Review Detail
4.2 8
Young Adult Fiction
390
Fascinating and Compelling
(Updated: June 19, 2013)
Overall rating
4.7
Plot
N/A
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
What's Left of Me not only features a stunning cover, but it truly capÂtures Eva and Addie, the two protagonists. Eva, the recesÂsive soul that should have disÂapÂpeared accordÂing to her sociÂety, was born and marked for death. And Addie, the domÂiÂnate soul, desÂtined to forÂget her best friend and other half. But they share a secret. They are hybrids, a title coined to those with recesÂsive souls that refused to just fade away. To the govÂernÂment they are deemed a threat to sociÂety and thereÂfore must be locked up, conÂtained, fixed or be killed.
The best part of What's Left of Me was the relaÂtionÂship between Addie and Eva. I have to sit and applaud Zhang's skill at craftÂing two very difÂferÂent charÂacÂters, who share the same body, yet they strugÂgle to portray just one perÂson to everyÂone else. Against her betÂter judgeÂment, Addie agrees to pracÂtice letÂting Eva take control of their body. She knows what this could mean for them if they are caught and discovered. HowÂever, she also knows how much it means to Eva to not just be the soul everyÂone else thinks is gone. Eva wants to be real. So they take the risk and their worst fears are, unforÂtuÂnately, realized.
Quote: "We'd been born with our souls' finÂgers interÂlocked. What if we'd never let go?"
The bond and love these two sisÂter had for one another was pheÂnomÂeÂnal and, at times, tear jerkÂing. Though, I should say I did not cry durÂing this novel. But I will say it was deeply emoÂtional when the sisters interÂnally strugÂgled to fulÂfill both souls' needs withÂout deprivÂing the other. Of course, this was nearly imposÂsiÂble. Eva is the recesÂsive soul and as such is used to litÂerÂally takÂing the backÂseat to whatever Addie needs or wants. At times that frusÂtrated me to no end because I could just feel Eva ready to burst free and be her own perÂson, but Addie would take those moments away from her.
Quote: "I was caged in our body and caged in his arms and, someÂhow, the forÂmer was the real prison."
And while I remained angry at Addie for her selfÂishÂness, Eva not once blamed her sisÂter for the way she felt. That is not to say they always got along. There were quite a few times they stopped talkÂing to each other in the novel, but I just loved how they made up.
Not only did Zhang have to keep track of Addie and Eva's charÂacÂters, but she creÂated two charÂacÂters in one body in sevÂeral difÂferÂent instances. Now, I know from readÂing that senÂtence, that may A) not make a lot of sense or B) not sound very difÂfiÂcult. But it fasÂciÂnated me how Zhang pulled it off. There were times where Addie and Eva would be talkÂing with a charÂacÂter only for him/her to switch mid-conversation to their other soul. So you have two difÂferÂent manÂnerÂisms, facial expresÂsions, tone, ect. for this one perÂson and you have Addie and Eva able to not only tell the difÂferÂence between the two, but to also conÂvince the reader of the switch. And I'll even take it a step furÂther to say that after a cerÂtain point I could tell which soul was who before Addie and Eva conÂfirmed it for me. I think this is a tesÂtaÂment to just how well these charÂacÂters were crafted.
And that is where the pacÂing and plot come into play. At first I thought the book was movÂing too fast in the beginÂning because I was getÂting introÂduced to a bunch of new charÂacÂters and STUFF was hapÂpenÂing very quickly, but it works well that way. LookÂing back, What's Left of Me doesn't really have much downtime because someÂthing is always hapÂpenÂing, but at the same time it doesn't read like a thriller either because it's not exactly action packed. OxyÂmoron? Why, yes. But it was rivÂetÂing and I felt I NEEDED to figure out the mystery to why the hybrids were treated so badly. InterÂestÂingly, I would usuÂally take this time to point out and comÂplain about world buildÂing flaws. There is very litÂtle mention of the outÂside world and how they deal with hybrids. But, it works in this instance. The reader is intenÂtionÂally kept in the dark until a few plot twists are revealed. Even after comÂpletÂing the novel, I feel like there is so much more to come.
Final Verdict: This novel was so fasÂciÂnatÂing and aweÂsome. After all that I just have one last thing to say: More now, please.
The best part of What's Left of Me was the relaÂtionÂship between Addie and Eva. I have to sit and applaud Zhang's skill at craftÂing two very difÂferÂent charÂacÂters, who share the same body, yet they strugÂgle to portray just one perÂson to everyÂone else. Against her betÂter judgeÂment, Addie agrees to pracÂtice letÂting Eva take control of their body. She knows what this could mean for them if they are caught and discovered. HowÂever, she also knows how much it means to Eva to not just be the soul everyÂone else thinks is gone. Eva wants to be real. So they take the risk and their worst fears are, unforÂtuÂnately, realized.
Quote: "We'd been born with our souls' finÂgers interÂlocked. What if we'd never let go?"
The bond and love these two sisÂter had for one another was pheÂnomÂeÂnal and, at times, tear jerkÂing. Though, I should say I did not cry durÂing this novel. But I will say it was deeply emoÂtional when the sisters interÂnally strugÂgled to fulÂfill both souls' needs withÂout deprivÂing the other. Of course, this was nearly imposÂsiÂble. Eva is the recesÂsive soul and as such is used to litÂerÂally takÂing the backÂseat to whatever Addie needs or wants. At times that frusÂtrated me to no end because I could just feel Eva ready to burst free and be her own perÂson, but Addie would take those moments away from her.
Quote: "I was caged in our body and caged in his arms and, someÂhow, the forÂmer was the real prison."
And while I remained angry at Addie for her selfÂishÂness, Eva not once blamed her sisÂter for the way she felt. That is not to say they always got along. There were quite a few times they stopped talkÂing to each other in the novel, but I just loved how they made up.
Not only did Zhang have to keep track of Addie and Eva's charÂacÂters, but she creÂated two charÂacÂters in one body in sevÂeral difÂferÂent instances. Now, I know from readÂing that senÂtence, that may A) not make a lot of sense or B) not sound very difÂfiÂcult. But it fasÂciÂnated me how Zhang pulled it off. There were times where Addie and Eva would be talkÂing with a charÂacÂter only for him/her to switch mid-conversation to their other soul. So you have two difÂferÂent manÂnerÂisms, facial expresÂsions, tone, ect. for this one perÂson and you have Addie and Eva able to not only tell the difÂferÂence between the two, but to also conÂvince the reader of the switch. And I'll even take it a step furÂther to say that after a cerÂtain point I could tell which soul was who before Addie and Eva conÂfirmed it for me. I think this is a tesÂtaÂment to just how well these charÂacÂters were crafted.
And that is where the pacÂing and plot come into play. At first I thought the book was movÂing too fast in the beginÂning because I was getÂting introÂduced to a bunch of new charÂacÂters and STUFF was hapÂpenÂing very quickly, but it works well that way. LookÂing back, What's Left of Me doesn't really have much downtime because someÂthing is always hapÂpenÂing, but at the same time it doesn't read like a thriller either because it's not exactly action packed. OxyÂmoron? Why, yes. But it was rivÂetÂing and I felt I NEEDED to figure out the mystery to why the hybrids were treated so badly. InterÂestÂingly, I would usuÂally take this time to point out and comÂplain about world buildÂing flaws. There is very litÂtle mention of the outÂside world and how they deal with hybrids. But, it works in this instance. The reader is intenÂtionÂally kept in the dark until a few plot twists are revealed. Even after comÂpletÂing the novel, I feel like there is so much more to come.
Final Verdict: This novel was so fasÂciÂnatÂing and aweÂsome. After all that I just have one last thing to say: More now, please.
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