What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles, #1)

Jan 14, 2013 Steph Sinclair rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Dystopian fans who like a little more depth

Recommended to Steph by: Myself :D

Shelves: sci-fi, harpercollins, young-adult, 2012-release, edelweiss, e-arc, ebook, pretty-covers, 2-am-or-later, 2012-favs, 2012-reads, best-relationships, awesome, best-characters, fantasy, i-loved-it, i-need-the-next-book-like-yesterday, i-need-to-buy-this-book, made-me-think, oh-yeah-baby, original-and-creative, pure-win, smart-heroine, strong-heroine, surprised-me, gave-away

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Dystopian novels have been disappointing me left and right these days. I don't know why. I'm not that hard to please. Yeah, I see your eyes rolling at that. *grin* But seriously, give me likable characters, solid world building and a good conspiracy theory and I'm good to go. Well, I guess there are only so many ways to tell the story of a deranged society killing off its children for the greater good. So, I went into What's Left of Me with, how do I say this? Er... low e...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of The Golden Compass and Never Let Me Go

Shelves: highly-anticipating-2012, hurry-up, i-need-this-book, i-want-it-right-now, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, netgalley-edelweiss-arc, 2012-reads, didn-t-see-that-coming, gimme-the-next-book, hand-me-some-tissues, i-totally-saw-that-coming, read-reviewed, cried-my-eyes-out, exceeded-my-expectations, 2012-favorites, deserves-the-hype

In the world of What’s Left of Me, children are born with two souls. One of those souls is dominant, and the other is recessive. Within a few years of the child’s life, the recessive soul will fade away (settle) leaving behind the dominant soul. But what happens when you don’t settle, and are known as a Hybrid? Addie and Eva are faced with that problem, being fifteen and having not settled yet. In a world where being a Hybrid is considered dangerous and a threat, Addie and Eva have to keep the f...more In the world of What’s Left of Me, children are born with two souls. One of those souls is dominant, and the other is recessive. Within a few years of the child’s life, the recessive soul will fade away (settle) leaving behind the dominant soul. But what happens when you don’t settle, and are known as a Hybrid? Addie and Eva are faced with that problem, being fifteen and having not settled yet. In a world where being a Hybrid is considered dangerous and a threat, Addie and Eva have to keep the fact that they have not yet settled a secret. But, as obstacles get in their way, can they?

What’s Left of Me was amazing, and I absolutely loved it, but still, I’m torn on whether to give it five stars, or four stars. I want to give it five stars because the pace was crisp; the plot is brilliant and original beyond belief, and the concept that the story is told from the recessive soul, Eva, was a great twist on the common narrator. Everything was refreshing, fun, and there was never a dull or boring moment when reading What’s Left of Me, but it just missed… something.

In What’s Left of Me, we’re told right off the bat that Hybrids are dangerous, and if you have suspicions that someone might be a Hybrid, report them immediately, for they are a threat to everyone. But, we’re never actually given a reason as to why Hybrids are so dangerous, and whenever the book said how dangerous Hybrids were, I just thought, “Why?” I suppose maybe they aren’t dangerous and it’s all a prejudice thing, and that's why there never was an explanation? Again, I’m not too sure, but I hope everything is cleared up in book two. As well as that little world-building flaw, there was a flaw in the writing for me that, while little at first, grew to be an annoyance the more I read the book.

Zhang’s prose is beautiful, and, like the plot, the writing is crisp and it makes for fast reading (although it took me a staggering eight days to finish this), but, unfortunately, Zhang uses an overwhelming amount of repetition when writing. At first, this was something I was able to look over easily, but, like I said, as I read more and more, and the use of repetition became more and more frequent, I became annoyed, but not overly so that I was unable to enjoy the book. And lastly in the things that make me conflicted on whether I should be giving What’s Left of Me four or five stars was that the ending felt too anticlimactic given all the buildup for it throughout the novel, and it was a bit too neat for my likings.

Now onto less ranty things about What’s Left of Me’s rare flaws, and much more praising on everything else that’s in What’s Left of Me, because everything else was amazing.

Right from the start (actually, right when I finished the prologue), I knew that I was going to cry at least once when reading this book (I cried three times). Eva’s voice and experiences (or lack of) were heartbreaking, as was reading about her longing to talk, to move her fingers even—all of the things we normally take for granted—but she was physically unable to do. And, although for most of the book she couldn’t even move her fingers, she was still stronger than half of the heroines in YA literature, and that’s saying something.

Another thing to absolutely love about What’s Left of Me is that all of the characters are flawed and believable, as are all of their relationships, especially the sisterly relationship between Eva and Addie, which was portrayed expertly. And, while there is some romance in What’s Left of Me, it takes up a very minor part in the actual story, and you might even forget there was a romance to begin with (like me).

Overall, despite the problems I had when reading What’s Left of Me (and, when next to the things I didn’t have a problem with, they seem very minor) I absolutely loved this book, and recommend it to anyone looking for an original and refreshing new YA novel.

*After I finished writing this review, I've decided that I’m giving What's Left of Me 4.5 stars.*

This review also appears on my blog, Finding Bliss in Books(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Emily May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, dystopia-utopia, arc, 2012

When compared to most other dystopian novels I've read this year, What's Left of Me is pretty good overall. I found it very easy to get into and the characters quickly became ones I cared about. But, once again, there's just too little explanation for this to get more than three stars. The dystopian genre was born with novels like Nineteen Eighty-Four, which so expertly explored the political and social implications of having a society under strict government control and surveillance. More moder...more When compared to most other dystopian novels I've read this year, What's Left of Me is pretty good overall. I found it very easy to get into and the characters quickly became ones I cared about. But, once again, there's just too little explanation for this to get more than three stars. The dystopian genre was born with novels like Nineteen Eighty-Four, which so expertly explored the political and social implications of having a society under strict government control and surveillance. More modern examples from the genre often fail to give us any idea how the society came about or the details of why things are like they are.

In this story, people are born with two souls in every body. But as time progresses, one soul becomes the dominant and the other will fade away and eventually disappear (usually by age ten). However, some never lose the weaker soul and they remain paralyzed inside their shared body, unable to move or speak and completely controlled by the will of the dominant soul. Addie and Eva are one example of such a case - they are called "hybrids" and must hide their secret from society or face being institutionalised. When the possibility of restoring the control of Eva to how it was when they were younger arises, the girls face tough decisions, harsh realities and risk putting themselves in danger of being found out.

What I most want to know is why the hybrids are such a massive threat to society? There was a brief discussion about this on one of my status updates and one of the suggestions seems to be that the government feared that two souls would heighten the risk of insanity and therefore lead to possible chaos. I'm sorry, but after completing the novel I'm just not buying into that. I like this whole idea of bodies having two souls and the problems it would cause, but I can't really see it as a threat to society. I also think that Hally's arrest wasn't very smooth and the reasons for it weren't convincing; it felt unnatural and an obvious ploy to get the plot to move in a certain direction.

One of the best things about What's Left of Me is the relationship between Addie and Eva, they have such distinct personalities but work extremely well together too. I could feel Eva's frustration and sadness, but I also could feel Addie's doubt and reservations. The romance, thankfully, is very much in the background and is almost non-existent until the end - which I think works far better in this kind of life-threatening scenario. It also begins to raise questions which I've always wondered about in Siamese twin relationships - what do you do about having a romantic relationship when you share your body? What happens when you like someone but your twin doesn't? I may have to read the sequel just to find out some answers about that.

I liked it. I did. But there were too many of the same old issues that I just get sick of writing about now. The personal level of the novel was brilliant - even though I would question the behaviour of the girls' parents - but on a bigger scale it just didn't deliver. We know very little about this alternative United States beyond the government's obsession with hybrids, we are told vaguely something about the rest of the world being overrun with hybrids and we are also told that hybrids are sent off to special clinics where they are never seen again.

Hopefully, there's some upcoming twist about this reason for the fear and hate of the hybrids because I'm not believing it so far. Even forgetting the fact that it's quite a weak explanation, they're saying that being a hybrid increases your risk of insanity... right? This belief must either be correct or incorrect... right? So, they should obviously be observing the hybrids they have in captivity... right? What I'm saying is, there's an answer to this question and the government must know it: are the hybrids more at risk of mental illness or not? The only way I can see the author rectifying this little issue is if she has a big twist up her sleeves about some other real reason the hybrids are seen as a problem. So I shall read on and find out.

A copy of this was provided free in exchange for a review from the UK publisher.(less)

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May 26, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc-via-edelweiss, arc, the-great-shelf-of-awesome, oh-my-gosh-love-love-love, better-than-expected

See more of my reviews sooner on The YA Kitten! I received an ARC from the publishers via Edelweiss (and I was so excited because this is the first time HarperCollins has approved me for any ARC I've requested from them and EEEEEEEE--MOVING ON).

The dark horse ride again! And wow, was the ride intense. I came into What's Left of Me with absolutely no expectations, and what I got blew me away. I need more fantastic YA novels in my life and Zhang gave me exactly what I have been asking for.

Addie an...more See more of my reviews sooner on The YA Kitten! I received an ARC from the publishers via Edelweiss (and I was so excited because this is the first time HarperCollins has approved me for any ARC I've requested from them and EEEEEEEE--MOVING ON).

The dark horse ride again! And wow, was the ride intense. I came into What's Left of Me with absolutely no expectations, and what I got blew me away. I need more fantastic YA novels in my life and Zhang gave me exactly what I have been asking for.

Addie and Eva's relationship as twin souls sharing the same body in a world where hybrids like them are despised, locked up, and considered dangerous is complex and what I would expect from two people in such a situation, though I feel the complexity of their relationship was not explored to its full extent. All the things they have to share whether or not they want to, deeper feelings about their dynamic--details like these are touched on, but I would have liked to see them be delved into more thoroughly. Nevertheless, my heart ached for these girls.

Eva's position as the narrator when she interacts so little with the story she is part of is a different twist than what I'm used to and I loved it. Her story is tightly told and kept me in my seat when there were a million other things I should have been doing instead of reading this novel. (Eva also gets a bonus for narrating in past tense. Nothing against novels told in present tense, but I can only read so much present tense before I want to do what my brother did and slam my head through a glass door.)

The romantic element is on the backburner for almost the entire novel and it's better that way. The focus remains on the bond between the characters, which makes the two characters coming together for their requisite romantic kiss at the end that much sweeter (and it was sweet, I promise; even I liked it). Distracting readers with romance when the bond of sisterhood between Addie and Eva and the question of what happens to hybrids when they're found out would have hurt What's Left of Me.

The government line put out about hybrids (they're dangerous!) doesn't work well. Why are they dangerous? The explanation offered doesn't fully satisfy me with its circular logic (they're dangerous because they're dangerous). Some issues hybrids may have are put out, such as mental instability and constant frustration because of two possibly-incompatible souls sharing one body, but nothing is offered that makes it sound even plausible that they're dangers to society. The hybrids have good reason to be angry, though--the normals deposed their government, labeled them all threats to society, and started locking them up. Readers are supposed to think the government line is idiotic, but it is so bad that I'm not sure why so many people within the novel believe it.

There is apparently technology in their world that can detect souls? It's one thing if it can detect changes in brain activity when Eva and Addie "talk", but some of the research I did indicated that usually happens with more intense cases of DID/MPD. Addie and Eva's case is anything but intense by even their standards. I will admit this could have been a misinterpretation on my part. And the small anti-vaxxer slant of the novel? I'm not really into that either, and that's really all I can say about it.

My review kind of makes it sound like I didn't like it much, but I swear I did. I don't enjoy books the way I enjoyed What's Left of Me very often and the little issues are next to nothing for me. I'll definitely be back for more of The Hybrid Chronicles. Put this on your to-read lists, everyone. Zhang is an author to watch.(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-covers, arc-or-galley, dystopia-or-pa-favourites, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, sci-fi-favourites, dystopian

Addie and Eva are two souls born into the same body. In their world, this is perfectly normal, as it should be. What isn’t normal is for them both to have remained present sixteen years later. Once a body settles at childhood, it is expected for the recessive soul to disappear and the dominant soul to take control of the body. Addie and Eva never settled - not properly. While Eva’s presence lingers in her head, Addie pretends to be as normal as every other girl she knows. She pretends she isn’t...more Addie and Eva are two souls born into the same body. In their world, this is perfectly normal, as it should be. What isn’t normal is for them both to have remained present sixteen years later. Once a body settles at childhood, it is expected for the recessive soul to disappear and the dominant soul to take control of the body. Addie and Eva never settled - not properly. While Eva’s presence lingers in her head, Addie pretends to be as normal as every other girl she knows. She pretends she isn’t exactly the thing everyone in her world hates and fears…

Kat Zhang’s debut novel is teeming with originality. It’s common to find the same idea re-written several times these days, especially in young adult books, yet I have never come across such a premise before. The thought of sharing my body with my oh-so-lovely sister, or anyone really, is enough to give me nightmares. What’s even more chilling is the thought of being Eva, of not being in control, of being nothing more than an observer behind someone’s eyes. It’s safe to say that I was intrigued by the ideas behind this book, and, thankfully, Zhang’s writing did this unique premise justice.

The relationship between Addie and Eva is incredibly touching, sometimes heart-breaking. It’s clear both are emotionally incomplete without each other, that they rely on each other and love each other in ways deeper than most siblings. The struggle to ensure they both got what they want, even when it was at the cost of their own happiness, was utterly moving. It’s impossible not to feel sympathy for Eva, and at times, frustration at Addie, but in the end, both are quite clearly admirable for different reasons.

The pacing is very carefully controlled in this book. It’s not an exceedingly long read, yet a lot takes place without becoming overly dramatic. To me, this story was more about Eva and Addie than the bigger picture (which is why I was happy to overlook a few grey areas in the world-building). Getting to know the other characters, many of whom were in fact two characters in one body, was an interesting experience. A handful of key secondary characters are introduced in this book and Zhang did a superb job making sure each personality was distinguishable. Devon and Ryan were especially crafted well. Small details were crucial here, from facial features to basic tone of speech, and Zhang emphasised these incredibly well to make each character distinct. I know I’m not the only one who likes a little romance in their books, and while there isn’t a great deal present here, there is enough to appreciate the relationship between Ryan and Eva.

Although the ending wasn’t quite what I wanted, I am eager to get hold of the sequel now and continue the story. The beautiful writing and fantastic characterisation make this novel an impressive start to what is set to be a promising series. Kat Zhang is an author who I hope we will be seeing a lot more from in the future.

(This review also appears on my blog)
(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covergasm, dystopian, netgalley-or-edelweiss, 2012-faves, all-time-faves, amazing-authors, books-i-want-to-marry, creatively-original, deserves-the-hype, faves, my-emotions-i-cannot

This review is also available over at my blog.

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A review copy of this book was sent to me from HarperCollins through Edelweiss. Billions of thank you's!

From the day I found this book on Goodreads and saw the blurb, I just couldn't wait to read it. And then when the cover was released, my anticipation grew and grew. So you could imagine how squealy and excited I was when I got a chance to read it.

Every person is born with two souls, one dominant and one recessive. The...more This review is also available over at my blog.

______________________________

A review copy of this book was sent to me from HarperCollins through Edelweiss. Billions of thank you's!

From the day I found this book on Goodreads and saw the blurb, I just couldn't wait to read it. And then when the cover was released, my anticipation grew and grew. So you could imagine how squealy and excited I was when I got a chance to read it.

Every person is born with two souls, one dominant and one recessive. The other souls would usually fade away, and the dominant ones will settle. Addie and Eva are fifteen years old, and they still have not settled. Addie is the dominant soul, and they both decided to keep Eva a secret, pretending that they had already settled. But one day they meet a brother and sister who are like them─hybrids─and Eva suddenly gets the chance to share their body with Addie and learn to control it again. All the while they have to be careful, because being a hybrid is forbidden, and they would do anything to never be apart.

I loved the world of the book. It's not a hardcore dystopian, if you know what I mean. I guess what I mean by hardcore is that there's no sign of modernity at all, and I for some reason haven't been able to get into books like that. Sure, the world of this book is very different from ours─it wouldn't be a dystopian otherwise─but it still has a very modern feel to it.

The book is told from the point of view of Eva, the second soul. I had expected it to be from both of the girls' point of views, but I'm actually glad it's from Eva's. I liked both of them, but if I had to pick one over the other, it would definitely be Eva. Addie sometimes annoyed me for some reason.

I was also glad that there was barely any romance in this book. The love interest was Devon and Ryan, although Devon appeared to be the dominant one, and he was one of those dark, brooding guys that don't talk much. The romance was between Eva and Ryan, and there were times where I thought it was a bit rushed─especially near the end─but it didn't bother me that much, because the romance was barely there most of the book. There will probably be more romance in the sequel, and I have a nagging feeling that there will be a love triangle. Or a love square. Or a love pentagon, even. I could definitely see that happening, though I kind of hope it won't.

I loved the book even more when it was past halfway. That's when everything really started to blow up, and it was hard to stop reading because so many things happened. I'll admit that the ending could've been a bit more climactic, but I'm just glad it wasn't a cliffhanger. Yet it was a very open ending, and I can't wait to see where this series will go.

Overall, this is an awesome dystopian book, one that I could actually get into, surprisingly, because lately I've been very picky when it comes to dystopians. Once again, many thank you's to HarperCollins for sending me this galley! :D(less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 stars - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! My half-star complaint is for the somewhat anticlimactic end (see below).

Why did I love this book so much? Because the concept was actually mind-blowing. To be born with two souls and to become the dominant soul and to have the other naturally fade away - I can't even imagine how it feels to lose a part of myself like that. The prologue had me hooked, and the rest of the story sure didn't disappoint.

But what made the book so great was that Zhang let Eva be the n...more 4.5 stars - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! My half-star complaint is for the somewhat anticlimactic end (see below).

Why did I love this book so much? Because the concept was actually mind-blowing. To be born with two souls and to become the dominant soul and to have the other naturally fade away - I can't even imagine how it feels to lose a part of myself like that. The prologue had me hooked, and the rest of the story sure didn't disappoint.

But what made the book so great was that Zhang let Eva be the narrator, even though she was the recessive soul. To let herself just fade into the background but never totally fade away is so heartbreaking, knowing you could never BE. But instead of feeling resentment, Eva supported Addie in places where Addie fell short - but with reminders and words of encouragement rather than taking action. The bond that Addie and Eva have and the dialogue that goes on between them is just indescribable. Zhang did a truly amazing job putting readers there, making us sympathize with both Addie and Eva. Both girls had their strengths and their weaknesses, and they compliment each other very well.

I'm really curious to see what direction Zhang plans to take this series. Of course, readers would naturally want things to work out with Addie and Eva where both will be able to have their time in their body. But we already see how different the two are and how this can cause a problem in their future if they were both to survive (view spoiler) Jackson gives us a hint, but you're left to wonder if both girls can truly be happy and how certain arrangement will be made.

And for those, like me, who have to have romance in their books, don't expect too much of it in this one. There is a love interest, but there's not much, and when there is, it's pretty subtle. But it actually didn't bother me in this book.

But Zhang did a good job pacing the book, first sucking us in by the intriguing concept and later keeping us on the edge with anticipation about what's going to happen next.

My half-star criticism is I felt the end was a bit anticlimactic. The ironic thing is I had made a comment that I would be pissed if this book ended with a cliff hanger. And it didn't. So what's my problem? I'm not sure, but I felt something was just missing. (view spoiler) I guess if this book wasn't a start of a series, I would be perfectly happy with how things were packaged at the end. But I can't wait to see what Zhang has in stored for the sequel.(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Two people - one body.

Two personalities - one outward appearance.

Two minds - ONE person in control.

It's not very often that I am excited to jump enthusiastically into a book because the first few paragraphs hooked me right from the start. After only a few sentences, I was raring to go. What's Left of Me started strong and kept me wanting more chapter after chapter.

The book's very first words :

Addie and I were born into the same body, our souls' ghostly fingers entwined before we gasped our very...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Mitch rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don’t get it. I mean, yeah, I understand the premise, the plot, the characters, the problems, the basic story behind What’s Left of Me, but even after the last page, I’m struggling to figure out what the point of this book is - and I really don’t see one. Pity, because otherwise there’s a lot of positive things I can say about the story, highly original, thought provoking, well written, but what it comes down to is I sort of feel the entire thing was rather … pointless … so I really can’t say...more I don’t get it. I mean, yeah, I understand the premise, the plot, the characters, the problems, the basic story behind What’s Left of Me, but even after the last page, I’m struggling to figure out what the point of this book is - and I really don’t see one. Pity, because otherwise there’s a lot of positive things I can say about the story, highly original, thought provoking, well written, but what it comes down to is I sort of feel the entire thing was rather … pointless … so I really can’t say I liked it.

I guess that’s the downside to all the originality. Thoughts provoked, but they didn’t really go anywhere. Yeah, the concept of hybrids, people having two souls in one body, is fairly unique, even in today’s glut of dystopians, and Addie and Eva have some pretty tough choices to make over the course of the story. But when I’m reading a book, I’m really interested in the why, particularly with a setup as unique as this one, and it’s here that I’m sorely disappointed. Why have hybrids? Why persecute them? Why is Addie and Eva’s world the way it is? And after going through the entire book trying to figure out the point to this unique premise, the only thing I got out of it is, thanks to some sort of government conspiracy, hybrids are bad. Must be eliminated. Oh … and (view spoiler). Normally with dystopians, I can sort of figure out some of the backstory, why the author set up her world the way it is, and think of some possible reveals in the sequel, but Hybrid Chronicles, I got nothing. For a genre all about government coverups, questioning authority, and uncovering the truth, this is one book where it’s easy to figure out what’s wrong but doesn’t give away much about what’s really going on or why any of it is important. And that really bothers me.

Instead, it’s a fairly standard story of a girl, well girls Addie and Eva sharing the same body, living in fear of being discovered as one of the ‘evil’ hybrids, until she … er they … finally are. So they’re sent to a facility to undergo horrible medical experimentation, naturally. I can replace hybrid with various supernatural creatures like mutant, alien, leprechaun, etc. mad lib style and get a pretty familiar plot I’ve seen more than enough times, so I really feel this book needed the hybrid concept to stand out on its own in order to set the plot apart – and I don’t think it really does. Yeah, there’s some emphasis on Eva’s struggles as the voice in the back of Addie’s head who can’t do anything, and I can understand Addie’s unwillingness either to share her body or to let Eva die, I wouldn’t kill off someone who’s become family and friend like that either, but still, I just don’t see much of a conflict between Addie and Eva or a conflict between Addie and Eva versus the dystopian society except because of the plot mandated hybrids are evil government. Maybe if Addie wasn’t so hard to read as a character, if she’d explained it like being forced to share a body with an imaginary friend who acts like a real person, maybe that’s the missing dimension, but then, do you even need a body to be real? I don’t get what Eva is trying to get across with her story. Be nice, share (your body)?

I guess I’m really disappointed because after giving me so much to chew on by presenting this interesting (if more than a little underdeveloped society) in the first half, the rest of the story becomes your basic, garden variety dystopian government commits moral outrage under everyone’s noses, secret resistance group must uncover truth plot that sheds almost no light on the point of the premise. Instead, there’s just distractions like what happens to some of the other hybrids during the unethical medical testing ™ that’s supposed to get me all riled up about how awful it is to be a harmless hybrid being persecuted by the meanie government until Addie and Eva can take no more of it and does something. Good for them, but it really doesn’t change the fact that none of the developments really tells me anything about the point of the premise, or even begins to answer any of my questions. Nope, just be happy the good guys are gonna take out said garden variety dystopian government in the sequel.

I’m more than happy to poke through books with unconventional premises like What’s Left of Me, books that requires an extra bit of thought to make sense of exactly what the author’s trying to say. In most cases, I get a read that’s absolutely fascinating. But this one I found utterly aggravating because I just don’t see the point, either allegory, social critique, or anything other than hey, here’s a cool idea, I’m not gonna explain it, but just ignore that and focus on the story. So it’s a meh from me.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2012, apocalypse-dystopia-keepers

Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Addie and Eva. Eva and Addie. From birth, the two souls have shared the same breath and heartbeat, occupied the same flesh, inseparably intertwined. The girls are twin souls, hybrid souls - and like everyone else born in the world, they grow together sharing their every thought and feeling with the other. As the years pass, they also fight for control of their shared body, learning who is stronger and who is weaker. Because in Addie and Eva's world, by th...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, science-fiction

Imagine never being alone in your head, always having someone else tag along wherever you go, never ever getting any privacy. Kat Zhang has created this alternate world where humans are born with two souls until one takes over and "settles". Except, Eva and Addie never did.

Eva and Addie, two completely different personalities are sharing one body - or more like, Eva is stuck in Addie's head, as Eva has not been able to take control in years. I found this very thought provoking as well as fascin...more Imagine never being alone in your head, always having someone else tag along wherever you go, never ever getting any privacy. Kat Zhang has created this alternate world where humans are born with two souls until one takes over and "settles". Except, Eva and Addie never did.

Eva and Addie, two completely different personalities are sharing one body - or more like, Eva is stuck in Addie's head, as Eva has not been able to take control in years. I found this very thought provoking as well as fascinating. For someone who has always been especially curious to know how Siamese twins live, I found myself quite taken by this premise. The simple thought of never being truly by yourself is scary, having to share every single thing with another self. It's intimidating to say the least. I wish it had gone deeper, however. Since this book takes place in the Americas where souls eventually settle, meaning one leaves, or dies--however you want to look at it--we don't necessarily observe how those who do keep both souls--hybrids--actually live out their lives. So many scenarios come into play when you question this way of living, I was a little bit let down to see this not explored further. Another world building issue that became a pretty big factor in my not truly loving this novel is how we never really get the motivation behind the whole plot. To realize the dangers of being a hybrid, to feel the intensity this novel tries to evoke, I need to be able to understand why hybrids are treated as a threat and a danger to society. The minute explanation we do get--that hybrids, being constantly on the outs with themselves, can become unstable--is weak and unconvincing of the threat these people make them out to be.

As far as characters go, the ones we meet in this novel are all fairly well developed and enjoyable. I was especially impressed with how different, yet how fitting both of the main characters were. Told in Eva's POV--the soul hiding in Addie's body--what we get is a very peculiar narration. Since Eva isn't in control of their body, she narrates mostly by going over what Addie is doing, referring to things as "ours": Our hands, our face, we walked, etc. I was sometimes thrown off by it, but it's a unique way to position a story and also a great method to get us to understand a bit more profoundly what it means to have to share a body with another. This psychological aspect is extremely enticing, leaving us with a sense of curiosity and wonder. As much as I enjoyed Eva's considerate personality, never blaming Addie for her selfish ways, I found Addie herself to be a little less pleasant. While I understand that it must be extremely hard to live this kind of life, she can come off as very self-centered, because of which I can't say I particularly liked her.

With a very intriguing start, What's Left Of Me soon loses its flair around the half way mark when things start to slow down exponentially. Due to the lack of world building I mentioned, I never got a big feeling of restlessness or foreboding from this novel, making their foray into the hospital a little long-winded. Some chain of events felt like a go-around to try to work in some deeper character/psychological aspect into the novel, which is fine, but unfortunately it also caused the plot to become stagnant.

What it comes down to is a novel that has a highly thought-provoking plot with fascinating character relationships and a promising start to a series. With a little more world building, a little more answers behind the hybrids, the severity of it all would have been much more poignant, turning it into a stronger, more compelling novel. It is definitely a series that I will continue as, for the most part, it did keep my attention fully. As well, I'm sure we will get some further examination into what I'm dying to know in the next installments.

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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Aug 23, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Addie and Eva are two souls in one body. They were supposed to settle around 4 years old, 10 years at the very latest. Settle on which soul will stay and which soul will fade away. Settle on which soul is dominant and will get to live. Eva didn't want to give up on life. She fought as hard as she could. But by 12 years old Addie had to settle and hide Eva's existence or risk being sent away to doctors and experiments and possible death. Eva shouldn't be there and no one can know. Eva continues t...more Addie and Eva are two souls in one body. They were supposed to settle around 4 years old, 10 years at the very latest. Settle on which soul will stay and which soul will fade away. Settle on which soul is dominant and will get to live. Eva didn't want to give up on life. She fought as hard as she could. But by 12 years old Addie had to settle and hide Eva's existence or risk being sent away to doctors and experiments and possible death. Eva shouldn't be there and no one can know. Eva continues to watch but she can no longer take control.

The two people in one mind idea kind of reminded me of The Host by Stephanie Meyer. One girl has full control while the other is just observing with no control to speak or move. Just trapped inside. Sounds like a horrible life! The book is told in the POV of the non-dominant soul Eva. Eva helps remind Addie and they keep each other company. They try to sneak by in their illegal existence until they meet a new friend Hally/Lissa who is also hiding the fact that she is a hybrid. Her brother Devon/Ryan is another hybrid. They want to teach Eva how to take control again but it is not so easy and not so easily hidden.

The book was easy to follow considering the two people in one mind aspect. Eva always talks about everything as "ours" which takes a little getting used to. The idea of two people in one head had my mind reeling. I kept thinking what if Eva falls for Ryan, which is what I kind of felt happening, then does Addie have to fall for Devon? What if they both don't fall for the two guys in one body? What do they do during sexy times? LOL When one girl is in control and the other is just observing?! Freaky! A lot of the questions I had, sadly were not brought up until the very end.

The book had little romance and was a bit slow during the middle but the whole idea was so intriguing that I was still glued to the pages. It was just so sad to imagine having to lose a part of yourself. Think of growing up with another person and then having to let them fade away. The government claimed two souls fighting in one body causes chaos and war in other places around the world. I would assume if two souls was the way we were born that we would figure a way to make it work. I think we will get more into that knowledge in the next book. Can't wait to see what happens next with the hybrids!

-I'm sorry- Addie said. -I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I tried---
-It's okay- I said, because what else was I supposed to say? She was Addie. She was the other half to me. She was more important than anyone.
-I just never thought- She covered our face with our hands, trying to muffle her tears. -I never thought---
Never thought she'd have to watch, feel, as we kissed someone she didn't want to. That had been my private fear.
My burden.
I didn't know what to say.

As they talk to each other in the book it is in But goodreads is trying to italicize that so I'm using - -
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Jul 16, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss, out-2012, cool-covers, dystopian-postapocalyptic, favourites, ya-romance, young-adult

The first time I saw this I wasn't really that interested. Although the premise does sound intriguing it wasn't that enough for me to be very excited about this one. So when I saw this in Edelweiss I wasn't really planning on requesting it, however my fingers have their own minds and took the liberty to click it and started typing why I wanted a review copy. And to my surprise I actually got approved. Then comes the glowing reviews from my GR friends and I was like, maybe I should thank my finge...more The first time I saw this I wasn't really that interested. Although the premise does sound intriguing it wasn't that enough for me to be very excited about this one. So when I saw this in Edelweiss I wasn't really planning on requesting it, however my fingers have their own minds and took the liberty to click it and started typing why I wanted a review copy. And to my surprise I actually got approved. Then comes the glowing reviews from my GR friends and I was like, maybe I should thank my fingers for requesting this, this could only be so good. And so I read it and boy I couldn't thank my fingers more because this book is just great, really great!

The originality of this book is one of the major aspects that made this book so good and very intriguing. The concept of this book was definitely a first for me; I never encountered a book with the idea of a world where people lived with two souls. That idea although made me interested also made me anxious to read it; wouldn't it be difficult? How can I like the MC if there are two personalities in them? How could there be a romance in this one? Wouldn’t that be awkward? Can the author pull it off?

But all those worries soon fade away as I find myself gradually being devoured by the author's writing! Kat Zhang is an amazing writer and she definitely pulled this one off! Her writing was simple but gorgeous and the pacing was comfortably fast. The world and the characters she created were all very well thought and written. The world-building is one of a kind and although I had some little issues with it (view spoiler) I can wait for them to be resolve more in the following books. The characters were my favorite part of this book. I loved how she wrote them especially the relationship of the sisters, Addie and Eva.

The relationship and the emotional struggles they had were very realistic and heartbreaking. I saw the conflicting feelings each shared with one another. And how they struggled in doing and choosing things they wanted for their own but not wanting to hurt or be selfish to the other one. I love how Zhang showed that with all the hurting, Eva and Addie really care and love each other. Through the different circumstances and obstacles thrown to Addie and Eva we were able to see the two differently - how they take and handle things, how they talk and think, their expressions and mannerism. So as the story went on, when they shift it wasn't really confusing. She wrote the sisters in a way that we could really see them separately, two entirely different and unique characters, sharing one body.

Other characters like Hally and Lissa, Devon and Ryan, and Kitty and Nina were great supporting characters. They were never left on the sides and I liked how they contributed on the development of the main character.

There's a very light touch of romance in this one and it surprised me that it was actually fine with me. Because I am a major sap and I love romance! It's one of the things I always consider when reading a book but throughout the course of the story I was just so busy thinking of how they're gonna overcome their problems and obstacles. So when this one sweet moment came I was just like, aww. It made me really smile and for some reason I was pretty satisfied with it...for now, even though I still have very little idea of how the romance will gonna work. But I hope it would be more apparent in the next book.

With original plot, great world-building, and well written characters this book promises a definitely wonderful and engaging reading experience. This book did not disappoint. I highly recommend this.

*Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing an ARC of this book!

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Thalia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everybody.

Shelves: i-own, signed, dystopian, misc-paranormal-or-fantasy

This book has definitely claimed the position of favorite book of 2012 thus far. So far, it seems like I’ve only been disappointed by highly anticipated novels and debut authors, but this. This was astounding, beautifully written, crafted perfectly. Zhang created a world that was new and intriguing and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Eva’s voice was beautiful and heart wrenching, and her longing for things her sister has that she can’t have is so piercing. I’ll admit, I did have high hope...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Sarah (saz101) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult

3.5 Stars

From the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Obernewtyn, to the stark contrasts of poverty and lavish opulence in Pan Am, Dystopian – YA’s enduring wunderkind – comes in many shapes and sizes, and never has it seemed it so normal and suburban, yet so alien, cruel and wrong as in the alternate reality of Kat Zhang's What’s Left of Me.

The Story
It's an accepted certainty that every person is born with two souls, two girls or two boys, opening their shared eyes for the first time, as separate a...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Aly (Fantasy4eva) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: crushing-on-the-cover, digging-the-premise, own, received-for-review, arc, fast-paced-and-engrossing, had-me-at-hello, lets-be-mates, oh-how-the-heart-flutters, pleasantly-surprised

SO good. SO FREAKING GOOD.

WHAT'S LEFT OF ME pretty much obliterated this horrendous reading funk I was in. (Even if it is momentarily). From originally being weary, instead, I found myself flipping the pages in a frenzy.

One of the first things that will grab at you is the wonderful connection between Eva and Addie. Their relationship is far from perfect, but it is realistic. These two girls spend the novel facing this internal struggle, which is only made more painful because they love each othe...more

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Aug 14, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-or-postapocalyptic, sci-fi, young-adult-fiction, edelweiss-arc, arc, emotional-whiplash, read-need-to-buy, reviewed, 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, i-cant-fight-this-feeeeling-anymore

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

This was the perfect novel to bust me out of my bad book reading funk. The majority of last several books I've read had been frustrating, time-consuming, and often, disappointing. Happily, that is far from the case with What's Left of Me. Though this debut novel is far from being free of all errors, Kat Zhang's first novel in the Hybrid Chronicles manages to be innovative, engrossing, unique, and affecting. I absolutely could not, and did not want t...more Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

This was the perfect novel to bust me out of my bad book reading funk. The majority of last several books I've read had been frustrating, time-consuming, and often, disappointing. Happily, that is far from the case with What's Left of Me. Though this debut novel is far from being free of all errors, Kat Zhang's first novel in the Hybrid Chronicles manages to be innovative, engrossing, unique, and affecting. I absolutely could not, and did not want to, put it down; this was another one-day read for me. With shades of The Golden Compass, Never Let Me Go and Unwind, all three of which are among my favorite-ever books, this novel is sure to entertain and engage, all the while making its rapt readers think. This is one of those rare YA novels that could, and does and will, hold a wide appeal for readers of different ages and genre preferences.

There's a lot to recommend about this novel. It's action-packed and also contemplative; it's filled with remarkable, highly individual characters and strong characterization; it's a fresh, innovative concept coupled with great storytelling. I love it wholeheartedly, even with its issues. The few things that missed with What's Left of Me only slightly detract from the overwhelming good about it. There are some sections that could use some tightening, some periods where the fluid pacing gets a bit stuck, but on the whole, this is a great book. One I would easily and happily push on my fellow bloggers, friends, and family. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, with some key plot points left too vague and undetailed (the surgery, the tech, the drugs, etc.), but I was left with a unquenchable need for the second book as soon I as I metaphorically turned the last page.

The dystopian elements of the world shown are bare, and sketched in only slightly more as the story progresses, but I... didn't mind all that much. I often harp on worldbuilding, especially with fantasy and dystopian novels, and while What's Left of Me left some principle explanations missing in action, the characters and the plot of the novel more than made up for the lack. This is a solid, well-constructed novel and while the book's momentum hits a few snags as it moves quickly along, the emotion and relationship I had invested/built in Addie/Eva's struggle for life was more than enough to keep me fully engrossed. The other characters are almost uniformly remarkable and well-rounded, highly individual even in their twinned souls, but it was the two main characters that meant the most to me.

A few other quibbles: I found the main antagonist of the novel to be rather weak, and sadly one-dimensional in his presentation. I wished for more of a presence for him, felt that would have added more of a sense of tension to the atmosphere of the book, and for what he represented for the hybrids, but that never materialized. I also thought that the "twist" revealed at the end was a bit too open-ended and an obvious lead to buy the next book and it felt superfluous to the already-engaging plot of the novel. But like I said, these are minor complaints in the face of all the awesome shown and revealed here in What's Left of Me.

This is a great novel; entertaining and horrific at the same time. It's one that I will be buying a finished copy of as soon as it is available, because rereads of What's Left of Me are going to be necessary. I'm very impressed with Zhang's storytelling ability, as well as her obvious talent for innovative, creative plots and for crafting real, flawed, human characters. Read this book, especially if you're a fan of Unwind, Never Let Me Go and/or The Golden Compass -- for once the hype and the comparisons are dead on. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

Also: I have to note that the cover is completely perfect. Two people in one body? Creepy, awesome, eye-catching. This is not one to miss, for many reasons! (less)

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Mar 24, 2013 Aa'Ishah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-post-apocalyptic, arc-or-galley, reviewed

4.5 stars

I kept meaning to read this book for so long. The reviews trickled in, my reading pile grew, my workload climbed ever higher...and as time went on this book was pushed to the back of my mind, in the farthest corner, and left there to gather dust, until finally. Finally, I read it. And it surpassed any expectations I ever had.

In Eva and Addie's world, each person born into the world is actually two people, where one body is home to two souls. Of those two souls, one is dominant and one r...more 4.5 stars

I kept meaning to read this book for so long. The reviews trickled in, my reading pile grew, my workload climbed ever higher...and as time went on this book was pushed to the back of my mind, in the farthest corner, and left there to gather dust, until finally. Finally, I read it. And it surpassed any expectations I ever had.

In Eva and Addie's world, each person born into the world is actually two people, where one body is home to two souls. Of those two souls, one is dominant and one recessive, and it is the latter that is supposed to eventually fade in childhood. In this case, Eva is the recessive soul - but she didn't fade. Tests were run, theories were made, until finally Addie was pronounced healthy. All this time, Addie has had to pretend that she's normal like any other person, because hybrids are the biggest thing that people have been taught to fear. This goes on until Eva and Addie discover that there may be a cure, a way for Eva to have her own control. But this propels them into circumstances that they've been trying to avoid all their lives, and now the matter of survival is greater than it ever was before.

What's Left of Me swallowed me whole right from the start. Zhang brings to us an original and intriguing concept, and with an excellect idea came excellent execution. The idea of two souls in one body is a frightening one. In the first instance, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have another soul inside of me. My own head is chaotic enough without someone else adding their own contributions, and I know I wouldn't be able to stand anyone's voice in my head for any amount of time, let alone my whole life. Even more than that, imagine having no control? As a recessive soul, there'd be no way for you have your voice heard, for you to move where you want, do what you want. I think that kind of life would honestly drive me insane. And for the disappearance of this soul, the effective death, to be an accepted thing? Truly horrible. Zhang managed to underline perfectly everything that comes along with this concept of two souls, exploring it to its full potential. Her writing is beautiful and captured everything, from emotions, to voices, to personalities.

The relationship between Addie and Eva is a fabulous example of this. Eva's frustration, and her desire to be acknowledged, accepted, loved, came across so clearly. There were times I disliked Addie for her selfishness, willing her to at least understand that Eva had a right to life just as much of her. But at the same time, it was obvious that she did understand. Despite their occasional disagreements, it's clear that they love each other and that neither can really do without the other. Both have their own distinctive voice, and I was very admiring of the fact that the author never confused her pronouns, separating Addie's actions and experiences from Eva's. I imagine it must have been hard to try and keep up with it, yet there were no mistakes. In fact, every secondary character was fleshed out; every soul met has their own personality. Even the romance worked. There was little of it, but what there was was laced expertly in the plot and proved to be very enjoyable.

The plot itself was brilliant. It started off slow and then gradually picked up, but the pacing was always exactly right. But I can't begin to tell you how emotional I became reading this. The revelations, twists and turns that made up the plot left me feeling angry, horrorstruck, full of sorrow. I couldn't believe the lies that people were believing. The ordeal that hybrids were put through. The fact that they were on their own. I sort of liked Eva and Addie's parents, I felt sorry for them, but there came a point where I was so disappointed in them, even though I had seen it coming. Eva and Addie in comparison had so much strength. Kat Zhang has truly created something amazing and heart-wrenching here, for me at least.

What's Left of Me has proven itself to be a tremendous story of hope, pain, courage. It's a story that has more than lived up to its potential, and I for one can't wait to see what happens next in this journey with Addie and Eva.

This review is also posted on my blog.(less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, 2012

rating 3.5

First let me say that I really really liked the whole idea of this book. Two souls in one body, one dominate one recessive, one will stay one must leave by the time a child reaches an early age. This doesn’t always happen and sometimes both souls stay which is the case with Addie and Eva. They have learned to hide Eva away from seeing eyes because letting her out would mean hospitals and being shunned by the community. See Hybrids, or souls who have not settled, are not allowed and whe...more rating 3.5

First let me say that I really really liked the whole idea of this book. Two souls in one body, one dominate one recessive, one will stay one must leave by the time a child reaches an early age. This doesn’t always happen and sometimes both souls stay which is the case with Addie and Eva. They have learned to hide Eva away from seeing eyes because letting her out would mean hospitals and being shunned by the community. See Hybrids, or souls who have not settled, are not allowed and when one is found they are swept away to “help” correct the problem. Addie and Eva know this so for the past 3 years they have kept quiet and stayed away from attention. All this becomes unraveled after meeting Hally, a girl in school who is more than they ever thought.
So sounds good right??! I really like the whole story and plot. It was inventive and in the beginning very creepy. I think the author did a brilliant job letting us have Eva’s POV. She was the recessive soul that should have disappeared but instead fought against nature and stayed inside Addie’s mind. It showed a whole other side to Addie and I think the story works really well this way. Ryan and Hally were great additions to the story also that I would have liked to have seen more of. I wish the author would have shown the training sessions between Eva and Ryan, I think it would have been easier for me to buy their romance if those scenes were shown.
My problem with this story was that there wasn’t enough action and interaction with the characters. I felt like they were in one spot too long without anything really happening. Like I said I loved the beginning, but towards the middle the story just stopped moving. I wanted to see Eva and Ryan interact more, more action in the “hospital”, and more conversations between everybody. If more scenes like that were thrown in I can guarantee that this would have been a 5 star rating for me. As is though I can’t give it more than 4. I am definitely going to read the sequel because I really want to know what happens with all the Hybrids. I am hoping that there is way more action and that the whole romance thing is better developed. I am a little worried about the romance with both Eva and Addie being in the same body, but I have faith in the author that she will make it believeable and swoon worthy.
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Apr 01, 2013 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-i-love

A dir la verità all'inizio non avevo aspettative molto alte su questo romanzo ma, col tempo e con le valanghe di recensioni positive che mi travolgevano giorno dopo giorno le aspettative si sono piano piano alzate a dismisura.

Kat Zhang esordisce dandoci la possibilità di entrare in un mondo mai affrontato fino ad ora, un mondo in cui le persone nascono con due anime. Mano a mano che si cresce una delle due anime acquista più controllo dell'altra fino a quando quella più debole non scompare, que...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Ariana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, dystopia, arc-galley, to-review, series

THE GOOD

The concept:
I won’t tell you how unique the idea is, because you see, I’ve read The Host a while ago and 2 souls in one body, one not fading away is not really something new for me. But a story doesn’t need 100% originality to be a good story. It needs to to have an interesting plot that makes you turn page after page, it needs a pack of great characters to make you wish to know more about them, it needs an intrigue to keep you up all night reading and it needs a great ending that might...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Nemo (the Moonlight Library) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, mine-mine-mine, 2012-read, candidate, the-tempest-of-my-eyes, publisher-6-harpercollins

See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Kat Zhang’s lushly imagined What’s Left of Me spins the tale of what happens when a recessive soul sharing one body with a dominant soul refuses to fade away, as they’ve been led to believe is inevitable. Anyone left with two souls in theor single body is a ‘hybrid – dangerous, illegal, and swiftly dealt with by the government. Eva is our recessive soul, and the book is told from her point of view. She shares a body with Addie, and they are fifte...more See this review and more on The Moonlight Library!

Kat Zhang’s lushly imagined What’s Left of Me spins the tale of what happens when a recessive soul sharing one body with a dominant soul refuses to fade away, as they’ve been led to believe is inevitable. Anyone left with two souls in theor single body is a ‘hybrid – dangerous, illegal, and swiftly dealt with by the government. Eva is our recessive soul, and the book is told from her point of view. She shares a body with Addie, and they are fifteen years old.

Although I really loved this book, I felt that the writing was aimed a bit younger than Eva and Addie’s age. Telling the book from Eva’s point of view was wonderful – Eva reported everything Addie did, but couldn’t tell what her sister-soul was thinking unless they shared thoughts. I loved the whole concept – it reminded me of some of my favourite Animorphs novels, where (usually) Cassie shared a mind with either another Yeerk or another soul, and often spoke to them mind-to-mind. This way of writing made me instantly smitten, and I adored Zhang’s poetic storytelling skill as she wove Eva re-learning how to use her body and gain the control she naturally lacks.

Eva and Addie were wonderful to read about. I liked seeing the world from Eva’s point of view, and seeing how much Addie, the dominant soul, needed her recessive sister. Although it’s never exactly explained why hybrids are so dangerous (propaganda plays a huge part in this novel) I could easily see how scatter-brained, artistic Addie needed her more logical, rational sister-soul to keep them both functioning at the highest level. You’d normally expect the flowery, artistic-type, often portrayed as nerds or wallflowers in other media – to be the recessive soul and the wilful, scrappy soul to be the dominant one, so it was really interesting seeing how the relationship between the two played out. It was also fascinating watching the other hybrids interacting, switching between souls, and never getting confused by the change of names of the same character. It was unbelievable well-written and wonderfully pulled off.

The only disappointment in this book is, I think, in the lack of different locations. It basically takes place at Eva and Addie’s school, their house, their friend Hally’s house, or the facility known as Nornand. I did get a little bit bored in the Nornand section only because the location never changed and despite Eva and Addie’s planning, everything seemed to go wrong and I clutched at my hair screaming internally at Zhang, “WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO YOUR BABIES?!”

But apart from that, and the terrible anxiety I got reading this novel and willing everything to work out for Eva and Addie, I really loved this and I look forward to reading Book 2. It’s original, heartbreaking, and really makes you think about propaganda, the government, what it’s like to be a child, the power of the medical world, international relations and all sorts of things. It was wonderful.

4.5 stars.

An advance reader copy was kindly provided by the publisher.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, from-publisher, sci-fi, ya, dystopia, debut-ya

Rating: 4

“Addie was warm and radiant next to me, making up half of us. But I - I was Eva, Eva, Eva, all the way through.”

It's been a long time coming to get to read this book. I was in a quandary what to read at the time; something easy, romantic, contemporary possibly, but Kat Zhang's What's Left of Me screamed to me on my Kindle. The concept of the plotline was so fresh and unique that I never seizes to amaze how dystopians can be quite unlike you have ever read before. Addie and Eve are two s...more Rating: 4

“Addie was warm and radiant next to me, making up half of us. But I - I was Eva, Eva, Eva, all the way through.”

It's been a long time coming to get to read this book. I was in a quandary what to read at the time; something easy, romantic, contemporary possibly, but Kat Zhang's What's Left of Me screamed to me on my Kindle. The concept of the plotline was so fresh and unique that I never seizes to amaze how dystopians can be quite unlike you have ever read before. Addie and Eve are two souls in one body roaming the streets of present day. Classification; Hybrid! The society doesn't except them both remaining in the same body at the age of 16. They should have settled leaving one, the more dominant to take control. However, Eva lurked around always seeing through Addie's eyes but never being her... and that can be very frustrating as the character and as the reader.When Addie is invited to Hally's house one day, there life completely changed, leaving them in a state of flux between two persona's neither one having any real control over their identities any more.

Kat Zhang's debut novel reminded me of the essence of being a twin. I was that essence of being a twin, once. Sharing with another must be frustrating difficult to contend with such diverse personalities. What I loved was that no matter who was dominating the situation you would observe from Eva's perspective, her thoughts and feeling would be more personified than those of Addie's. Though in all honesty is it weird to say that I preferred Eva to Addie?!

Unlike many Young Adult dystopian's that I have read, the concept is a contender. Kat's premise of the plotline was very well written and the pace of the novel wasn't too fast or slow, but just right for the build up of the novel. Despite my best intentions to read this book in quickly, it took me a week to read due to my work, but that didn't reduce the rating of this book! There's only one question that left me... How is this story going to progress! I will be intrigued to find out!
(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Lottie Eve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva...more Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

I love love love this book all the way down to the scratches on the cover! The book was so awesome my mind was blown to smithereens. I LOVED the characters in this book, they are probably 90% of the reason I love this story so much. They are very well crafted into very real, unique characters. I wouldn’t be surprised to bump into them on the street because they seem so real. If this book had no names mentioned when a character was saying something I would STILL know who was talking! I think the author did very well with the personalities of Addie and Eva expecially. I was afraid I would get the two mixed up but Addie and Eva have very distinct personalities. Addie is reserved and reluctant but still cares very much for the people around her and Eva is sad, quiet and determined. All the other characters are also masterpieces.

The plot and writing was great. At first the writing confused because the story is from the point of view from Eva, the girl trapped inside her own body. She narrated by saying OUR hands, OUR legs, and WE. It kind of put me off at first but I got used to it quickly. The way the author describes the way the two souls of a body connect was really beautiful. The plot was very good to. The pacing was perfect and I was always eager to know what would happen next.

I REALLY enjoyed this book and I am sure you will to! I am now awaiting for the next book in the series. I am tearing my hair out in anticipation BUT the loss of hair is worth it.

5 Stars

You can find this review at my blog: LaLovelyStories.wordpress.com(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Aditi (READioactive Book Blog) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviews & all that jazz : That READioactive Book Blog
description

Addie & I were born into the same body, our souls' ghostly fingers entwined before we gasped our very first breath.

How many times have I escaped into my own head? Snickered to myself while keeping a poker face? Seethed with rage as I smiled & shook hands with a "well loved aunt"? Wept with misery as I acted all was right?

How many times have you?

Such moments of internal conflict are not rare. They feel as you house two personalitie...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a synopsis! Two souls in one body? Amazing cover? Yep, as soon as I saw What's Left of Me, I knew I just had to read it. I wasn't disappointed! I loved this book.

Everyone in What's Left of Me is born with two souls - one dominant, one recessive. As a person grows, the dominant soul takes over and the recessive fades away, forever. That's not what happens to Addie and Eva. They have to pretend that Addie is the only one left so that they fit in and don't get sent away to get "fixed".

The whol...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Alz rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, dystopian, scifi, ya-mg

A lukewarm attempt at alternate universe fantasy vaguely dressed up as scifi, and increasingly disappointing as our heroine(s) blunder through a not particularly scary and very generic Secret Medical Government Institution toward an uninspired and predictable end.

Imagine every D-grade movie you've ever seen about someone different being singled out by the government and taken away to a shady institution for "correction". Said person somehow manages to do enough sleuthing to uncover the Terrible...more A lukewarm attempt at alternate universe fantasy vaguely dressed up as scifi, and increasingly disappointing as our heroine(s) blunder through a not particularly scary and very generic Secret Medical Government Institution toward an uninspired and predictable end.

Imagine every D-grade movie you've ever seen about someone different being singled out by the government and taken away to a shady institution for "correction". Said person somehow manages to do enough sleuthing to uncover the Terrible Truth of the place and must escape along with all the other inmates/patients with the help of the Resistance outside. Imagine every Evil Medical Institution Clichee you can, from Nurse Ratched to the single doctor left with a conscience, from the innocent little girl patient who inspires feelings of fondness and protection, to failed "experiments" and vague pseudo-science and magical drugs.

That is this book. Only 10x more boring.

I think this was trying to be a character-driven book, which was why it was kind of interesting for the first 80 pages or so--the concept of two sister souls struggling for dominance and one receding into the background, a passive passenger fearing constant threat of exposure and condemnation, is interesting. But it all goes downhill from there since neither Eva nor Addie have distinct enough personalities to remain interesting--they sounded like the same person, only we only hear Eva's POV since it's told from her first-person perspective; Addie's thoughts and actions aren't any different except oh noes, she doesn't like the boy that Eva likes or oh noes, Addie (understandably) doesn't want to risk discovery of their being a hybrid.

Ultimately, I didn't really care about Eva OR Addie. Their emotional dichotomoy in the beginning was interesting but like everything else it turned lukewarm and soggy, and by the end of the book it was cold and flat. Also, the end of the book offered a very neat pat brief explanation/suggestion for how they might be able to more peacefully co-exist. Ugh.

Not to mention their incredible stupidity--if they KNOW that they have to watch themselves and have been pretending to be "settled" (only one soul) for some years now, and kept it secret to themselves for that long, you'd think they'd be OUT of the freaking habit of referring to themselves as "we" and "us". But nope. They do. And it gives them away more than once.

It's a good thing the institution they end up at is so technologically inefficient and behind the times, too, since despite the fact that they have all these dangerous kids squirreled away there and are performing questionable experiments upon them, they have crap security and apparently no cameras or microphones ANYWHERE in the vicinity, except for one kid's plot device room--and this is the one kid they probably have to worry about least. Time and again Eva/Addie sneaks out of her room at night to sit around with her love interest and talk about how they're going to escape and how they're not really settled, while they incidentally manage to carry around secret little light-up discs that glow brighter when they're near each other because it's a cute plot device so they can find each other--with no inconveniences or difficulties considering there might be, you know, WALLS in the way in the normal course of things, or maybe he's the floor above you or down below. Nope. They always find each other with their magic glowing discs that the lax security never notices.

It's things like this that continued to ruin the book--impractical, implausible, nonsensical things.

The worldbuilding is shaky at best and inexplicable at worst--apparently this is an alternate version of our own world, one where hybrids/dual-soulled people have always existed. Although why they're called hybrids when they aren't really hybrids is a mystery, as is the legacy of this so-called revolution/war that put hybrids out of commission and made them the scapegoat evil for non-hybrids to rise up and conquer. The dystopic elements and length of time (although it doesn't seem THAT long ago) make some allowance for propaganda and rewriting history to mess with the information we receive--take nothing at face value, anyway--but it's frustrating beecause it comes off as token background developed after the fact, as if the story of two-soulled people was a cool premise and then backstory was backward-engineered to try to make it more plausible.

Even the Mystery of What's Happening at the Institution is boring--not only is it predictable, Eva/Addie finds out what it is almost as soon as she/they arrive. There's a second Big Reveal later on, but it's also both predictable and implausible, as well as based on more ill-explained magical pseudo-science. There's no tension, no driving thrust of the story, and ultimately everything is so predictable that even the plot twists and action are like reading a map of clichees.

I would not read the sequel. This book was a waste of time.(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Savannah Foley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've CP'd this book in several version and each version literally gave me goosebumps at the end, repeatedly. Even after I'd read it 4 times. I can't wait until it gets published!

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Sep 18, 2012 Lelia Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: full-reviews

First things first—is that a stunning cover or what? Whoever the artist is, they captured perfectly the dichotomy that exists in Addie/Eva and, even before you read the book’s description, you know there is an intense story here. The really good news is there is no mislead, no deception. What’s Left of Me is a story that’s every bit as stunning as its cover.

In some ways, this reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, the only book of hers that I like. In that tale, the two entities sharing the...more First things first—is that a stunning cover or what? Whoever the artist is, they captured perfectly the dichotomy that exists in Addie/Eva and, even before you read the book’s description, you know there is an intense story here. The really good news is there is no mislead, no deception. What’s Left of Me is a story that’s every bit as stunning as its cover.

In some ways, this reminded me of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, the only book of hers that I like. In that tale, the two entities sharing the same body and brain are a human and an alien invader. That’s really where the similarity ends because those two entities have not been together since birth and they are not teenagers seemingly abandoned by any adults who ought to care what happens to them.

I love that the recessive personality, Eva, is the narrator because we get so much of what she has had to do to survive, hidden from everyone but her partner, Addie. We also learn a great deal about Addie since, after all, no one could know her better than Eva does, but we also get a very distinctive voice in Addie. Addie is the one that the world knows and she’s the one who has to make sure no hint escapes to let others know that Eva didn’t fade away as a good recessive should. Even her own parents and brother don’t know the truth because the truth will lead to disaster.

Ms. Zhang does a really nice job with secondary characters, too, and the children being “tested” are especially poignant while the fear and hopelessness engendered by Mr. Conivent and the review board are palpable. If I wished for anything in this first book, it would be more worldbuilding, more explanation of how hybrids came to be and why America has become so isolationist. I do want to mention that the Mullan family is a nice touch, an example of ethnic bias gone very wrong. More than anything else, though, I was terribly saddened by the simply awful choices that have to be made by the very people Addie (and Eva) count on the most and how the girls must come to terms with what they can only see as betrayal. All in all, What’s Left of Me is a unique take on a person’s fight to survive despite horrendous odds.

Kat Zhang has written a captivating story, made even more remarkable by the fact that her publisher picked up her trilogy when she was all of 19 years old. That’s not unheard of, certainly, but the wonder of her prose and her imagination is rarely found without many more years experience. Addie and Eva are in my heart now and I hate having to wait for the next book. I’m looking forward to the complete trilogy but also to years of pleasure reading the work of this author who has immense talent.

What’s Left of Me will be in my list of favorite books of 2012.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2012.(less)

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Apr 14, 2013 Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tanja (Tanychy) by: read-along with Anatea and Aa'Ishah

Shelves: my-little-library, dystopia, read-in-2013

review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

Why everyone thing this is a contemporary story? I have no idea why cause when I saw it for the first time I knew it was a dystopian story. Now when we've settled that let's move to the story.

Dystopian genre is really blooming and I've read a different stories and concepts but this one is also new for me. The story here is about souls. Technically about two souls. The story has it that since the birth everyone has a two souls in their body and during the ye...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Does anyone else not like Addie?	5	24	Apr 29, 2013 05:08pm
Wild Things: YA G...: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang	5	7	Mar 16, 2013 06:46pm
How exactly do the two separate souls have relationships and such	6	24	Mar 05, 2013 09:53am
whose your favorite character?	4	13	Mar 04, 2013 09:38am
Should there be a next book? * probably spoilers*	6	30	Feb 19, 2013 10:13am
Similar books to What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang	3	38	Feb 12, 2013 12:26am
South African Boo...: What's Left of Me (Spoilers)	6	32	Dec 01, 2012 12:51pm

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