Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

 

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: Sept 18, 2012 
Pre order: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

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

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

 
First let me say that I really really liked the whole idea of this book.  Two souls in one body, one dominate one recessive, one will stay one must leave by the time a child reaches an early age.  This doesn’t always happen and sometimes both souls stay which is the case with Addie and Eva.  They have learned to hide Eva away from seeing eyes because letting her out would mean hospitals and being shunned by the community.  See Hybrids, or souls who have not settled, are not allowed and when one is found they are swept away to “help” correct the problem.  Addie and Eva know this so for the past 3 years they have kept quiet and stayed away from attention.  All this becomes unraveled after meeting Hally, a girl in school who is more than they ever thought.
So sounds good right??!  I really like the whole story and plot.  It was inventive and in the beginning very creepy.  I think the author did a brilliant job letting us have Eva’s POV.  She was the recessive soul that should have disappeared but instead fought against nature and stayed inside Addie’s mind.  It showed a whole other side to Addie and I think the story works really well this way.  Ryan and Hally were great additions to the story also that I would have liked to have seen more of.  I wish the author would have shown the training sessions between Eva and Ryan, I think it would have been easier for me to buy their romance if those scenes were shown. 
My problem with this story was that there wasn’t enough action and interaction with the characters.  I felt like they were in one spot too long without anything really happening.  Like I said I loved the beginning, but towards the middle the story just stopped moving.  I wanted to see Eva and Ryan interact more, more action in the “hospital”, and more conversations between everybody.  If more scenes like that were thrown in I can guarantee that this would have been a 5 star rating for me.  As is though I can’t give it more than 3.5.  I am definitely going to read the sequel because I really want to know what happens with all the Hybrids. I am hoping that there is way more action and that the whole romance thing is better developed.  I am a little worried about the romance with both Eva and Addie being in the same body, but I have faith in the author that she will make it believeable and swoon worthy.
                                                                     3.5 stars
                                                      

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