Review: Lingering Echoes by Erica Kiefer

From Goodreads.com  

She's broken with guilt. 

He harbors a chilling past. 
It's safer if they keep their distance... 
But, the echoes that linger connect them. 

Returning to Hidden Pines is the last thing Allie Collins wants to do during her final summer before college. For her, the family cabin she spent her youthful summers in, now holds a dark memory that has haunted her every day for the last year. 

While struggling to forget her past, Allie runs into Damien, a local rebel with secrets of his own. He's dark, dangerous and he keeps showing up when Allie least expects him to. She has every reason not to trust him. So why does she find herself opening up to him in a way she hasn't been able to with anyone? 

As pieces of Damien’s identity emerge, answers to a rumored mystery begin to unfold. By the time Allie unearths the secrets of Damien’s past, she realizes just how intricately they are connected. Now she is caught in a dangerous battle that threatens her life and those she loves.

                                              

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 My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

There were parts of this book that I liked, and parts of it that I didn't like. Lets start with the negative aspects;

When you first meet Damien, he comes across less as a "lonely boy" and more "creepy stalker". The way he watches Allie, the way he seems to draw information from her without revealing any of his own sent up major red flags for me. I would have liked there to be more to him right off the bat instead of revealing all of his secrets at once. While there was enough information for the reader to "figure out" certain things about him, it wasn't enough to make me invested in him as a character. 

As you read the book, it is mentioned several times that Allie should stay away from Damien because he's "too old for her", even her own father says this. Yet, Damien is only around the age of 19 while Allie, having just graduated high school would be 17 or 18 years old herself. How is that "too old"? Also, two other guys mentioned in the book are around Damien's age, and yet one of them has an interest in Allie as well. But nothing is said about him. Is that because he's a "Friend"? It didn't add up.

There were also pages where the book seemed to lag. Almost as though the author lost sight of where she was going, and used "filler" until she found her way again. Some scenes do add to the overall plot and characters, but a lot of it I feel could have been left out and still made for a good story. I do remember reading at the end that the author originally planned this as a "short story", and I feel in a lot of ways that would have worked out better. 

Now on to the positive. 

Despite parts of the book dragging as I mentioned above, once the real action starts, the story moves along pretty quickly. It wasn't the gripping, page turner that some books are, but it still was interesting enough to keep my attention and keep me reading to find out what happened next.

Allie, while she seemed to still be a bit immature in her thinking, was probably the most well developed character of the story. She was battling demons, and guilt over an event that no one should have to live through. I found her strength and courage to try and overcome her fears inspiring. 

Overall, this was a very clean novel. There was no sex, and no swearing, and only minor mention of things that may cause some readers discomfort. Unfortunately, without giving away major plot spoilers, I can't reveal what they are. I would think this book would be suitable for anyone over the age of fifteen, or a very mature thirteen. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way.

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Lingering Echoes is available from Amazon.com