Echo vs. One

Our group at DDM was divided. Here's what we thought:

Brandy Lee: I preferred One.

I'm not really a big fiction reader, and I watch way more documentaries than movies or fictional TV shows, so it wasn't a big surprise to me that I wouldn't like Echo as much.

I liked the poetry idea that One used. Actually, I wish I would have copied a few of the pages of the book to use for our poetry unit. At first I thought I wouldn't like it, but once I got into the rhythm of the book I found that it flowed really well. It didn't seem contrived or artificial, which is what I was worried about when I started reading it. It was more like a "Dear Diary"-style, so I could go from one poem to the next if I kept that in my mind.

The story line of Echo was drawn out far longer than it needed to be.

Alana: I much preferred Echo.  The narrative wove through 4 different historical events and locations with a common theme of recognizing the wonder and worth of each human being.  The conclusion culminated in a single point that brought all 4 stories together.  There was an element of serendipitous magic that popped in and out of the historical events.  

One had a fascinating story line focusing on the idea of self but didn't leave the same sense of depth as Echo did for me.

Renae: I read One and wished there was more to it, specifically after the surgery. It reminded me of Crossover from last year in that it was an engaging story but lacked the extra detail and characterization that you don't get from the poetic format. I only had time to read half of Echo and am liking it so far, but since I didn't finish, I don't think I can vote!

So for DDM, it's one for One, and one for Echo.