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A review by novelheartbeat
The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
4.0
From my blog Auntie Spinelli Reads
4.5/5
What a beautiful story! It was desperate and emotional with a lyrical and captivating prose.
I liked Eva, and I felt bad for her. All her life she'd been trained to be somebody else, never really getting to just be herself. How awful would that be? Imagine not being about to do anything you want to do. You have to like certain things, do certain things, just because your Other does. If your Other gets a bad haircut, or a tattoo, you have to follow suit. You're a nobody, seen as less than human; just a monster, an echo of another person. With all that, I really had to admire Eva's strength. Many times in the story I found myself outraged and indignant over the way that she was being treated. I wanted to storm into the pages and kick some ass while taking names because of the unfairness of it all. But instead of giving up or hiding, she stood tall and faced the people that looked at her with disdain and repulsion.
I kind of hated Ray. While I can see why he did what he did, it doesn't justify it. He was a douchenozzle at best, and many times I wanted to knock his teeth out. I understand that he loved Amarra, and he was grieving, but still. His treatment of Eva when he found out she was an echo was appalling.
The pacing was a bit slow in the first half, but towards the end it really picked up. The premise was enough to keep me fascinated in the slow parts, though. I loved the idea of echoes and Weavers! The echo part reminded me of the movie The Island (where there were clones made only for replacement parts). The world building was very thought out and well developed, making for a convincing setting.
If you're looking for a book to make you laugh, this is not the one. I didn't cry (although I feel like I should have), but it was somber, raw, and thought-provoking, addressing death and loss head-on.
Favorite quote:
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.
Favorite character: Scatterbrained and optimistic Lekha, for standing by Eva when everyone else turned their back on her.
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Originality: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World-building: 4/5
Pace: 3.5/5
Cover: 4/5
4.5/5
What a beautiful story! It was desperate and emotional with a lyrical and captivating prose.
I liked Eva, and I felt bad for her. All her life she'd been trained to be somebody else, never really getting to just be herself. How awful would that be? Imagine not being about to do anything you want to do. You have to like certain things, do certain things, just because your Other does. If your Other gets a bad haircut, or a tattoo, you have to follow suit. You're a nobody, seen as less than human; just a monster, an echo of another person. With all that, I really had to admire Eva's strength. Many times in the story I found myself outraged and indignant over the way that she was being treated. I wanted to storm into the pages and kick some ass while taking names because of the unfairness of it all. But instead of giving up or hiding, she stood tall and faced the people that looked at her with disdain and repulsion.
I kind of hated Ray. While I can see why he did what he did, it doesn't justify it. He was a douchenozzle at best, and many times I wanted to knock his teeth out. I understand that he loved Amarra, and he was grieving, but still. His treatment of Eva when he found out she was an echo was appalling.
The pacing was a bit slow in the first half, but towards the end it really picked up. The premise was enough to keep me fascinated in the slow parts, though. I loved the idea of echoes and Weavers! The echo part reminded me of the movie The Island (where there were clones made only for replacement parts). The world building was very thought out and well developed, making for a convincing setting.
If you're looking for a book to make you laugh, this is not the one. I didn't cry (although I feel like I should have), but it was somber, raw, and thought-provoking, addressing death and loss head-on.
Favorite quote:
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.
Favorite character: Scatterbrained and optimistic Lekha, for standing by Eva when everyone else turned their back on her.
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Originality: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World-building: 4/5
Pace: 3.5/5
Cover: 4/5