Literally... because I listened to the audio book.
Echo
Genre: Historical fiction
Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Content: None
Main Character(s): Otto, Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy
Brief Overview:
(I stole this from Goodreads because I didn't know how to describe this book)
Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.
Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo.
What I Thought:
Y'all. I have so many feelings. I had actual tears in my eyes at the end of this book, and that's rare for me.
I absolutely adored this book. In trying to pinpoint why, I kept coming back to one thought. A lot of middle-grade books tend to "talk down" to the kids. This one didn't. And it's so important.
This book dealt with hard issues. Friedrich's sister joins Hitler's youth program, working for a perfect nation he probably won't fit into. Mike and his brother Frankie are mistreated as orphans in a time when I thought orphan mistreatment had ended. Ivy deals with not only racism directed at her family, but at the Japanese following the attack on Pearl Harbor. And all of them are presented in a way that is distinct, thoughtful, and allowing for the reader to come to the conclusion that it's wrong on their own. It was beautiful.
Also the music. I loved all the music. Which is one of the main reasons I encourage you to listen to the audio book instead of reading a physical copy. I don't think that I would have gotten the same experience from paper, as much as I love bound books. Not only because each story had a different narrator, which gave each a distinct feel, but because the music was played throughout it, in the background. Which was extremely helpful in the few instances when I wasn't able to put the title and tune together in my head.
And now I'm rambling so let's continue.
The Characters:
Friedrich - I related to Friedrich more than I think I did either of the others, though I really loved them too. Just... some of the things he thought about himself and the ways he reacted to things I kept thinking "dude, this is me". But really, I love this kid. He was so strong and determined and brave and yet so relatable and heartbreaking when he finally broke down.
Mike - I spent most of Mike's story just thinking "I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY". Because Mike and Frankie are precious little peanuts who need to be protected and deserve all happiness. Yeah.
But seriously, as an older sibling myself, I related to him a lot. Everything he did was for Frankie. Even when he had the chance, he didn't do anything for himself. And I loved that.
Ivy - This girl is awesome. She has the capability to do anything she wants, I believe that. But she loves her family so much and just wants to be included and make friends. She just wants to belong. I just want happiness for all three of these kids and that's most of what I thought through this book honestly.
Favorite Quote:
"I guess that means your heart's so sad that it's hard to get out from under the weight. When I was sad about my mother dying, Granny used to say that grief is the heaviest thing to carry alone. So I know all about that."
(^^^ do you see why I want him to be happy?? is that too much to ask??)
Overall Rating: (for the audio book) 5 possibly-magical harmonicas out of 5
Please, please, please go listen to this audio book. It was wonderful. I'll be okay... in a couple of days...
(In other news, the Broadway playlist I wrote this to kept shuffling to the sad songs... which didn't help my feels...)
~ Abby
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