Silent Echoes

by Carla Jablonski

What happens to a teenage girl who starts hearing voices? The answer is vastly different for two girls living in two different eras.

When a “spirit” contacts Lucy Phillips at a séance in nineteenth-century Manhattan, Lucy quickly gains fame as a talented medium who can impart knowledge about the future to wealthy socialites. Lucy is grateful to this “spirit,” who communicates with her from beyond, for giving her a life of luxury she’s never known before. By contrast, Lindsay Miller is hospitalized in modern-day New York City for schizophrenia when she starts to hear a girl’s voice in her head.

But when the two girls realize they are really hearing each other’s voices every time they occupy the same physical location, they begin to see possibilities that will change both of their lives forever. . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Teen, Romance

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Carla Jablonski is the author and editor of dozens of best-selling books for teenage and middle-grade readers. She grew up in New York City, where she attended public schools and the Bronx High School of Science. She has a BA in anthropology from Vassar College and an MA from NYU's Gallatin School, an interdisciplinary program for which she combined playwriting, the history of gender issues in 19th Century Circus, and arts administration. "I wanted to write the play, contextualize the play, and learn how to produce the play for my degree," she explains. "I think I may have been the happiest graduate student at NYU -- I SO loved working toward my thesis."

While still in graduate school she supported herself as the editor of The Hardy Boys Mysteries. "When I interviewed for the job they asked me if I'd ever read the Hardy Boys as a kid. 'No way,' I scoffed. 'Those are BOY books! It was Nancy Drew for me!' Luckily my future boss had a sense of humor. She hired me after I promised I'd read the books if I got the job."

She has participated in the renowned Breadloaf Writers' Conference as well as Zoetrope's All-Story highly competitive writing workshop held at Francis Ford Coppella's resort in Belize. She has taught writing for the children's market, as well as "cold-reading" skills for teachers as part of Project:Read. Several of her books have been selected as part of the Accelerated Reader's program.

She continues to work freelance as an editor for publishers and for private clients, even as she writes novels and creates new series. She also has another career (and identity!) as a playwright, an actress, and a trapeze performer. "I try to keep the worlds separate," she explains about her multiple identities. "The different work I do has different audiences, so I want to keep them apart. But they're all me -- they're all ways of expressing what I'm thinking and feeling -- just in different mediums."

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

It's 1882, and Lucy Phillips and her father are running scams to keep a roof over their heads. Tonight is their first attempt at a séance, with Lucy playing the medium. If it goes well, this could turn into a regular and profitable enterprise for them. Planning only to play her audience with already acquired information, Lucy is shocked to hear a voice that no one else can hear. Maybe she really has contacted the dead!

In the present time, Lindsay Miller is on the floor in her closet trying not to hear the screaming and the crash of dishes coming from the kitchen. Her mom is drunk again and fighting with her latest fling. Unfortunately, this one's not just a fling, this one's her new step-dad. If only there were someone, anyone, she could talk to. The last thing she expected was a voice with no form to come from her closet!

Lucy's new "abilities" as a medium are causing a huge stir. Her ability to predict the future is uncanny. She and her father are rapidly becoming more than financially stable.

On the other end of time, Lindsay's world is shredding to pieces. Everyone thinks she's crazy. They even tried to keep her in a mental institution! Now she's a runaway who's running out of money. And the only friend she can talk to is not only literally light years away, she's part of why all of this is happening.

Between the two girls, and across hundreds of years, can they figure out how to save each other?

This book was completely enthralling. The storyline is fantastic. The characters are strong and interesting. Their situations and experiences are pretty realistic. It's just such a cool idea; I'm so glad it was done well! It's really interesting to look at how a similar situation plays out so completely differently in two time periods; it's almost the opposite of what you'd expect. Normally you'd think "We have so many more resources now, and people are so much more open-minded. Obviously Lindsay would have an easier time of it." But that's not quite how it goes. Not to say that Lucy has an easy time. Oh, go read the book! I don't want to give anything away. Although I will tell you that the solution is really great!

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely wonderful book--so good that I could not put it down! The idea--the basic plot of the story--is creative and interesting all at once, and the way that Jablonski crafts the story is pure genius! I love the entire concept of two girls of the same age in different centuries facing different things, but, in the end, coming together and giving the readers a great feeling of satisfaction and hopefulness at the end of the story. This definitely has become one of my favorite books!

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off good--maybe even really good. And the plot thickened...thickened? Did I say that?

No, I lie. I wanted it to thicken but in reality it thinned down to a trickle, and ended. What a waste of an excellent idea! Girl from the present and girl from the past with a psychic connection neither truly believes. What happens to you if you hear voices in (a) 1898 or in (b) 1998? Let's just say people were a little more open to that kind of thing back then.

Wish I'd liked it.

[J.Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sort of trite and predictable. Alot of young adult fiction is this way and since I like to read YA fiction, I suppose I should be used to it by now, but I still feel dismayed. This is about two sixteen year old girls who can hear each other and speak to each other even though they are living in different decades.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to get into. Boring. Depressing.

[Jean St.Amand · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story. Probably would appeal to teenage girls as the two main characters were 16 year old girls. I thought that the ending was going to be too abrupt, but it turned out to have a pretty decent conclusion.

[Tiffany Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought the connection thing was contrived, but the characters were compelling in their problems and I really enjoyed the perspective of a location in two different time periods.

[Kali-Jo Bentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silent Echoes Review:
Time changes, panorama activity and real life scenarios all in one book. Silent Echoes by Carla Jablonski was, in my opinion, a five star book. Her book is definitely a must read because she does such a great job on intertwining two girls stories into one.

Carla Jablonski uses italics a lot to emphasize certain things in the story, but it’s not overdone. One of my favorite places in the book that she used italics in when she has one of the girls talking to the other, but you don’t expect it “the voice! She rocked back on her heels…”She has a good diction and reading the book is clean and flows, it is not choppy or confusing. She is able to go back and forth between the two stories without you becoming confused or getting mixed up. Usually it is every other chapter that is switched between the characters and right away you can tell whose thoughts you’re reading.

She also does a wonderful job of portraying exactly what the characters are like. She explains the one from the 1800’s as being very controlled by her father and follows most traditions that young girls did back then. On the other hand, the girl in modern day New York, is shown as a good student with many real-life problems that some can relate too. When they talk you can tell how different they are yet where and how old they are connects the two girls.
Carla also includes real life problems like how one girl’s mother married another man and she is suspicious of his doings, “She kept everything of importance in her school locker…” She is worried about her schooling and about her personal life that when she starts to hear a voice, everyone and even she thinks she’s gone insane. With her story, the authors keep you on your toes and you never stop guessing what will happen next.

This is an excellent book that I encourage everyone to read. It not only includes history and different time periods, plus paranormal activity and life scenarios; she uses so many literary devices that keep the story flowing and makes you lose yourself in it. This is definitely a book that you should go out and buy because you’ll want to read it over and over again.

[Imesic7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book! I love how it was in both POV's! I recommend this book if anyone is interested.
Summary:
Lucy Phillips lives in nineteenth century Manhattan. Lucy and her father scam for a living. One of her dad’s friends gets them to do a séance for good money and her role is the medium. she is not the least worried about something going wrong. During the séance she hears a voice of a real spirit. Lucy Is in for a big surprise when she learns that she is really talking to a girl in the future not a spirit from the past. Lindsay Miller is a girl whose mom is an alcohol-addict and whose stepdad is just as bad. One night she locks herself in her closet but as she lies in her grief someone comforts her At first she thinks she was just making up the voice but it keeps on coming back. She tries to avoid Lucy as she talks to her and because of that is hospitalized for schizophrenia. As Lindsay life gets worse and Lucy’s life gets better they both realize they need to change their connection for the better. This book is about friendship, not giving up and going through life no matter how hard it may be.

[Stacey B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I loved this book. It was so much fun to read. I loved the way the author wove the two stories together and that we got to see the story from two different sides. It was really interesting to be able to compare the life that I am more familiar with to the life from back in the nineteenth century. The ending of the book made me really happy too. I don't want to give anything away, but I'm glad it ended the way it did.

COVER: I'd give the cover a 3/5. I'm not sure who the girl on the cover is supposed to be, but I like to think it's a combination of the two girls, which I think is a great idea if that is the case.

CHARACTERS: I loved both the characters of Lucy and Lindsay. They had a lot in common both being teenage girls, but they were also so different because of the things they've grown up around.

[Tenara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very predictable book. It was like reading something coated in sugar and complex sentences...all very predictable and very Young Adult type of novel. Lucy Phillips, a girl living in the nineteenth century, is posing as a medium when she actually begins hearing a voice. Lindsay Miller, a girl living in present day New York hears Lucy's voice from across the years. Lindsay, of course, being in the age where hearing voices ISN'T a good sign, assumes she's schizophrenic, and the story unravels from there.

If you read it, you'll know everything that happens before it does. Not such a great book for me.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has a very different sort of plot, but there were places when it would just be kind of dull.. It wasn't one of those books that you constantly must read and can't put down. But it was still alright.

[M.G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it at first. After more than half-way through, it started getting preachy about women and working condtions in the late 1800;s. If I wanted that, I would have got a non-fiction book on the subject, not a fiction book for entertainment. Some historical detail is good, but not that much.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This split its time between 1882 and 2006 New York, alternating chapters between two girls who can mysteriously hear one another's voices when they're in the same building. The ending was thrilling, but the whole thing was suspenseful, intriguing, and an utter joy to read.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book. It wasn't over imaginative but it was fun.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surpassingly good book! It surprised me actually. I didn't think it was going to be that interesting but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lemme' just say; the ending was the best. I found the 2 main characters are realated. The one who hears her is her grandmother and they work together to make their lives better. I Love this book

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird. But good. I was intrigued by Silent Echoes and found that it was pretty good, but a little dull at a few junctions, overall very nice.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book, but I found the ending somewhat weak.

[Fajar Humayun · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved it:)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating. pretty awesome plot line.

[Phae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a great story line. The characters really developed. One thing that bothered me was that it took so long for them to mature, especially Lucy!

[Jayne]

Easy reading with general appeal for female readers of all ages. I guess its a kind of coming of age story.

[Teresa Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It ties the pass to the present.

[Danni · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was really different... not ssomething i particularlly liked...