Helen Vaughan and her mother fled her families home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow. She has no idea why and why they don’t talk much to their famiHelen Vaughan and her mother fled her families home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow. She has no idea why and why they don’t talk much to their family anymore.
They return back for her grandfather’s funeral and finds out this man who has barely known her – left everything to her. The house, the grounds, and money all to her as long as she stays at the house for one year.
Helen decides to do it, not only for the money but also to get to the bottom of things. She needs to know why her grandfather picked her when there were so many other choices. Helen has also always felt different growing up and that no one liked her. She knows there is something about Harrow that will give her these answers. What she finds out is not even close to what she had expected.
These Fleeting Shadows is a mixture of thriller and horror. Marshall never fails to create a creepy story with a twist. The revelations only bring on more questions to the point where you have to keep reading. When you think you know where it’s going, there is much more to it. I can’t wait to see what Marshall has in store for us next!
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I just received an ARC and i've never been so excited in my whole life!!!!! Shout out to Sam, Kaitlin, Penguin Random House, and of course Kate Alice Marshall for blessing us with her mind....more
I had very low expectations going into this because I've been hurt many times before but it ended up impressing me and I cant wait for the next book. I had very low expectations going into this because I've been hurt many times before but it ended up impressing me and I cant wait for the next book. I wish it didn’t take me so long to pick this one up!!
Zetian is the female YA bad ass character I’ve been looking for, for so long. It's been awhile since we've seen one, at least in my opinion. I loved her and her strength and how she really stood up for her beliefs and the ones she loves. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and was even willing to die. The characters felt real too and the world building was well done.
I will admit some of this was a little confusing to follow but I loved how action packed it is, this book does not slow down. 4.5 but rounding to 5 stars - definitely well deserved and especially for a debut! I'm terrible at reviewing books I enjoyed so thanks so much to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!...more
This was so good omg I'm going to buy a copy for my shelf. One of the best books I've read this year!This was so good omg I'm going to buy a copy for my shelf. One of the best books I've read this year!...more
Wow okay so I went into this not knowing anything about the synopsis so I think that’s definitely the best way to go into it. It doesn’t make much senWow okay so I went into this not knowing anything about the synopsis so I think that’s definitely the best way to go into it. It doesn’t make much sense at first and you don’t really know what’s going on in the beginning. I thought I guessed what was going on but I only guessed half of it so that was a pleasant surprise.
This book is very slowly drawn out but it works out well, usually I hate that type of story but this did a great job in being creepy and wrapping everything up together. I thought the narrator did a really great job bringing the characters to life as well.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!...more
UPDATE 1/27/21: I wish I could read this again for the first time :((
Wow. I haven't read a book that's compulsory readable in SO long. I won't lie, I UPDATE 1/27/21: I wish I could read this again for the first time :((
Wow. I haven't read a book that's compulsory readable in SO long. I won't lie, I had my doubts because YA horror is usually not that great but THIS. This is. It was genuinely creepy and it was SO hard to put this down when real life got in the way. I can't really write a proper review for this because I realized I am incapable of reviewing books I loved but.. this is such a good book. The format is super engaging. I can totally see it be adapted into a TV series or movie. it's best not reading the synopsis or reading many reviews either. Speaking of movies, this kind of reminded me of Silent Hill if I'm remembering the movie correctly.
The only issue I have with the book is that some of it is a little confusing but the story is so unique that I can let that pass. I think there was a lot going on but that's what made it so interesting. I'm giving this a strong 4.5 and rounding because I'm generous and I loved this. I would like to know what Kate Alice Marshall's thought process was with this and wish I could ask her my questions SO hopefully we get another book. I will be reading her other novels in the meantime.
Thank you to my dear friend Jenny for the recommendation! I think I may buy a copy for my bookshelf....more
Sophia’s earliest memory is of drowning and losing her mother, and so becoming an orphan at a young age. All her life she has been told her mom died iSophia’s earliest memory is of drowning and losing her mother, and so becoming an orphan at a young age. All her life she has been told her mom died in Montana, leaving Sophia to bounce around within the foster care system until she turns eighteen.
Sophia believes there is more to her mother’s disappearance and thinks that a remote Alaskan island called Bitter Rock has something to do with it. She’s warned not to travel to the secluded island because it’s known to be dangerous—and visitors may never return once they go. For decades, past inhabitants have mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again.
“All thirty-one residents vanished without a trace. No further communication was received. No bodies were ever recovered. They were not the first. They would not be the last.”
Yet in spite of these unnatural happenings—and perhaps because of them—Sophia decides to go to Bitter Rock: she needs to find out the truth about her mother. She poses as an intern for a research company in order to secure herself access to the island. Upon arrival, strange things begin to happen, and she is immediately warned never to stray into the mist. As things begin to spiral out of control, Sophia finds herself uncovering the truth of what happened to her and her mother the day she drowned.
“This place gets inside of you… It gets inside of you and you’ll never scrape it all out.”
Kate Alice Marshall has a way with words. She conjures up the creepiest imagery and scene setting, and her writing is atmospheric enough to grip readers with every single word. Our Last Echoes is a story told through a mixture of video tapings, dialogue, interviews, and prose—a unique multi-media type of format. Her storytelling is also a fresh take on modern horror. Marshall has a great way of writing young adults and intertwining people of color and queer characters within the story. For example, in this novel there are prominent side characters who are lesbian, are East Asian, and are of Indian descent.
Our Last Echoes could be considered a spin-off of Marshall’s 2019 novel Rules For Vanishing, as there are a few Easter egg-type references and some of the same characters. I’d recommend reading Rules For Vanishing first to appreciate this world-building in its full glory.
The bottom line: Kate Alice Marshall is a must-read author for anyone who loves horror and the supernatural, particularly in the context of contemporary YA fiction.
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