Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Echo, written by Pam Munoz Ryan is a novel that I would put under the genre of Historical fiction. This book has three stories in it from three different characters. They face challenges like rescuing a father, protecting a brother, and keeping a family together. Their destinies are combined by three mysterious harmonicas that lead them to success and also to the same concert. Friedrich always wanted to orchestrate in an orchestra, Mike lives in a horrid orphanage and tries to stay with his brother, and Ivy tries to keep her family together while her brother is at war. The book is quite long and, in my opinion, kind of boring. Some parts were interesting but it didn't really keep me motivated to read. So in total I would rate it 2-3/5.  (Enya. Grade 6)

Rating: 2/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

“Echo” by Pam Muñoz Ryan is a book that is split into many different sections, each following the lives of different people and telling their stories. I learned a lot from this book as it was based on real historic events that had a big impact on humanity, such as the Nazi invasion and World War II. This book addresses the topic of human suffering and struggling but also shows hope and perseverance as the characters never give up even in their hardest and darkest times. I found this book really short and easy to read because it keeps you hooked and it is hard to put down. I would recommend it to people who enjoy the genres of adventure, science fiction, and history. I believe this novel is targeted at ages 11 and up because of its length and content.  (Nina. Grade 8)

Rating: 5/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5