Rena Faye is a remarkably responsible teenage girl who has been brought up to do her duty by her family without question, tirelessly working away in the family motel. While she chafes at the double standards and inequality in how her parents treat her compared to her brother, she’s not one to rock the boat. But when her long-awaited vacation away with her beloved grandmother is callously cancelled and she’s expected to slave away for free at the motel over her summer break, Rena Faye begins to chip away at her family’s stranglehold on her and rebels to find her own path.

If you’re wondering where the horror elements come in, be warned that the actual scares are a long while coming—it takes a third of the book before we finally have a sighting of the ghost bride! Rena Faye is an engaging protagonist with a relatable struggle and the injustice of her parents’ treatment of her makes it easy to invest in her efforts to stand up to them and fight for her independence. It’s an excellent coming-of-age narrative, but unfortunately way too sparse on spooky encounters for a horror novel. Rena Faye also seems a bit too credulous in assigning certain events to the curse’s influence for someone as practical and level-headed as she’s been portrayed. Without going into spoilers, it’s the equivalent of deciding on impulse to gorge on an entire chocolate cake and then blaming her decision to indulge on the curse!

Where the novel shines is in its examination of urban legends and delving into the way that stories are transformed into urban myths. Before we ever meet the ghost bride, we’ve heard a few different renditions of her story which each teller swears to be the real and true version, and each reflecting more about the individual quirks of the teller instead of the truth. Fearing that her grandmother’s claim of a curse on their family is true, Rena Faye fervently digs into the history of the ghost bride to try and discover what really happened to her and comes to a startling, life-changing discovery in the process.

While she’s dealing with tyrannical parents and ominous portents, Rena Faye thankfully isn’t on her own—she has the staunch unwavering support of her cousin and best friend Daisy who is a fun vivacious character that livens up every scene she’s in. The closeness between the two girls is a highlight of the story, and as someone who was very close to her cousins as a teenager, I always love to see strong bonds between cousins depicted in YA. It’s an especially nice touch that the girls are given the majority of the focus throughout the book as opposed to Rena Faye’s on-and-off-again boyfriend Chance and stealth love interest Arden.

Mature readers looking for thrills and chills this spooky season will need to adjust their expectations going into this to avoid disappointment; the intermittent sprinkling of mildly scary scenes is more suited to readers on the younger spectrum of the YA audience. However the universal themes of breaking free from restrictive expectations, knowing your self-worth and working to achieve your dreams make this accessible to readers of all ages, and its focus on feminine strength, reconciliation and healing provide a heart-warming, feel-good arc. If you like the sound of a ghost mystery with fun, nuanced characters, and complicated family dynamics that conceal murky secrets, this is the book for you!

Where Echoes Lie is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of November 2nd 2021.

Will you be picking up Where Echoes Lie? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

In this eerie thriller of a ghost story, a teenage girl must solve the mystery of the ghost bride that has haunted her community in rural Kentucky for more than a century.

Rena Faye believes in things she can see and touch, or at least capture through the lens of her camera. Things like the moonbow–a gray-and-white colorless bow that arcs out of Cumberland Falls every month when the moon is full. This natural phenomenon is what keeps her family’s motel business afloat, and what puts their tiny Kentucky town on the map. That, and the legend of the ghost bride.

Along with everyone else who has grown up near the falls, Rena knows the tragic tale of the bride who walks the cliff on moonlit nights. But when her grandma tells her that the legend is real, and worse, that the ghost bride has cursed the women of their family, she dismisses it as just another of her mawmaw’s famous stories. But when Rena Faye’s life begins to fall apart, she must delve deeper into the stories surrounding the legend, and reexamine who she can trust, as well as the truth about her town and family history. before the curse takes everything–and everyone–she holds dear.

An eerie thriller of a ghost story filled with twists and turns until the final page.

The post Review: Where Echoes Lie by Shannon Schuren appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We can’t believe we’re almost halfway through 2019 already! This month we are treated with a lot of summer reads new releases, so we will be sharing this month’s debut releases that you need to check out immediately!

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest
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A dazzling debut from Kristina Forest about a ballerina’s dream, roadside hijinks, heart-stirring romance, and a few broken rules.

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
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Set in the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown, the story follows Natalie Tan and her journey when she finally returns home after her mother’s death and a surprising inherited restaurant from her grandmother. A story about family grief, community’s power and a side of romance.

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson
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When there are two guys named Martin, and one of them texted Haley, she thinks she’s talking to the one she doesn’t hate. The chemistry quickly sparks over the text messages, but here’s the problem… Haley doesn’t know who Martin is. And Martin doesn’t know that Haley doesn’t know.

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A brand new series from Booktuber Lucy Powrie – about what happens when you give up on trying to fit in and let your weird out! It’s time to join The Paper & Hearts Society…

Rules We’re Meant to Break by Natalie Williamson
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Honest and full of heart, this clever contemporary romance debut deftly combines utterly relatable family drama with all the sweetness and uncertainty that comes with falling in love.

The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson
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In this contemporary debut by Laura Sibson, one girl embraces the power of her voice: rules are meant to be broken and she won’t stay silent.

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
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The Grief Keeper is a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.

The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren
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The Virtue of Sin is a compelling debut novel by Shannon Schuren about speaking out, standing up, and breaking free.

All of Us with Wings by Michelle Ruiz Keil
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Michelle Ruiz Keil’s YA fantasy debut about love, found family, and healing is an ode to post-punk San Francisco through the eyes of a Mexican-American girl.

In West Mills by De’Shawn Charles Winslow
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Set in an African American community in rural North Carolina from 1941 to 1987, In West Mills is a magnificent, big-hearted small-town story about family, friendship, storytelling, and the redemptive power of love.

The Beholder by Anna Bright
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A story following Selah, the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, and her journey to find the perfect partner that will help secure the future of her people, but the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A debut YA contemporary fantasy from Kat Cho set in modern-day Seoul, following eighteen-year-old Miyoung, a nine-tailed fox, commonly known as a gumiho, who must devour the energy of men in order to survive.

Are there any other debut novels you’re looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Debut Authors You Need To Check Out In June 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.