Wyld's fourth novel is arguably her strongest yet - and that's saying something for such a consistently strong writer. Her trademark narrative puzzle trail is put to brilliant work here – as ghost Max, (bound to the London flat he shared with girlfriend, Hannah) attempts to uncover how he died. Meanwhile, the recently bereaved Hannah's childhood in rural Australia is revealed in beautifully managed stages. Deeply moving and wonderfully balanced. Five stars all round.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoy Evie Wyld's writing style, it is so beautiful and she handles complex issues so well.

The concept of this book is really interesting and it did not disappoint at all. The overall topics of relationships, grief and trauma were all dealt with care.

I will be recommending this and reading more from the author.

*4.5

Max is trapped in purgatory. Why? What will it take to set him free from the flat he shares with his girlfriend, Hannah? And as he watches her grieve, we are transported into their past, witnessing the complexities of their love and the ways they let each other down; and then taken back much further, to Hannah's family in Australia and the terrible secrets they hid. As we slowly understand what happened to Max, and what caused Hannah to flee her country, we explore trauma through the eyes of her relatives. Each one has a section that changes our understanding of them, and unpacks levels to the dark history of their property and their relationships, while remaining propulsive and tense. It's a true feat to write a story that is both a character story and a pacy mystery, but Evie Wyld has done it. I devoured this.

Thank you NetGalley for this review copy!

A complex and searing meditation on the things that haunt us. Wyld is a deft and skilled writer that beautifully explores these complex issues.

An additional review added on Instagram:

I have spent a lot of time over the last year thinking about ghosts. So much so that I have created a note on my phone to keep track of each mention, each time they crop up in conversation, in books, in music or art. So when I was sent an ARC of THE ECHOES I knew I needed to dive right in.

On the face of it, THE ECHOES is a ghost story, one that understands that ghosts are not just a spooky vision of the dead but can also be the images, ideas and memories that continue to haunt us. It is a story of grief, of a complicated childhood, of how the past shapes our future. It reminds us we can be haunted by a great many things: our past, our decisions, those who leave, the place we grew up, the feelings we hold onto.

THE ECHOES is published in the UK on 1st August.

The Echoes is a complex and powerful novel about intergenerational trauma, moving between Australia and London.

We are initially introduced to Max, a creative writing professor who now haunts his girlfriend Hannah's apartment in London and powerlessly watches Hannah's grief after his sudden death. the novel then cycles back to show us the faultlines in Max and Hannah's life together as a couple, and Hannah's childhood in Australia, growing up on a goat farm on a piece of land called The Echoes, previously home to a colonial school and before that to indigenous people whose absence reverberates throughout the novel. Evie Wyld also shows us the past lives of many others connected to Hannah - her parents, her sister Rachel, her uncle Tone and his partner Melissa, the retired schoolmaster Manningtree and her grandmother Natalia who originally left London for Australia two generations before. Through these connected stories, we see how trauma and abuse form part of a vicious cycle.

This is a compact novel with real depth. It is frequently funny, particularly in tracing the contours of Max and Hannah's relationship (including some wonderful culinary moments), but also profound in the questions it asks, particularly about the unspoken shadow cast by colonial violence: as Hannah's Uncle Tone observes "My roots shouldn't be growing over those bones." The awkward silence with which this observation is met encapsulates the deep uneasiness the novel's characters feel in navigating this subject.

This is both a challenging and rewarding read. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

The story centres on Hannah and her dead boyfriend Max, who, as a ghost, provides a fresh and ironically humorous viewpoint. The novel is primarily driven by their relationship, switching between different timelines and viewpoints. It is an intense read, one that deals with tough topics such and abuse and grief.

It's also a read that stays with you long after you finish it. Highly recommended for those looking for a deep and beautifully written story.

Literally haunting book that creates a believable and heart-breaking world of love loss and abuse that is beautifully told from different perspectives. A terrible and awful story of generational abuse becomes something transcendent and touching, as we see the stories of Hannah, her family and her dead boyfriend laid out before us without judgement. Something very new and fresh about this book and its perspective.

Wow. ‘The Echoes’ by Evie Wyld, will undoubtedly be a contender as my favourite read of 2024. Wyld sure can write and it’s one of those incredible page turners that also make you want to slow down to absorb every word. It’s a vivid novel that will stay with me for long time.

Echoes is largely about a relationship that was ‘not perfect. But just right’, between Hannah and Max, and the life that went on before and after tragedy. We therefore know from the offset that Max is also the ghost of the husband past and his ending isn’t going to be a happy one. I was intrigued as to how a ghostly character would work and also somewhat concerned that I may find it to be a silly device; but the effect was far from it, it allowed us a unique perspective on the lives Max witnessed after his death, in a way that would only be possible through the omnipresence of a ghostly spectre. Max also offered a humorous, and ironic narrative at times, which was richly effective and gave the whole plot an entirely extra dimension. Oh and Cotton the cat deserves a mention here too - he deserves his own riotous applause.

The novel’s structure is defined by chapters around the ever changing time periods ‘before’ his death, ‘after’ and ‘then’, along with individual chapters which provide character focus on singular minor characters, to add extra perspective and plot depth. The revelations that come throughout the development of the story are often not an easy read, as past traumas are unsurfaced, but boy is it well crafted.

It’s an incredibly intimate novel, with a remarkable level of literary observation. And the ending… no spoilers, but I think it’s exquisite! I will be seeking out Evie Wyld’s back catalogue for sure.

I feel very honoured to have received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review of ‘The Echoes’. I highly recommend it.

Interesting book with a dark, reflective story. I have not been introduced to such writing style before. I also enjoyed the ending — made me think about the book long after I had finished it.

Evie Wyld is a skilful writer, and I will be reading more of her works in the future.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for bestowing this book to me.

Both a celebration and autopsy of a relationship, The Echoes is a novel about stories and who has the right to tell them, asking what of our past can we shrug off and what is fixed forever.

A stunning dark, intimate, and affecting book which grabbed my attention from the first page.

Recently dead Max haunts the London flat where Hannah his grieving girlfriend still lives. They are both stricken by the loss of what they could have been and the recognition of what they never were.

While Max permeates the flat, trying to make some kind of contact with her, Hannah is dogged by her past, a dark thing of desperation and trauma which she has tried to bury, and which brought her from the Australian bush to this precise place 

The timelines shift between generations and countries exploring Hannah’s secret, and the couple’s shared, pasts, and revealing the monstrous and beautiful complexities of human connection.

We see the harsh realities of trauma and the pernicious coping strategies which can inhibit our ability to move beyond the echoes of our past, or cause us to amplify those echoes. There are horrors, glimpsed fleetingly - like ghosts, no less - and they linger for us, and for the characters, without melodrama, They seep into us. A cold clammy weight, growing heavier as we piece together the fragments of Hannah’s family history.

It’s not an easy comfortable read by any means, and it contains pretty much every trigger you could expect.

It is dark and strange and it will settle around your shoulders for days after you have finished it. You will marvel at the economy and precision with which Wyld can depict a complex relationship dynamic or a shrouded tension, and make you see and feel it all while keeping so much unsaid and unseen.

Remarkable and brilliant.

This was such a powerful read! The various POVs across the three timelines were very well made and easy to keep track of. A generational tale between Australia and England, with a slightly paranormal touch via the figure of Max.

When Max dies, he becomes an unwilling ghost in the flat he shared with his now grieving girlfriend Hannah. As the narrative shifts between this present, the period of their relationship and Hannah’s childhood in Australia, and is told through the eyes of different characters, it becomes clear that both Hannah and the family she has fled from have been shaped by the traumatic events of their past. Haunting (literally!) and deeply sad, this book takes an unflinching look at the way cruelty and abuse can be passed down through the generations and be incredibly hard to escape. The characters are flawed and their behaviour sometimes appalling, but they are very human and portrayed with sympathy and understanding. The writing is skilful and vivid. A sometimes harrowing read, but utterly memorable and ending on a note of hope.

Evie Wyld’s ‘The Echoes’ opens with first-person narration from Max, a ghost, as he watches his (ex) girlfriend Hannah roam around in the London flat they shared. Subsequent chapters switch between ghost Max, Hannah’s perspective before the accident that resulted in Max’s death, and third-person narration exploring Hannah’s youth and estranged family decades previously in Australia. The result is that what I expected to be a quirky novel about death and life after death proved instead to be a thoughtful, engaging and moving examination of abuse, generational trauma (this term is thrown around a lot, but I think is very accurate here) and colonialism.

While the subject matter sounds heavy - and it is, Wyld is dealing with some very big themes here - the novel never feels remotely like a struggle. The prose is so engaging, witty and often beautiful and I found it completely involving. I loved Max and Hannah, both of them flawed and human and incredibly well-realised. Their relationship is complicated and messy, with both of them failing to communicate well and hiding things from each other - which we see through the eyes of Hannah in the moment, and Max after his death, stuck watching Hannah in the flat they shared.

The real core of the novel, though, are the sections revealing Hannah’s childhood and family life - another thing she keeps secret from Max. This storyline unravels slowly, perfectly paced and constantly engaging. Scenes of happy family life are haunted by a looming sense that something has to go wrong; we are introduced to Hannah’s family and grow to care for them deeply, all the while moving gradually closer to finding out what was the catalyst behind her eventual estrangement. It’s a beautifully layered plot, delving into the psyche and history of each character, and the land that they live on.

Ultimately this is a novel about dealing with the echoes of the past - the dark and complicated histories that Hannah, chiefly, contends with. The prose is witty and often fun, but the themes and ideas at play are complex and dark. I thought this was a hugely accomplished novel from an author I hadn’t read before - but am now desperate to read more from. Massively recommended, and without a doubt one of my top books of this year.

"I do not believe in ghosts, since my death has become something of a problem." Evie Wyld's latest novel, The Echoes, begins with this striking declaration. It is an atmospheric exploration of trauma, grief, and the everlasting effects of intergenerational trauma, serving as an allegory for death. The description of the book can be slightly misleading, giving the impression it is a supernatural romance novel when the book is so much more. At the very start, the reader notices there are two narratives: the story of Max, a sharp-tongued British lad who finds himself unexpectedly as a ghost, and Hannah, his Aussie girlfriend, an "angry" lass full of hidden trauma, trying to navigate her identity in this new place.

The book addresses sensitive topics such as immigration, abortion, ethnic cleansing, and self-harm without glorification, nor melodrama, nor exploring too deep. Wyld's masterful storytelling immerses readers in a world where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur. While the novel's exploration of grief and loss is undoubtedly bleak, there are also gorgeous passages and interactions – with some funny dialogues. Through Hannah's journey, Wyld offers a glimmer of hope amidst the weight of death, suggesting that even in the face of overwhelming sorrow, healing and growth are possible. Also, Max's perspective offers a unique angle into the lives of those around Hannah, serving as a breather throughout the book.

Hannah is a character defined by loss and the weight of the past. Her grief over the death of her boyfriend is palpable, and her relationship with her mother is charged with shame and resentment. Slowly, Wyld reveals the layers of Hannah's character, showcasing her vulnerability, resilience, and the complexities of navigating life after trauma. At first glance, one might assume that Hannah and Max had little connection after six years together. However, much of Max's commentary on Hannah is unreliable, and there is significant underlying tension between them. This is told brilliantly through the alternation between first-person narration in Max's chapters and third-person narration in the others. Hannah's connection to the Australian landscape, particularly the remote and unforgiving outback, is integral to her identity and becomes evident during her childhood chapters. It's a place both haunting and grounding, reflecting the dualities within Hannah herself.

Wyld delves into the emotional distress, the process of healing, and the impact of loss on individuals and relationships. The Echoes is a powerful meditation on the sense of identity and belonging. It is a stark reminder that the violence of the past is never truly gone; its echoes can reverberate through generations, shaping the present and future. It explores how unresolved issues and traumas can echo through generations, affecting individuals and communities.

Ultimately, The Echoes is a book that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned. It is a testament to Evie Wyld's talent as a writer and a thought-provoking exploration of the human experience. I highly recommend this book if you’re interested in knowing a bit more about the effects of colonisation on one’s identity.

Many thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ps.: The review will be published on Amazon UK and Goodreads on the publication date.

I’m not sure about this novel. It is well written and the idea of a ghost ‘reviewing’ the life of his girlfriend is an interesting one. However, I struggled to sort out the female characters and found the chapters in Australia hard to follow. Ultimately, a sad read with very few lighter moments.

Definitely an interesting read and one that makes you think. Multipl perspectives of relationships, grief, loss. I found it quite slow going and depressing. It maybe one I should read again

I have yet to read an Evie Wyld novel that I didn't enjoy and this one is excellent.

Split between 3 narratives, the story of Hannah and the secrets of her past are revealed to us through her present day life, her childhood in Australia and through the eyes of her recently deceased boyfriend Max's ghost! It's hard to say much without spoiling the story, but this is a book that looks at relationships and how family dynamics affect and live on through the generations and how, in turn they affect the other relationships in our lives.

Compelling and thought-provoking, I'll definitely be recommending this to library readers.

The Echoes is a well written but, to me, a sad book dealing with emotions and grief following a sudden death. Told in different timelines and from different pov's it explores families, relationships and secrets. Thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley for an arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

This is a well written book which provides a lot to discuss and to think about but it is a sad and very depressing read as we shudder and weep for the blighted lives of all our characters..

We have big issues here, the sins of the fathers (or in this case mothers) being visited on their children; the almost impossibility of escape for those who want to try; the ties that still bind even although we might want to break them. I think everyone in the book has been abused in some way to a much greater or lesser extent so it makes for very uncomfortable reading.

I am sorry to say that I regularly lost track of which female character was who and how they were related to the modern day main character of Hannah. I think the portrayal of the relationship between Max and Hannah is well done.

A worthy and thought provoking book but unrelentingly bleak. Strong stuff.