The Echo Room

August 1, 2018
Rett wakes up with a scar on his head, not knowing where he is or why he's there.It turns out that he's trapped in a series of rooms, and he's not alone. In another room, he finds a girl he recognizes--Bryn from Walling Home, where they both once lived as wards of the state. But how did they get from there to here? And why them? What are they supposed to accomplish? As they explore more and piece together the series of clues left to them by previous tenants of the complex, they learn more about both the whys and the hows and come to realize that their actions have an impact far beyond just the two of them. A thrilling ride on a back-and-forth journey of second guesses and near-revelations, this sophomore offering from Peevyhouse (Where Futures End, 2016) is the kind of book that keeps readers up at night, makes them miss their stops, and embodies every characteristic of superlative suspense literature. It offers an ever twisting spiral of intrigue, suspense, and moral discovery set against the backdrop of a dystopia that will be recognizable to anyone who has pondered the connection between world governments and the global economy. All characters present as white.Make sure you don't have to be up early the morning after you start this book. (Science fiction. 13-17)

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September 15, 2018
Grades 8-11 In Peevyhouse's (Where Futures End, 2016) taut sf mystery, two teens wake in unfamiliar surroundings, missing crucial memories of how and why they came to be there. Rett wakes in a bloody jumpsuit, with a strange scar on his head. In another room, he finds similarly scarred Bryn, whom he remembers from the government-run home where they were wards. As they explore the seemingly abandoned outpost, they find scarce stores of food, water, and equipment, as well as cryptic signs left behind by others. They also discover the outer door has been intentionally jammed?from the inside. During their investigation, they black out and wake up memoryless again, which happens over and over until they discover the trigger. This is an irresistible premise?Is this a psychological experiment? A test? A punishment???and Peevyhouse primes it for maximum suspense, keeping tight to Rett's disoriented, frightened point of view. With a locked-room puzzle, clever use of future technology (no spoilers here!), a carefully doled-out dystopian setting, and two relatable characters, this is an excellent speculative mystery with mind-bending twists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)