What’s Left of Me audiobook

Actual rating: 4.5 starsDystopian novels have been disappointing me left and right these days. I don't know why. I'm not that hard to please. Yeah, I see your eyes rolling at that. *grin* But seriously, give me likable characters, solid world building and a good conspiracy theory and I'm good to go. Well, I guess there are only so many ways to tell the story of a deranged society killing off its children for the greater good. So, I went into What's Left of Me with, how do I say this? Er... low expectations. And wow. I was not expecting to love this book, but wow. I absolutely LOVED it! I mean, geez. Where do I even begin? Should I start at the premise? How about the realistic characters? Or maybe I should just make this entire review into a fangirl's shrine of amazing prose? This book is all of those things and more.Let me start with that gorgeous cover for a minute. I have a confession, which is more or less public information: I'm a cover whore. There. I totes said it. Yes, yes. I know the drill, "BOO, YOU WHORE!" It's just that I get a peek of a beautiful cover and my eyes gloss over with desire. I know I should heed the advice and not judge the book based on the cover, but I can't help it. I'm a judgy little judger. Usually, this just sets me up for a supreme let down when I actually get a chance to read the book. But occasionally, I find those diamond in the roughs like What's Left of Me, where not only does the cover scream, "Pick me up, dammit, and read me!" but the story fully captivates me. That is the bread and the apple butter, my friends.And not only does the cover look stunning, but it truly captures Eva and Addie. Eva, the recessive soul that should have disappeared according to her society, was born and marked for death. And Addie, the dominate soul, destined to forget her best friend and other half. But they share a secret. They are hybrids, a title coined to those with recessive souls that refused to just fade away. To the government they are deemed a threat to society and therefore must be locked up, contained, fixed or be killed.The best part of What's Left of Me was the relationship between Addie and Eva. I have to sit and applaud Zhang's skill at crafting two very different characters, who share the same body, yet they struggle to portray just one person to everyone else. Against her better judgement, Addie agrees to practice letting Eva take control of their body. She knows what this could mean for them if they are caught and discovered. However, she also knows how much it means to Eva to not just be the soul everyone else thinks is gone. Eva wants to be real. So they take the risk and their worst fears are, unfortunately, realized.We'd been born with our souls' fingers interlocked. What if we'd never let go?The bond and love these two sister had for one another was phenomenal and, at times, tear jerking. Though, I should say I did not cry during this novel. But I will say it was deeply emotional when the sisters internally struggled to fulfill both souls' needs without depriving the other. Of course, this was nearly impossible. Eva is the recessive soul and as such is used to literally taking the backseat to whatever Addie needs or wants. At times that frustrated me to no end because I could just feel Eva ready to burst free and be her own person, but Addie would take those moments away from her.I was caged in our body and caged in his arms and, somehow, the former was the real prison.And while I remained angry at Addie for her selfishness, Eva not once blamed her sister for the way she felt. That is not to say they always got along. There were quite a few times they stopped talking to each other in the novel, but I just loved how they made up. Side note: Can you imagine having a fight with your sibling in your head? I mean, if my sister and I shared one body... let's just say it'd be WW3 up in there. There'd be major ass kicking. Bet on it. Probably something along the lines of this: Any who...Not only did Zhang have to keep track of Addie and Eva's characters, but she created two characters in one body in several different instances. Now, I know from reading that sentence, that may A) not make a lot of sense or B) not sound very difficult. But it fascinated me how Zhang pulled it off. There were times where Addie and Eva would be talking with a character only for him/her to switch mid-conversation to their other soul. So you have two different mannerisms, facial expressions, tone, ect. for this one person and you have Addie and Eva able to not only tell the difference between the two, but to also convince the reader of the switch. And I'll even take it a step further to say that after a certain point I could tell which soul was who before Addie and Eva confirmed it for me. I think this is a testament to just how well these characters were crafted.And that is where the pacing and plot come into play. At first I thought the book was moving too fast in the beginning because I was getting introduced to a bunch of new characters and STUFF was happening very quickly, but I think it works well that way. Looking back, What's Left of Me doesn't really have much downtime because something is always happening, but at the same time it doesn't read like a thriller either because it's not exactly action packed. Oxymoron? Why, yes. But it was riveting and I felt I NEEDED to figure out the mystery to why the hybrids were treated so badly. Interestingly, I would usually take this time to point out and complain about world building flaws. There is very little mention of the outside world and how they deal with hybrids. BUT, and you're going to have to trust me on this, it works in this instance. The reader is intentionally kept in the dark until a few plot twists are revealed. Even after completing the novel, I feel like there is so much more to come.So, yeah, I rambled there a bit, but this novel was so fascinating and awesome. After all that I just have one last thing to say: More now, please.ARC was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. Thank you!More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuudlebuggery Book Blog.

Brilliant, heartbreaking, and absolutely unforgettable! I adored this book. :)

The first time I saw this I wasn't really that interested. Although the premise does sound intriguing it wasn't that enough for me to be very excited about this one. So when I saw this in Edelweiss I wasn't really planning on requesting it, however my fingers have their own minds and took the liberty to click it and started typing why I wanted a review copy. And to my surprise I actually got approved. Then comes the glowing reviews from my GR friends and I was like, maybe I should thank my fingers for requesting this, this could only be so good. And so I read it and boy I couldn't thank my fingers more because this book is just great, really great!The originality of this book is one of the major aspects that made this book so good and very intriguing. The concept of this book was definitely a first for me; I never encountered a book with the idea of a world where people lived with two souls. That idea although made me interested also made me anxious to read it; wouldn't it be difficult? How can I like the MC if there are two personalities in them? How could there be a romance in this one? Wouldn’t that be awkward? Can the author pull it off? But all those worries soon fade away as I find myself gradually being devoured by the author's writing! Kat Zhang is an amazing writer and she definitely pulled this one off! Her writing was simple but gorgeous and the pacing was comfortably fast. The world and the characters she created were all very well thought and written. The world-building is one of a kind and although I had some little issues with it (view spoiler)[I wish there were more further explanations as to why the government think the hybrids are very dangerous. I wasn't really convinced with what they let the citizens think about it but (hide spoiler)] I can wait for them to be resolve more in the following books. The characters were my favorite part of this book. I loved how she wrote them especially the relationship of the sisters, Addie and Eva. The relationship and the emotional struggles they had were very realistic and heartbreaking. I saw the conflicting feelings each shared with one another. And how they struggled in doing and choosing things they wanted for their own but not wanting to hurt or be selfish to the other one. I love how Zhang showed that with all the hurting, Eva and Addie really care and love each other. Through the different circumstances and obstacles thrown to Addie and Eva we were able to see the two differently - how they take and handle things, how they talk and think, their expressions and mannerism. So as the story went on, when they shift it wasn't really confusing. She wrote the sisters in a way that we could really see them separately, two entirely different and unique characters, sharing one body. Other characters like Hally and Lissa, Devon and Ryan, and Kitty and Nina were great supporting characters. They were never left on the sides and I liked how they contributed on the development of the main character. There's a very light touch of romance in this one and it surprised me that it was actually fine with me. Because I am a major sap and I love romance! It's one of the things I always consider when reading a book but throughout the course of the story I was just so busy thinking of how they're gonna overcome their problems and obstacles. So when this one sweet moment came I was just like, aww. It made me really smile and for some reason I was pretty satisfied with it...for now, even though I still have very little idea of how the romance will gonna work. But I hope it would be more apparent in the next book. With original plot, great world-building, and well written characters this book promises a definitely wonderful and engaging reading experience. This book did not disappoint. I highly recommend this.*Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing an ARC of this book! This review is also posted at Book Overdose

4.5 stars - ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! My half-star complaint is for the somewhat anticlimactic end (see below).Why did I love this book so much? Because the concept was actually mind-blowing. To be born with two souls and to become the dominant soul and to have the other naturally fade away - I can't even imagine how it feels to lose a part of myself like that. The prologue had me hooked, and the rest of the story sure didn't disappoint.But what made the book so great was that Zhang let Eva be the narrator, even though she was the recessive soul. To let herself just fade into the background but never totally fade away is so heartbreaking, knowing you could never BE. But instead of feeling resentment, Eva supported Addie in places where Addie fell short - but with reminders and words of encouragement rather than taking action. The bond that Addie and Eva have and the dialogue that goes on between them is just indescribable. Zhang did a truly amazing job putting readers there, making us sympathize with both Addie and Eva. Both girls had their strengths and their weaknesses, and they compliment each other very well.I'm really curious to see what direction Zhang plans to take this series. Of course, readers would naturally want things to work out with Addie and Eva where both will be able to have their time in their body. But we already see how different the two are and how this can cause a problem in their future if they were both to survive (view spoiler)[i.e. Ryan (hide spoiler)] Jackson gives us a hint, but you're left to wonder if both girls can truly be happy and how certain arrangement will be made.And for those, like me, who have to have romance in their books, don't expect too much of it in this one. There is a love interest, but there's not much, and when there is, it's pretty subtle. But it actually didn't bother me in this book.But Zhang did a good job pacing the book, first sucking us in by the intriguing concept and later keeping us on the edge with anticipation about what's going to happen next.My half-star criticism is I felt the end was a bit anticlimactic. The ironic thing is I had made a comment that I would be pissed if this book ended with a cliff hanger. And it didn't. So what's my problem? I'm not sure, but I felt something was just missing. (view spoiler)[Knowing what they know at the end, it just seems kind of weird that the book ended with them playing happily. And I think I expected more from Jackson - where's his other half, why he was in the Underground, even a possibility of a connection (not necessarily romantic but some kind of understanding) with Addie. And Ryan and Eva? They went from a passionate kiss, to avoiding each other, to the last scene of I guess content. But I kind of felt the transitions were kind of choppy. (hide spoiler)] I guess if this book wasn't a start of a series, I would be perfectly happy with how things were packaged at the end. But I can't wait to see what Zhang has in stored for the sequel.

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!This was the perfect novel to bust me out of my bad book reading funk. The majority of last several books I've read had been frustrating, time-consuming, and often, disappointing. Happily, that is far from the case with What's Left of Me. Though this debut novel is far from being free of all errors, Kat Zhang's first novel in the Hybrid Chronicles manages to be innovative, engrossing, unique, and affecting. I absolutely could not, and did not want to, put it down; this was another one-day read for me. With shades of The Golden Compass, Never Let Me Go and Unwind, all three of which are among my favorite-ever books, this novel is sure to entertain and engage, all the while making its rapt readers think. This is one of those rare YA novels that could, and does and will, hold a wide appeal for readers of different ages and genre preferences.There's a lot to recommend about this novel. It's action-packed and also contemplative; it's filled with remarkable, highly individual characters and strong characterization; it's a fresh, innovative concept coupled with great storytelling. I love it wholeheartedly, even with its issues. The few things that missed with What's Left of Me only slightly detract from the overwhelming good about it. There are some sections that could use some tightening, some periods where the fluid pacing gets a bit stuck, but on the whole, this is a great book. One I would easily and happily push on my fellow bloggers, friends, and family. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, with some key plot points left too vague and undetailed (the surgery, the tech, the drugs, etc.), but I was left with a unquenchable need for the second book as soon I as I metaphorically turned the last page.The dystopian elements of the world shown are bare, and sketched in only slightly more as the story progresses, but I... didn't mind all that much. I often harp on worldbuilding, especially with fantasy and dystopian novels, and while What's Left of Me left some principle explanations missing in action, the characters and the plot of the novel more than made up for the lack. This is a solid, well-constructed novel and while the book's momentum hits a few snags as it moves quickly along, the emotion and relationship I had invested/built in Addie/Eva's struggle for life was more than enough to keep me fully engrossed. The other characters are almost uniformly remarkable and well-rounded, highly individual even in their twinned souls, but it was the two main characters that meant the most to me. A few other quibbles: I found the main antagonist of the novel to be rather weak, and sadly one-dimensional in his presentation. I wished for more of a presence for him, felt that would have added more of a sense of tension to the atmosphere of the book, and for what he represented for the hybrids, but that never materialized. I also thought that the "twist" revealed at the end was a bit too open-ended and an obvious lead to buy the next book and it felt superfluous to the already-engaging plot of the novel. But like I said, these are minor complaints in the face of all the awesome shown and revealed here in What's Left of Me.This is a great novel; entertaining and horrific at the same time. It's one that I will be buying a finished copy of as soon as it is available, because rereads of What's Left of Me are going to be necessary. I'm very impressed with Zhang's storytelling ability, as well as her obvious talent for innovative, creative plots and for crafting real, flawed, human characters. Read this book, especially if you're a fan of Unwind, Never Let Me Go and/or The Golden Compass -- for once the hype and the comparisons are dead on. I can't recommend this one highly enough.Also: I have to note that the cover is completely perfect. Two people in one body? Creepy, awesome, eye-catching. This is not one to miss, for many reasons!

Originally Reviewed on The Book SmugglersAddie and Eva. Eva and Addie. From birth, the two souls have shared the same breath and heartbeat, occupied the same flesh, inseparably intertwined. The girls are twin souls, hybrid souls - and like everyone else born in the world, they grow together sharing their every thought and feeling with the other. As the years pass, they also fight for control of their shared body, learning who is stronger and who is weaker. Because in Addie and Eva's world, by the age of 10, a dominant soul is meant to emerge, the recessive soul meant to simply fade away, as though it never existed. Addie and Eva are different, though, and as the years pass, Eva refuses to disappear. The neighbors talk, the kids at school stare, and the government doctors step in. At the age of 12, after tests and treatments and thorough examination, Addie is declared "normal" and Eva is no more. Except that Eva did not disappear, and still lives and breathes. Addie and Eva, Eva and Addie are Hybrid. After years of ceaseless war between normal, single soul Americans and invading monstrous Hybrids, fear of Hybrids is pervasive and without compare. This is Addie and Eva's greatest secret, and if they are to be discovered and revealed as a Hybrid, they will be imprisoned, killed, or worse. So one day, when a strange girl at school named Hallie begins to relentlessly seek out Addie, Addie and Eva are terrified that she knows their secret. But that's when Addie and Eva learn that Hallie is just like them, a secret hybrid - but Hallie's other soul, Lissa, has the control and ability to move and talk on her own. Eva, who has been a passenger for so long, who has only ever been able to talk to Addie in her mind, will do anything to learn how Hallie and Lissa coexist. Even if it means risking their greatest, most guarded secret.The debut novel from author Kat Zhang, What's Left of Me is a new entry in the sci-fi dystopia YA realm - an overpopulated, largely bland and somewhat homogenous landscape with a few amazing, brightly shining exceptions. Whenever I find a new novel of this particular subgenre, I am wary, but try to be cautiously optimistic - yes, there are many bland Not Dystopias that seem to use a pale, halfbaked totalitarian society as a mere backdrop for contrived insta-romance. At the same time, this is one of my most beloved subgenres, and home to many of my favorite books - from The Giver through Obernewtyn, The Knife of Never Letting Go through Blood Red Road.It was with trepidation that I began What's Left of Me; it was with complete and rapt exhilaration that I finished the book. What's Left of Me is an original, harrowing, and unforgettable novel, and I loved every second of it.The thing that first caught my eye about Zhang's debut novel was the conceit of two different souls born into the same body, living together until one emerges dominant and the other dissolves. In Eva and Addie's case, though, the two souls remain occupying the same flesh - which seems impossible, doesn't it? How could you live with two completely different entities within, knowing each other's every thought and experience? How could two souls live together and have one fall in love? The very idea of Hybrids is fascinating, but more importantly, Zhang delivers in the execution of this unique concept brilliantly, through clever writing and the characterization of Eva. What's Left of Me is narrated by Eva, Addie's repressed soul who has clung tooth and nail to life - or whatever small semblance of life she can have as a secret observer to Addie's life, communicating only with Addie. From the time they were children, both accepted and loved by their family and society in the years before they were due to Settle, Addie was always the dominant one, quicker and stronger than Eva in controlling their body. And, through Eva's perspective, we see just how isolated she is, how cruel her very existence is - Addie gets to walk and talk and live, while Eva is a secret that no one can ever know about. Not her parents, not her brother, no one. Yet for this, Eva isn't resentful or bitter - but when she is given the chance to move and live like Addie, it makes sense that she desperately clings to that possibility, regardless of the risk involved. At the same time, even though the book is narrated by Eva, we also learn and feel for and understand Addie, too - who must love and resent Eva's existence, keeping her from being "normal" but at the same time her greatest confidant and an inseparable part of her. It's amazing to read the kind of quiet symbiosis the two souls have achieved - at one point, Addie and Eva fight and stop talking to each other, and as a result, Addie forgets where her hairbrush is, or to turn off her alarm because Eva is the observant one that reminds Addie to do these things each day. Little touches like that add a believable dynamic to the girls' complicated relationship. What's Left of Me also weaves the nature of these conflicted dual souls into the writing of the book - we can see Eva and Addie's relationship change as the pronouns start to shift, from me and mine to us and ours. Addie begins to vocalize the forbidden "us" in reference to herself and Eva; Eva does not feel guilt for her existence and feels tactile things and emotions of her own volition. This is incredibly, mind-blowingly effective, and I love the careful even-handedness of this narrative development.On the dystopia-meter, What's Left of Me also delivers. The xenophobia that characterizes the novel - the intense fear and hatred of the Other in the form of Hybrids is palpable and exceptionally well done in this book. Addie and Eva's world is truly a dystopian one, and their society guards terrible secrets - what happens to those children who don't Settle and emerge with one Dominant soul? Why are there Hybrids in the first place? There's so much more, too - there's a Golden Compass sort of horror and reveal at what exactly is being done to children Hybrids taken in by the government. There's the characters of Hallie and Lissa, and her older brother Devon and recessive soul Ryan - who comes to mean something very important to Eva. There are nefarious and conflicted doctors alike, and, most of all, there are other, much larger reveals about the nature of this future America and its place in the rest of the world. In short, allow me to summarize: What's Left of Me is a dazzling, utterly memorable first novel, and in the running for one of my top ten favorite books of the year. This is the stuff of great science fiction dystopia, YA or adult alike. Absolutely, wholeheartedly, emphatically recommended.

Addie and Eva are two souls in one body. They were supposed to settle around 4 years old, 10 years at the very latest. Settle on which soul will stay and which soul will fade away. Settle on which soul is dominant and will get to live. Eva didn't want to give up on life. She fought as hard as she could. But by 12 years old Addie had to settle and hide Eva's existence or risk being sent away to doctors and experiments and possible death. Eva shouldn't be there and no one can know. Eva continues to watch but she can no longer take control.The two people in one mind idea kind of reminded me of The Host by Stephanie Meyer. One girl has full control while the other is just observing with no control to speak or move. Just trapped inside. Sounds like a horrible life! The book is told in the POV of the non-dominant soul Eva. Eva helps remind Addie and they keep each other company. They try to sneak by in their illegal existence until they meet a new friend Hally/Lissa who is also hiding the fact that she is a hybrid. Her brother Devon/Ryan is another hybrid. They want to teach Eva how to take control again but it is not so easy and not so easily hidden.The book was easy to follow considering the two people in one mind aspect. Eva always talks about everything as "ours" which takes a little getting used to. The idea of two people in one head had my mind reeling. I kept thinking what if Eva falls for Ryan, which is what I kind of felt happening, then does Addie have to fall for Devon? What if they both don't fall for the two guys in one body? What do they do during sexy times? LOL When one girl is in control and the other is just observing?! Freaky! A lot of the questions I had, sadly were not brought up until the very end. The book had little romance and was a bit slow during the middle but the whole idea was so intriguing that I was still glued to the pages. It was just so sad to imagine having to lose a part of yourself. Think of growing up with another person and then having to let them fade away. The government claimed two souls fighting in one body causes chaos and war in other places around the world. I would assume if two souls was the way we were born that we would figure a way to make it work. I think we will get more into that knowledge in the next book. Can't wait to see what happens next with the hybrids!-I'm sorry- Addie said. -I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I tried----It's okay- I said, because what else was I supposed to say? She was Addie. She was the other half to me. She was more important than anyone.-I just never thought- She covered our face with our hands, trying to muffle her tears. -I never thought---Never thought she'd have to watch, feel, as we kissed someone she didn't want to. That had been my private fear.My burden.I didn't know what to say.As they talk to each other in the book it is in But goodreads is trying to italicize that so I'm using - -

Review can also be found on my blog: HERE!I was given a copy of the book back in June and was so happy once I got it in the mail. The cover is gorgeous and plays so well with the concept behind the story. Right from the start when I heard about What's Left of Me on goodreads I knew I wanted to have a arc to read for a review on my blog. I was so intrigued by the plot and characters within. Addie and Eve's story presented itself to be most fascinating to me. I love the idea of one body sharing two souls. The concept is so very unique and refreshing. Author Kat Zhang has truly blown me away with her impressive writing technique and ability to make the story come to life on paper. This debut novel has topped by Top Ten list of favorite books. Two Soul's sharing one body...the story of Addie and Eva given life to by such an amazing new author. Addie and Eva live in a world where humans are born with two soul's in one body. One is dominate and the other submissive. The submissive soul is supposed to fade away leaving the dominate one alone. Eva has always known that she is the lesser of the two but chooses not to leave her sister even though she should. This choice to live their lives together but never telling anyone else for this would be dangerous and go against all that is right. When Addie/Eva meet a girl from school and her brother they come to find out that they are not alone in the secret they both share. The choices they soon will come to make have both Addie and Eva now fighting for there lives. Both of the girls now must bond together tighter than ever before in a fight to remain whole. Oh. My. God! This book just totally rocked my socks off. I could not get enough! The world building in the book is so very flawless and rich with detail. Both Addie and Eva's characters are so genuine, and full of one life. Even though they share one body both girls have totally different character traits and identities. I loved Eva most because she always knew what she wanted and what she believed it even thought it was hard to. I found Addie to be much more of a worrier and questioning things she feared. Beyond Addie/Eva the secondary characters really helped to bring the whole book together and really enriched the plot. Thus giving the story such a unique balance of adventure and charm. I love every page, every word! I can't wait to get my hands out the next installment to what will happen next! For anyone who may have mixed feeling about reading What's Left of Me once it comes out, DON"T! This book is too good not to be given the chance. Thank you to HarperCollins for my ARC and Kat Zhang for writing such a beautiful story.

THE GOODThe concept:I won’t tell you how unique the idea is, because you see, I’ve read The Host a while ago and 2 souls in one body, one not fading away is not really something new for me. But a story doesn’t need 100% originality to be a good story. It needs to to have an interesting plot that makes you turn page after page, it needs a pack of great characters to make you wish to know more about them, it needs an intrigue to keep you up all night reading and it needs a great ending that might make you want to read the next book (because yeah, this is a series).But what I liked the most was the emotional writing.I loved how close Abbie and Eva were. You could always tell them apart because deep inside they were as different as twins can be, as siblings can be, as people can be.I loved how I could relate with both of them, how I wished for them to find a way to be happy sharing the same body, I loved how both made an impression on me – they were like 2 different sides of the same coin. You wouldn’t want one without the other. You couldn’t choose whom to stay, whom to fade away. They were both right even when they wanted different things (incompatible even) and it broke my heart to see how one’s happiness brought unhappiness for the other.I understood Addie, yes she was a bit selfish at times, but all she wanted was a normal life.She also cared for Eva and when she gave her the one thing that made her happy (a tiny bit of control) they got into trouble – didn’t she have the right to be angry? Also the relationship between Ryan and Eva was a struggle for her, she didn’t want to have anything to do with Devon/Ryan and Hally/Lissa, but she quite had no choice and I can understand her side in this.The cover:Oh, it is so beautiful. I should have started with it as it grabbed my attention from the first moment I saw it, and it has so much to do with the storyline. Wonderful indeed!THE NOT-SO-GOODTo put it simple: the second half of the book.As emotional as the first half was for me, the second one left me in a state of indifference.I don’t like it when things are made simple for the main characters and they don’t do much hard work to stay out of trouble or to manage to get out of a tough situation (the “escaping” was poorly managed and it left me with a bit of a biter taste).Even the love story seemed forced, it happened too quick and without much background. The two characters involved didn’t spend enough time together to really know each other before everything started to fall appart so I couldn’t relate with their emotions at all. Add to this the fact that we have 2 souls in both bodies and it will make for a quite awkward situation.Still, I did enjoy this book and I might even get to read the next one when it comes out.There were some predictible moments, but they didn’t take away the pleasure of reading this story. There are still many questions to be answered, but I guess we’ll find more in the sequel.Hope you’ll enjoy it too.Happy midnight reading! * This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com ____________________________________________Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Booklikes | Blog (RO)____________________________________________

**4 1/2 stars**So, it’s been awhile since I’ve read The Golden Compass and even longer still since I’ve seen Girl, Interruped, but I don’t think a cross between those is how I would pitch this novel. No, I think the comparisons to Meyer’s The Host are more apt, and though I appreciated that book quite a bit more than I expected to after reading Twilight, I still think What’s Left of Me handles the symbiotic relationship between two souls in a more fascinating manner. I’m not thumbing my nose at The Host by any means, though…I’m still as excited for the movie as the rest of you guys. :)I think I expected What’s Left of Me to be slow and methodical: a science fiction piece exploring the inner dialogue between two souls and the complexities that arise as they fight for control of one body. And there was plenty of that. But what I hadn’t expected was the external prodding to coexist that the two souls were faced with and where it came from. And how they reacted to such prompting. To say that there were lots of twists and unpredictable situations would be an understatement.So…plenty of action, but also beaucoups of emotion, as well. It was so difficult to read from Eva’s point-of-view. She was the lesser soul, the one who was supposed to fade as Addie’s soul grew more dominant. To be trapped like that, inside your own body, and know that no one misses you…it’s unimaginable. And yet that’s the fate that Eva has suffered for the last three years because no one but Addie even knows she’s still there, desperate to move of her own volition.This book could cause one to have an existential crisis. Dissociative identity disorder is a very real and very serious mental ailment. But what if it were really the manifestation of two souls battling for domination over one mind? Essentially, that’s what’s happening in Hybrids, where two souls remain past the age where one should have faded into nothingness. When other Hybrids were around Addie/Eva, you would have thought it would be difficult to discern which soul was present, but I never found it confusing or distracting, as Eva would always remark upon the change. And the way she described it was nothing like I expected, which was more like a person morphing into a Smith from The Matrix. No, the shift in a Hybrid was very subtle, just a straightening of features, a crook of the mouth, or a glint in the eyes that marked the change.This is very much a science fiction novel, full of government conspiracies, sterile labs, and barely legal medical testing. If you read for romance, you might be slightly disappointed with this novel, because though the implications are there, the romance is hardly expanded upon and it takes a backseat to everything else in the book. But in my opinion, the book is better for it. How would you feel if the other entity living inside your head wanted to kiss someone you didn’t even really like? Yeah…I thought so.Thanks to HarperCollins for providing a galley for review.This review and others can be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.

Thanks to HarperCollins for sending this ARC to me for review! Wow! This is a one of a kind mind blowing experience! At first I was a little worried about the concept of the book. 2 souls sharing one body? Was I going to be able to keep them separated and follow along with the story? Kat turned what could have possibly been a reading confusion if written by anyone else, into a MUST READ of 2012! So a huge thank you to her for that. Do not shy away from this story. It is amazing! And she managed to do it all without a huge romance factor, for those of you that don’t like that. Eva and Addie share a body, but Eva has no control anymore of what happens to it or what it does. She was supposed to disappear, but she didn’t. She held on, wanting to experience more in life. With the threat of being thrown in an asylum or being destroyed she faded enough to allow Addie control and to get everyone off of their back. Only Addie still knows that Eva is around, until they meet Hally… then things turns from great to non-stop thrill ride. I enjoyed every minute of it and refused to put it down.Kat did a great job of differentiating between Eva and Addie talking. I didn’t have to turn back even once to make sure I had the right character. I also loved the fact that Eva is the narrator of this story, even though she has almost all but disappeared in their world. I love the bond that Kat created between Eva and Addie. It was heartfelt and indescribable to listen in on what goes on between them. Eva was always there pushing Addie forward whenever she was scared and calming her fears, reminding her to do things when she forgot, etc. I don’t think Addie could have gotten along very well without her sister to guide her. All of the characters where very well written and I felt for each of them. But I’d have to say Eva and Ryan are my two favorites. I loved watching them interact, and I look forward to reading more in the next book, which hopefully will not take to long to come out! 5 out of 5 for this one