{Review} Lingering Echoes by Erica Kiefer

 
Lingering Echoes by Erica Kiefer
Genre:Young Adult  
Paperback, 388 pages
Published November 16th 2013 by Clean Teen Publishing
Series: Lingering Echoes #1
Source: ecopy from Publisher Via NetGalley  

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.

Lingering Echoes is kind of a tough book. It is beautiful but in a sad and broken way for a lot of the story. It is tragic and emotional, but Erica Kiefer deals with some really hard deaths. I liked the summer time, lake/ cabin setting. I think the setting was perfect because it allowed all the characters to basically be together 24/7, so they forged quicker bonds. There was mystery, mixed in with some pretty great character growth. This whole story was about growth.

Allie seems like such a broken girl at the start of the story. At first she comes off cold and and kind of rude, but then I reminded myself that even coming back to this place was super hard for her. Even when she was being kind of cold, I always was on her side rooting for her. There is just something about her that you can't help but like. And then when she started to open up, and when she was with Damian, I really started to like her. She is just a teenage girl that is dealing with a huge amount of grief and guilt.

And then there is the whole Damian aspect of the story. He seemed to be really good for Allie. He made her feel safe and he pushed her to go outside her comfort zone with the water. It was just really nice to watch Allie blossom with him. And Damian seemed to grow and open up when he was around Allie too. They were good for each other.

There were lots of twists and turns in Lingering Echoes, some were predictable and some that I didn't see coming. It was a nice mixture. The story has great pacing. It wasn't too fast or too slow, but towards the end it did pick up quite a bit during some of the more frantic events. People that like emotional reads, will really enjoy this beautiful story dealing with death and dealing with grief, and how to move on when you don't think that you can. I loved watching Allie start to become ok again. It was a great character journey to witness.

 

Erica Kiefer was born on Christmas Eve in Southern California to an American father whose ancestors arrived from Europe during colonial times and a Thai mother who moved to the US during high school. Adding to her rich and varied heritage, Erica grew up living abroad in Asia, including Taiwan, Fiji, Thailand and Indonesia. She gained a great respect for the beautiful mosaic of cultures found in various parts of the world. After graduating from International School Bangkok, she attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where she earned a degree in Recreation Therapy. Her career as a Recreation Therapist has allowed her to work with at-risk youth since 2007.
Erica made the best decision of her life by marrying her husband in 2005 and is currently a mother of three, one of whom awaits her in heaven. Erica also loves singing, reading, writing, and satisfying her sweet-tooth with chocolate-chip cookies. Playing collegiate rugby was one of the most memorable experiences of her life, thus far.

You can visit Erica at her website: http://ericakieferbooks.com/ or on Twitter @ericarockkiefer