Blog Tour: Echoes Between Us - Katie McGarry

Echoes Between Us
Katie McGarry
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Tor Teen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry's breakout teen novel about a girl with everything to lose and the boy who will do anything to save her A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose:

Veronica sees ghosts—more specifically, her mother’s ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines that consumes her whole life and keeps Veronica on the fringes. But the haunting makes her wonder if there is something more going on….

Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but this All-American is hiding an adrenaline addiction that could kill him. Drawn to each other after a chance meeting, can they help each other battle the demons that haunt their every step or will they push their luck too far and risk losing it all…including their lives?

REVIEW

What happens, when the golden boy and the school weirdo pair up for an assignment? They find an unexpected source of support and friendship in one another, which evolves into more. Both Sawyer and Veronica were not dealt the easiest hands in life, and the perception of who they were and the baggage they carried did not necessarily reflect their reality. However, they found they were stronger together than they were apart.

Veronica was the quirky weird girl

Veronica had lost her mother to brain cancer, and was now, facing the truth about her own brain tumor. She vowed not to follow in her mother's footsteps. She wanted to live each day to its fullest, as if the tumor did not exist. The way she celebrated holidays on non-designated days created this picture of Veronica as extremely odd. The reality was, that her days were numbered. She wanted to "celebrate" with her friends and family before it was too late. There was pain and suffering, yet she tried to stick to the status quo. Although I didn't agree with all her choices, I understood her motivation. Still, my heart ached for her and for those who loved her.

Sawyer was the golden boy

Sawyer looked like the world was his oyster. He was popular and king of the swim team, but he battled demons left and right. He carried a lot of anger towards his father, who left his family. He was also angry with his mother, an alcoholic, who heaped a great deal of responsibility and pressure on him.  Then, he had a coping mechanism, which was unhealthy, and it all seemed to be spinning out of control. I wanted to give this kid a great big hug, and then take him away to somewhere, where he could just enjoy the last bit of his childhood.

They found comfort in each other

Veronica and Sawyer made a most unlikely couple, but they were fantastic together. Though this may have started out as a purely physical attraction, it grew to be something much deeper, as they both peeked behind the curtain and really saw each other. This was where I got my romance fixes. They came in small doses, but each one was perfection.

They faced difficulties

Because, this was a Katie McGarry book, I expected her to take on some serious topics in a raw and honest way. This story dealt with death, grief, addiction, depression, and serious illness. She took on each issue in multiple ways, and I loved that how she attacked them from so many different directions. Those varied perspectives allowed me to consider each problem in a different way, and also gave the appropriate depth to the issue at hand.

They had a great community to support them

Whenever I read a book, where the main characters faces so much adversity, I NEED them to have some sort of support system. Yes, Sawyer and Veronica eventually had each other, but before that, they had some really wonderful people in their corners.

Veronica's father wasn't perfect. He didn't impose too many rules and was still dealing with his own pain and grief, but his love for his daughter was undeniable. He was also living with the loss of his wife, but he always made time to Veronica. Whether it be a waffle breakfast or a not-quite-the-holiday celebration, dad did his best to be present and put a smile on his daughter's face.

Veronica also had a fantastic group of friends. Scarlet, Leo, Nazareth, and Jesse were her "people". They loved her and cared for her, and would do just about anything for her.

Sawyer was also sort of blessed in the friend area, though he didn't initially realize it. He enjoyed a wonderful relationship with his little sister, and it was a treat to see them on page together, but he also had two friends, who stepped up their roles, when they really needed to, while his sponsor rounded out his team.

Overall

This was a beautifully written and emotional story of love, connection, and appreciating the "now", which left me brimming with warmth and happiness.

* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. She is the author of the Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road series.

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