Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

What's Left of Me 

Author: Kat Zhang 
Series: The Hybrid Chronicles, Book One
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher
Genre:Young Adult Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Source: Mid-Columbia Libraries

Synopsis: 
  
Eva and Addie started their lives intertwined together. Two distinct souls sharing one body. Only one of them should no longer be there. Eva should be gone, but she’s not. After countless doctor visits and tests, Addie is finally declared healthy and Eva is declared gone. But she is still there clinging to what is left of her life. Locked away inside their body, unable to control anything. Then they discover that there might be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are incredibly high. Hybrids are considered a threat to society. If they are caught, they will be locked away forever. Is it worth the risk for Eva to be able to walk, speak, dance, smile, and laugh again?

My Review: 

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of The Host by Stephanie Meyer at first because of the two souls sharing a body. However, I quickly realized that was the only thing that the books had in common. I loved that the souls were born together and that they loved each other. It is like having your sister or brother always with you. It did get a little complicated with who was talking and who was controlling the body, but I think that Kat Zhang did a wonderful job of separating the two personalities. I do feel like she focused too much on Addie and Eva and failed to develop some of the other minor characters including Devon and Ryan and Hally and Lissa.

The main characters Addie and Eva share a body. Addie is the dominant soul and Eva is trapped within their body. The book is told from Eva’s perspective. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to watch and hear what’s going on around you, but not be able to speak or move. In spite of all this, Eva is a kind-hearted girl. She loves Addie even though she has taken full control of their body. They fight like normal siblings do, but they always forgive each other. Eva is more clear-headed than Addie, but I think that is largely due to the fact that she doesn’t have to do anything but think. She seems to make more spontaneous and irrational decisions as she gains more control over their body. Her character was definitely the most developed and was my favorite in the book. She is kind, cares about others, and is willing to give people a chance.

Addie, on the other hand, is very fearful. She desperately wants for Eva to be able to have control, but she fears the cost. She wants a normal life, but would also be devastated if Eva were just gone one day. Addie has a lot of inner turmoil going on throughout the book. She is constantly trying to decide between playing it safe or risking a little more for Eva. I felt like we didn’t get to know Addie all that well. She was very closed off and we didn’t really get to know how she was feeling. I wish that Kat Zhang would have developed her character just a little bit more.

Devon, Hally’s and Lissa’s brother, was very quiet and we really didn’t get to know him at all. Ryan, on the other hand, his other soul, we got a bigger glimpse of. Ryan is quiet and careful. He is smart and cares deeply for Eva. I think that he cared for her at first because they were both recessive souls, but as time went on and he got to know her, he started to really like her.

Hally and Lissa are the ones who give Eva hope that she can move again. Because of the important role she played at the beginning the book, I thought we would get to know her better, but we really don’t. All we know is that she is half-foreign and that she desperately wants to find other hybrids. I really wish that we would have gotten to know both Hally and Lissa a little bit better.

Overall, I really liked the idea of this book. The premise was great. There was action, mystery, and a tiny bit of love. My biggest complaint is character development. I only really connected with Eva and felt like I didn’t really know the other characters, including Eva’s other half, Addie. I really wish that Kat Zhang would have shed a little light on these other characters’ personalities. The story itself though did excite me and kept me turning the pages. There was a lot of mystery and conspiracy that I enjoyed. I am very excited to read the next book, Once We Were, expected to be released September 17, 2013. I hope that in the next book we get to know the other characters a little bit better.

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