Challenge Corner discussion

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again...

37%

(view spoiler)[I’m liking Echo and Noah, but I want to see more scenes of them spending time together.

All the other characters are awful. Echo’s father doesn’t care about her getting better, but instead just wants her to fulfil his image of her. Echo’s stepmother is living in her own world where everything’s fine. All of Echo’s so called friends are rubbish and just want her to get over it. Also, I hate how everyone (including her father and stepmother) is pressuring her to get with Luke, who is horrible too.

I like the new clinical social worker and I really want her to set Echo’s father and stepmother straight.

Noah’s friends haven’t been shown much so I’m not sure I like them right now, but I find something about Beth annoying.
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52%

(view spoiler)[I still think most of the side characters are rubbish. Grace is the worst and I don’t understand why Echo wants her to be her friend. Even though Lila is the best of them, her ignorance of how awful most of them are is annoying.

I still don’t like Luke but at least he acted decently when Echo went to tell him that it just wasn’t working.

I really like the scenes with Noah and his brothers but they’re too short, which I guess helps you understand Noah better.
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I’ll start this one soon!

77%

(view spoiler)[I still don’t like Echo’s friends.

I really don’t like Echo’s father, even though I liked his reaction to Noah. He was controlling and tried to make Echo become a different person, and yet what happened was because of his irresponsibility.

While I understand Noah’s need to have his brothers with him, I can also see Echo’s POV. All of this would be so much easier if the foster parents acknowledged the fact that Noah is Tyler and Jacob’s brother.
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100% - Finished

(view spoiler)[I liked how things turned out with Noah and his brothers.

Mrs Collins was the best.

I didn't like the way the situation with Echo's father and Ashley played out. Echo's father makes absolutely no effort to fix his relationship with Echo throughout this whole book, but then at the end everything's fine.

I did wish that the scene where Noah takes Echo to meet his brothers was shown.
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Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "37%..."

(view spoiler)[ Echo and Noah are SO stinking cute together!!

I 100% agree with you on the other characters!! they are horrible... they only care about what others' think and the social setting. Echo's father wants Echo to be nicer to her step mother?? that lady is so annoying, I wouldn't be able to stop rolling my eyes around her.

Luke is a piece of work... yeah I'll fall in love with you after we have sex?? that makes perfect sense, NOT!

I love the clinical social worker, she appears to be able to set Echo and Noah straight at the same time as working with Echo's dad and stepmother.

Honestly I think I only like Isaiah right now as the side character, the rest are annoying. (hide spoiler)]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "52%..."

(view spoiler)[ I’m not sure why echo would want to be friends with someone like grace, but I’m happy she at least has Lila. I’m waiting to find out what happened the night echos mother attacked her.

Also what was Tyler wanting Noah to keep a secret? (hide spoiler)]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "77%"

(view spoiler)[ I was SHOCKED at Echos father's reaction to Noah. Echo deserves to be treated SO well... & shouldn't have to hide her scars nor should she feel guilty about them.

I don't know what Noah was expecting.. .not having his brothers or Echo intermix?? smh boys not thinking about the future?? (hide spoiler)]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "100% - Finished

(view spoiler)[ Mrs. Collins deserves an award for how she treated them both. Not once did she give up on them and supported Echo and Noah entirely.

I kind of wished Grace had a big slap of karma hit her. & I wasn't at all interested in Beth's side story, she's cruel and mean for no reason... I will not be reading about her side story.

Overall, a good story but not my favorite characters other than the main ones (hide spoiler)]

Thank you for reading this with me!! I doubt I'll be continuing the series with these main characters. I liked them but not enough to see what they are up to next.

Haley wrote: "Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "37%..."

(view spoiler)[I kind of liked Isaiah too, except he didn't appear often and he didn't really have much to say.
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Haley wrote: "Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "77%..."

(view spoiler)[Yeah, I don't know how Noah was thinking about a future with his brothers and Echo... but not at the same time? I don't he ever even thought about them meeting each other.
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Haley wrote: "Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "100% - Finished"

(view spoiler)[I agree about Mrs Collins - she was the only adult who acted like they should.

I wanted to see that too, maybe something making Grace lose all her 'worthy'/'good enough' friends.

I really didn't like Beth either. I think I read her book a few years ago, but I don't think I'd go back to reread it.

Also, I didn't think of this earlier, but I hated how Echo's mother dismissed the whole thing and showed absolutely no emotion (regret, embarrassment, remorse, anything) about what she did.

It was great reading this with you! I completely agree with the characters not being great, but I hope you find some books with characters you'll like.
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Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Haley wrote: "Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "100% - Finished"l..."


(view spoiler)[ HER mother was the absolute worst!!! I was expecting her to show more empathy??? I don't understand how she didn't, especially since the friend said "your mom feels bad after what happened". Uhhh definitely didn't seem like that (hide spoiler)]

This was not what I expected.

21% : (view spoiler)[I am not super into this one yet especially Echo's friends' "advice" to her for gaining her spot back in the social circle. I get that it's just teenagers being teenagers but self harm and suicide are such sensitive topics to deal with, I am not enjoying everyone taking it so lightly. So far Mrs. Collins seems to be the only one who understands the gravity of the situation. I don't think Noah wanting to sneak a peak at his file would go down well with the therapist (hide spoiler)]

41% :(view spoiler)[Luke is awful yikes and I hate most of Echo's friends too for pushing her to be with Luke despite her saying no several times. I will never understand why is it crucial that she date someone or lose her virginity to be socially acceptable. Her own mom trying to hurt her is such a painful thing to go tthrough and Noah losing everything in the fire hurts too. It's a shame that despite such a strong plot to work with, the author chose to focus on all the wrong things (hide spoiler)]

61% : (view spoiler)[Nope, this book isn't for me. I am only going to finish this for the sake of it but the moment Echo felt like she might lose her best friend if she breaks up with the guy literally pressuring her to have sex with him, I was done. Noah is no better imo and I am annoyed that these people are so obsessed with sleeping with someone. Beth is horrible to Echo and idc what her reason is. I wish the amazing trauma storyline was used for something better (hide spoiler)]

80% :(view spoiler)[Yikes Echo's dad knew all along that he was at fault for whatever happened to her on that fateful night and yet he wanted to keep her memories repressed. I am struggling to find ONE character that I like in this book but no luck so far. Noah claims he loves Echo but all I see is his obsession to get his brothers back, honestly at this point I am not even sure he himself realises what is best for them, how does he even plan to raise two kids on such a low income? It is illogical imo and I am so over it (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ I am just glad that I finished the book honestly because I definitely doubted I'd be able to once Echo met her mom. I realised I was holding out hope for her to turn out to be a misunderstood woman but the condescending way she talked to Echo washed away all the illusions. I was not comfortable with Owen and Ashley's relationship, Noah finally understanding that leaving Jacob and Tyler with their foster parents was the best course of action came a bit too late and the author provided no explanation whatsoever for Echo's friends' horrible behaviour (hide spoiler)]