Echoes in the Glass

by Cheri Lasota

[inlibrisveritas]

Echoes in the Glass is a book that could safely fit into numerous categories (contemporary, historical, paranormal) and instead of overwhelming you with a ton of elements Cheri Lasota has managed to seamlessly blend them all together. This story managed to take me to one of my favorite places on earth, Oregon, and make me long for all the time spent climbing lighthouses and staring out at the moody ocean.

We have two story lines in Echoes in the Glass, one is present day and the other takes places in 1935, but they both focus on two people. The present day story focuses on Finnian and Tiria. They both have painful memories that they want to forget but the close quarters of the lighthouse doesn’t allow them to suffer their pain alone. Not to mention the lighthouse has it’s own story to tell. Finnian carries a heavy weight on his shoulders and he hides from it, so when he takes a job doing restorations on the abandoned Sorrow lighthouse he neglects to mention his real last name or his history with lighthouses. I loved seeing the changes in Finnian and how different he has become since the ‘incident’ that occurs in the prologue. I also loved that like most humans he seeks to help out others well before he thinks about helping/healing himself, it made me appreciate his personal journey more. Tiria is someone who has clearly been hurt and she guards herself in a way that would put most people off, but as she slowly cultivates a friendship (and eventually relationship) with Finniaan her walls and defenses come down. I’m always a fan of seeing YA friends/couples learn to rely and trust someone else when they would prefer to shoulder it alone. The past of the Sorrow light bleeds into the present as the two teens uncover it’s secrets and learn about it’s history, including Morgan and Carina.

The story line in the past deals with Morgan Graves, a light keeper’s son, and Carina Jane, the daughter of a rancher, who live in the small town of Seagraves, Oregon during the Depression. Morgan, like Finnian, is escaping a terrible death that still haunts him but can’t bare to leave the area close to Sorrow Lighthouse. He finds work at Carina’s ranch and the two slowly become close. I loved that the author chose to give us full chapters taking place in the 1930′s as well as showing little bits and pieces through Finnian and Tiria’s story. It really blends the two stories together.

The only problems I had were with a few end scenes in Finnian and Tiria’s story. While they did work and I loved the high amount of tension, I had a bit of trouble suspending some belief and the events felt a bit odd. It definitely wasn’t a huge issue though and I was more than satisfied with the conclusion.

Echoes in the Glass is what I would call a moody book. It’s not a feel good novel but it is chock full of emotion as our characters learn to move on from the past, allow other people in, and deal with terrible losses. I loved the blend of historical and contemporary fiction, along with the unique setting and the very small touches of paranormal and mystery. If you’re looking for a atmospheric read with a unique flare then Echoes in the Glass might be for you.