Review (7): What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Title: What's Left of Me
Author: Kat Zhang
Rating: 4/5
Overview: I should not exist. But I do.

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

This book had such an interesting premise and really makes you think.  You are born with two souls, but eventually, one will just fade away and disappear.  But if that doesn't happen, you are considered a hybrid, dangerous.  And Addie and Eva are one of those hybrids.

Eva is the main character even though she is considered the recessive soul while Addie is the dominant.  Addie makes them walk and talk while Eva is just sort of floating inside of her.  They both can talk to each other in their head.  It was weird have it through Eva's view because I would sometimes confuse her with Addie and have to go back and reread.  It's especially confusing at the end when Eva takes some sort of dominance.

It was also hard to get used to the "we" and "us" that the book kept using.  I would always have to think who was "we" or "us", but you get used to it after awhile.

Addie irritated me at some points, she comes off as selfish and childish.  I also hated when Eva and Addie would fight (they do it often throughout the whole book). I definitely felt bad for Eva though.  Being trapped in a body you can't control?  That has to be hard.

All in all, I loved the book.  Kat does a great job at providing us with info of this foreign world without overwhelming us with information.  She does a great job letting us know bit by bit what this place we know nothing about, is about.  The ending had my heart thumping and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  There really isn't a "love interest" in this book but there is a minor one, but love isn't the focus of this book, and I like that, a lot.