Silent Echoes -- Carla Jablonski

It seems that Spiritualism is IN.  Fine by me.

1880s. New York City.  Backed by her confidence-man father, Lucy Phillips is posing as a medium, hoping to make some money off of the rich and gullible.

Imagine her surprise when she actually hears a disembodied voice.  One that begs for her help.

Present day.  New York City.  Lindsay Miller cowers in her closet, hiding from her drunk mother and her new (also drunk and (hey, bonus!) violent) stepfather. 

Imagine her surprise when she hears someone answer her.

In Lucy's time, hearing voices leads her to fame and fortune, but keeps her from being accepted into high society.  In Lindsay's, it leads to assumed madness and the psych ward at the hospital.  Can the girls find a way to help each other?

Okay.  I was torn about this one.  I loved the fun little factoids about the nineteenth century -- there was even a bit about the Oneida cult -- and I thoroughly enjoyed the sections about Lucy. 

Except for the hospital scenes, though, the Lindsay sections didn't really do it for me.  They seemed stilted and forced.  Not always, but more often than not.  At times, the dialogue between Lindsay and Lucy did too, but that I could live with -- it made sense that their dialogue would be a little off, what with the differences in language and general weirdness of the situation.

Possible spoilers ahead.

The other thing that bothered me is TOTALLY my own problem.  But me being me, I'm going to mention it anyway.  Talking across time, no problem.  I can buy that.  But sending objects back and forth in time behind an icebox that hadn't been moved once in the years separating Lucy and Lindsay...  it was just too much.  My suspension of disbelief only goes so far.  Like I said, though.  That isn't the book's fault.  I blame my own lack of imagination.  But also.  When Lindsay ran away from the hospital, wouldn't someone have traced her ATM card or blocked it or something?  Or do I watch way too much Veronica Mars?

Anyhoo.  Give it a try on non-ultra-picky fans of the Libba Bray books.