Debuting on the New York stage, Zara is unprepared — for Eli, the girl who makes the world glow; for Leopold, the director who wants perfection; or for death in the theater.
Zara Evans has come to the Aurelia Theater, home to the visionary director Leopold Henneman, to play her dream role in Echo and Ariston, the Greek tragedy that taught her everything she knows about love. When the director asks Zara to promise that she will have no outside commitments, no distractions, it’s easy to say yes. But it’s hard not to be distracted when there’s a death at the theater — and then another — especially when Zara doesn’t know if they’re accidents, or murder, or a curse that always comes in threes. It’s hard not to be distracted when assistant lighting director Eli Vasquez, a girl made of tattoos and abrupt laughs and every form of light, looks at Zara. It’s hard not to fall in love. In heart-achingly beautiful prose, Amy Rose Capetta has spun a mystery and a love story into an impossible, inevitable whole — and cast lantern light on two young women, finding each other on a stage set for tragedy.
A complex cast of suspicious characters, a relentless undercurrent of fear, sophisticated plot development, and the lyrical language Capetta uses to describe Zara’s and Eli’s passion for their work and for each other make this an exceptionally compelling read.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
What do you do when all your dreams come true? What happens if those dreams have a nightmarish edge? Capetta explores the consequences of soured dreams in her latest....this tale will appeal to older teen audiences and likely some adults who enjoy their thrillers steamy, with more than a dash of romance. A twisted tale of theater, conspiracy, and romance.
—Kirkus Reviews
This novel has it all, from the ancient costume designer to the movie star lead to the disappointed chorus girl...classy, this is a theater tale and murder mystery for passionate readers.
—School Library Journal
With timeless, literary prose, Capetta spins a tale that is haunting indeed. Part love story and part mystery, this eerie offering studded with intriguing, secretive characters is beautiful and strange.
—Booklist
Creatively remixing tropes from the entire history of stage lore, Capetta crafts a contemporary Gothic melodrama...this is for theater geeks who will revel in all the over-the-top drama and dramatic references they love and imagine about life on the boards.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Capetta writes with an awareness that is smart and progressive...Echo After Echo is a diverse, confident romance that brings to life the powers of young love in a New York City theater.
—ForeWord Reviews
