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b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
5.0
I had heard so much about this book before picking it up, that I started reading it the moment it arrived in mail. There was so much hype about it and couple of other bloggers that I follow had recommended it to me over and over. And now that I have finished reading it, I am glad to report that, all that hype is well deserved.
‘Lost Girl’ takes you to a world where humans can order an echo to be made of their loved ones so that in case they lose someone to death, the echo can take their place. Our protagonist is a 16 year old echo who has named herself Eva after an elephant. She is an echo of a girl called Amarra who lives in Bangalore, India and thus has spent her whole life in the way Amarra lives her life. She is supposed to know what Amarra knows, like what Amarra likes, hate what Amarra hates and basically be a carbon copy in every way. Echoes are not supposed to live their own lives or have their own wishes. Afterall, when a human dies, the echo has to take their place and live their life for them. Eva is special. Her guardians, Mina Ma, Erik, and Sean love her and have often tweaked the rules for her. Eva has experienced things and has the love other echoes couldn’t have. But when Amarra loses her life in a road accident Eva is forced to leave everything and take her new place.
The author has created a mesmerizing world, I tell you. On one hand the Weavers (creators of echoes) have been portrayed as mysterious, omnipresent and powerful people who can create life from mere ash and bones. It is very clear that they are not to be trifled with. On the other hand are the echoes, who have no life of their own. They are forced to live the life of the human they are destined to replace. Then there are the humans. While echoes are illegal in many countries, human find a way to ‘order’ for echoes. They are supposed to bring hope to the survivors, yet somehow I felt that the echoes were there so that the survivors didn’t have to deal with loss, grieve and move on. Then again, the way some humans look at echoes, as if they are stealing somebody’s life and that they have no feelings or wishes/rights of their own was so appalling.
I have lived the ups and downs of being and echo with Eva. She is indeed a special girl who has a mind of her own and is brave. I loved Sean for being the person he is. I loved Lekha for being a true friend, Nikhil and Sasha for being understanding and Mina Ma and Erik for giving Eva a chance at her own life just by being there for her. Ray frankly irritated the hell out of me. Ophelia was a total mush. Adrian played the part of an antagonist well enough but not to the build-up he got. And frankly speaking I still can’t decide what to think of Matthew. The plot accommodates such a wide variety of characters and each of them are well developed.
The writing style of the author was really simple. I didn’t have to look up a single meaning. Yet the narration was anything but simple. It is so beautifully done that you can almost picturise each character and situation in the mind’s eye. The flow is smooth and at no point did I feel that the story was dragging. I tried to look up whether the author has lived in Bangalore or not, but her website only says that she is currently living in England. I have a feeling that the author must have lived in Bangalore (or atleast in South India) for a while because she has captured the essence of the Bangalore citizen so well. I mean locations and landmarks can be googled, but to capture the thought process and mentality of the local people in such an authentic manner, the author must have spent some time there. If not, then I simply have to bow down to her research on it.
Overall, it’s a page turner and an exciting book to read. It is a must read for all dystopian lovers. I hope there’s a sequel soon.
‘Lost Girl’ takes you to a world where humans can order an echo to be made of their loved ones so that in case they lose someone to death, the echo can take their place. Our protagonist is a 16 year old echo who has named herself Eva after an elephant. She is an echo of a girl called Amarra who lives in Bangalore, India and thus has spent her whole life in the way Amarra lives her life. She is supposed to know what Amarra knows, like what Amarra likes, hate what Amarra hates and basically be a carbon copy in every way. Echoes are not supposed to live their own lives or have their own wishes. Afterall, when a human dies, the echo has to take their place and live their life for them. Eva is special. Her guardians, Mina Ma, Erik, and Sean love her and have often tweaked the rules for her. Eva has experienced things and has the love other echoes couldn’t have. But when Amarra loses her life in a road accident Eva is forced to leave everything and take her new place.
The author has created a mesmerizing world, I tell you. On one hand the Weavers (creators of echoes) have been portrayed as mysterious, omnipresent and powerful people who can create life from mere ash and bones. It is very clear that they are not to be trifled with. On the other hand are the echoes, who have no life of their own. They are forced to live the life of the human they are destined to replace. Then there are the humans. While echoes are illegal in many countries, human find a way to ‘order’ for echoes. They are supposed to bring hope to the survivors, yet somehow I felt that the echoes were there so that the survivors didn’t have to deal with loss, grieve and move on. Then again, the way some humans look at echoes, as if they are stealing somebody’s life and that they have no feelings or wishes/rights of their own was so appalling.
I have lived the ups and downs of being and echo with Eva. She is indeed a special girl who has a mind of her own and is brave. I loved Sean for being the person he is. I loved Lekha for being a true friend, Nikhil and Sasha for being understanding and Mina Ma and Erik for giving Eva a chance at her own life just by being there for her. Ray frankly irritated the hell out of me. Ophelia was a total mush. Adrian played the part of an antagonist well enough but not to the build-up he got. And frankly speaking I still can’t decide what to think of Matthew. The plot accommodates such a wide variety of characters and each of them are well developed.
The writing style of the author was really simple. I didn’t have to look up a single meaning. Yet the narration was anything but simple. It is so beautifully done that you can almost picturise each character and situation in the mind’s eye. The flow is smooth and at no point did I feel that the story was dragging. I tried to look up whether the author has lived in Bangalore or not, but her website only says that she is currently living in England. I have a feeling that the author must have lived in Bangalore (or atleast in South India) for a while because she has captured the essence of the Bangalore citizen so well. I mean locations and landmarks can be googled, but to capture the thought process and mentality of the local people in such an authentic manner, the author must have spent some time there. If not, then I simply have to bow down to her research on it.
Overall, it’s a page turner and an exciting book to read. It is a must read for all dystopian lovers. I hope there’s a sequel soon.
sanderle's review against another edition
4.0
Incredible storyline, incredible writing. A majority of the characters are POCs, including the protagonist!
jess_marz's review against another edition
5.0
I read this (from Wendy Darling's review) and felt it was spot on:
"When I initially finished the novel, I rated this a 4.5 because there are some elements that might have been explained a little more, and I thought the ending was a bit rushed and becomes perhaps more of a typical YA thriller. But who am I kidding? A book that treats human life with this kind of reverence deserves nothing less than 5 stars."
"When I initially finished the novel, I rated this a 4.5 because there are some elements that might have been explained a little more, and I thought the ending was a bit rushed and becomes perhaps more of a typical YA thriller. But who am I kidding? A book that treats human life with this kind of reverence deserves nothing less than 5 stars."
eviebookish's review against another edition
5.0
A breathtaking, illuminating but never didactic, emotionally accessible (to both young adults and adults alike) tale of life, love, and what makes us human. The Lost Girl is an ambitious, unexpectedly deep, and mentally stimulating debut novel, and one with a beating heart. In this skilfully plotted and intense sci-fi thriller (with subtle romantic elements) Sangu Mandanna offers us a striking and disquieting look at a strange world of the future. A world of Weavers, echos, and hunters, filled with grief, sorrow, danger and never-ending questions about the essence of humanity, self-worth and identity.
Eva is an echo. She was created by people called "Weavers" as an exact copy of a girl named Amarra. She lives with her guardian and mother-figure, Mina Ma, in a small cabin in England's countryside. Her life is not her own. It never was. She's the property of the Weavers, made to replace Amarra in case something happens to her. Every day she is forced to follow a very strict set of rules, only do what she's told to do, never step out of line. The smallest misstep could result in a trial and -- inevitably -- her destruction. She has to learn how to be Amarra. Through weekly journal entries, she studies Amarra's life and personality, learns about her family, friends, and boyfriend, memorizes every little thing that Amarra did, saw, thought. If anything happens to the other girl, Eva is expected to step in and be Amarra. An expensive replacement, a back-up plan, a clone - that's all she is and all she'll ever be. And then one day it happens. Amarra dies in a car crash and Eva is sent to take her place. Can she really leave everything behind and be the Amarra that everyone expects her to be? For Eva, failure is not an option.
Eva's story is one of the most tragic and absolutely heartbreaking ones I have read this year, possibly ever. Her life is practically meaningless and she lives with the knowledge that a smallest mistake on her part could end it all for her. She's constantly molded to be someone she's not. Her personality is so unlike Amarra's, she is a totally different girl, with entirely different mind-set, dreams, and hopes. She compares herself to Frankenstein's monster, an abomination, an unwanted and unloved experiment. Worthless, broken, rejected by everyone, undesirable. And yet she's so full of life and passion at the same time. All the hardships she faces and all the insults thrown in her face can never dim the light in her soul. She's just an echo, but in so many ways she is more human than all the other characters in this book. Thoughtful, understanding, gentle, graceful and compassionate, she's a wonderful character that I grew to love and admire.
Sangu Mandanna's writing style was devastatingly beautiful. Her words were flying off the pages, delicate and mesmerizing as butterflies, and they really spoke to me. The narrative voice was so full of raw emotions, so descriptive and sensual, I quickly became addicted to it and kept on craving more, and more, and more... Every page of this novel was infused with deep thoughts, inspiring observations, and intelligent reflections about life, relationships, death, grief, and love. Mandanna's poetic storytelling elevated this already exciting and intriguing story to a whole new level of gorgeous.
Death of a family member, and the grief caused by it, are both recurring themes in literature. It's never easy to talk, or even think, about death. It's something that deeply disturbs, but also fascinates us. Sangu Mandanna created a world where people can trick death by creating echo's of themselves and their loved ones. Her book raises many important questions: Is it acceptable to clone a person just because we're too weak or too selfish to say goodbye to them? Is the echo just a shadow on the wall, or is it a human that - once created - deserves to live, laugh, and love just like anyone else? Do we get to control someone's life just because we created them? What if you had the chance to create an echo of someone important to you? Would you do it? This novel is full of hard-hitting existential and moralistic themes. It's a mind-bender and a thrill ride, and one of the best ones of its kind!
If you're looking for a book that will thrill you, move you, and make you think - look no further! The Lost Girl is the book you need. I'm 100% sure you'll love it!
Eva is an echo. She was created by people called "Weavers" as an exact copy of a girl named Amarra. She lives with her guardian and mother-figure, Mina Ma, in a small cabin in England's countryside. Her life is not her own. It never was. She's the property of the Weavers, made to replace Amarra in case something happens to her. Every day she is forced to follow a very strict set of rules, only do what she's told to do, never step out of line. The smallest misstep could result in a trial and -- inevitably -- her destruction. She has to learn how to be Amarra. Through weekly journal entries, she studies Amarra's life and personality, learns about her family, friends, and boyfriend, memorizes every little thing that Amarra did, saw, thought. If anything happens to the other girl, Eva is expected to step in and be Amarra. An expensive replacement, a back-up plan, a clone - that's all she is and all she'll ever be. And then one day it happens. Amarra dies in a car crash and Eva is sent to take her place. Can she really leave everything behind and be the Amarra that everyone expects her to be? For Eva, failure is not an option.
Eva's story is one of the most tragic and absolutely heartbreaking ones I have read this year, possibly ever. Her life is practically meaningless and she lives with the knowledge that a smallest mistake on her part could end it all for her. She's constantly molded to be someone she's not. Her personality is so unlike Amarra's, she is a totally different girl, with entirely different mind-set, dreams, and hopes. She compares herself to Frankenstein's monster, an abomination, an unwanted and unloved experiment. Worthless, broken, rejected by everyone, undesirable. And yet she's so full of life and passion at the same time. All the hardships she faces and all the insults thrown in her face can never dim the light in her soul. She's just an echo, but in so many ways she is more human than all the other characters in this book. Thoughtful, understanding, gentle, graceful and compassionate, she's a wonderful character that I grew to love and admire.
Sangu Mandanna's writing style was devastatingly beautiful. Her words were flying off the pages, delicate and mesmerizing as butterflies, and they really spoke to me. The narrative voice was so full of raw emotions, so descriptive and sensual, I quickly became addicted to it and kept on craving more, and more, and more... Every page of this novel was infused with deep thoughts, inspiring observations, and intelligent reflections about life, relationships, death, grief, and love. Mandanna's poetic storytelling elevated this already exciting and intriguing story to a whole new level of gorgeous.
Death of a family member, and the grief caused by it, are both recurring themes in literature. It's never easy to talk, or even think, about death. It's something that deeply disturbs, but also fascinates us. Sangu Mandanna created a world where people can trick death by creating echo's of themselves and their loved ones. Her book raises many important questions: Is it acceptable to clone a person just because we're too weak or too selfish to say goodbye to them? Is the echo just a shadow on the wall, or is it a human that - once created - deserves to live, laugh, and love just like anyone else? Do we get to control someone's life just because we created them? What if you had the chance to create an echo of someone important to you? Would you do it? This novel is full of hard-hitting existential and moralistic themes. It's a mind-bender and a thrill ride, and one of the best ones of its kind!
If you're looking for a book that will thrill you, move you, and make you think - look no further! The Lost Girl is the book you need. I'm 100% sure you'll love it!
kat_mayerovitch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
An excellent YA book on what happens when some people get to decide who counts as people. The concept of replacement people isn't uncommon, but the nice mix of views among the cast of characters keeps it from being boring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Child death and Car accident
allyurie's review against another edition
3.0
"But maybe that’s what the dead do. They stay. They linger. Benign and sweet and painful. They don’t need us. They echo all by themselves."
The Lost Girl was a fantastic read especially when one is recovering from a slump (like myself). The story is so well written as the world is very structured and is not dissimilar to our own. The novel follows the journey of an echo - people fashioned as clones, who are replacements in the case of the original's death - as she is teetering on what seems to be both the crossroads and breaking point of her life. 'Amarra', a girl who is the polar opposite to her other has felt her life passing by with no identity of who or what she is. The very thought of taking over another's life; living with her family, hanging out with her friends and loving her boyfriend, makes Amarra conflicted as what worth is her life if she can't do was she was created for.
**************SPOILERS AHEAD************************
Her life is far from a walk in the park or a ride in a tuk-tuk, each day she risks exposure and very soon she is entangled with facing the lie she has been feeding when Amarra's boyfriend, Ray discovers Eva's identity due to the obvious differences between the two and reveals the truth to all at school (a douche move). Many times he has put Eva in the eye of danger but somehow if given the proper amount of time and circumstance I am pretty sure they would have fallen in love. Yes, I shipped them although I still loved Sean but I think that his and Eva's relationship is a bit cliché but it is satisfied the element of love of this story without it becoming a major theme in the novel. Familial love plays a more central theme throughout the story with Eva's relationship with the most powerful character in the novel, Mina Ma (I loved her so much) and her attachment to Amarra's family especially Nikhil (I wish more teenagers were as wise as him, heck I even some adults I know are stupider than him).
“I want to be human so badly it hurts.”
This novel was very thought-provoking as it posed many questions regarding what a person could consider a sense of self. Many times Eva questioned, "Am I human?" "Am I a monster?" and "Who am I but a copy?" This story was a one of survival, self-discovery and self-preservation in a world which is far too young to comprehend echoes and the Loom - what they consider as a violation of ethics rather than a second chance for grieving families. These questions were also major discussion points to the topic of cloning in our very recent times.
I highly enjoyed this book and being of Indian descent all the cultural references were highly relatable. Personally, I wish that the ending was not so ambiguous as we will never know if she really went back to Bangalore after being emancipated or ran away with Sean. The ending of the book was left at a good place for a sequel novel but alas to my dismay this is not to be. My fangirl heart deep inside is screaming "I want her and Ray" but sometimes the heart never gets what it wants just like Eva when she is forced to leave for India.
The Lost Girl was a fantastic read especially when one is recovering from a slump (like myself). The story is so well written as the world is very structured and is not dissimilar to our own. The novel follows the journey of an echo - people fashioned as clones, who are replacements in the case of the original's death - as she is teetering on what seems to be both the crossroads and breaking point of her life. 'Amarra', a girl who is the polar opposite to her other has felt her life passing by with no identity of who or what she is. The very thought of taking over another's life; living with her family, hanging out with her friends and loving her boyfriend, makes Amarra conflicted as what worth is her life if she can't do was she was created for.
**************SPOILERS AHEAD************************
Spoiler
Sheltered her whole life Eva can count on her hands how many people she has encountered in her sixteen years of existing. She is alive but has not lived, her only source of the outside world comes in the pages of her other's, "Amarra's" journal which she has been drilled to memorise daily. Woven by the Weavers at the Loom, Eva has prayed that her other would live a long prosperous life and never need her but as always the universe is not in her favour. The nightmare of Amarra's car crash means Eva has to adjust to a new reality when she has already found the startings of her own. This news couldn't have come at a worse time when she slowly falls for her guardian, Sean. She is delivered to Bangalore under the guise of secrecy as her very existence is threatened by India's Echo Laws and the overhanging dangers of hunters.Her life is far from a walk in the park or a ride in a tuk-tuk, each day she risks exposure and very soon she is entangled with facing the lie she has been feeding when Amarra's boyfriend, Ray discovers Eva's identity due to the obvious differences between the two and reveals the truth to all at school (a douche move). Many times he has put Eva in the eye of danger but somehow if given the proper amount of time and circumstance I am pretty sure they would have fallen in love. Yes, I shipped them although I still loved Sean but I think that his and Eva's relationship is a bit cliché but it is satisfied the element of love of this story without it becoming a major theme in the novel. Familial love plays a more central theme throughout the story with Eva's relationship with the most powerful character in the novel, Mina Ma (I loved her so much) and her attachment to Amarra's family especially Nikhil (I wish more teenagers were as wise as him, heck I even some adults I know are stupider than him).
“I want to be human so badly it hurts.”
This novel was very thought-provoking as it posed many questions regarding what a person could consider a sense of self. Many times Eva questioned, "Am I human?" "Am I a monster?" and "Who am I but a copy?" This story was a one of survival, self-discovery and self-preservation in a world which is far too young to comprehend echoes and the Loom - what they consider as a violation of ethics rather than a second chance for grieving families. These questions were also major discussion points to the topic of cloning in our very recent times.
I highly enjoyed this book and being of Indian descent all the cultural references were highly relatable. Personally, I wish that the ending was not so ambiguous as we will never know if she really went back to Bangalore after being emancipated or ran away with Sean. The ending of the book was left at a good place for a sequel novel but alas to my dismay this is not to be. My fangirl heart deep inside is screaming "I want her and Ray" but sometimes the heart never gets what it wants just like Eva when she is forced to leave for India.
amyhuang's review against another edition
3.0
This book raises some interesting questions about how people cope with grief. Mostly, I found it really enjoyable to follow these characters around. They all felt very real (especially Eva's relationship with Sean), and their conflicts and motivations were well fleshed out. I was less enthused with the action scenes toward the end, and not particularly satisfied by the ending.
printedadventures's review against another edition
5.0
"I face the room squarely, taking in every stark detail of the life a girl lost. It's a funny sort of word to use at a time like this, lost. You lose your keys. Your phone. Your favorite shoes. And often you find those things again, days or weeks later, under the sofa or buried in the back of a closet. But it isn't quite the same for a lost life. A lost girl. Can you find those things again?"
-Sangu Mandanna, The Lost Girl
This was my favorite bit from this book, of which I loved every page, but this struck me as quite an amazing paragraph.
The Lost Girl had so many great qualities. I loved the characters, the world building, the writing, everything.
I am a sucker for science fiction, and I honestly wasn't too sure I would like this book at all. But it was sooooo good. The story line was completely different then what I was expecting, which I love that I could never guess what was going to happen next.
All I can do right now is sigh because I'm done reading it.
I hope, hope, hope that there is another book after this one.
-Sangu Mandanna, The Lost Girl
This was my favorite bit from this book, of which I loved every page, but this struck me as quite an amazing paragraph.
The Lost Girl had so many great qualities. I loved the characters, the world building, the writing, everything.
I am a sucker for science fiction, and I honestly wasn't too sure I would like this book at all. But it was sooooo good. The story line was completely different then what I was expecting, which I love that I could never guess what was going to happen next.
All I can do right now is sigh because I'm done reading it.
I hope, hope, hope that there is another book after this one.