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nicoleaisling's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure why I'm about to read the next book in this series. The premise is interesting (bizarre) and I think the author does a decent job of pulling it off. That's probably the reason I got through it. Pure curiosity at how she was going to make this work.
However, the things I usually look for in a book were a bit... lacking.
1) The plot moved a bit slow in places. There were several chapters it felt like it was dragging and I didn't have that tension pulling me along to the next.
2) I'm not particularly attached to any of the characters. I don't particularly hate any of them either, which I suppose is a start. Eva makes some really dumb choices (which is to be expected, since it's YA, but it still had me internally screaming at her) and beyond that her personality fell a bit flat. She's a soul trapped motionless in the body she shares with another person--she ought to have a kickass personality to make up for it. Same with the rest of the characters. None of them really did anything for me.
Overall, I feel like too much attention was paid to the premise and not enough to the characters and plot. I'm hoping to see some character development in the sequel.
However, the things I usually look for in a book were a bit... lacking.
1) The plot moved a bit slow in places. There were several chapters it felt like it was dragging and I didn't have that tension pulling me along to the next.
2) I'm not particularly attached to any of the characters. I don't particularly hate any of them either, which I suppose is a start. Eva makes some really dumb choices (which is to be expected, since it's YA, but it still had me internally screaming at her) and beyond that her personality fell a bit flat. She's a soul trapped motionless in the body she shares with another person--she ought to have a kickass personality to make up for it. Same with the rest of the characters. None of them really did anything for me.
Overall, I feel like too much attention was paid to the premise and not enough to the characters and plot. I'm hoping to see some character development in the sequel.
mmmariaaa's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved the concept of this book. As soon as I heard what it was about I felt claustrophobic. Zhang did an excellent job creating the relationship between Eva and Addie and I am looking forward to her next book very much.
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
People are born with two minds, as they get older they settle, and the stronger mind takes over while the weaker one fades from existence. Eva and Addie are hybrids, someone who has not settled and still has two minds. After repeated tests the girls decided to pretend, and Addie became the stronger mind, letting Eva fade away, but in reality Eva is an ever constant presence in the background. Addie and Eve live with their parents and their sick brother, Lyle. After moving home they are forced to attend a new school in the hopes their past will not be known. At their new school they make friends with Hally and Lissa, Devon and Ryan, who are siblings but also not settled and they help Eva learn to gain control again.
While the synopsis for What's Left of Me certainly caught my attention, I was wary about reading, and what the book would actually be like, as this is the first book I have read by Kat Zang. From the minute I began reading all worries I had were gone. I was instantly drawn into Addie and Eva's world and soon found myself wanting to know what was happening. I got nervous butterflies in my stomach every time Addie and Eva were close to being discovered as being hybrid, worrying about whether they would actually be discovered and what would happen if they were. The characters are easily identified and we are constantly informed about who is talking, either by the style of the speech, or my being told by Addie or Eva.
By the time I was halfway through What's Left of Me I was emotionally invested with all the characters and needed to know they were all going to be ok. When it came to the end of the book I was on tenterhooks, not knowing what would happen, and when it did end I wanted to keep reading and following their story. The countdown has now begun for the next instalment, I need to read it right now.
While the synopsis for What's Left of Me certainly caught my attention, I was wary about reading, and what the book would actually be like, as this is the first book I have read by Kat Zang. From the minute I began reading all worries I had were gone. I was instantly drawn into Addie and Eva's world and soon found myself wanting to know what was happening. I got nervous butterflies in my stomach every time Addie and Eva were close to being discovered as being hybrid, worrying about whether they would actually be discovered and what would happen if they were. The characters are easily identified and we are constantly informed about who is talking, either by the style of the speech, or my being told by Addie or Eva.
By the time I was halfway through What's Left of Me I was emotionally invested with all the characters and needed to know they were all going to be ok. When it came to the end of the book I was on tenterhooks, not knowing what would happen, and when it did end I wanted to keep reading and following their story. The countdown has now begun for the next instalment, I need to read it right now.
emilyannewrites's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mischief_in_the_library's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure. I did really enjoy this, but I got really into it right from the start, and then my attention sort of...waned towards the end. The concept is fantastic, and it was starting to be set up really nicely. But I think I felt the second half moved a lot quicker - sometimes a positive thing, I suppose - but without enough time to actually deconstruct what was going on.
On the whole, though, loved the characters, loved the idea, definitely worth reading.
On the whole, though, loved the characters, loved the idea, definitely worth reading.
alboyer6's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good book. It is a world where every body is born with two souls but a country where the death of one of the souls is strictly enforced. Addie's Eva does not die but they hide and pretend, always afraid some one will find out and they'll be taken away. It is an interesting premise that kept me interested and left me wanting the next book. There isn't a ton of character development but that really isn't what this book is about. It can stand alone but it makes a great set up for, hopefully, the rest of the series.
mindfulbanter's review against another edition
5.0
When I first opened this book, I didn't know what to expect. I read a preview, and then I bought the ebook. I read it, on my tiny iPod, through the night and only slept to slave away at high school. Zhang takes a unique approach to storytelling and "multiple POVs" and mixes it with a speculative fiction twist. When the 2nd book came out, I bought the hardcover version of this book to have as a collection. That's how much I loved this book.
kyleechris's review against another edition
5.0
Originally at http://babblingofabookaholic.blogspot.com/
I always see and hear people complaining about how over used plots and story lines are in Dystopian novels these days. I'm here to let you know that I have never read nor heard of anything like What's Left of Me. It's so unique in every single way and I fell in love with this book from the moment I started reading!
I feel like this review might be a bit shorter than others because I don't want to give any of this story away. It was so good for me I feel like you just need to read it to find out about Eva and Addie's story. I found this book while searching on Goodreads one day and I am so glad I did. It's such a beautiful story about two souls just trying to be there own even though they fear losing each other and everything they care about all while trying to help others along the way. At first I thought What's Left of Me was just going to be a book about Eva trying to gain control of her and Addie's body again but it wasn't, thank God! It was so much more! Zhang kept surprising me with crazy, but awesome, twists and turns. I was never bored and literally couldn't put this book down, I had to force myself to go to bed and by then it was already four in the morning! The characters were all really rounded, although we didn't get to know all of them fully I feel like we were given the right amount of information about all of them to want to read the second book and find out more. I love both Eva and Addie, at first I thought Addie was being really selfish but at one point in the book Zhang helps us realize how unfair the situation is for her too. Even though she is the one who is the most dominant soul, she still is never alone just like Eva and she still was willing to risk literally everything so Eva could gain some control back somehow. I think that is very brave of Addie to do and I was so proud to see her grow and mature and be so selfless throughout the book for Eva. I also adore Eva because of how patient she was with Addie, she never intentionally tried to push too much and when she did she always apologized and tried to give Addie her space. I also appreciate how both of the characters weren't perfect all the time, they did fight and disagree about things from time to time. At times I thought that Addie would tell Eva they needed to just go back to how it was before but she still pushed through. I feel like the fact that both of them broke down at times made it feel more real for me, no one is perfect and I honestly don't believe they could have both gone through what they did without feeling some kind of negative emotion. I feel like both of them grew closer than they were before and both matured throughout the story and that's one of my favorite things to do; to be able to watch a character grow into a better person. What's Left of Me was easily one of my top five favorite reads of 2012 and I highly recommend you all read this book! I'm looking forward to more of Kat Zhangs work! (:
P.S. Isn't the cover just stunning? The jacket for my book is beautiful.
I always see and hear people complaining about how over used plots and story lines are in Dystopian novels these days. I'm here to let you know that I have never read nor heard of anything like What's Left of Me. It's so unique in every single way and I fell in love with this book from the moment I started reading!
I feel like this review might be a bit shorter than others because I don't want to give any of this story away. It was so good for me I feel like you just need to read it to find out about Eva and Addie's story. I found this book while searching on Goodreads one day and I am so glad I did. It's such a beautiful story about two souls just trying to be there own even though they fear losing each other and everything they care about all while trying to help others along the way. At first I thought What's Left of Me was just going to be a book about Eva trying to gain control of her and Addie's body again but it wasn't, thank God! It was so much more! Zhang kept surprising me with crazy, but awesome, twists and turns. I was never bored and literally couldn't put this book down, I had to force myself to go to bed and by then it was already four in the morning! The characters were all really rounded, although we didn't get to know all of them fully I feel like we were given the right amount of information about all of them to want to read the second book and find out more. I love both Eva and Addie, at first I thought Addie was being really selfish but at one point in the book Zhang helps us realize how unfair the situation is for her too. Even though she is the one who is the most dominant soul, she still is never alone just like Eva and she still was willing to risk literally everything so Eva could gain some control back somehow. I think that is very brave of Addie to do and I was so proud to see her grow and mature and be so selfless throughout the book for Eva. I also adore Eva because of how patient she was with Addie, she never intentionally tried to push too much and when she did she always apologized and tried to give Addie her space. I also appreciate how both of the characters weren't perfect all the time, they did fight and disagree about things from time to time. At times I thought that Addie would tell Eva they needed to just go back to how it was before but she still pushed through. I feel like the fact that both of them broke down at times made it feel more real for me, no one is perfect and I honestly don't believe they could have both gone through what they did without feeling some kind of negative emotion. I feel like both of them grew closer than they were before and both matured throughout the story and that's one of my favorite things to do; to be able to watch a character grow into a better person. What's Left of Me was easily one of my top five favorite reads of 2012 and I highly recommend you all read this book! I'm looking forward to more of Kat Zhangs work! (:
P.S. Isn't the cover just stunning? The jacket for my book is beautiful.