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More of Me
Teva goes to school, studies for her exams, and spends time with her friends. To the rest of the world, she’s a normal teenager. But when she goes home, she’s anything but normal. Due to a genetic abnormality, Teva unwillingly clones herself every year. And lately, home has become a battleground. When boys are at stake, friends are lost, and lives are snatched away, Teva has a fight on her hands—a fight with herself. As her birthday rolls around, Teva is all too aware that time is running out. She knows that the next clone will soon seize everything she holds dear. Desperate to hang on to her life, Teva decides to find out more about her past . . . and uncovers lies that could either destroy her or set her free.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2016
43 people are currently reading
1687 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Evans
3 books117 followersFollowing a degree in drama and a short career in theatre, Kathryn Evans quickly realised she was likely to starve unless she got a proper job. She didn't get a proper job, she married a farmer and set up a strawberry farm. And now she's writing books, will she never learn?
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June 5, 2017I think I enjoyed More of Me even more because I read it cold on my Kindle and didn't remember if it was sci-fi or psychological suspense. If you don't want to know, don't read the synopsis. Also, you can read one more paragraph of this and then you should run away....
Okay... the premise is that Teva believes that she is a genetic freak, a person who clones herself each year. As in that her body sort of splits open and a brand new version of herself pops out. Teva's mom forbids all but the latest clone from leaving the house (each clone is named for (and frozen in time at) the age they (and the host) were when they emerged. Teva is sixteen, so the clone to be most recently locked up is named Fifteen, and she plays a larger part in the book than the other clones.
Me: "Whoa! Is this sci-fi or is this girl completely insane? I kind of hope the latter, but either way..."
As indicated in the blurb, it's sci fi.
I tried to explain this plot to a science-y person I know, someone who has studied genetics. He said "Impossible because blah-blah-blah." Then I explained the aphid thing (toward the end, the book explains that apparently aphids can reproduce this way, by cloning themselves) and he said "Aphids are not human, blah-blah-blah." Google "parthenogenesis + humans" and decide for yourself. I got some results that fell into the tinfoil hat category , but another that said that "disjunction during meiosis of gametogenic cells" could result in a woman giving birth to a clone daughter.
So, okay, the science behind this is not really explained at all, but More of Me is still a moving story of a girl trying to hide the secret that she thinks will make everyone reject her -- her best friend, and the guy that she (but also her clone Fifteen) are in love with. (It sounds triangle-y but not so much.) It reminded me a lot of The Originals by Cat Patrick, a book from about 4 years back about three sister-clones who have to take turns living. Both books are about science but also about family ties and the universal need to be accepted and loved.
Bottom line: if you're a person who's stickler for details in your sci-fi you might have issues with this one, but I thought it had suspense and heart, which are far more important to me. Oprhan Black fans, take note!
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics, follow me on Bloglovin, or check out my Bookstagram!
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that the fact the book was provided to me does not shape my opinion of it, and that other readers may disagree with that opinion.
Okay... the premise is that Teva believes that she is a genetic freak, a person who clones herself each year. As in that her body sort of splits open and a brand new version of herself pops out. Teva's mom forbids all but the latest clone from leaving the house (each clone is named for (and frozen in time at) the age they (and the host) were when they emerged. Teva is sixteen, so the clone to be most recently locked up is named Fifteen, and she plays a larger part in the book than the other clones.
Me: "Whoa! Is this sci-fi or is this girl completely insane? I kind of hope the latter, but either way..."
As indicated in the blurb, it's sci fi.
I tried to explain this plot to a science-y person I know, someone who has studied genetics. He said "Impossible because blah-blah-blah." Then I explained the aphid thing (toward the end, the book explains that apparently aphids can reproduce this way, by cloning themselves) and he said "Aphids are not human, blah-blah-blah." Google "parthenogenesis + humans" and decide for yourself. I got some results that fell into the tinfoil hat category , but another that said that "disjunction during meiosis of gametogenic cells" could result in a woman giving birth to a clone daughter.
So, okay, the science behind this is not really explained at all, but More of Me is still a moving story of a girl trying to hide the secret that she thinks will make everyone reject her -- her best friend, and the guy that she (but also her clone Fifteen) are in love with. (It sounds triangle-y but not so much.) It reminded me a lot of The Originals by Cat Patrick, a book from about 4 years back about three sister-clones who have to take turns living. Both books are about science but also about family ties and the universal need to be accepted and loved.
Bottom line: if you're a person who's stickler for details in your sci-fi you might have issues with this one, but I thought it had suspense and heart, which are far more important to me. Oprhan Black fans, take note!
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics, follow me on Bloglovin, or check out my Bookstagram!
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that the fact the book was provided to me does not shape my opinion of it, and that other readers may disagree with that opinion.
February 10, 2016
I have to be honest and admit, Kathryn is a friend of mine. I'm not keen on reviewing books by friends but I love this book so much, I had to review it myself. I knew about this book during the early drafts and my jaw actually dropped when Kathryn told me the idea behind it. I knew that there was no other book like it out in the YA world. The concept behind this book is so unique, it's like pure gold. Imagine your body separating from itself, once every year and leaving a younger version behind that won't age - the idea blows my mind!
I've read three different versions of the book and each time it just gets better and better.
The story is definitely sci fi, but the author has set it in the present day which gives it such a believable factor, adding in romance, a fast pace and comical interludes.
I love Teva, I can't believe how strong a character she is. She desperately wants a future and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. You get caught up in her sense of urgency as she realises time is running out.
I also have a soft spot for Fifteen and find it incredible how differently she stands out from Teva. She just wants to be with Ollie, the boy she loves and her anger and heartbreak at the situation really unfolds throughout the story. All the different versions of Teva are easily identifiable from each other which really is an impressive writing skill. You recognise each distinctive age of growing up when they appear in the story.
The ending is traumatic. So be prepared with a few tissues as you will definitely need them.
I can't fault this debut at all. It really is quite outstanding. I wouldn't be surprised if this book is on a few award shortlists next year. Teens are going to love it and easily identify with the fears and pains of growing up. I can't wait to see what Kathryn Evans writes next. I'm positive it will also be out of this world.
I've read three different versions of the book and each time it just gets better and better.
The story is definitely sci fi, but the author has set it in the present day which gives it such a believable factor, adding in romance, a fast pace and comical interludes.
I love Teva, I can't believe how strong a character she is. She desperately wants a future and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. You get caught up in her sense of urgency as she realises time is running out.
I also have a soft spot for Fifteen and find it incredible how differently she stands out from Teva. She just wants to be with Ollie, the boy she loves and her anger and heartbreak at the situation really unfolds throughout the story. All the different versions of Teva are easily identifiable from each other which really is an impressive writing skill. You recognise each distinctive age of growing up when they appear in the story.
The ending is traumatic. So be prepared with a few tissues as you will definitely need them.
I can't fault this debut at all. It really is quite outstanding. I wouldn't be surprised if this book is on a few award shortlists next year. Teens are going to love it and easily identify with the fears and pains of growing up. I can't wait to see what Kathryn Evans writes next. I'm positive it will also be out of this world.
December 3, 2016
I found this book utterly compelling, and read it with a growing sense of horror and a myriad of questions going round and round in my head. I had so many theories and it was impossible to guess the truth.
Every year Teva separates, leaving a younger version of herself behind, stuck forever at the same age. The book starts with the emergence of the 16 year old Teva, who picks up the life of the previous one - including her boyfriend, best friend and school activities. Previous Teva's have accepted their lives but Fifteen is not happy and neither is the current Teva. Both want a future but is this possible?
Kathryn Evans has managed to write a story that immediately grips you in its urgency and yet also focuses on the issues that concern so many teenagers - Teva's embarrassment at her scaly, itchy skin; her boyfriend's jealousy over her growing friendship with Tommo, the boy in her textiles class; having to keep secrets from her best friend; pressure from teachers over deciding what to do with her future.
I will have no problem in promoting this to my students ...
Every year Teva separates, leaving a younger version of herself behind, stuck forever at the same age. The book starts with the emergence of the 16 year old Teva, who picks up the life of the previous one - including her boyfriend, best friend and school activities. Previous Teva's have accepted their lives but Fifteen is not happy and neither is the current Teva. Both want a future but is this possible?
Kathryn Evans has managed to write a story that immediately grips you in its urgency and yet also focuses on the issues that concern so many teenagers - Teva's embarrassment at her scaly, itchy skin; her boyfriend's jealousy over her growing friendship with Tommo, the boy in her textiles class; having to keep secrets from her best friend; pressure from teachers over deciding what to do with her future.
I will have no problem in promoting this to my students ...
October 28, 2019
Vid review will be available on November, 6th, 2019 here: https://youtu.be/HVZHxuHr_hg
March 7, 2017
That…was weird.
The premise is kind of cool? But also strange? I thought I might as well give it a shot though. Anyway.
Um, I liked the way my ARC looks. It has a blue cover and the spine looks nice on my shelf. And really though, the premise is super original and creative, so, yay!
But. Teva, our MC is SO whiny and annoying. She's constantly griping about how her life isn't fair and she has so much to deal with and obviously she shouldn't have to deal with MORE unfairness, like, you know, homework or something terribly cruel like that. The other characters had no personality whatsoever. There was the smart, funny supportive best friend, the sexy boyfriend who is instantly replaced by the absolutely necessary love triangle member #3, the emotionally unstable mom, and the annoying younger sisters. I literally read this yesterday and it just took me a full minute to remember any of the characters' names.
Also there was a romance because obviously it's not YA without one. Don't get me wrong; I love romances when they're done well AND when they're not just contrived and thrown in for the sake of having one. But for this book... WHY. I knew within twenty pages that it would be a love triangle and she would choose loveinterest#2. Btw, if that's a spoiler we have a serious issue. I don't know why people act like it's even ever a question anymore?? It was so obvious.
Also, I skipped the middle 150 pages and had NO unanswered questions after reading the last 50. So it appears my suspicions were correct and the middle is just filler. Plus the whole deux ex machina thing was sketchy. It made me cry. Not really but almost.
Anyway. I didn't care for this book. Maybe others will?? Maybe people who are just dying for more cool sci-fi-esque chick lit love triangles in their lives? What is wrong with me. My life would be happier if I didn't always guess the outcome of EVERY love triangle in the history of EVER.
The premise is kind of cool? But also strange? I thought I might as well give it a shot though. Anyway.
Um, I liked the way my ARC looks. It has a blue cover and the spine looks nice on my shelf. And really though, the premise is super original and creative, so, yay!
But. Teva, our MC is SO whiny and annoying. She's constantly griping about how her life isn't fair and she has so much to deal with and obviously she shouldn't have to deal with MORE unfairness, like, you know, homework or something terribly cruel like that. The other characters had no personality whatsoever. There was the smart, funny supportive best friend, the sexy boyfriend who is instantly replaced by the absolutely necessary love triangle member #3, the emotionally unstable mom, and the annoying younger sisters. I literally read this yesterday and it just took me a full minute to remember any of the characters' names.
Also there was a romance because obviously it's not YA without one. Don't get me wrong; I love romances when they're done well AND when they're not just contrived and thrown in for the sake of having one. But for this book... WHY. I knew within twenty pages that it would be a love triangle and she would choose loveinterest#2. Btw, if that's a spoiler we have a serious issue. I don't know why people act like it's even ever a question anymore?? It was so obvious.
Also, I skipped the middle 150 pages and had NO unanswered questions after reading the last 50. So it appears my suspicions were correct and the middle is just filler. Plus the whole deux ex machina thing was sketchy. It made me cry. Not really but almost.
Anyway. I didn't care for this book. Maybe others will?? Maybe people who are just dying for more cool sci-fi-esque chick lit love triangles in their lives? What is wrong with me. My life would be happier if I didn't always guess the outcome of EVERY love triangle in the history of EVER.
June 14, 2017
It's always harder to review a book that I didn't like as much as I was expecting to.
In this case, I don't think the writing is the problem. I think the problem for me came from it being written in a style that isn't the norm for the genre. It reads like a YA Contemporary more than SciFi. I don't mind YA Contemporaries, but I'm a mood reader so I picked up this book expecting a quirky SciFi and that's what I wanted. Instead I got a something that felt mostly "contemporary" with a bit of the "unreliable-narrator-in-a-psychological-thriller" thrown in. And then there was the SciFi bit. But the book was mostly about Teva and her relationships with people (or herself or whatever). And she just happened to have this weird SciFi-y problem (that I did find fascinating).
More of Me didn't quite hit the mark for me, but I enjoyed the author's writing style. There was definite chemistry between Teva and Tom and I think Kathryn Evans would write a great YA Contemporary Romance.
I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.
In this case, I don't think the writing is the problem. I think the problem for me came from it being written in a style that isn't the norm for the genre. It reads like a YA Contemporary more than SciFi. I don't mind YA Contemporaries, but I'm a mood reader so I picked up this book expecting a quirky SciFi and that's what I wanted. Instead I got a something that felt mostly "contemporary" with a bit of the "unreliable-narrator-in-a-psychological-thriller" thrown in. And then there was the SciFi bit. But the book was mostly about Teva and her relationships with people (or herself or whatever). And she just happened to have this weird SciFi-y problem (that I did find fascinating).
More of Me didn't quite hit the mark for me, but I enjoyed the author's writing style. There was definite chemistry between Teva and Tom and I think Kathryn Evans would write a great YA Contemporary Romance.
I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.
May 26, 2017
Ziemlich speziell, aber mir hat es schlussendlich gut gefallen. :)
April 26, 2016
This would be 5 shining stars all the way. A small part of me griped at the convenience of the final explanation for this scenario, but I have to base my ratings on my reaction to the book as a whole.
The cover gives us a hint of the importance identity plays in this novel. Taking a unique slant on what so many of the target audience may be experiencing, Kathryn Evans delivers a thoughtful exploration of how we come to feel comfortable with our sense of self. What I might regard as typical teen issues are portrayed, but with insight and humour.
From the opening pages this book gripped me. I couldn't put it down, and was not going to be satisfied until I found out exactly what happened to Teva (or at least the one who is our narrator at the start). I was fascinated by the concept.
In turns horrifying and tear-inducing this novel really is a strange experience. That, in case you are in any doubt, is a good thing.
The cover gives us a hint of the importance identity plays in this novel. Taking a unique slant on what so many of the target audience may be experiencing, Kathryn Evans delivers a thoughtful exploration of how we come to feel comfortable with our sense of self. What I might regard as typical teen issues are portrayed, but with insight and humour.
From the opening pages this book gripped me. I couldn't put it down, and was not going to be satisfied until I found out exactly what happened to Teva (or at least the one who is our narrator at the start). I was fascinated by the concept.
In turns horrifying and tear-inducing this novel really is a strange experience. That, in case you are in any doubt, is a good thing.
March 21, 2016
My friend picked More of Me up when we were both book shopping and it sounded amazing, so I grabbed my own copy. I was really excited to start reading.
I’m sad to say that I did not connect with Teva, as she is the only narrator in this book and her viewpoint is the one the reader has, so this proved to be a struggle.
Overall the premise of More of Me is intriguing and you do want to know how it’s resolved but my lack of connection to Teva made reading More of Me unengaging. I don’t have to like a character but with Teva (and by extension her ‘others’) I did not care what was happening.
I’m sad to say that I did not connect with Teva, as she is the only narrator in this book and her viewpoint is the one the reader has, so this proved to be a struggle.
Overall the premise of More of Me is intriguing and you do want to know how it’s resolved but my lack of connection to Teva made reading More of Me unengaging. I don’t have to like a character but with Teva (and by extension her ‘others’) I did not care what was happening.
January 18, 2016
This book was so original, beautiful, weird and downright wonderful! The twist had me at a loss for words and I cannot believe all that's happened....WOAH. I need to take a breather because the last time I cried that much was after All The bright places...Guys, keep your eyes peeled for this book! if you love sci-fi/contemporary/romance then it's the best book as it features a mix of all. The premise is unlike anything I've read in my life and I can't wait for everyone else to read and love this book just like I did!
March 11, 2018
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Dark, tragic contemporary sci fi about a girl and her struggles to live a normal life.
Opening Sentence: I have grown in strength inside her.
The Review:
More of Me by Kathryn Evans is a contemporary science fiction standalone novel that took me by surprise. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but when the synopsis says she clones herself every year, I was intrigued and wanted to check it out. This novel is about a girl struggling with deep, dark secrets that could tear apart her entire family if people find out what she is going through.
Teva is sixteen years old and struggling with things no young girl should ever have to go through. Every year Teva goes through a painful cloning process that splits her body in two. The new one having grown a year older while the younger one stays forever that age. She remembers everything that her younger selves have grown through before they separated. Unfortunately, her younger selves are only referred to as their numbers and are forced to stay on lockdown inside a creepy house because their mother knows the bad things will happen if they are forced into the light. The “new” Teva continues to go to public school as if nothing ever happened.
More of Me starts with Teva separating from Fifteen and the painful process that they both went through before skipping to six months later as Teva is beginning to feel the “new” Teva crawling under her skin. It is too early for the process to begin. At the same time, Teva is stressing out over her college prospects because she knows her mom will never let her go. When she becomes Sixteen she knows her mom will never let her out of the house. Teva doesn’t want that future. She wants to be her own person with her own future without having to step aside for the new Teva. Teva begins to panic because she doesn’t want to separate and then she begins to think that she is crazy.
Teva has to constantly put up with Fifteen her “sister” self. Fifteen hates Teva and believes she destroyed her life. Fifteen worked hard during her year, even having a boyfriend that she can’t get over and she hates that Teva gets to continue the relationship as if nothing happened, along with a best friend that they’ve passed along for quite a few cloning transitions.
I feel like I’ve given a lot away in my own wrap up but I haven’t. There is so much going on with this story, including the fact that Teva has her own love interest. Don’t worry, it’s not a love triangle. This story kept me glued to the pages because I thought too that Teva might be going insane but there was too much to support that that wasn’t the case. I will say that I hated Teva’s mom because she was the aloof parent most of the time on the page constantly losing her cell phone to Fifteen even though she had so much control over her “daughters”. She kept too many secrets from the other Tevas under the disguise of what they don’t know won’t hurt them. It isn’t until the current Teva begins forcefully asking questions that she finally fesses up.
More of Me is told entire through Teva (Sixteen)’s first person point of view. This story had the feel of a tragic fairy tale even though it is set in contemporary times. I felt for her. She has the usual selfishness of a teenager her age but also of someone who wants to be true to her “Sixteen” self, not her other sisters. She wants all of them to have a better life instead of hiding in what the town considers the creepy, Haunted house at the edge of town. I also hated Fifteen even though I knew I shouldn’t. She wanted what she thought was rightfully hers. (Even though I kept thinking that relationship will never go anywhere while Ollie grows up she will always been Fifteen.)
I was NOT prepared for the ending. I cried and cried after what Teva went through. All the mysteries will be solved so I was happy having a definitive ending that didn’t leave me with questioning what exactly happened to Teva. If you want to laugh, if you want to cry, if you want something a little different from the science fiction community then definitely check this one out.
Notable Scene:
I had to think. I braced my legs, trying not to slip on the icy pavement, and walked as fast as I could. I pulled my hand out of my pocket. I could see the newly emerging finger as clearly as I could see my own knuckles. I traced the dip between the separating digits. I could feel them—feel them touching and being touched. I slid the fingers of my good hand protectively around the fingers of the bad and held them tight. My grip on the world was as light as a cobweb.
Could I really have imagined them all? Was it possible? I could hear someone breathing heavily near me. I looked up, snapped my head left and right, behind me—fear send pinprick traces of panic dacing over my skin. There was no one there. It was me; the heavy breather was me.
Was I insane? Was that it? Was that why I had a counselor, not a doctor? Choking on a ragged breath, I dug my phone from my pocket. I needed evidence. Real or not real.
FTC Advisory: Abrams Publishing provided me with a copy of More of Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Dark, tragic contemporary sci fi about a girl and her struggles to live a normal life.
Opening Sentence: I have grown in strength inside her.
The Review:
More of Me by Kathryn Evans is a contemporary science fiction standalone novel that took me by surprise. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but when the synopsis says she clones herself every year, I was intrigued and wanted to check it out. This novel is about a girl struggling with deep, dark secrets that could tear apart her entire family if people find out what she is going through.
Teva is sixteen years old and struggling with things no young girl should ever have to go through. Every year Teva goes through a painful cloning process that splits her body in two. The new one having grown a year older while the younger one stays forever that age. She remembers everything that her younger selves have grown through before they separated. Unfortunately, her younger selves are only referred to as their numbers and are forced to stay on lockdown inside a creepy house because their mother knows the bad things will happen if they are forced into the light. The “new” Teva continues to go to public school as if nothing ever happened.
More of Me starts with Teva separating from Fifteen and the painful process that they both went through before skipping to six months later as Teva is beginning to feel the “new” Teva crawling under her skin. It is too early for the process to begin. At the same time, Teva is stressing out over her college prospects because she knows her mom will never let her go. When she becomes Sixteen she knows her mom will never let her out of the house. Teva doesn’t want that future. She wants to be her own person with her own future without having to step aside for the new Teva. Teva begins to panic because she doesn’t want to separate and then she begins to think that she is crazy.
Teva has to constantly put up with Fifteen her “sister” self. Fifteen hates Teva and believes she destroyed her life. Fifteen worked hard during her year, even having a boyfriend that she can’t get over and she hates that Teva gets to continue the relationship as if nothing happened, along with a best friend that they’ve passed along for quite a few cloning transitions.
I feel like I’ve given a lot away in my own wrap up but I haven’t. There is so much going on with this story, including the fact that Teva has her own love interest. Don’t worry, it’s not a love triangle. This story kept me glued to the pages because I thought too that Teva might be going insane but there was too much to support that that wasn’t the case. I will say that I hated Teva’s mom because she was the aloof parent most of the time on the page constantly losing her cell phone to Fifteen even though she had so much control over her “daughters”. She kept too many secrets from the other Tevas under the disguise of what they don’t know won’t hurt them. It isn’t until the current Teva begins forcefully asking questions that she finally fesses up.
More of Me is told entire through Teva (Sixteen)’s first person point of view. This story had the feel of a tragic fairy tale even though it is set in contemporary times. I felt for her. She has the usual selfishness of a teenager her age but also of someone who wants to be true to her “Sixteen” self, not her other sisters. She wants all of them to have a better life instead of hiding in what the town considers the creepy, Haunted house at the edge of town. I also hated Fifteen even though I knew I shouldn’t. She wanted what she thought was rightfully hers. (Even though I kept thinking that relationship will never go anywhere while Ollie grows up she will always been Fifteen.)
I was NOT prepared for the ending. I cried and cried after what Teva went through. All the mysteries will be solved so I was happy having a definitive ending that didn’t leave me with questioning what exactly happened to Teva. If you want to laugh, if you want to cry, if you want something a little different from the science fiction community then definitely check this one out.
Notable Scene:
I had to think. I braced my legs, trying not to slip on the icy pavement, and walked as fast as I could. I pulled my hand out of my pocket. I could see the newly emerging finger as clearly as I could see my own knuckles. I traced the dip between the separating digits. I could feel them—feel them touching and being touched. I slid the fingers of my good hand protectively around the fingers of the bad and held them tight. My grip on the world was as light as a cobweb.
Could I really have imagined them all? Was it possible? I could hear someone breathing heavily near me. I looked up, snapped my head left and right, behind me—fear send pinprick traces of panic dacing over my skin. There was no one there. It was me; the heavy breather was me.
Was I insane? Was that it? Was that why I had a counselor, not a doctor? Choking on a ragged breath, I dug my phone from my pocket. I needed evidence. Real or not real.
FTC Advisory: Abrams Publishing provided me with a copy of More of Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
January 27, 2016
Sensational. Gripping, thought-provoking, utterly unique. It is both funny and a tear-jerker and has you questioning even your own judgement. Really stunning debut.
June 27, 2021
I was really intrigued by the synopsis of More of Me and was happy to find it was exactly what it promised, and was a really fun read. Teva clones herself every year. Not willingly!
The old Teva’s don’t get any older and hide away from the world to keep their secret safe.
I was looking for something scifi but an easy read. I’ve been reading too many massive hard core science fiction books that make my head hurt so when I picked up Made of Me, it was brain candy for me. I finished the book in a day. In fact, last night I kept telling myself…. Just one more chapter.. One! Uh huh. I finished at 2:40 AM and I don’t regret a thing.
You definitely have to ignore the science because there really isn’t any. Just go along and have fun with the story.
This was more of an angsty teen contemporary with a wild slightly sci-fi premise thrown in, and I loved it!
The old Teva’s don’t get any older and hide away from the world to keep their secret safe.
I was looking for something scifi but an easy read. I’ve been reading too many massive hard core science fiction books that make my head hurt so when I picked up Made of Me, it was brain candy for me. I finished the book in a day. In fact, last night I kept telling myself…. Just one more chapter.. One! Uh huh. I finished at 2:40 AM and I don’t regret a thing.
You definitely have to ignore the science because there really isn’t any. Just go along and have fun with the story.
This was more of an angsty teen contemporary with a wild slightly sci-fi premise thrown in, and I loved it!
June 19, 2017
Rating: 3.5 stars
Teva, version 16, is well aware of her fate. She knows she has one year to be the Teva who interacts with the outside world. She has one year to live her whole life before she is replaced by Teva version 17, and is then forced to spend her days locked away with her previous versions. But it appears the later version Tevas are not happy with this arrangement, and they are willing to fight for the right to live their lives, but will Teva survive long enough to accomplish this task?
When I first discovered this book, I thought the concept sounded really interesting. I love science, and genetics is an ever-evolving and growing field. I have to admit, when I started reading this book, it was a little weird, but then I remembers, SciFi books not set in space are a little weird, therefore, I kept reading. I am glad I gave this book a chance, because the story did hit its groove, and I grew to enjoy reading about all the Tevas.
Something I really liked, was trying to figure out if this was legit or if we were dealing with an unreliable narrator. Evans did a great job keeping me in that grey area. I was vacillating between the two scenarios, and found myself analyzing past passages to figure out if there were really clones or was it all in Teva's head. Well play, Ms. Evans.
I also thought Evans blended these out-of-the-ordinary parts very well with the ordinary parts of every day life. These Tevas never came across as science experiments or less than human. In fact, the two oldest versions, fifteen and Teva, were preoccupied with such average teen girl issues, that it read almost like a contemporary (my favorite genre). That SciFi twist added an extra layer to the story and brought up the intrigue factor.
The story was interesting, and there were some great characters supporting this story. Two of my favorite were Maddy, Teva's best friend, and Tom, Teva's classmate. Maddy was a fun and faithful friend, who challenged and supported Teva. Tom provided most of the comic relief, in my opinion. His character was quite amusing, but we did get to see that he had some depth later on, and I really loved where Evans went with him.
Now, I am going deep. When I was trying to decide if the multiple versions were real or not, I started thinking of them metaphorically. This idea, that each year you shed your younger self, thus emerging with some of your former thoughts and beliefs, but also open to forming new ones. I even saw some symbolism in the physical pains Teva experienced as her new, older self was battling to emerge. Growing up is hard and can be painful, and I thought this was illustrated in an interesting way throughout the book. OR that was totally not the author's intention, and I am reading into it too much. Either way, I love that it made me think so much.
Overall: An interesting portrait of growing up sprinkled with romance, mystery, drama, and humor.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
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Teva, version 16, is well aware of her fate. She knows she has one year to be the Teva who interacts with the outside world. She has one year to live her whole life before she is replaced by Teva version 17, and is then forced to spend her days locked away with her previous versions. But it appears the later version Tevas are not happy with this arrangement, and they are willing to fight for the right to live their lives, but will Teva survive long enough to accomplish this task?
When I first discovered this book, I thought the concept sounded really interesting. I love science, and genetics is an ever-evolving and growing field. I have to admit, when I started reading this book, it was a little weird, but then I remembers, SciFi books not set in space are a little weird, therefore, I kept reading. I am glad I gave this book a chance, because the story did hit its groove, and I grew to enjoy reading about all the Tevas.
Something I really liked, was trying to figure out if this was legit or if we were dealing with an unreliable narrator. Evans did a great job keeping me in that grey area. I was vacillating between the two scenarios, and found myself analyzing past passages to figure out if there were really clones or was it all in Teva's head. Well play, Ms. Evans.
I also thought Evans blended these out-of-the-ordinary parts very well with the ordinary parts of every day life. These Tevas never came across as science experiments or less than human. In fact, the two oldest versions, fifteen and Teva, were preoccupied with such average teen girl issues, that it read almost like a contemporary (my favorite genre). That SciFi twist added an extra layer to the story and brought up the intrigue factor.
The story was interesting, and there were some great characters supporting this story. Two of my favorite were Maddy, Teva's best friend, and Tom, Teva's classmate. Maddy was a fun and faithful friend, who challenged and supported Teva. Tom provided most of the comic relief, in my opinion. His character was quite amusing, but we did get to see that he had some depth later on, and I really loved where Evans went with him.
Now, I am going deep. When I was trying to decide if the multiple versions were real or not, I started thinking of them metaphorically. This idea, that each year you shed your younger self, thus emerging with some of your former thoughts and beliefs, but also open to forming new ones. I even saw some symbolism in the physical pains Teva experienced as her new, older self was battling to emerge. Growing up is hard and can be painful, and I thought this was illustrated in an interesting way throughout the book. OR that was totally not the author's intention, and I am reading into it too much. Either way, I love that it made me think so much.
Overall: An interesting portrait of growing up sprinkled with romance, mystery, drama, and humor.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
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July 16, 2017
Zitat:
„Sie hatte mein Gesicht zerkratzt und versucht, mich wieder zurückzudrängen. Aber ich war die Stärkere gewesen. Ich war neu und voller Energie. Genauso wie diejenige, die sich bald aus mir herauskämpfen würde.“
(S.22)
Inhalt:
Die sechzehnjährige Teva lebt ein, zumindest nach außen, normales Teenagerleben. Doch ihr Leben ist alles andere als normal. Denn sie hat nur ein Jahr Zeit, dann übernimmt die nächste Teva ihren Alltag.
Teva will sich mit allen ihr zur Verfügung stehenden Mitteln dagegen wehren und um ihr Leben kämpfen. Ihr Geheimnis allerdings kennen nicht einmal Maddy, ihre beste Freundin, noch ihr Freund Olli. Teva versucht im Alleingang, ihre Existenz zu entschlüsseln. Doch hat sie tatsächlich die Kraft, die unsägliche Verkettung aufzuhalten? Teva stellt sich dieser Herausforderung.
Meinung:
Der Klappentext zu „Einzig“ hat mich unwahrscheinlich neugierig auf die Geschichte gemacht. Kaum war das Buch nun bei mir angekommen, habe ich auch gleich mit dem Lesen begonnen.
Es ging dann auch gleich vielversprechend los. Ich erlebte, was es damit auf sich hatte, wenn jemand anderes ein Leben übernimmt. Ein Leben, von dem man sich logischerweise ungern trennt. Dieser Jemand geht statt deiner in die Schule, nimmt sich deine Klamotten, übernimmt deinen Freund. Alles andere als eine schöne Vorstellung.
Die sechzehnjährige Teva lebt nun das Leben ihrer Vorgängerin. Doch sie weiß auch genau, dass ihre Tage letztendlich auch gezählt sind. Denn an ihrem nächsten Geburtstag wird sie sich trennen müssen, die nächste Teva ist in ihrem Körper schon spürbar. So ist es bereits seit einigen Jahren. Nach einem Jahr ist das Leben vorbei und die nächste übernimmt. Doch Teva will diesen Teufelskreislauf durchbrechen, sich nicht einfach geschlagen geben. Sie kann es nicht akzeptieren, dass an ihrem nächsten Geburtstag Schluss ist. Teva geht ihre Möglichkeiten durch. Sich zu offenbaren, kommt nicht in Frage. Denn dann würde man, laut den Worten ihrer Mutter, die Familie zur Freakshow abstempeln.
Kathryn Evans lässt die Geschichte aus Tevas Ich-Perspektive in Vergangenheitsform erzählen. Hierdurch erhielt ich einen guten Zugang zu ihrer Idee und schwamm im Lesefluss mit. Nach einem wirklich guten Beginn fand ich mich dann allerdings phasenweise in einer Highschool-Teenie-Plänkelei in allen denkbaren Facetten wider. Einige Klischees wurden sodann auch bedient und eine typische Dreiecksgeschichte bahnte sich an. So kam unwiderruflich der Zeitpunkt, an dem ich mich nur noch an die Hoffnung klammerte, dass der Fortgang der Geschichte nicht nur rein an diese Entwicklung geknüpft sein würde.
Die Charaktere wurden vorstellbar beschrieben und spiegelten ein entsprechendes Bild in meinen Lesegedanken. Trotz der gewählten Ich-Perspektive verlor ich dennoch immer mehr den Draht zu Teva und konnte ihr Handeln mitunter nicht in Gänze nachvollziehen. Ihre Ängste konnte ich natürlich spüren, doch die durch sie zu treffende Entscheidung ließ lange auf sich warten. Dennoch war ich gespannt, in welchem Zusammenhang die Ereignisse nun stehen würden.
So schritt ich voran und hatte auf den folgenden Seiten das eine oder andere schöne Erlebnis, bis ich nun den Grund für das große Ganze erfuhr. Für mich stellte sich dieser Grund etwas abstrakt dar, die Möglichkeiten, dieses Resultat zu erzielen, scheinen mir in der dargestellten Zeitlinie doch ein wenig an der Realität vorbei. Doch ausschließen kann man natürlich gar nichts.
Die Geschichte endet sodann auch beruhigt, nachdem ein kleiner Showdown das Tempo nochmals ein wenig anziehen ließ. Nun wissend, welches Geheimnis hinter der Geschichte steckt, kann ich das Buch in mein Regal stellen.
Urteil:
„Einzig“ basiert auf einer wirklich guten Idee und sorgt in vielen Ansätzen mit den konstruierten Handlungsfäden für aufkommende Spannung. Meine Stunden an der Seite von Teva verdienen deshalb auf jeden Fall 3 Bücher.
Für alle, die sich vor Andersartigkeit nicht fürchten, ein feststehendes Ergebnis nicht akzeptieren und die Suche nach einer Lösung bedingungslos vorantreiben.
© hisandherbooks.de
„Sie hatte mein Gesicht zerkratzt und versucht, mich wieder zurückzudrängen. Aber ich war die Stärkere gewesen. Ich war neu und voller Energie. Genauso wie diejenige, die sich bald aus mir herauskämpfen würde.“
(S.22)
Inhalt:
Die sechzehnjährige Teva lebt ein, zumindest nach außen, normales Teenagerleben. Doch ihr Leben ist alles andere als normal. Denn sie hat nur ein Jahr Zeit, dann übernimmt die nächste Teva ihren Alltag.
Teva will sich mit allen ihr zur Verfügung stehenden Mitteln dagegen wehren und um ihr Leben kämpfen. Ihr Geheimnis allerdings kennen nicht einmal Maddy, ihre beste Freundin, noch ihr Freund Olli. Teva versucht im Alleingang, ihre Existenz zu entschlüsseln. Doch hat sie tatsächlich die Kraft, die unsägliche Verkettung aufzuhalten? Teva stellt sich dieser Herausforderung.
Meinung:
Der Klappentext zu „Einzig“ hat mich unwahrscheinlich neugierig auf die Geschichte gemacht. Kaum war das Buch nun bei mir angekommen, habe ich auch gleich mit dem Lesen begonnen.
Es ging dann auch gleich vielversprechend los. Ich erlebte, was es damit auf sich hatte, wenn jemand anderes ein Leben übernimmt. Ein Leben, von dem man sich logischerweise ungern trennt. Dieser Jemand geht statt deiner in die Schule, nimmt sich deine Klamotten, übernimmt deinen Freund. Alles andere als eine schöne Vorstellung.
Die sechzehnjährige Teva lebt nun das Leben ihrer Vorgängerin. Doch sie weiß auch genau, dass ihre Tage letztendlich auch gezählt sind. Denn an ihrem nächsten Geburtstag wird sie sich trennen müssen, die nächste Teva ist in ihrem Körper schon spürbar. So ist es bereits seit einigen Jahren. Nach einem Jahr ist das Leben vorbei und die nächste übernimmt. Doch Teva will diesen Teufelskreislauf durchbrechen, sich nicht einfach geschlagen geben. Sie kann es nicht akzeptieren, dass an ihrem nächsten Geburtstag Schluss ist. Teva geht ihre Möglichkeiten durch. Sich zu offenbaren, kommt nicht in Frage. Denn dann würde man, laut den Worten ihrer Mutter, die Familie zur Freakshow abstempeln.
Kathryn Evans lässt die Geschichte aus Tevas Ich-Perspektive in Vergangenheitsform erzählen. Hierdurch erhielt ich einen guten Zugang zu ihrer Idee und schwamm im Lesefluss mit. Nach einem wirklich guten Beginn fand ich mich dann allerdings phasenweise in einer Highschool-Teenie-Plänkelei in allen denkbaren Facetten wider. Einige Klischees wurden sodann auch bedient und eine typische Dreiecksgeschichte bahnte sich an. So kam unwiderruflich der Zeitpunkt, an dem ich mich nur noch an die Hoffnung klammerte, dass der Fortgang der Geschichte nicht nur rein an diese Entwicklung geknüpft sein würde.
Die Charaktere wurden vorstellbar beschrieben und spiegelten ein entsprechendes Bild in meinen Lesegedanken. Trotz der gewählten Ich-Perspektive verlor ich dennoch immer mehr den Draht zu Teva und konnte ihr Handeln mitunter nicht in Gänze nachvollziehen. Ihre Ängste konnte ich natürlich spüren, doch die durch sie zu treffende Entscheidung ließ lange auf sich warten. Dennoch war ich gespannt, in welchem Zusammenhang die Ereignisse nun stehen würden.
So schritt ich voran und hatte auf den folgenden Seiten das eine oder andere schöne Erlebnis, bis ich nun den Grund für das große Ganze erfuhr. Für mich stellte sich dieser Grund etwas abstrakt dar, die Möglichkeiten, dieses Resultat zu erzielen, scheinen mir in der dargestellten Zeitlinie doch ein wenig an der Realität vorbei. Doch ausschließen kann man natürlich gar nichts.
Die Geschichte endet sodann auch beruhigt, nachdem ein kleiner Showdown das Tempo nochmals ein wenig anziehen ließ. Nun wissend, welches Geheimnis hinter der Geschichte steckt, kann ich das Buch in mein Regal stellen.
Urteil:
„Einzig“ basiert auf einer wirklich guten Idee und sorgt in vielen Ansätzen mit den konstruierten Handlungsfäden für aufkommende Spannung. Meine Stunden an der Seite von Teva verdienen deshalb auf jeden Fall 3 Bücher.
Für alle, die sich vor Andersartigkeit nicht fürchten, ein feststehendes Ergebnis nicht akzeptieren und die Suche nach einer Lösung bedingungslos vorantreiben.
© hisandherbooks.de
February 21, 2016
Mysterious, gripping and completely unique. The premise of MORE OF ME pulled me in immediately – eleven other Tevas, a new Teva emerges from the old one every year. I couldn’t imagine how this would work – but it does, in the most wonderful way. Teva goes to school, has friends, a boyfriend, a talent for textiles and a dream of a future, but she also has terrifying secret and a deep fear that she won’t get to live the life that is hers. The new Teva is already starting to fight her way out, and the eleven other Teva’s at home are a constant reminder of what’s to come – each of them with their own pain – Fifteen still grieving for the life she has lost, and Six (Oh, Six!), lonely and withdrawn.
Teva’s physical and mental pain oozes from the pages, but she is tough and determined not to let her strange predicament get in the way of her life and her future. When Fifteen starts to make life even more difficult, Teva needs a plan – a good one, and she needs it quickly.
This book is a fantastic portrayal of the struggles of growing up, understanding who you are and trying to fit in. I adored the relationship between Teva and her best friend Maddy – they have an unbreakable bond despite the secret that Teva is forced to keep from her. And there’s a little bit of romance brewing too. The engaging narrative pulled me deep into Teva’s weird world, and I was as eager to find out about the family’s mysterious past as I was to find out whether Teva could stop the next split before it was too late.
No spoilers – you’ll have to read it, and I highly recommend that you do, like, now.
This book has been lingering around the outskirts of brain since I read it, allowing me to consider all of the ideas a bit more. Like its main character, this is a book that will continue to emerge from you. Let it. Embrace it.
Teva’s physical and mental pain oozes from the pages, but she is tough and determined not to let her strange predicament get in the way of her life and her future. When Fifteen starts to make life even more difficult, Teva needs a plan – a good one, and she needs it quickly.
This book is a fantastic portrayal of the struggles of growing up, understanding who you are and trying to fit in. I adored the relationship between Teva and her best friend Maddy – they have an unbreakable bond despite the secret that Teva is forced to keep from her. And there’s a little bit of romance brewing too. The engaging narrative pulled me deep into Teva’s weird world, and I was as eager to find out about the family’s mysterious past as I was to find out whether Teva could stop the next split before it was too late.
No spoilers – you’ll have to read it, and I highly recommend that you do, like, now.
This book has been lingering around the outskirts of brain since I read it, allowing me to consider all of the ideas a bit more. Like its main character, this is a book that will continue to emerge from you. Let it. Embrace it.
June 13, 2017
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
Clones can be an overdone concept in sci-fi but MORE OF ME offers a fresh perspective with its teenage protagonist. Teva is sixteen years old and the sixteenth Teva in her family. On each birthday, her body splits and a new Teva emerges. This new Teva gets to go to school, see friends, lives a life, but the other Teva’s are stuck at home, in hiding. The crises that teens face (do they really like me for me, does anyone notice that I changed, what will happen when I grow up) become nuanced when Teva realizes that she’ll be forever stuck at sixteen, inside her house. It’s unbearable and she’s desperate to break the cycle.
How Teva manages her condition and interacts with her other selves is fascinating and well-written. While she can be moody and self-involved but it’s never without merit. Teva is equally worried about her future, her boyfriend, and her best friend. She’s not sure what she wants and isn’t even sure she wants what she has. Even though we only get glimpses of the other ages, all of those versions feel authentic. I really wanted more of those other clones. Though reading Teva’s attempts to gain control over her body and find someone to help her is enjoyable, you can’t help but wish there had been a little more plot to pad out the story.
The story barrels forward in the last couple chapters as Teva forces her mother to answer questions, but there needed to be more. The ending of MORE OF ME is lovely but ultimately unsatisfying. What does it mean to be a girl who is always 13 years old? Six year old Teva still needs help using the bathroom even though she’s technically the oldest. What is it like to live with that? Always seeing the person you used to be, never realizing the person that you are. An epilogue attempts to tie up loose ends but doesn’t address the more complex questions of the novel. MORE OF ME is very much a story about growing up, it’s so easy to identify with Teva’s worries about her body and concern for the future. A little more digging into the uglier aspects of Teva’s home life would have resolved any lingering issues with the plot. If you’re interested in clones and want a story that accurately addresses teenage neuroses, this is the book to pick up.
Sexual content: None
Clones can be an overdone concept in sci-fi but MORE OF ME offers a fresh perspective with its teenage protagonist. Teva is sixteen years old and the sixteenth Teva in her family. On each birthday, her body splits and a new Teva emerges. This new Teva gets to go to school, see friends, lives a life, but the other Teva’s are stuck at home, in hiding. The crises that teens face (do they really like me for me, does anyone notice that I changed, what will happen when I grow up) become nuanced when Teva realizes that she’ll be forever stuck at sixteen, inside her house. It’s unbearable and she’s desperate to break the cycle.
How Teva manages her condition and interacts with her other selves is fascinating and well-written. While she can be moody and self-involved but it’s never without merit. Teva is equally worried about her future, her boyfriend, and her best friend. She’s not sure what she wants and isn’t even sure she wants what she has. Even though we only get glimpses of the other ages, all of those versions feel authentic. I really wanted more of those other clones. Though reading Teva’s attempts to gain control over her body and find someone to help her is enjoyable, you can’t help but wish there had been a little more plot to pad out the story.
The story barrels forward in the last couple chapters as Teva forces her mother to answer questions, but there needed to be more. The ending of MORE OF ME is lovely but ultimately unsatisfying. What does it mean to be a girl who is always 13 years old? Six year old Teva still needs help using the bathroom even though she’s technically the oldest. What is it like to live with that? Always seeing the person you used to be, never realizing the person that you are. An epilogue attempts to tie up loose ends but doesn’t address the more complex questions of the novel. MORE OF ME is very much a story about growing up, it’s so easy to identify with Teva’s worries about her body and concern for the future. A little more digging into the uglier aspects of Teva’s home life would have resolved any lingering issues with the plot. If you’re interested in clones and want a story that accurately addresses teenage neuroses, this is the book to pick up.
Sexual content: None
March 17, 2017
"I have grown in strength inside her. Filled her cells with mine until we must split apart. It's not my choice - that's how it's always been for us."
This is the tale of Teva.
A girl who splits into two versions of herself every year.
A girl who lives in a house with all of her previous selves who are never able to age.
A girl who has chosen to fight to try to keep her life as her own.
This book was quite an unexpected gem for me.
I loved the idea of it but had no idea that I would enjoy it quite as much as I did.
The story is written so well that I struggled to put it down.
It kept me hooked the whole way through.
I NEEDED to know what was happening!
The author keeps us guessing about the nature of Teva's condition.
Is it real?
Why does it happen?
Is she crazy?
Can it be stopped?
Who can she trust?
I had so many different theories about what was going on while I read this book. It kept throwing new things at me and making me reevaluate my ideas constantly.
It was tense and mysterious and confusing and I loved it!
The characters were great and well written.
All of the different Tevas were distinctly different and interesting. I really enjoyed reading about how their relationships worked and how they all interacted with each other.
The current Teva was easy to like and sympathise with.
I loved the fierce friendship between Teva and Maddy.
Though I do wish there was less emphasis on boys/relationships being the thing that was holding Teva together and getting her through.
I also enjoyed the interesting moral dilemmas that the current Teva faced once she had split away from 'Fifteen'.
Was she stealing Fifteens life?
Was it her own life anyway?
Was Ollie Teva's boyfriend or Fifteen's?
Was she the same person?
Was it right that her mum locked all the previous Teva's away and didn't let them live their lives?
Should she bother working towards a future she would never be able to experience?
I found this to be a really original and gripping story.
Definitely worth a read!
July 11, 2017
4.5 stars. Amazing but strange book! I've never read a book like this before.
June 19, 2017
This was truly entertaining.
If you're a Doctor Who fan, imagine if he were a teenager girl and his regenerations actually allowed his older self to coexist with the new one. For Teva, this replication happens every year. And only the oldest one is allowed to use the Teva name and live her life while her "sisters" need to stay at home, hidden from anyone.
As I'm mentioning Doctor Who, while I could never call this a cliché, I can't say this was all too original, either. To be honest the bickering between current Teva and her fifteen-year-old self even reminded me of Ten and Tentoo—and of whenever regenerations meet in special episodes. Still, cloning not a theme I have seen explored in YA fiction, much less to this extent.
Teva has two big dilemmas to deal with: she needs to take over someone else's life she feels is her own but she also acknowledges it really isn't—as with anyone growing older, our personalities also change as we mature. The second dilemma is exactly the next Teva, she can feel her under the skin, gradually forming and getting stronger. She won't really die in a year but she'll be locked inside the house with her other selves, which is almost the same.
And she notices there is a third problem. Because her mother is so afraid of others finding out and taking her daughters to a lab, she hasn't allowed Teva to tell a soul—not even her best friend or her boyfriend. What if her copies aren't real, then? Funnily, whenever such an idea occurs, that's the one we hope against. For this book, I saw this ending as the happy one so hopeless I considered Teva's predicament.
But this YA doesn't run too deep. To be honest, I prefer it this way. I liked the mess that was Teva's relationship with the others I kept picturing how this story would ideal for a TV series. The plot does thicken, don't get me wrong, but it isn't the focus. This is really a lighthearted story about a teenager between her former selves and her future self—in a far-from-ordinary manner. Most of the story could have worked for siblings really close in age, for example. And I would still have liked it.
This is a fun read that will have you turning pages, worrying for poor Teva. There are also many themes here ideal for group discussions, as well as a mystery. It could have been more but it's still really good as is. Definitely, one of my favorite YA's of 2017.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
If you're a Doctor Who fan, imagine if he were a teenager girl and his regenerations actually allowed his older self to coexist with the new one. For Teva, this replication happens every year. And only the oldest one is allowed to use the Teva name and live her life while her "sisters" need to stay at home, hidden from anyone.
As I'm mentioning Doctor Who, while I could never call this a cliché, I can't say this was all too original, either. To be honest the bickering between current Teva and her fifteen-year-old self even reminded me of Ten and Tentoo—and of whenever regenerations meet in special episodes. Still, cloning not a theme I have seen explored in YA fiction, much less to this extent.
Teva has two big dilemmas to deal with: she needs to take over someone else's life she feels is her own but she also acknowledges it really isn't—as with anyone growing older, our personalities also change as we mature. The second dilemma is exactly the next Teva, she can feel her under the skin, gradually forming and getting stronger. She won't really die in a year but she'll be locked inside the house with her other selves, which is almost the same.
And she notices there is a third problem. Because her mother is so afraid of others finding out and taking her daughters to a lab, she hasn't allowed Teva to tell a soul—not even her best friend or her boyfriend. What if her copies aren't real, then? Funnily, whenever such an idea occurs, that's the one we hope against. For this book, I saw this ending as the happy one so hopeless I considered Teva's predicament.
But this YA doesn't run too deep. To be honest, I prefer it this way. I liked the mess that was Teva's relationship with the others I kept picturing how this story would ideal for a TV series. The plot does thicken, don't get me wrong, but it isn't the focus. This is really a lighthearted story about a teenager between her former selves and her future self—in a far-from-ordinary manner. Most of the story could have worked for siblings really close in age, for example. And I would still have liked it.
This is a fun read that will have you turning pages, worrying for poor Teva. There are also many themes here ideal for group discussions, as well as a mystery. It could have been more but it's still really good as is. Definitely, one of my favorite YA's of 2017.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
March 2, 2016
The different ages of Teva are very well done and very believable. They all act according to the age they are stuck in, and are understandably upset about their situation. Their mother - a woman I feel deep sympathy for - won't let them outside because she's terrified of what would happen should others find out about Teva. So only one Teva, the oldest, goes to school while the others stay hidden away.
Teva is confused, thinks she's losing her mind, and she is desperate to end her condition, so she can live a full life rather than being locked away in their house. Somehow, Evans has made the impossibility that is Teva's life believable. I felt for her right away and hoped that she'd find a way to end the very painful seperations.
I liked the two guys in her life. Tommo is such a sweetheart and I rooted for him all the way, whereas I didn't like Ollie. Don't get me wrong - I liked the character, but I didn't like the person. He's so controlling, like he can't bare the thought of her having other friends beside him. Although, I'll admit, I warmed to him later on. I hated that Teva felt guilty about annoying Ollie, almost like she agrees that she shouldn't be talking to other people.
But I'm possibly painting Ollie in a worse way than he deserves now, so let's stop before it gets out of hand.
As some of you might know, I work in a library. I don't know how this is treated where you live, but here, when you use a quiet study area, you shut the hell up. You can whisper if you like, but nothing louder than that may leave your lips or we ask you - kindly - to shut up, so when Teva decided to call her best friend Maddie from the quiet area my reaction was to glare at the screen and think YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING! in my best authoritative voice.
The ending made me cry, a lot. I was off sick when I finished this book, and didn't even realise my cat was meowing at me until she jumped up on my lap and rubbed her head into my tears. Don't finish this in public. You'll want privacy and chocolate. I can't stress that enough. It did wrap everything up well, but the feels were real.
I loved this book so, so much. Even though it wasn't at all what I had expected, it was exactly what I had expected and so much more. It was an excellent, fast read and I can't recommend it enough. It was amazing in every way, it really was. Go buy it now if you haven't already, you won't regret it. I can't remember the last book I read this quickly, but I kept needing to come back to it and read on. This is how you debut, people!
Teva is confused, thinks she's losing her mind, and she is desperate to end her condition, so she can live a full life rather than being locked away in their house. Somehow, Evans has made the impossibility that is Teva's life believable. I felt for her right away and hoped that she'd find a way to end the very painful seperations.
I liked the two guys in her life. Tommo is such a sweetheart and I rooted for him all the way, whereas I didn't like Ollie. Don't get me wrong - I liked the character, but I didn't like the person. He's so controlling, like he can't bare the thought of her having other friends beside him. Although, I'll admit, I warmed to him later on. I hated that Teva felt guilty about annoying Ollie, almost like she agrees that she shouldn't be talking to other people.
But I'm possibly painting Ollie in a worse way than he deserves now, so let's stop before it gets out of hand.
As some of you might know, I work in a library. I don't know how this is treated where you live, but here, when you use a quiet study area, you shut the hell up. You can whisper if you like, but nothing louder than that may leave your lips or we ask you - kindly - to shut up, so when Teva decided to call her best friend Maddie from the quiet area my reaction was to glare at the screen and think YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING! in my best authoritative voice.
The ending made me cry, a lot. I was off sick when I finished this book, and didn't even realise my cat was meowing at me until she jumped up on my lap and rubbed her head into my tears. Don't finish this in public. You'll want privacy and chocolate. I can't stress that enough. It did wrap everything up well, but the feels were real.
I loved this book so, so much. Even though it wasn't at all what I had expected, it was exactly what I had expected and so much more. It was an excellent, fast read and I can't recommend it enough. It was amazing in every way, it really was. Go buy it now if you haven't already, you won't regret it. I can't remember the last book I read this quickly, but I kept needing to come back to it and read on. This is how you debut, people!
December 27, 2016
Teva has a secret, her friends and boyfriend don't know that once a year a new Teva comes out of her. There are now eleven of them living at home. Teva doesn't have much time before the next Teva will take over her life. Fifteen, the Teva who was living her life before her, isn't happy with the situation. She doesn't want to give up her boyfriend and she's very angry with Teva for taking him from her. Teva is unhappy, she doesn't want to be stuck at home in a couple of months. Her mother only allows the newest one to live a full life.
As soon as the new Teva has taken over the older one will be stuck at the same age. Once the process is completed the old Teva will forever be the age she was when she had the chance to live Teva's life. Teva wants to live, she wants to experience things, she'd like to have a future. She's planning to go to university and she wants to have friends. She fights against the takeover and she also tries to get answers about her condition. Will she be able to find them?
More of Me is a fantastic story about a unique girl who wants to have a normal life. I love the idea of Teva. I enjoyed reading about her thoughts and feelings. It's fabulous that there's a completely new Teva coming out of her once a year who wants to live her life and who doesn't want to give that up. The new Teva isn't exactly the same as the old one, she has matured a little and she has her own personality. This means that while all Tevas share memories they aren't exact copies of each other. I think this is a fascinating theme for a book and I couldn't stop reading.
Kathryn Evans has a great writing-style which flows easily. The story is fast-paced and there's always something happening to Teva. I think it's good that she's kept Teva's secret as the big thing and made the rest of her life fairly normal, that way there's a good balance. I was intrigued from the start. Ever since I read the blurb I wanted to read this book and it doesn't disappoint. It's a really good story. More of Me is such a nice surprise, it's original, it's moving and it's gripping. I highly recommend this amazing book.
As soon as the new Teva has taken over the older one will be stuck at the same age. Once the process is completed the old Teva will forever be the age she was when she had the chance to live Teva's life. Teva wants to live, she wants to experience things, she'd like to have a future. She's planning to go to university and she wants to have friends. She fights against the takeover and she also tries to get answers about her condition. Will she be able to find them?
More of Me is a fantastic story about a unique girl who wants to have a normal life. I love the idea of Teva. I enjoyed reading about her thoughts and feelings. It's fabulous that there's a completely new Teva coming out of her once a year who wants to live her life and who doesn't want to give that up. The new Teva isn't exactly the same as the old one, she has matured a little and she has her own personality. This means that while all Tevas share memories they aren't exact copies of each other. I think this is a fascinating theme for a book and I couldn't stop reading.
Kathryn Evans has a great writing-style which flows easily. The story is fast-paced and there's always something happening to Teva. I think it's good that she's kept Teva's secret as the big thing and made the rest of her life fairly normal, that way there's a good balance. I was intrigued from the start. Ever since I read the blurb I wanted to read this book and it doesn't disappoint. It's a really good story. More of Me is such a nice surprise, it's original, it's moving and it's gripping. I highly recommend this amazing book.
February 4, 2016
More of Me is a book that I would just describe as fascinating. It was fascinating to read and I devoured it in one sitting because I couldn't escape the story, I needed to know what was happening. I was completely fascinated by Teva and her separations. Every single year, a new Teva splits from her and leaves the old Teva behind, stuck at that age forever. At 16, Teva has had enough and isn't willing to do as the others have done, be left behind with no life. But neither is Fifteen, she wants to fight for her life that Teva has taken from her, her boyfriend, her best friend and everything else.
I had so many different theories for what was really happening to Teva, I had no clue what was actually going on but that didn't stop me from guessing. It is honestly hard for a book to shock me nowadays, I am so happy that this was a book that surprised me in the best possible way. I thought I was reading a book that I might have read a few times before, but I really wasn't.
I loved Kathryn Evans writing, it's the kind that sucks me straight into the story and gets me to read a book in one sitting. I am super excited to see what she comes up with next, I have a lot of love for any author that can surprise me in the way that she managed to. If you're looking for a young adult read that is not like all the others, then definitely give this one a shot.
I had so many different theories for what was really happening to Teva, I had no clue what was actually going on but that didn't stop me from guessing. It is honestly hard for a book to shock me nowadays, I am so happy that this was a book that surprised me in the best possible way. I thought I was reading a book that I might have read a few times before, but I really wasn't.
I loved Kathryn Evans writing, it's the kind that sucks me straight into the story and gets me to read a book in one sitting. I am super excited to see what she comes up with next, I have a lot of love for any author that can surprise me in the way that she managed to. If you're looking for a young adult read that is not like all the others, then definitely give this one a shot.
June 25, 2017
Einzig zog mich sofort mit dem spannenden Klappentext an. Ich erwartete einen spannenden Jugendthriller mit Sci-Fi- bzw. Fantasy-Elementen und während des Lesens bekam ich dann so viel mehr! Ja, Einzig ist ein Jugendthriller, denn wie schon aus dem Klappentext ersichtlich, möchte Teva den Grund für ihre „Teilungen“ wissen und stößt dabei auf eine Menge Geheimnisse. Auch die Sci-Fi- und Fantasy-Elemente kommen nicht zu kurz. Besonders dann nicht, wenn Teva beschreibt, wie es ist, wenn sich plötzlich etwas anderes in ihrem Körper bewegt. Darüber hinaus beschäftigt sich Einzig aber auch mit Elementen aus zeitgenössischen Jugendbüchern, wie Liebe, Freundschaft und Schule und genau das, kam mit der Problematik von Einzig richtig gut zum Vorschein. Denn was macht man, wenn man weiß, dass man nur ein Jahr mit seinem Freund verbringen kann und dein jüngeres Ich ihn jeden Tag schmerzlich vermisst. Wie lebt es sich mit einer so großen Lüge, die man nicht mal seiner besten Freundin anvertrauen kann? Mit diesen Themen befasst sich Einzig neben dem Thriller und ich glaube, es bekommt so ganz viel wert für jüngere Leser. Auch, wenn keiner in der Situation ist, nach einem Jahr seinen Platz abzugeben, befasst sich das Buch mit vielen Themen, die im Leben von allen Jugendlichen wichtig sind.
Der Thriller an sich ist anfangs dadurch mehr im Hintergrund, gewinnt aber nach und nach immer mehr an Bedeutung. Besonders gut fand ich, wie Kathryn Evans mit den Lesern spielt und sie mit Teva verzweifeln lässt. Wie genau das passiert, verrate ich aus Spoiler-Gründen nun nicht, aber mir hat dieser Schachzug sehr gut gefallen, den mit diesem wird das Buch ein richtiger Pageturner.
Tevas Gedanken werden sehr ausführlich beschrieben und nehmen einen großen Teil des Buches ein. Für mich sehr wichtig, denn so bekommen wir tiefe Einblicke in ihre Gefühlswelt und können noch ein bisschen besser nachvollziehen, wie es ihr geht. Ist sie anfangs noch ein bisschen naiv und blind für bestimmte Dinge, entwickelt sie sich im Verlauf von Einzig stark weiter und ist am Ende eine Person, die man einfach gern haben muss.
Mein einziger Kritikpunkt: Das Ende. Vorab: Das ist eine sehr persönliche Meinung und hat nicht damit zu tun, dass Einzig ein schlechtes Ende hat. Vielmehr bin ich überzeugt, dass es vielen sogar sehr gefallen wird. Ich mochte es nicht wegen eines bestimmten Punktes nicht, für mich war es mehr die Gesamtzahl aller Aspekte, die mich das Ende hassen lassen. Für mich wirkt es sehr unstimmig und ich bin mit der Handlungsweise vieler Personen schlichtweg nicht zufrieden. Ansonsten ist Einzig aber ein durch und durch gelungener Thriller.
Fazit: Einzig hat mich sehr überzeugen können, denn es beinhaltet mehr als einen spannenden Thriller. Durch die besondere Thematik stehen zeitgenössische Themen, wie Freundschaft, Schule und Liebe ebenso im Vordergrund und werden schön und nachhaltig beleuchtet. Mein einziger Kritikpunkt ist das Ende, das entgegen meinen Vorstellungen verlief und das für mich leider sehr unstimmig ist.
Der Thriller an sich ist anfangs dadurch mehr im Hintergrund, gewinnt aber nach und nach immer mehr an Bedeutung. Besonders gut fand ich, wie Kathryn Evans mit den Lesern spielt und sie mit Teva verzweifeln lässt. Wie genau das passiert, verrate ich aus Spoiler-Gründen nun nicht, aber mir hat dieser Schachzug sehr gut gefallen, den mit diesem wird das Buch ein richtiger Pageturner.
Tevas Gedanken werden sehr ausführlich beschrieben und nehmen einen großen Teil des Buches ein. Für mich sehr wichtig, denn so bekommen wir tiefe Einblicke in ihre Gefühlswelt und können noch ein bisschen besser nachvollziehen, wie es ihr geht. Ist sie anfangs noch ein bisschen naiv und blind für bestimmte Dinge, entwickelt sie sich im Verlauf von Einzig stark weiter und ist am Ende eine Person, die man einfach gern haben muss.
Mein einziger Kritikpunkt: Das Ende. Vorab: Das ist eine sehr persönliche Meinung und hat nicht damit zu tun, dass Einzig ein schlechtes Ende hat. Vielmehr bin ich überzeugt, dass es vielen sogar sehr gefallen wird. Ich mochte es nicht wegen eines bestimmten Punktes nicht, für mich war es mehr die Gesamtzahl aller Aspekte, die mich das Ende hassen lassen. Für mich wirkt es sehr unstimmig und ich bin mit der Handlungsweise vieler Personen schlichtweg nicht zufrieden. Ansonsten ist Einzig aber ein durch und durch gelungener Thriller.
Fazit: Einzig hat mich sehr überzeugen können, denn es beinhaltet mehr als einen spannenden Thriller. Durch die besondere Thematik stehen zeitgenössische Themen, wie Freundschaft, Schule und Liebe ebenso im Vordergrund und werden schön und nachhaltig beleuchtet. Mein einziger Kritikpunkt ist das Ende, das entgegen meinen Vorstellungen verlief und das für mich leider sehr unstimmig ist.
January 25, 2021
Niestety mi się nie podobała. Szkolna miłość, problemu wieku dojrzewania i myślenie o przyszłości. To plus wątek fantasy/ sci-fi to kwintesencja tej książki. Niestety nie trafiło to do mnie. W moim odczuciu jest to książka, na którą jestem za stara. Bardziej by pasowała do czytelnika w wieku 12- 14 lat. Pierwotnie pomysł na fabułę mi się podobał, tylko że oczekiwałam klonów, które (bo ja wiem) nie wiedzą że są klonami. Tak jak nadmieniłam to we vlogu do #okmaraton chciałam czegoś na kształt R E czyli jeden klon umiera, przychodzi następny na jego miejsce i tak w kółko. Niestety to nie jest coś takiego. Tu mamy docenienia z rodzinką klonów/ sióstr, które mieszkają pod jednym dachem. Bardziej przypomina mi to córkę Wolverine'a z komiksów "All new Wolverine" i jej perypetie z klonami, które mają własny rozum. Na swój sposób książka o Tev'ach jest urocza, głupiutka. Po za tym szybko się czytało. Więc jeśli coś z tego co napisałam was interesuje to kupujcie śmiało. Tak jak pisałam, polecam osobą młodszym, ja niestety jestem na nie. (4/10⭐)
March 21, 2017
ohhh naprawdę interesująca książka. bałam się że będzie nudna, że mi się nie spodoba. wiele osób krytykowało zakończenie. Ale wiecie co? bardzo mi się podobało. Po setnej stronie tak się wciągnęłam, że chciałam tylko czytać i czytać i dowiedzieć się jak to się zakończy. Historia dziewczyny która co roku rozdziela się na dwie osoby. niesamowity debiut literacki. zakończenie uważam, za bardzo dobre. cieszę, że właśnie takie było. Polecam wam tą historię, naprawdę warto.
March 13, 2017
Fresh, inspiring, reminding me of some of Cronenberg esthetics. It is a simple sience fiction for young adult readers with intriguing concepts, and some beautiful twists on the way.
If you look for some original plots, for a dash of disgustment, this is definitely a story to check.
---
„Eva, Teva i więcej Tev” to opowieść o inności, o bólu i rodzinnych tajemnicach, które trzeba chronić za wszelką cenę. To także historia poświęcenia względem drugiej osoby, względem samej siebie, względem swojej rodziny, która nie jest być może idealna, ale jest jedynym, co chroni sekret, co odgradza od bezlitosnej rzeczywistości. Co prawda sam koncept fabularny pozostaje nieskomplikowany, a bohaterowie po młodzieżowemu uproszczeni, ale eksperymentalne tło dla całości nadaje tej powieści odpowiedniej dawki pieprzu, która spodoba się młodocianym miłośnikom oryginalnych opowieści rodem z science fiction.
Widać, że Kathryn Evans miała pomysł i zrealizowała go nie podążając ślepo za najpopularniejszymi trendami w literaturze młodzieżowej. Tym samym stała się ciekawym głosem young adult, który być może rozbrzmiewać będzie w wyobraźni niejednego czytelnika.
If you look for some original plots, for a dash of disgustment, this is definitely a story to check.
---
„Eva, Teva i więcej Tev” to opowieść o inności, o bólu i rodzinnych tajemnicach, które trzeba chronić za wszelką cenę. To także historia poświęcenia względem drugiej osoby, względem samej siebie, względem swojej rodziny, która nie jest być może idealna, ale jest jedynym, co chroni sekret, co odgradza od bezlitosnej rzeczywistości. Co prawda sam koncept fabularny pozostaje nieskomplikowany, a bohaterowie po młodzieżowemu uproszczeni, ale eksperymentalne tło dla całości nadaje tej powieści odpowiedniej dawki pieprzu, która spodoba się młodocianym miłośnikom oryginalnych opowieści rodem z science fiction.
Widać, że Kathryn Evans miała pomysł i zrealizowała go nie podążając ślepo za najpopularniejszymi trendami w literaturze młodzieżowej. Tym samym stała się ciekawym głosem young adult, który być może rozbrzmiewać będzie w wyobraźni niejednego czytelnika.
July 27, 2022
Absolutely truly gripping book but outrageous awful let down of a ending not worth the read
April 29, 2018
I have grown in strength inside her. Filled her cells with mine until we must split apart. It's not my choice - that's how it's always been for us.
* *
2 / 5
More of Me is based on a pretty unique concept. Every year, Teva splits in two. The old Teva, the one who keeps the proper memories and consciousness, stays at the same age whilst the new Teva adopts her life, going to school and picking up old Teva's friends and boyfriend. Our Teva is sixteen and she refuses to let go of her life. She doesn't want to lose her life, her boyfriend, her future career to the self growing under her skin, and she'll do anything to stop her breaking out.
The basic idea is really good and I was kept awake quite late by this book, frantically flipping pages to try and find out the truth. Why is this happening to Teva? Why won't her mother let her see a doctor? Why does her boyfriend prefer Fifteen to her, even though they're the same person? Is Teva, after all, just absolutely insane? I really wanted to find out. However, the book was dragged down by a love triangle and too much focus on Teva's school life.
I burned inside, at the unfairness of our lives
Teva lives with her mother and her "siblings". There's little four year old Eva, then Six through to Fifteen. Imagine being immortalised at thirteen, forever into anime or being goth or loving Justin Beiber. Awful, right? Now imagine that your thirteen year old self lives with you, in your massive house with an industrial gate around it, and is forbidden to leave. Then there's Six, who constantly picks at the wallpaper, Eleven who's really into mystery novels and wants to be a detective, Eight who stuck in an Enid Blyton fantasy land, and Fifteen who hates your guts because, well, she's fifteen and eternally rebellious.
Alongside all this, Teva tries to act normally to her best friend Mads even though most of her memories are fuzzy. She only inherits the memories her earlier selves thinks are important, so small details of her life slip away from her. Then there's her boyfriend Ollie who is, to be quite honest, a bit of a douchebag; when Teva gets upset at his flirting with another girl, he brashly informs her that she is overreacting, but when she arranges to help a boy in her textiles class out, Tommo, with his English work in exchange for tips on her textiles portfolio, he gets angry and confrontational. I don't believe I have ever been a fan of love triangles, but this one is particularly dull: there's virtually no tension or anything particularly interesting going on, which is unfortunate.
"We all change, don't we? I used to love endless reruns of Top Gear but now ... actually no, I still love endless runs of Top Gear. But seriously, we grow up, don't we?"
I would have enjoyed this book far more if it had dropped the romance aspects entirely. There was quite enough to focus on with the splitting mystery, Teva's identity crisis, her tricky relationship with Fifteen, and her thoughts for the future. I really didn't care about her struggles between two guys or her fashion show. Teva's textile class is embroidering corsets for their current project and their teacher wants them to wear them in the school charity fashion show fundraiser. It's a weird little sideplot that I found distracting and unimportant. Whilst I liked the dilemma that Teva had, why bother working towards a future that won't be yours, why not just have fun if you're going to be sixteen forever, I don't think it was done particularly well.
The ending was also too rushed for my liking. This was, I think, the product of too many story lines that Evans had to wrap up. There's the romances, the problems with Fifteen, Teva's future, the "other" Teva trying to burst out of her skin, the blog she's running, her entire life mystery, her best friend troubles. It's all too much and results in a conclusion that's just a bit unsatisfying.
So whilst I would recommend More of Me because of the really cool idea behind it, to really get into this one you have to enjoy typical "slice of life" type highschool stories.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of More of Me
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* *
2 / 5
More of Me is based on a pretty unique concept. Every year, Teva splits in two. The old Teva, the one who keeps the proper memories and consciousness, stays at the same age whilst the new Teva adopts her life, going to school and picking up old Teva's friends and boyfriend. Our Teva is sixteen and she refuses to let go of her life. She doesn't want to lose her life, her boyfriend, her future career to the self growing under her skin, and she'll do anything to stop her breaking out.
The basic idea is really good and I was kept awake quite late by this book, frantically flipping pages to try and find out the truth. Why is this happening to Teva? Why won't her mother let her see a doctor? Why does her boyfriend prefer Fifteen to her, even though they're the same person? Is Teva, after all, just absolutely insane? I really wanted to find out. However, the book was dragged down by a love triangle and too much focus on Teva's school life.
I burned inside, at the unfairness of our lives
Teva lives with her mother and her "siblings". There's little four year old Eva, then Six through to Fifteen. Imagine being immortalised at thirteen, forever into anime or being goth or loving Justin Beiber. Awful, right? Now imagine that your thirteen year old self lives with you, in your massive house with an industrial gate around it, and is forbidden to leave. Then there's Six, who constantly picks at the wallpaper, Eleven who's really into mystery novels and wants to be a detective, Eight who stuck in an Enid Blyton fantasy land, and Fifteen who hates your guts because, well, she's fifteen and eternally rebellious.
Alongside all this, Teva tries to act normally to her best friend Mads even though most of her memories are fuzzy. She only inherits the memories her earlier selves thinks are important, so small details of her life slip away from her. Then there's her boyfriend Ollie who is, to be quite honest, a bit of a douchebag; when Teva gets upset at his flirting with another girl, he brashly informs her that she is overreacting, but when she arranges to help a boy in her textiles class out, Tommo, with his English work in exchange for tips on her textiles portfolio, he gets angry and confrontational. I don't believe I have ever been a fan of love triangles, but this one is particularly dull: there's virtually no tension or anything particularly interesting going on, which is unfortunate.
"We all change, don't we? I used to love endless reruns of Top Gear but now ... actually no, I still love endless runs of Top Gear. But seriously, we grow up, don't we?"
I would have enjoyed this book far more if it had dropped the romance aspects entirely. There was quite enough to focus on with the splitting mystery, Teva's identity crisis, her tricky relationship with Fifteen, and her thoughts for the future. I really didn't care about her struggles between two guys or her fashion show. Teva's textile class is embroidering corsets for their current project and their teacher wants them to wear them in the school charity fashion show fundraiser. It's a weird little sideplot that I found distracting and unimportant. Whilst I liked the dilemma that Teva had, why bother working towards a future that won't be yours, why not just have fun if you're going to be sixteen forever, I don't think it was done particularly well.
The ending was also too rushed for my liking. This was, I think, the product of too many story lines that Evans had to wrap up. There's the romances, the problems with Fifteen, Teva's future, the "other" Teva trying to burst out of her skin, the blog she's running, her entire life mystery, her best friend troubles. It's all too much and results in a conclusion that's just a bit unsatisfying.
So whilst I would recommend More of Me because of the really cool idea behind it, to really get into this one you have to enjoy typical "slice of life" type highschool stories.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of More of Me
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
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