Echoes of Us (Hybrid Chronicles #3)

What I Loved:
From the beginning, this dystopian series has stood out to me as one centered on character rather than action (not that there isn't plenty of action and exciting scenes!). Yes, Eva and Addie are fighting against widespread mistreatment, propaganda, and discrimination. But more importantly, they're fighting against their own demons and struggling to figure out what it means to be hybrid.

Eva grows so much over the course of the series. From the first moment she takes control of her and Addie's body, Eva begins to stand up for herself. Sometimes she makes mistakes, but she grows into her own voice and is finally being heard. Addie has to get used to sharing control of their body and not forgetting to let her own opinions and ideas be heard too. It's all about the balance and while I know they will still argue and make up, I also know that their bond as sisters will only grow stronger.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the novel is the glimpse into one of the hybrid institutions. The children there are so poorly treated that every scene inside the institution is heartbreaking. Addie and Eva finally understand what they're up against and who they're fighting for.

What Left Me Wanting More:
The ending wrapped up a bit too neatly for me to feel that it was realistic to the world in which the story takes place. There's obviously still a lot of work to be done, but it felt a bit unrealistic how certain things wrapped up (I don't want to get too spoiler-y!).

The Final Verdict:
ECHOES OF US is a fitting conclusion to a beautifully written series about standing up for what you believe in and learning how to find your voice.

What I Liked:
The Hybrid Chronicles is one of those series that defies categorization. It is actually dystopian, but, aside from that, what is it? These books aren't particularly romantic. They're set in our world, but not. The locations are the same, the technology is similar, and the government isn't incredibly far off. However, in this world, everyone is born with two souls residing inside one body. I am just as charmed and awed by this concept now as I was in the first book.

In Echoes of Us, the possibility of no longer being a hybrid comes front and center. This part was, for me, the most emotional aspect. Though there's a lot of awkwardness in sharing a body, especially when both Addie and Eva have love interests, that's all they know. Sure, I wouldn't choose to share my body, even with my best friend, but if that's how things have always been? Losing your other soul would be like losing a sibling and part of yourself all at once.

In Echoes of Us, Zhang also does a really great job exploring the political landscape. While remaining a bit hopeful, the book doesn't shy away from harsh realities like propaganda and manipulation. I think that often, it's books like this one, which aren't explicitly about our current political realities, that manage to reflect on the real world more than those that are overt. What really struck me was how many people had to die for the media and the public to take interest in the Hybrid cause. It's tragic because that's not something dreamed up in fiction, as recent political events have shown.

What Left Me Wanting More:
The overall plot, as has been the case with the other books, lacks forward propulsion. Things happen, but, by its own nature, there's really no sense of the the overall plot arc. Eva and Addie don't know what's going to happen and they're drifting, trying to survive and keep their friends alive too. On top of that, I really don't care about or remember most of the characters. These two factors combine to make Echoes of Us sometimes a bit of a struggle to get through.

While I do like Eva a lot as a character, I'm really not invested in anyone else. Even with Eva, I probably wouldn't be too sad if she died. She's most interesting and I admire her idealism and determination, but even she isn't precisely real to me. I've spent three books with these characters and I still don't know who some of the significant secondary characters are. Everything's always focused on what's happening, and there's little evidence of personality outside of the hybrid cause.

The Final Verdict:
I recommend The Hybrid Chronicles to readers who don't mind a slow pace and love high concept reads. Personally, I'm excited to see what Kat Zhang will do next, and I hope that there will be a bit more emphasis on characterization.

What I Loved: I really liked how we were thrust, once again, into the world of the hybrid institutes, with this one being even worse than the last. Everything felt more dangerous and more “high stakes” than it did before. I also like how much Addie and Eva have changed over the course of the series. I do like Eva more than Addie though, she just seemed like the stronger one, despite being the recessive sister.

Left Me Wanting More: I felt like, with most “last books” lately, the majority of the book kind of drags on. I will say that this only happens for about half of the book, with others it’s usually two-thirds of the book. The first half sets up the scene and nothing much happens, but the second half has quite a bit happen in the way of the hybrid revolution and even though I could’ve used more, I was satisfied with the ending.

Final Verdict: I think this was a pretty good ending to this series and I definitely liked this book a lot more than the second book. Everything was just intensified and I felt a bigger sense of urgency in this book that I didn’t get from the others. Even though I would’ve liked to have gotten more of a sense of the hybrid dynamics overseas, I still think this for a sci-fi/dystopian series, this one was pretty good.