Found Footage Gets a Novel Take in Our Last Echoes

Viking Books for Young Readers

Found footage and analog-based stories are perennially popular in the horror genre, and the convention has given us haunting and eerie narratives. While they’re mostly fiction, the fact that these stories are happening in a grounded setting, and often set in first person, makes the supernatural elements feel a little more real, resulting in some truly bone-chilling experiences. There are plenty of movies, video games, and web series that use this style, but I’ve rarely seen it in the form of a written story. However, Kate Alice Marshall’s new thriller, Our Last Echoes, is a compilation of traditional narration and fictional police documents that puts a unique spin on both the YA category and the found-footage genre.

Our Last Echoes details the mysterious happenings of Bitter Rock, Alaska, a small island infamous for many of its inhabitants having disappeared over the years. After learning her mother’s death was not a simple boating accident, Sophia Novak travels to Bitter Rock to discover the truth, wondering whether her mother could still be alive. Upon her arrival, it becomes clear that no one is willing to discuss the island’s dark history, and the residents simply tell Sophia not to go outside when the mist rolls in for fear of getting lost. Digging for answers leads her to what truly happened to her mother and the other missing islanders—and it’s not at all what she was expecting.

Sophia’s written testimony serves as the main story line, supplemented with transcribed audio and video files between chapters that slowly unveil the handful of major disappearances that have happened on Bitter Rock. Marshall lets the reader know right away that something otherworldly seems to be happening when people get lost in the mist that covers the island, but she doesn’t get too detailed, only revealing enough to allow the reader to start to form an idea of what’s happening and giving a little more information as the story progresses. I admit I was a bit skeptical about how well the video transcriptions would work, given that film is a visual medium and that raw feeling of terror that comes from found footage can be hard to translate into text. Marshall is meticulous about describing the characters’ actions and surroundings, however, and I found that these were my favorite to read as a result.

Sophia herself is an interesting protagonist, having been in multiple foster homes since she was a toddler because there’s something “not quite right” with her—something that makes her lash out at seemingly random times and allows her to lock away her fear and panic when she feels the need to. While wary of forming close relationships, she quickly becomes friends with Liam, the son of the head ornithologist on Bitter Rock, and Abby, a budding paranormal investigator intent on discovering the answers behind the island’s disappearances. The three play off each other well, unafraid to talk about their pasts and face the seriousness of their situation while breaking up the tension with occasional banter. Sophia and Liam are meant to be the main romantic couple in this story, but Liam and Abby’s constant bickering and reluctance to work together endeared me to their relationship a bit more. Liam’s mother, Dr. Kapoor, is formidable in demeanor and terrifying in her own right, and her and her son’s strained conversations, while understandably awkward, suggest genuine love and concern that was nice to see.

The unfolding mystery of Bitter Rock does deliver some satisfaction and answers, but the ending was definitely a bit rushed. Without spoiling anything, there are multiple layers to Bitter Rock’s history and the reasons things are happening, but the more that is revealed, the more confusing it becomes, with the climax picking up so much momentum that it was difficult to keep up with the action at points. I’m still not quite sure what transpired, if I’m being honest, and I can’t help but feel a little disappointed at how things concluded for Sophia. The buildup before this was fantastic and had me glued to my Kindle, however, and I applaud Marshall for the complexity she added to the story.

Even with the less-than-perfect ending, I sincerely hope we get more books like Our Last Echoes. I enjoyed the book overall and was properly creeped out for the majority of it, which is exactly what found-footage stories are supposed to do. There is a possibility that Marshall could return to these characters in the future, and I for one would love it if she did. As someone who likes to be scared in small doses—and often scares herself silly with analog horror videos—I’m definitely open to more of these sorts of accounts in fiction.

Side note: the artist who was commissioned to create promotional art for the book’s release has done a phenomenal job at capturing the tone of Marshall’s writing. Definitely check it out for some creepy imagery.

Our Last Echoes is out now.