was that even conceivable? The almighty gods’ powers were rendered useless against two pathetic dead Sirens and one Mystique (X-men) wannabe minor god. How was that even possible? And then here comes an untrained (instead of training, she mostly spent her time flirting with boys and manipulating her friends) Portia whose only talent is singing awful verses. Suddenly, she became powerful (without transition because if she’s not b!tching around, she’s in her bed or in the clinic getting fixed up) and manages to vanquish the three lamest villains I have encountered in my whole life. As if this book was really determined to kill me by inducing a heart attack, Portia, Athena and Leto decided that Max should forget the whole episode on Olympus, thus, he was unknowingly forced to drink the Lotus flower whatever. But most surprising was that they let Felix decide whether or not he wants to forget what happened.
The last pages give us a scene where Portia and Max got back together as if nothing awful had happened. REALLY? Portia. Portia. Portia. Your mind must have been unhinged. Max is supposed to be your boyfriend and you can’t even trust him with the truth. You’ve HURT him emotionally and you almost killed him for crying out loud yet you have the nerve to hold hands with him without feeling disgust for yourself. What sensible characters would do is that they would call a time out and find themselves first. For the meantime, they would try to stay away from the ones they love especially if they knew the danger they could inflict to the latter. But you Portia, I can’t even… *sighs furiously & rubs temple* I just wish that you went with Parthenope and Ligeia to Tartarus so I would never see you again.
To conclude…
This book is recommended to:
- Fans of Apple Products
- People who appreciates awful verses
- People who doesn’t know anything about mythology
- People who have the patience of a turtle
- People who loves paper dolls for characters
NOT recommended to:
- Fans of Percy Jackson because you will most likely burn this book to the ground
- Fans of Homer’s Odyssey ( Tip: Go and re-read the Odyssey!)
- Fans of Greek Mythology (Chances are you’d pray to the gods to have this book obliterated to nothingness. Just stick with your good ol version of Greek mythology.)
- Fans of Android products (all the mention of the Apple products here would totally ruin your reading experience and might urge you to start writing a book that has a lot of references to Android. We don’t need that, do we?)
Ps. The only lesson that I learned from this book is how to write a bad verse.
Oh Portia, Portia, Portia!
What happened to ya?
Take some advice, will ya?
Didn’t you ever think of killing yourself, did ya?
Do us some favor & do it now, will ya?
Note: All quotes/verses used in this review are from an uncorrected ARC and are subject to changes. ARC was acquired from the Publisher through Netgalley. Thank you!
This review is also posted on my blog at Thoughts and Pens
Before we proceed to the actual review, here's an attempt to put some accurace into the blurb!
Silent Echo, a wannabe Glee meets Greek Mythology parody tale, is the ultimate modern day coming-out-from-a-loony bin story. It is a thrilling ride that achieves that perfect blend of instalove, no action, absence of humor, psychotic teen angst, apple technology, and most importantly, horrible music-- the universal language of pathetic Sirens and sissy boys.
My Review:
Attention: If you hate spoilers, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW! But if you’re angry and want something to fuel it then by all means, go ahead and read it.
Warning: If you are a Percy Jackson fan, please do yourself a favor and do not even attempt to read this. Chances are you’ll gonna end up comparing a lot of things in this book to that of Rick’s work. I am not saying that Silent Echo is a PJ rip off but because it’s about Greek mythology, one can’t but make some comparisons. Unfortunately, it happened to me while reading this book. Perhaps, I was so invested with PJ that I can’t help but be frustrated with Silent Echo. So frustrated that by the end, I was near to shredding the whole thing into pieces. Luckily, I was reminded that I am reading an e-book and the worst that I can do is delete it.
Although I hated Silent Echo to the roots of my hair, I couldn’t deny the fact that its beginning managed to suck me in. Who wouldn’t when Portia’s handicap was really interesting? Silent Echo would be my first read about leads who can’t speak and who can’t hear. But my happiness was fleeting as the numerous flaws of this book gradually overwhelmed me.
It started with me realizing Portia’s true personality. She had my sympathy at first and then as the story evolved, I saw the real her. She’s a brat with little to no depth at all. She had this on and off hatred for her mother just because she could feel that her mother was disappointed with her having no voice. By the way, it wasn’t thoroughly explained, just mentioned ephemerally. The whole time I was reading Silent Echo, I am more inclined to see how her parents loved her. As a matter-of-fact, I can’t see Portia suffering from any kind of abuse just because she couldn’t speak. I understand that her mother might be a little disappointed and who knows, might be hurt because her daughter lives on silence, but there was more love there. Her bratiness increased when her powers as a Siren began developing. She became this b-tchy girl who I just want to slap. It might be because she was possessed by the evil sisters Parthenope and Ligeia but I couldn’t see that she was striving so hard to fight them. Instead, goddess that she might be, she depended on the gods to help her. Her attempts to shake off the evil that’s possessing her were futile. She always ended up in the nurse’s clinic for Leto to fix her up. Throughout the whole story, there was little development to Portia’s character unless you count how her made up songs were getting worse to worst. And the way she treated Felix and Max, that wasn’t cool. The story ended with her not really comprehending the breadth of what she’d done. Even her regrets were superficial.
When I thought that I was getting a reprieve from Portia’s bratiness with the introduction of Max Hunter and Felix Fein, I was in for another disappointing ride. Felix is Portia’s bestfriend whose handicap is hearing. I expected that I would root for him but he’s just gorgeous on the outside but on the inside, he’s a total meeh. And then there’s Max Hunter, the love interest. Honestly, he’s just a prop. His character development only extends to being good at singing and writing horrible songs apart from being unreasonably kidnapped at the end by Portia. That’s what you only need to know about him.
Just forget about the parents, Jacqueline and Charlotte. The latter might have some issues going here and there but for me, this review can still get the message across without mentioning her.
And now, for the gods. I was mortally wounded after it dawned on me that I’m gonna be meeting cardboard versions of my favorite mythology gods and goddesses on this book. They’re so crisp and flat that you can interchange all of them and it wouldn’t make a difference. Oh wait, did I mention that Athena suffered amnesia here and forgot that she’s the goddess of wisdom and battle tactics?
“My dearest sisters, a great victory have you won here today. I pray there will be much time to rejoice. But now, I beg you, tell me how we shall treat the mortals that have witnessed both the horrors and the miracles we have seen here today?”
If that is not stupidity, I don’t know what to call it. Don’t even ask me about Ares, Dionysus and Zeus. Frankly, Silent Echo has the lamest cast of Olympian gods evah. The ending had me laughing and foaming with rage at the same time. Imagine a whole entourage of powerful gods being rendered useless by three Sirens (2 dead, 1 alive) and a wannabe minor god in the person of Proteus. That’s just great.
Silent Echo didn’t stop there. The romance tortured me too. Instalove was another downfall of this book. It was so sudden that I felt I was momentarily unseated. After knowing each other for days (around 4-5 days), Max and Portia was literally eating each other’s mouth. And without even thoroughly enjoying their instalove relationship, Portia started to hurt Max because of the evil that possessed her. Surprisingly enough, she took to Felix whom she ignored when she was all over Max. Even more surprising was that she told Felix all her secrets but she never told Max even at the end of the story. But she’s still going out with him. Anyway, more on that later.
Next, Silent Echo talks a lot about songs. Duh! Singing is Portia’s power you know. Expect that you’ll be reading a lot of made up songs here. I have mixed feelings about it though because one of the songs was in a way good.
Like this one…
You have a way, you charge the air,
With cobalt eyes and chestnut hair.
And though your lips don’t make a sound,
They speak of being pleasure bound.
Can one moment produce this draw?
And do you feel it too?
A current filled with shock and awe.
I’ll search for truth in you.
But this one here along with many others had me facepalming and laughing…
I am blessed organological,
My powers are robotical.
I am your diametrical.
You’re no longer majestical!
We started antiphonical,
You thought your words demonical.
But my verse exorcistical—
The real Portia is mystical!
Moving on, there’s the weak plot. Basically, Portia existed to combat the two evil sisters of Leto/Leucosia. As in literally. And I can’t understand the logic behind that. Portia wasn’t even a descendant of Leto (Khloe mentioned that she might be cousins with Portia’s parents in the end but that’s really fleeting. By that time, you’ve pretty much ripped this book apart with great satisfaction). The two evil sisters are already dead and serving time in the Underworld when Portia was born. Surely, the gods can handle them without the help of a mediocre godling, isn’t it? The story is not even about saving the whole world thingy. The only point of the story is that Portia solely existed to defeat Parthenope, Legeia, and Proteus so that they cannot bother Leto anymore (these three are already dead, mind you). If you think about how Venus made a special effort in choosing the parents who will create Portia, you’d think that the girl will have a larger and more important role to play. Apparently, the author got lost on how to weave a solid story for Portia. I couldn’t believe that I’ve spent my time reading 330 pages for a weak story such as this one.
As much as I want to finish this review, I couldn’t. I am more than frustrated that I need to vent all these feelings. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Silent Echo has the creativity of a slug. The world building sucked so bad. Mytikas (the highest peak out of the 52 peaks of Olympus) is just like any other mountain. I’ll bet our mountains here are more impressive than the dwelling of the gods. Even the communication system of the gods, no way. I was really thinking along the lines of offering drachmas to communicate to the gods but NO. Instead the author settled for the good old internet and Macs to communicate to the gods. And by the way, before I forget, this book is an Apple advertiser. Brace yourself for the onslaught of unnecessary information about all the things that you can do with a Mac or with an iPhone. That. Was. Terrific. In. A. Sarcastic. Way!
Lastly, the ending, it was a totally BOOMING WTF moment! Seriously?! Honestly?! Really? WTH? For the love of —– Heavens, save me from this ordeal! Was that even conceivable? The almighty gods’ powers were rendered useless against two pathetic dead Sirens and one Mystique (X-men) wannabe minor god. How was that even possible? And then here comes an untrained (instead of training, she mostly spent her time flirting with boys and manipulating her friends) Portia whose only talent is singing awful verses. Suddenly, she became powerful (without transition because if she’s not b!tching around, she’s in her bed or in the clinic getting fixed up) and manages to vanquish the three lamest villains I have encountered in my whole life. As if this book was really determined to kill me by inducing a heart attack, Portia, Athena and Leto decided that Max should forget the whole episode on Olympus, thus, he was unknowingly forced to drink the Lotus flower whatever. But most surprising was that they let Felix decide whether or not he wants to forget what happened.
The last pages give us a scene where Portia and Max got back together as if nothing awful had happened. REALLY? Portia. Portia. Portia. Your mind must have been unhinged. Max is supposed to be your boyfriend and you can’t even trust him with the truth. You’ve HURT him emotionally and you almost killed him for crying out loud yet you have the nerve to hold hands with him without feeling disgust for yourself. What sensible characters would do is that they would call a time out and find themselves first. For the meantime, they would try to stay away from the ones they love especially if they knew the danger they could inflict to the latter. But you Portia, I can’t even… *sighs furiously & rubs temple* I just wish that you went with Parthenope and Ligeia to Tartarus so I would never see you again.
To conclude…
This book is recommended to:
- Fans of Apple Products
- People who appreciates awful verses
- People who doesn’t know anything about mythology
- People who have the patience of a turtle
- People who loves paper dolls for characters
NOT recommended to:
- Fans of Percy Jackson because you will most likely burn this book to the ground
- Fans of Homer’s Odyssey ( Tip: Go and re-read the Odyssey!)
- Fans of Greek Mythology (Chances are you’d pray to the gods to have this book obliterated to nothingness. Just stick with your good ol version of Greek mythology.)
- Fans of Android products (all the mention of the Apple products here would totally ruin your reading experience and might urge you to start writing a book that has a lot of references to Android. We don’t need that, do we?)
Ps. The only lesson that I learned from this book is how to write a bad verse.
Oh Portia, Portia, Portia!
What happened to ya?
Take some advice, will ya?
Didn’t you ever think of killing yourself, did ya?
Do us some favor & do it now, will ya?
Note: All quotes/verses used in this review are from an uncorrected ARC and are subject to changes. ARC was acquired from the Publisher through Netgalley. Thank you!
August 25, 2013
Goodreads Summary:
Haunted by silence, a mute teenage girl is mysteriously given back her voice ... and it is divine.
Rendered mute at birth, Portia Griffin has been silent for 16 years. Music is her constant companion, along with Felix, her deaf best friend who couldn’t care less whether or not she can speak. If only he were as nonchalant about her newfound interest in the musically gifted Max Hunter.
But Portia’s silence is about to be broken with the abrupt discovery of her voice, unparalleled in its purity and the power it affords to control those around her. Able to persuade, seduce and destroy using only her voice, Portia embarks on a search for answers about who she really is, and what she is destined to become.
Inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, SILENT ECHO: A Siren's Tale is an epic story filled with fantasy, romance and original music.
My Thoughts:
I was at first enamored by the synopsis. I haven't read any Siren books before, but I figured that it would have to do something with Greek myths and The Odyssey. I'm a huge Greek myth junkie. I've read about Greek myths since I was in second grade. Then came along the Percy Jackson books which I became a huge fan of in 4th grade. Needless to say, I was hoping that this book would add on to my love for Greek myths. It didn't. Quite frankly, it was disappointing to read, as my beloved myths were read in a disappointing voice.
Portia is mute, and her best friend is deaf. Obviously, we have a different set of characters than the normal books. That intrigued me, and that's about where all the good things I can say about the book ends. Portia was such a flat and one dimensional character. I don't even know how to describe her. She was flatter than Flat Stanley. I liked her a lot better before Max, the love interest became involved. At least then she had some character. I usually like the characters better when the love interest is revealed, but in this book, as soon as he was involved I wanted to die. He wrote cliche songs and poems for her, and let us not forget the instalove.
Instalove- (noun)
definition: when two characters meet and declare ridiculous notions of love and without having spoken a single word to each other. They, in most cases, end up being flat and undesirable to everyone within a 100 mile radius except to each other.
Example: When my eyes set themselves upon the beauty walking up to me, I knew he was my soul mate. I'd die for him if I had to. His lustrous hair, shining in the morning light, emerald green eyes, and toned body was walking towards my directions, and I had to look away to stop blushing.
Max was a mess. He was literally all over the place. I liked him one moment, then couldn't focus on him because of Portia's ridiculous narratives. He was under Portia's siren spell for the most part of the book, so it's sort of useless to talk about him. Let's talk Portia. She's a bitch most of the time. Especially when she's possessed. I know it was the siren thing talking, but some of it must have been part of Portia. She must have had some secret desire to be admired, which is why she was flaunting herself at everyone when she was under the spell. It's sort of like being drunk, it only brings out part of yourself, whether or not it's a desirable trait. Well, that's my theory of the siren thing.
Honestly, I don't have anything else to say. I probably skimmed through, I dunno, half the book? Most of the narratives were distracting and unwanted. I'd end up skipping whole chapters. I just couldn't focus with all the lucid dreaming, getting reality mixed up, and everything. I have to give it up for Felix, her best friend who happened to be in love with her. He did a good job dealing with her, I would've flipped out and admitted myself to an asylum.
My Rating: 2 Stars
September 5, 2013
To see my full review:
http://wp.me/p1jhaj-3SB
I really liked the mythology piece of this novel and I think it’d be great for teens to read, especially if they’re studying the topic in school, or if they’re extremely interested in mythology, as many are since Percy Jackson hit the scene a few years back. From my own studies of mythology in school way back when, I knew what Sirens were, and of course, I’ve read The Odyssey AND all the Percy Jackson books, so my definition of them is a lot more refined than someone who hasn’t studied or read mythology, but even so, I learned so much more about Sirens in this novel than I ever have before, and I thought that was extremely interesting.
I think it’s safe to say that most people know Sirens have a beautiful mesmerizing voice that lures men to their deaths, but most probably don’t know why they turned evil, and I really enjoyed Freilich’s rendition of what happened after Odysseus, bringing the story into the present, captivating the reader with this tale of good versus evil.
Now, potential readers already know from the synopsis that Portia is a Siren, unbeknownst to her, and therefore she’s going to struggle immensely with the power she has. She’s going to make bad decisions, she’s going to have trouble controlling her voice and reactions, and, if her distant relatives have anything to do with it, she’ll lose her way and wreak havoc on the world. Thus, readers realize that Portia, while initially very likable, is going to do things, say things, feel things that are going to make the reader dislike her. It’s part of being a Siren. Knowing that going in helped me as I read because I knew what she was, and while I really hated some of the things she does, and she tainted my feelings about her as a character, I knew that it wasn’t her true nature, but the Siren taking over. There is an outside force at work here, and while it’s easy to judge Portia and dismiss her as evil and dislike the story, in the end, this is a novel about Sirens and their power to ruin people, so I highly stress that readers remember this, otherwise it will be extremely easy to write off the novel and dislike it due to the heroine.
Now, I’m not making excuses for Portia, and her behavior definitely put me on edge as I read. Yes, I lost some respect for her, and at points I wanted her to die off in order to stop the hurt she was causing, but… I understood where this angst was coming from, which is why I still liked the novel in the end, whereas I usually end up disliking books where I lose respect for the main character. Also, Portia isn’t always evil, and the end of the novel does bring things full circle, in a way, so I can’t actually say I dislike her.
The one aspect of the novel I did not enjoy was the verse interspersed throughout. Portia loves music, as does her beau, Hunter, and they sing to each other, a lot. As someone who doesn’t listen to music or thoroughly enjoy poetry, I struggled with this. The versus themselves seemed quite juvenile to me, and the lack of a melody I could literally hear turned these verses into rhyming poems that, to be quite honest, I would expect from an elementary/middle school child. Now, the main characters are teenagers, and I think teens probably won’t mind these verses as much, but as an adult who teaches high school, including poetry, it was difficult because not all poetry rhymes, nor should it, and, well, this aspect just wasn’t for me.
Overall, I think this was a very interesting story that many MG and YA readers will enjoy, especially with it’s mythological aspects
http://wp.me/p1jhaj-3SB
I really liked the mythology piece of this novel and I think it’d be great for teens to read, especially if they’re studying the topic in school, or if they’re extremely interested in mythology, as many are since Percy Jackson hit the scene a few years back. From my own studies of mythology in school way back when, I knew what Sirens were, and of course, I’ve read The Odyssey AND all the Percy Jackson books, so my definition of them is a lot more refined than someone who hasn’t studied or read mythology, but even so, I learned so much more about Sirens in this novel than I ever have before, and I thought that was extremely interesting.
I think it’s safe to say that most people know Sirens have a beautiful mesmerizing voice that lures men to their deaths, but most probably don’t know why they turned evil, and I really enjoyed Freilich’s rendition of what happened after Odysseus, bringing the story into the present, captivating the reader with this tale of good versus evil.
Now, potential readers already know from the synopsis that Portia is a Siren, unbeknownst to her, and therefore she’s going to struggle immensely with the power she has. She’s going to make bad decisions, she’s going to have trouble controlling her voice and reactions, and, if her distant relatives have anything to do with it, she’ll lose her way and wreak havoc on the world. Thus, readers realize that Portia, while initially very likable, is going to do things, say things, feel things that are going to make the reader dislike her. It’s part of being a Siren. Knowing that going in helped me as I read because I knew what she was, and while I really hated some of the things she does, and she tainted my feelings about her as a character, I knew that it wasn’t her true nature, but the Siren taking over. There is an outside force at work here, and while it’s easy to judge Portia and dismiss her as evil and dislike the story, in the end, this is a novel about Sirens and their power to ruin people, so I highly stress that readers remember this, otherwise it will be extremely easy to write off the novel and dislike it due to the heroine.
Now, I’m not making excuses for Portia, and her behavior definitely put me on edge as I read. Yes, I lost some respect for her, and at points I wanted her to die off in order to stop the hurt she was causing, but… I understood where this angst was coming from, which is why I still liked the novel in the end, whereas I usually end up disliking books where I lose respect for the main character. Also, Portia isn’t always evil, and the end of the novel does bring things full circle, in a way, so I can’t actually say I dislike her.
The one aspect of the novel I did not enjoy was the verse interspersed throughout. Portia loves music, as does her beau, Hunter, and they sing to each other, a lot. As someone who doesn’t listen to music or thoroughly enjoy poetry, I struggled with this. The versus themselves seemed quite juvenile to me, and the lack of a melody I could literally hear turned these verses into rhyming poems that, to be quite honest, I would expect from an elementary/middle school child. Now, the main characters are teenagers, and I think teens probably won’t mind these verses as much, but as an adult who teaches high school, including poetry, it was difficult because not all poetry rhymes, nor should it, and, well, this aspect just wasn’t for me.
Overall, I think this was a very interesting story that many MG and YA readers will enjoy, especially with it’s mythological aspects
January 3, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
In Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale, a teenage girl named Portia who is mute is best friends with a teenage boy named Felix who is deaf. I adore Portia's name and thought their friendship was so cool - they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I found it really refreshing to see a teenage girl and a teenage boy such a close relationship without romance being involved. It was quickly apparent that Felix has a crush on Portia, which worried me because I could tell she doesn't reciprocate those feelings.
She instead falls for a new student named Max almost instantly from the moment she sees him. I loved Max from the beginning of the book to the end. He's sincerely romantic and musically talented, plus the fact that he's attractive doesn't hurt. One night he even sang Portia a lullaby when she confided to him she's had trouble sleeping due to being plagued by bad dreams! What more could you want from a love interest?
Though I knew from the synopsis that Portia regains her voice, I wasn't prepared for how awful she became. At first, she was concerned with Felix's feelings, worried he would feel like she was leaving him behind now that she no longer had her disability. She thought more about his feelings than her own. The next thing I know, she's switching wildly from her usual personality to someone who treats others horribly, and I didn't recognize her anymore. I definitely didn't like her much anymore. At the same time, I knew she was trying to fight the influence trying to take over her body, and that was the only thing about her I found redeeming.
The ending was as intense as I thought it would be with so much build-up for it. There's so much to take in, so much happens, that if there hadn't been an epic battle at the end, then it all would have been for naught. Luckily that wasn't the case. I love Greek mythology, and this story takes the mythology of the Sirens in a young adult setting and gives you something new and fresh that made for a great story.
In Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale, a teenage girl named Portia who is mute is best friends with a teenage boy named Felix who is deaf. I adore Portia's name and thought their friendship was so cool - they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. I found it really refreshing to see a teenage girl and a teenage boy such a close relationship without romance being involved. It was quickly apparent that Felix has a crush on Portia, which worried me because I could tell she doesn't reciprocate those feelings.
She instead falls for a new student named Max almost instantly from the moment she sees him. I loved Max from the beginning of the book to the end. He's sincerely romantic and musically talented, plus the fact that he's attractive doesn't hurt. One night he even sang Portia a lullaby when she confided to him she's had trouble sleeping due to being plagued by bad dreams! What more could you want from a love interest?
Though I knew from the synopsis that Portia regains her voice, I wasn't prepared for how awful she became. At first, she was concerned with Felix's feelings, worried he would feel like she was leaving him behind now that she no longer had her disability. She thought more about his feelings than her own. The next thing I know, she's switching wildly from her usual personality to someone who treats others horribly, and I didn't recognize her anymore. I definitely didn't like her much anymore. At the same time, I knew she was trying to fight the influence trying to take over her body, and that was the only thing about her I found redeeming.
The ending was as intense as I thought it would be with so much build-up for it. There's so much to take in, so much happens, that if there hadn't been an epic battle at the end, then it all would have been for naught. Luckily that wasn't the case. I love Greek mythology, and this story takes the mythology of the Sirens in a young adult setting and gives you something new and fresh that made for a great story.
July 18, 2015
I'm honestly so disappointed with this book, but I blame it partially on me having high expectations in the first place. Sasha from abookutopia raved about this non stop and I've come to realize you can never fully trust booktubers who are sponsored. I barely believe any of her recommendations anymore. But back to the book...
Firstly, the voice of the author is so distractingly loud with extremely desperate attempts at forcing out a pseudo-hip vibe filled with contemporary references. However the writing itself rings loud and clear with the voice of a middle-aged author trying too hard to please a younger audience and referencing iphones, itunes credits, pop artists, krispy kreme, Robert Pattinson, SATs, iCal, I.M, Justin Bieber and the such which would make this book completely irrelevant in a decade.
The attempts at creating "original music" as stated boldly in the synopsis are nothing more than badly crafted poetry with verses so short and ridiculously rhyming, it would never count as a song. Example:
"Sing it -
Why must a salmon
Swim up the stream
Only to realize
A procreational dream?"
or how about:
"You think you're mystagogical,
Will guide me psychological.
My voice is phylacterical,
I laugh at you hysterical."
I couldn't bear to read through all these random bursts of "song" that is a clear indication of Elisa's lack of writing finesse and desperation to add a little flair to her book. It's embarrassing.
The main character Portia was pretty one dimensional as well. Although there was so much potential to develop her character as a girl-turned-seducing-siren, it fell flat due to Elisa's voice as an author making it seem like Portia's mother was narrating the entire book, all whilst suffering from a mid-life crisis. Portia ended up coming across as a bratty try-hard, just like the author.
I applaud the attempt to create an interesting plot, and I am normally a fan of mythology. But this was just bad all around and I only stuck to the end because I never give up on a book halfway.
Firstly, the voice of the author is so distractingly loud with extremely desperate attempts at forcing out a pseudo-hip vibe filled with contemporary references. However the writing itself rings loud and clear with the voice of a middle-aged author trying too hard to please a younger audience and referencing iphones, itunes credits, pop artists, krispy kreme, Robert Pattinson, SATs, iCal, I.M, Justin Bieber and the such which would make this book completely irrelevant in a decade.
The attempts at creating "original music" as stated boldly in the synopsis are nothing more than badly crafted poetry with verses so short and ridiculously rhyming, it would never count as a song. Example:
"Sing it -
Why must a salmon
Swim up the stream
Only to realize
A procreational dream?"
or how about:
"You think you're mystagogical,
Will guide me psychological.
My voice is phylacterical,
I laugh at you hysterical."
I couldn't bear to read through all these random bursts of "song" that is a clear indication of Elisa's lack of writing finesse and desperation to add a little flair to her book. It's embarrassing.
The main character Portia was pretty one dimensional as well. Although there was so much potential to develop her character as a girl-turned-seducing-siren, it fell flat due to Elisa's voice as an author making it seem like Portia's mother was narrating the entire book, all whilst suffering from a mid-life crisis. Portia ended up coming across as a bratty try-hard, just like the author.
I applaud the attempt to create an interesting plot, and I am normally a fan of mythology. But this was just bad all around and I only stuck to the end because I never give up on a book halfway.
August 9, 2013
Elisa Freilich did shade a light on one of the more mysteries of the Greece myth - the sirens. She also put Olympus in a new shade of the modern life (gods' web...:)).... it also good that she ignite the will to read the Odyssey which I love very much. I also love the poems which she spread generously all over the book ( I wish I could have also the music). I also liked the idea that she didn't try to make things pretty not for the sirens and surly not for her characters. the struggle of of Portia between her inner good to her inner evil, which through impact on her outside behavioral... that turn her from very pretty girl to an ugly one (especially toward Max, as Felix is immune to her voice). The exposure of her weaknesses and the madness(schizophrenic kind) which hide over the corner.
Strange for me was the image of Prometheus which I always took in positive way - In Greek mythology, (is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who is credited with the creation of man from clay, and who defies the gods and gives fire to humanity (theft of fire), an act that enabled progress and civilization. He is known for his intelligence and as a champion of mankind. The punishment of Prometheus as a consequence of the theft is a major theme of his mythology, and is a popular subject of both ancient and modern art. Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sentenced the Titan to eternal torment for his transgression. The immortal Prometheus was bound to a rock, where each day an eagle, the emblem of Zeus, was sent to feed on his liver, which would then grow back to be eaten again the next day. (In ancient Greece, the liver, rather than the heart, was thought to be the seat of human emotions.)
And more than strange for me is the love between Prometheus and Ligeia - I am not sure that twist ever mentioned in the Greece myth. But never mind this is a nice twist.
I really curios how Elisa will continue the plot so I am waiting for the next book.
Strange for me was the image of Prometheus which I always took in positive way - In Greek mythology, (is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure who is credited with the creation of man from clay, and who defies the gods and gives fire to humanity (theft of fire), an act that enabled progress and civilization. He is known for his intelligence and as a champion of mankind. The punishment of Prometheus as a consequence of the theft is a major theme of his mythology, and is a popular subject of both ancient and modern art. Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sentenced the Titan to eternal torment for his transgression. The immortal Prometheus was bound to a rock, where each day an eagle, the emblem of Zeus, was sent to feed on his liver, which would then grow back to be eaten again the next day. (In ancient Greece, the liver, rather than the heart, was thought to be the seat of human emotions.)
And more than strange for me is the love between Prometheus and Ligeia - I am not sure that twist ever mentioned in the Greece myth. But never mind this is a nice twist.
I really curios how Elisa will continue the plot so I am waiting for the next book.
February 20, 2015
This book has been giving me mixed emotions throughout my whole journey of reading it. I don't love it, ...but I also don't hate it. So I gave it 3 stars because I am purely in the middle. I believe the reason I didn't like it was how the greek gods were portrayed and talked to by Portia (the main character). I realized and understood that the author wanted to modernize the gods, and how other people talked to them (such as young siren, Portia). Although, for some reason it was just too hard for me to believe. Another thing that added in to me disliking the story a bit, was the ending. Oh the gods, the ending. WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE A CLIFF HANGER!? THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!! Now, besides those factors...I enjoyed the telling of this story. The writing was exceptional, and I really enjoyed the flow of it all. The lyrics throughout this book were beyond compare. They were absolutely breathtaking. The love triangle was unbeatable as well. I find myself however, fighting for Felix ;) I loved Felix in the beginning, started feeling for Max, ...then fell head over heels in love with Felix. I don't think there's any going back to Max. (Sorry Max!)
September 22, 2013
I received the book Silent Echo as an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Ever read a book and think, 'Oh-Em-Gee, this book has an awesome premise but it only moderately executes the idea throughout the novel?'
That's exactly what I thought when I was reading the novel. I have never read a YA book that begins with a girl who is born mute and suddenly achieves the ability to speak/sing. So with that said, the overall theme of the book is interesting.
BUT! The book, in my opinion, does not hold up to the expectations that I had for it. The characters are shallow. The author identifies 'love' as a middle school drama, chock full of apple products.
It is hard to write a review overall, for something that you don't feel particularly one way or the other about it. I would recommend this book to an early teen level reader. The protagonist 'thinks' like a young teen, her emotions and communication with others follow suit. For this reason, I think that it would be hard to connect with the book on more than a shallow level.
Ever read a book and think, 'Oh-Em-Gee, this book has an awesome premise but it only moderately executes the idea throughout the novel?'
That's exactly what I thought when I was reading the novel. I have never read a YA book that begins with a girl who is born mute and suddenly achieves the ability to speak/sing. So with that said, the overall theme of the book is interesting.
BUT! The book, in my opinion, does not hold up to the expectations that I had for it. The characters are shallow. The author identifies 'love' as a middle school drama, chock full of apple products.
It is hard to write a review overall, for something that you don't feel particularly one way or the other about it. I would recommend this book to an early teen level reader. The protagonist 'thinks' like a young teen, her emotions and communication with others follow suit. For this reason, I think that it would be hard to connect with the book on more than a shallow level.
January 31, 2015
This was pretty good. The concept was so interesting and different and I love the way everything is described. Like the way her vocal cords or whatever are different. The gods in this book were really cheeky and fun. Dionysus was great.
The love triangle was pretty well done and I still can't chose who I like more. Max is hot and a romantic and sweet. Felix is hot and loving and so interesting.
Leaucosia(I think that's how you spell it) was really cool and her last scene in the end was absolutely beautiful.
Portia's character development was on point and I loved how you could literally see her internal struggle. She's a really strong character and pretty believable.
I only have a few problems with this book. Its really open ended and I'm not completely satisfied. The end was kind of confusing with khloe and all. And some of the time I wasn't dying to read it. Like, sometimes I couldn't put it down and others I just didn't feel reading it.
Over all it was really good but I wish there was more closure in the end.
The love triangle was pretty well done and I still can't chose who I like more. Max is hot and a romantic and sweet. Felix is hot and loving and so interesting.
Leaucosia(I think that's how you spell it) was really cool and her last scene in the end was absolutely beautiful.
Portia's character development was on point and I loved how you could literally see her internal struggle. She's a really strong character and pretty believable.
I only have a few problems with this book. Its really open ended and I'm not completely satisfied. The end was kind of confusing with khloe and all. And some of the time I wasn't dying to read it. Like, sometimes I couldn't put it down and others I just didn't feel reading it.
Over all it was really good but I wish there was more closure in the end.
December 28, 2014
This book had an awesome premise which hooked me in, but as the book developed I lost interest as the protagonist, Portia, was influenced by evil spirits. Her actions throughout the novel bugged me to the point that at points i hated her as a character. Max, dude was totally whipped and I absolutely ABORED the insta-love or connection that happened between the two. I was totally cheering for Felix the entire novel but was annoyed at his inability to express his true emotions to Portia, then act like a brat when things started getting intense between Portia and Max. Overall I enjoyed the mythology and the history that was developed over the course of the book. I'll admit I had über high expectations for this book which is why I'm left disappointed.
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