Title: Chasing Echoes 
Author: Jodi Perkins
Genre: Fiction/ YA/ Romance/ Magic/ Fantasy
Source: Kindle Recommendation
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”Okay,” he finally blinked. “Let me try a different approach.” He looked at me hard again. He knew what I was doing. He was going to have his question answered one way or the other. “Do you, Topaz Aevos, have any powers?”

Taz Aevos froze in fear at what she had done. The huge glass chandelier was shattered in pieces at her feet, the evidence of how close she was in bloody streaks over her arms where she at least had the good sense to cover her face. Her anger towards Stryder had caused her to use her power, a stupid mistake in a ballroom full of people. He shouldn’t have pranked her sister like that, but she shouldn’t have let him get to her. Again. Thankfully no one could seriously blame her for the ‘accident’, right?

Stryder couldn’t help but feel like Taz had something to do with the chandelier coming down. The way she had just stood there watching it before it fell. He couldn’t shake the feeling about her and the anger she felt towards him when he had pranked her little sister infront of the whole school. His thoughts were pushed aside when he discovers a mysterious stranger on his front porch threatening him with a curse that will start on 21st January at 7:17pm. Stupid ramblings of a madman. First he thought Taz had supernatural powers and now he was being cursed? Yeah right. Little did Stryder know that his life was able to take a drastic turn when the 21st came along and he found himself transported outside a coffee shop in Clockworks town centre, back to January 1st.

“I told you,” Stryder said, his hushed voice now sounding tired. “It’s January 8th. I’ve been here before. Taz, this is my fourth time here.” 
“What – what do you mean?”
“Didn’t I say this already? I’m trapped in a time loop.” He paused not looking particularly thrilled to voice this next part. “And now you’re here too.” 
“No. It can’t be. It just can’t.”
He grabbed my arm and shoved it under my nose. “Look. Just look. Didn’t you get your stitches removed last week? Why are there bandages there now, huh? LOOK.” 
My heart thumped in my chest. There shouldn’t be bandages there. I peeled one of them, slowly, then the other, already knowing what I would see, but having to do it anyway.
There they were. Thirty-two stitches. 
“No,” I whispered.’

Wow. That was incredible. I absolutely fell in love with this book and I cannot recommend it enough! I was blown away by the story, it kept me up most of the night. It made me laugh, cry and had me gripping my kindle so hard in suspense I thought it would break. That hasn’t happened in a while. I was so desperate to find out how it ended I couldn’t leave my chair until I did!
I literally discovered this book by chance, it came up on my recommendations after Devils’ Day Party and the whole time loop groundhog day plot. Not to mention the cover drew me in, I mean, just look at the colours, it’s stunning. I thought I’d give it a chance and I do not regret it at all, it hit my favourites list instantly!

I’ve been sat here for ages trying to think of the right words for my review for this book, and honestly, I just can’t fault it. The characters are relatable and entirely unpredictable from the start, the plot is brilliantly captivating with it’s fast paced mystery with dark secrets, blackmail, unexpected magic, sisterly bonds, murder and a romance that will make you feel like you’re a teenager experiencing first love all over again. The pace is perfect, you felt the urgency of their predicament coming out through the pages, everything happening so fast but beautifully gripping.

The story itself is told from both perspectives of Taz and Stryder, and you’ll come to love them both for their lively personalities and the determination to break free of the curse they’ve found themselves in. Taz is a great protagonist, she’s passionate, levelheaded and always puts others first with her friendly caring nature. She has a lovely unbreakable bond with her three sisters, little did she know how their individual powers connected them on a whole other level. Her love/ hate interactions with Stryder are electric, she’s forced into a situation with no way out and has no choice but to engage in the riddle of him that will get them out of the curse.
Stryder is a great well written character with a dark backstory with consequences that he allows to control him. He doesn’t give himself a break and continues to let others blackmail him and dictate his life. The broken neglected aspect of his personality hovers over the surface and he doesn’t allow himself to get close to others with the fear of being left alone again. He’s a heartbreaking mess that can’t help but push down his feelings, his inner turmoil evident in his actions around Taz. Even though sometimes you just want to hate him, you can understand why he is the way he is. The way he begins to change throughout the story will make you smile, even with his recommended ‘fake it til you make it’ attitude.

The magical aspect of the story is really interesting, Taz and her ability to gravitate things around her, Phee with her ability to heat and Krystal with her ability to cool. Aviva’s ability is kept in the dark until towards the end, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I’ll leave that out. The sisters believe they are the only ones with powers and they are scared of what it could mean so they do their best to suppress their abilities which makes them weak to it. It would have been great to see more childhood flashbacks of them using their powers in secret to explore more of the magical features of the story.

‘Leaves in rustic purples, reds and gold clumped beneath my feet, yet I could barely feel their edges. It was like I was floating above them. Trees loomed over me, allowing a kaleidoscope of sunny patches through their thinning leaves. I didn’t know where I was, but somehow I knew I wasn’t lost. I swirled around, and joy surged through me. I threw my arms up in the air in a sweeping motion, the energy and joy pulsing through my arms into my fingertips. At my gesture a handful of leaves softly fluttered down from a nearby tree. I knew the gesture was unnecessary – just looking at the leaves would make them fall. But in my delight I repeated the motion anyway and more leaves rained down. I spun faster, leaves swirling around me in a whirlpool of auburn and gold. It was beautiful.’

I was wonderfully content with the ending of the book, but I’m glad to say it doesn’t stop there if you don’t want it too! Whilst this book can be simply a standalone, the next book is told from the perspective of Taz’s sister Aviva and the mysterious shadow that she can’t help but stop and stare at, at the end of this story. I for one am keen to know more and have already purchased the next book. Watch out for my review for the next book, as I’m sure it will come very soon!

Goodreads Review:
Taz Aevos can make things fall with a single glance. Of all the random and bizarre powers that she and her three sisters were born with, hers is clearly the most useless. That is, until New Year’s Eve. When high school senior Stryder Black executes a cruel joke, Taz uses her powers, and all hell breaks loose.
Stryder’s ill-fated prank lands him straight into a mysterious stranger’s powerful curse—one meant to teach him a lesson. Desperate for help, Stryder unwittingly drags Taz into the curse with him. Now both are forced to relive the same twenty days of their lives over and over.
But something goes deadly wrong. Not only is their loop mysteriously shrinking, Taz learns that Stryder is harboring a dark secret. Is his murky past the key to helping them escape…or will their time run out?