Free from Glen Elby (As the Echo Fades, #1)

The elite Glen Elby School for Girls promises a bright future, but for 14-year-old Lizzy Watson, it becomes a living nightmare. With her new friends—the reserved aristocrat Clara, the bold Fiona, and the fragile Annabelle—she discovers an old diary that reveals a terrifying truth. The school conceals a secret project to "retrain" rebellious pupils, where personalities are erased and minds are replaced with obedience.
When Lizzy realizes her mother was part of this sinister secret, and that she herself is the "ideal candidate" for the experiment, escape is no longer an option. The only way out is to defy her tormentors. To save her friends and expose the truth, Lizzy makes the ultimate sacrifice, drawing the system's focus to herself. But even if they succeed, will the girls truly find freedom, or will the shadows of the past continue to haunt them?
Free from Glen Elby is a story of friendship, courage in the face of evil, and how one child's voice can change the world. This is the first book in the series "When the Echo Fades"—a tale of people forced to fight the shadows of the past to find themselves in the present.

Alexander Vladimirovich Zakharov is an author working at the crossroads of genres: from historical-adventure novel with elements of psychological drama to short stories and novellas. His prose, created in forced emigration, is a study of the detailed disclosure of the human soul: fear, choice, intuition, maturation and freedom. For a long time he wrote 'on the desk', experimenting with different styles - from vintage elegance to laconic modernism.
The historical context in his books serves not as a setting but as a living environment where feelings are heightened and destinies intersect on the verge of a great turning point. The author combines the precision of the epoch with a multi-layered intrigue: the plot is built as a system, where each plot point is echoed in an unexpected denouement, and details acquire significance at the most necessary moment.
His prose is imbued with subtle psychology and sensuality. He is not afraid to experiment with styles, from vintage elegance to laconic modernity. He writes for those who appreciate not only atmosphere and dense, multi-layered narrative, but also the author's handwriting, which constantly changes from book to book.