Alyson Noel is not new to the teen scene when it comes to books. Her latest teen protagonist is Echo, who is trying to make sense of life after the murder of her sister Zoe. Echo is now dealing with overprotective parents who ignore her when she's home and hover when she tries to leave, as well as entering high school. She is struggling with being in Zoe's shadow in more ways than one while her two best friends approach high school with enthusiasm and an old friend latches onto Echo in an uncomfortable way. When Marc, Zoe's old boyfriend, shows up with Zoe's diary, Echo at first refuses to read it. But as she struggles with everything in her life, Echo finally gives in, looking to save herself, but eventually believing she might be SAVING ZOE, at least in her memories, by reading it.

This moving story interweaves the mystery of her sister's choice to leave the house that fateful night with Echo's agonizing entry into high school. Echo not only feels different, she feels like everyone else sees her as different. Honestly, I didn't feel terribly pulled into the story until Zoe's diary came into play; that's when the story's intensity ratchets up for a pay-off that is worth the wait. The various threads of Echo's life—reading the diary, interacting with Marc, dealing with her parents, her friend Teresa, her ebbing relationships with best buddies Jenay and Abby---they are all wound tighter and tighter until you realize, not only was Zoe part of something bigger, but it's up to Echo to unravel the mystery that is her sister and see what bearing it has on the people she's left behind. All in all, the ending was clean and neat with a nice little twist with one of the secondary characters that will surprise you.

Book Summary

It’s been one year since the brutal murder of her older sister, Zoë, and fifteen-year-old Echo is still reeling from the aftermath. Her parents are numb, her friends are moving on, and the awkward start to her freshman year proves she’ll never live up to her sister’s memory. Until Zoë’s former boyfriend Marc shows up with Zoë’s diary.

At first Echo’s not interested, doubting there’s anything in there she doesn’t already know. But when curiosity prevails, she starts reading, becoming so immersed in her sister’s secret world, their lives begin to blur, forcing Echo to uncover the truth behind Zoë’s life so that she can start to rebuild her own.

Prepare to laugh your heart out and cry your eyes out in this highly addictive tale as Alyson Noël tackles the complicated relationship between two sisters and shows how the bond can endure long after one of them is gone.

Read an Excerpt