Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan is one of my favorite books ever. The book has a fictional plot and characters living in times of real major historical events.

Twelve-year-old Frederich, who grew up in Germany in the times of Hitler, can’t stop his hands from flying up and guiding imaginary music only he hears. That quirk, along with the large birthmark on his face, earned him the nickname Monster Boy. With a new threat every day, his dream of becoming a conductor or even keeping his family together seems faint. Two years later, the special harmonica that Frederich found is passed on to Mike in Philadelphia, who is eleven years old, almost six feet tall, and living in an orphan home. When he and his younger brother Frankie are adopted by the wealthy Mrs. Sturbridge, they go from nothing to luxury. When it soon becomes clear that she doesn’t want them, Mike strikes a deal with her. If he wins a spot in a famous harmonica band, she will keep Frankie with her instead of sending him to a state home. But can they both keep their promises? The final story focuses on Ivy Lopez, who lives in California after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Her family manages a farm whose Japanese-American owner were sent to an internment camp. As the newest owner of the harmonica, Ivy, too, finds strength in its music, but when her family’s ties to the owners puts them both in danger, Ivy finds herself keeping what she fears is a terrible secret.

Echo is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. You might be intimidated by the length but it’s totally worth it! You won’t want to put it down once you start, so the plot will go by really quickly. I loved how the author creatively tied together each of the characters’ stories with a single object. Each character is destined to receive the strengthening harmonica, and they are all encouraged by its music. A second think I loved was how Pam Muñoz Ryan made the seemingly most little insignificant details come back to harm each of the characters in the end of their sections, so don’t let any small specifics escape your mind as you are reading. Another aspect I loved about this book were the strong, independent characters who never give up and look after their families. Ivy is a good example of this because she is inspired by her older brother, who’s away in the army, to keep her family together and happy.I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes action and sitting on the edge of their seat in suspense.

Kiersten J.

Spicer 1/3