Echo (Soul Seekers)
Daire Santos has saved her grandmother and is more determined than ever to destroy the evil Richter clan, but she must first learn more about her powers. Second in the Soul Seekers series after Fated (2012), this sophomore title both propels the plot and action yet also allows slumping to occur via a lack of deeper characterization of the main players. Daire and love interest Dace, the “light” twin of his evil brother, Cade, alternate chapter point of view while clinging to each other as they face down the potential destruction of the world. New characters are introduced, most notably one named Phyre, whose intentions are unclear until almost the very end. The healthy depictions of sex here are a welcome departure from many YA books, which tend to either entirely avoid or negatively dramatize teen sexuality. However, Noël’s unfortunate tendency toward sentence fragments and unnecessary character thoughts that tell the reader what is happening, rather than allowing them to figure it out, detract from the story’s momentum. A powerhouse ending sets the scene for the final book to come. Grades 8-11. --Julie Trevelyan--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.