Echo

by Pam Muñoz Ryan

2016 Newbery honor book new York Times bestseller an impassioned, uplifting and virtuosic tour de force from a treasured storyteller lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise and a harmonica. Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the Invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral we crescendo richly imagined and masterfully crafted, echo pushes the boundaries of genre, form and storytelling innovation to create a wholly original novel that will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

592 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2019

About the author

Pam Muñoz Ryan is the author of the New York Times Best Seller, ECHO, a 2016 Newbery Honor Book, and winner of the Kirkus Prize. She has written over forty books for young people—picture books, early readers, and middle grade and young adult novels. She the author recipient of the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, the Willa Cather Award, the Pura Belpré medal, the PEN USA award, and many others. Her novels include Esperanza Rising, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi León, Paint the Wind, The Dreamer, and Echo. She was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, holds a bachelor's and master's degree from San Diego State University and lives in north San Diego county with her family.

Reviews

[Megan Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I surprised myself with this 5 star rating. I had listened to about half of this book over three years ago on a road trip, and my husband and I didn't know how we felt about it. We didn't like how it changed stories and we thought the magic and the strange story about the witch in the beginning was odd. We never felt the need to keep going. I'm so glad this book was chosen for book club this month. The story was written so wonderfully, and going through to the end makes this book amazing. It had a fun, magical story while also teaching important life lessons. The stories were heartwarming, and I felt connected to each child in each story. They all had hard things they went through, and they all learned important lessons. The way Pam connects all of their stories by using the harmonica is amazing. We are all more connected in this world than we ever realize. It was nice to have the stories end well. That doesn't always happen with the books I read. It was refreshing. I love the words to the spell given at the beginning of the book: "Your fate is not yet sealed. Even in the darkest night, a star will shine, a bell will chime, a path will be revealed". Hope should never be lost. There will always be a way to continue. I loved this book.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good.

[Emily (letsgoreadabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Magical. A perfectly woven story!

[Carol Oldham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magically good.

[Keliann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t read the reviews or synopsis, just read the book! Sooooooo good! I’m creating a new shelf called “Must Read” and putting this gem on it! I listened to the audiobook and it was a delight.