Thirtysomething, unemployed, and smarting from the abrupt unraveling of her upcoming wedding, Sabrina “Bri” Hall is desperate to leave her life in New York behind. So when she sees the opportunity to buy a mysterious old house on the secluded Jackal’s Head Point on the southern coast of Maine, she jumps on it. While she may be able to run from the past, she’s haunted by a new demon: cryptic dreams of a previous occupant’s life and untimely death. On top of it all, Bri must deal with her feelings for Matt, a local craftsman hired to help renovate the old house but struggling with his own troubled past. The Feel Of Echoes takes the reader from the present into the past and back again to decode the mystery haunting Jackal's Head Point.
Assessment:
Plot: This is an effective and unsettling mystery that moves along at a quick pace. However, the sense of unease Labbee creates within the house is lost among overly long backstories, and when the narrative focuses extensively on Matt. Additionally, the introduction of Indigo/Isabel and Rosabel as focal characters leads to a rushed and unsatisfying ending.
Prose: Labbee’s prose often flows incredibly well, and her descriptive language is particularly strong, making The Feel of Echoes an enjoyable read. However, there is a tendency towards over explanation and redundancy. Additionally, the introduction of Rosabel’s diary entries and Indigo/Isabel’s narration is a misstep that muddles the plot.
Originality: The premise of a someone buying a historic home and then facing supernatural repercussions is not a new one, but the opening chapter is exciting enough to bring life to the familiar storyline. Unfortunately, the narrative as a whole relies too heavily on genre tropes.
Character Development: One of the strongest elements of the novel is the characterization. While Labbee works to introduce and build all of her characters, Bri and Matt are the best developed, both learning and growing throughout the narrative. However, the effort at characterization also causes the narrative to meander through extensive flashbacks and extraneous information.
Date Submitted: August 01, 2017
