by Kat Zhang
‘Sometimes I wonder what that would have been like, if we’d never settled. If we’d never learned to hate ourself. Never allowed the world to drive a wedge between us, forcing us to become Addie-or-Eva, not Addie-and-Eva. We’d been born with our souls fingers interlocked. What if we’d never let go?’
Title: What’s Left of Me
Author: Kat Zhang
Book: 1 of The Hybrid Chronicles
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Found: Amazon
Rating: 5 Voodoos
‘How I Live Now meets His Dark Materials in this stunningly written and intensely moving debut.’ (goodreads)
When I read statements like that I always wonder whether it’s a true statement or whether I am going to be highly disappointed. I was actually quite surprised to find that, for me, the story itself was very reminiscent of His Dark Materials, with the idea of two souls being intertwined.
Unlike Phillip Pullmans characters, with their daemons (an externally linked second soul), Kat Zhang’s souls share a body. Not in a Siamese twins way, where each have control of parts of the body at all times and can be physically seen to be two different people, together forever but in a one body with one soul destined to be dominant and a second soul, a weaker soul, destined to fade, sort of way. The weaker soul slowly recedes to just a voice within your head, and by the age of 10 should disappear. But, for some, the loss of the weaker soul never happens. And they are seen as dangerous. They are feared and hated and forced to hide that they are different because if they are found they will be taken away and ‘treated’. This is what Addie-and-Eva must do. They are alone and afraid that they will be caught. Eva gives up hope and lives with the fact that she will only ever be a voice inside Addie’s head. That is, till they meet Devon-and-Ryan and Haddy-and-Lissa. What would you do for your twin?
‘Sometimes I wonder what that would have been like, if we’d never settled. If we’d never learned to hate ourself. Never allowed the world to drive a wedge between us, forcing us to become Addie-or-Eva, not Addie-and-Eva. We’d been born with our souls fingers interlocked. What if we’d never let go?’
I loved this book. I know that other reviewers had issues with the lack of history behind the war and why America shut itself off from everyone else but I don’t think the book would have flowed as successfully if Kat Zhang had tried to fill in the historical gaps. I hope that at some point we will get a little more information but I wasn’t put off, at this point, by this personally.
I think what lead to my five star rating was the characters. There wasn’t a single character I didn’t like. I loved the relationship between Addie and Eva. Sisterly love at its best. Yes they argued and didn’t talk to each other at times but they still cared about each other. They were both understanding and kind. This brings me to my next point. I liked that they were significantly different. Addie was forgetful, emotional, fearful but friendly and Eva was clever, strategically minded, and quiet but thoughtful. It was so well done. And both had weaknesses but because they had each other they were courageous and honest. I loved them.
There was also a romance in the works which was really interesting. How do you have a romance when there is always 2 other souls in the room? Or in this case bodies? I can’t wait to see how this is handled and is developed through the series. Should be interesting.
I don’t want to give too much away so I won’t say too much more but I can’t wait to get my hands of book two. I’m gutted that it’s not out till 2015 here in the UK 
