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    What's Left of Me
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    What's Left of Me
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    What's Left of Me
    Ebook324 pages5 hours

    What's Left of Me

    By Kat Zhang

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Fans of Stephenie Meyer's The Host will enjoy What's Left of Me, Kat Zhang's shocking, thought-provoking, and emotionally charged story of two souls sharing one body.

    What's Left of Me, the first book of the Hybrid Chronicles, is set in an alternate reality where everyone is born with two souls. But one soul is naturally dominant, and in early childhood, the other soul fades away.

    That didn't happen for Addie and Eva. Now fifteen, Eva clings to life inside the body she shares with Addie, although she can no longer speak or even move.

    Addie does everything she can to hide the presence of her sister soul. Eva's very existence is illegal. If their secret is revealed, it could mean death for both of them.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9780062114891
    Author

    Kat Zhang

    Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional—the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it’s a tough choice. A writer of books for teens and children, she spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn’t. You can learn more about her at KatZhang.com. 

    Read more from Kat Zhang

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    Reviews for What's Left of Me

    4/5

    72 ratings51 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The first in the hybrid chronicles series, follows Addie and her hybrid Eva as they try to survive in a world where they are hunted. Although Eva grows weaker, she and Addie have a full inner-dialog. Addie is the dominant soul meaning she moves, speaks and acts for the duo. Suddenly a girl named Hallie is everywhere Addie is and wants to be friends. Hallie also is a hybrid. Eventually they are discovered and taken to an institution where Addie & Eva realize they need to fight back in order to survive intact. There is a anti-foreign climate in the U.S. and some things going on internationally that seem important but aren't made clear in this volume of the series. The characters and idea are compelling.
    • 4/5
      Extremely readable: I was halfway through and then suddenly I was at the end. I enjoy the premise of two 'souls' born in the one body though given the very little I know about multiples I'd love to see that premise examined a little more closely. Because two is such an uncomfortable number: does it ever happen that three or four are born in one body? Or that only one is?The sequels are bound to explore the international politics more, which is definitely a puzzle. The domestic situation is drawn very plausibly, even if the historic details are fuzzy: an America rampantly xenophobic and terrified of commies terrorists hybrids under the bed is no stretch at all. And the various pressures put on parents to consent to having their children taken away... yeah. My main beef is linking the inevitable government conspiracy to the vaccines. I feel like anti-vaxxers don't need yet another fictional argument. The plot follows a predictable shape for the first part of a YA dystopia trilogy. The characters likewise aren't highly original as characters: you've got your heroine, your love interest, your moustache-twirling villain, your heel-face turn, and so forth. But the relationship between Eva and Addie is one we rarely see elsewhere, or could expect to. Very cool.
    • 4/5
      Exquisite. Unique. Haunting. At its core, What’s Left of Me examines the very fabric of humanity through Eva and Addie, two souls inhabiting the same body. Surrounding this thought-provoking premise is a meticulously created world where two souls are born to one body but only one survives early childhood, where the isolated Americas seek to destroy hybrids – those who have failed to settle. A superb tale that I read in one sitting, this book left me pining for more.Eva is trapped in the body she shares with Addie, the dominant soul. She and Addie live in fear that someone will find out their secret – that they are hybrid. Perhaps it is because the story is narrated by Eva, but I got the sense that Eva should have been the dominant one. She is smart and quick thinking, and while Addie doesn’t function well without her, Eva does fine on her own. Addie also came across as a little self-centred, but I imagine she is terrified that one day Eva will become dominant and she will be trapped in her body (like Eva is now), so I guess some of her actions are warranted.For most of the novel, in fact, until the last few chapters, I viewed the world building as weak. We are led to believe that the Americas are on lockdown – having cut all ties with the outside world – to prevent the onset of wars and general depravities caused by hybrids. The dystopian element comes into play quickly – citizens of the Americas are taught that the rest of the world is burning, tearing itself apart because the hybrid problem has become uncontrollable. But it’s never explained why hybridity would cause these issues, and there isn’t much information given about how the Americas have ensured that their society is largely devoid of hybrids. But there are a few big reveals near the end that solve the mystery (and introduce new ones in its place), which prove that the world building in this book is, in fact, incredibly strong.Kat Zhang’s mastery is evident in the way she has created the dual natures of her characters, and then made the readers believe it through the prose. The differences between the two souls of a hybrid are subtle: facial expressions and gestures, likes and dislikes, but they are believable and relatively easy to separate. Although it is initially confusing that Eva, narrating the story, does so by referring to our hands and our voice, and is always describing what Addie is doing (because she, herself, can’t do anything) I quickly adjusted and was able to enjoy the story and its unique execution.This book left me breathless, and I am eager to continue reading about Eva and Addie’s adventures. A beautiful, creative blend of quality science fiction and terrifying dystopian, What’s Left of Me will be enjoyed by fans of both genre and is sure to impress the most discerning of readers.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 3/5
      This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

      Cover Impressions: The cover is interesting but I do feel that it is missing something. Perhaps it is the lack of color that is throwing me, though I do understand the purpose in washing it out in order to reflect how Eva had faded to nearly nothing.

      The Gist: In the world of the Hybrid Chronicles every body is born with two souls, each with a distinct personality. Through their younger years, these souls exchange use of the body and are treated as two separate individuals. However, as they grow older, one soul rises and dominant and the other fades away forever. Once in a while, there is a soul that hangs on: a Hybrid - feared and hunted. This is Eva and Addie. For three years Eva has hidden away, locked inside Addie's mind while she tries to pretend that they have settled, that they are normal. But Eva sees a chance to live and be known and it will drag both of them down a dangerous path.

      Review: I will admit, this book took me longer than normal to finish. Admittedly, the munchkin and I were visiting my parents which does not make for the most friendly of reading environments, but I still feel like there was something missing.

      The world was interesting. The concept of two souls in one body is unique and opens the door for a lot of exploration. I did find it difficult to piece together the history that led to this particular place and time. A war was mentioned a time or two, but I would have liked some more details (perhaps they will be forthcoming in subsequent novels?) The writing was fast paced and exciting and I cannot quite put my finger on what kept me from diving for this book at every free moment.

      Perhaps it was the characters. I found it difficult to connect with Addie and Eva. They had spent so much time trying to blend in and not be noticed that they came off a little bland. The secondary characters were not much more exciting. I would really have liked to have been able to tell simply through dialogue and actions, which soul had taken over the bodies at which point. Instead, I had to be told by Eva who was in control and it took something away from this unique premise.

      In the end, I was a little underwhelmed. There was some character growth and a set up for the next novel but nothing that really left me satisfied in the outcome. The book was enjoyable enough that I will be coming back for the second in the series and hoping for some more dynamic characters to go with the roller-coaster plot.

      Teaching/Parental Notes:

      Age: 16 and up
      Gender: Both
      Sex: Kissing
      Violence: Physical restraint, unnecessary surgery
      Inappropriate Language: None
      Substance Use/Abuse: None
    • 4/5
      Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

      Often, as I'm reading dystopias, I am making a list of all of the elements borrowed from a prior dystopia. Having read so many, coming across a truly original idea is a bit startling and exceedingly impressive. Kat Zhang's book is like none I have read before. What's Left of Me is a story that questions what it means to be a human, to be a soul, and to be normal.

      Author Lauren DeStefano is blurbed on the back of my ARC as saying, "A shockingly unique story that redefines what it means to be human." Usually, I ignore blurbs, because they often say so little, and they're often meaningless. This one I agree with wholeheartedly. That sentence captures the essence of What's Left of Me. This dystopia takes on philosophical questions and is one of the most thought-provoking books I've read this year.

      In this world, a sort of alternate universe, two souls are born into every body. At the start of life, there are two people in each human frame. As time passes and the body grows, one of the personalities takes over, asserts dominance, and the other one dissipates, gone as though never there. By the age of ten, there should be just one soul where two used to reside; they should settle. Up until that point, the two souls trade off, so that body is sometimes the one and sometimes the other.

      Some souls, though, do not settle. Neither soul goes away entirely. These people are called hybrids, and they are unacceptable. Hybrids are dangerous, unstable within themselves, thus unstable in society. The United States does not stand for this, because they are sick of the wars that hybridity brings, as evidenced by the war-torn, hybrid-filled, foreign nations.

      Eva and Addie never settled. Eventually, Eva faded into the background and they pretended to be an I instead of a we, an us instead of a me. Eva can do nothing but watch and listen as her sister controls their body, can converse with no one but Addie, in their mental language. What does it mean to be a soul? To be a person? Is it Addie/Eva that's broken or society?

      Told from Eva's perspective, What's Left of Me is daring in its storytelling. Never have I read a book written quite this way, just as I've never considered how different life would be with two people inhabiting the one body. Most of the story is told in first person plural, even though we're in Eva's 'mind' so to speak. This writing style never ceased being odd to me, but it always made sense.

      Unlike a lot of dystopias, What's Left of Me does not have a ton of action, though there is some. The joy of this novel is philosophical and psychological. There isn't much romance at all, though there are some hints. Of course, how can you have a healthy relationship when your body doesn't belong just to you? Seriously, how crazy to think about is this?

      Aside from Eva, and perhaps Ryan, I didn't get a great feel for most of the characters. Eva, our narrator, is so deep within her own thoughts that she doesn't necessarily have a great feel for anyone. I really didn't get a reading on Addie, except to wonder how she became the dominant personality. I suspect Eva probably should have been and may have faded back to save her Addie's soul, but that's all speculation.

      The main issue that I had with What's Left of Me was that some things were too easy. When they're all trapped in the mental institution, they get out so simply. You know why? Because the freaking doors to the rooms weren't locked, so they could have late night powwows in the halls. The furniture wasn't nailed down. What kind of institution is this? If they think hybrids are dangerous and might try to escape, they're not going to have such weak security. Speaking of, the place wouldn't almost entirely empty of staff on some nights either.

      For those of you that enjoy cerebral reads, What's Left of Me is not to be missed. I am truly in awe of Zhang's mind for coming up with such a creative, astounding idea.
    • 3/5
      What’s Left of Me is a YA alternate history dystopia. In the world of the book, everyone is born with twin souls – one body contains two people. As time goes on, you are expected to “settle,” to have one soul become dominant and the other fade away. But Eva, a non-dominant soul, refuses to give up her grasp on life. Her sister Addie lies and says that Eva has gone, but in reality Eva is still trapped within. Eva and Addie are a hybrid, in a society that views them as unstable and dangerous. If they are found out, they will be institutionalized. Then Eva is given the chance to potentially learn how to move their body, and she would do anything to experience freedom.“We’d been born with our souls’ fingers interlocked. What if we’d never let go?”There were some interesting ideas going on in What’s Left of Me, but I don’t feel like they were ever fully developed. For one, there’s a lot of vagaries when it comes to the world building, such as why exactly the government hates hybrids and how the government came to be. Possibly the government focuses on hybrids because they want to give the populace an outside threat? But what are they distracting the rest of society from?Addie and Eva live in an alternate history of North America. The rest of the world (besides possibly South America?) is almost entirely hybrid, which ties into the society’s fear of foreigners and very limited immigration. Two supporting characters are mixed race and hybrids. They have it a lot worse than Addie and Eva due to the intersection. Those two characters make me wonder if the “two souls” could be a metaphor for the immigrant experience, but I think there’s a lot of things you could argue the premise of the book is metaphorical for.The most important relationship in the book is the one between Eva and Addie. This is how it should be given that the sisters share a body and are constantly with each other. The two do fight at times but neither can imagine living without the other. Although the relationship between the sisters got the most focus, there was a little bit of romance, which feels obligatory for a YA novel these days.Besides the vagaries in the world building, the biggest problem with What’s Left of Me is that the plot just isn’t very climatic or exciting. It leaves me with no intentions of ever reading the next book in the series.If you’re looking for a YA dystopia, you could do worse than What’s Left of Me. While the execution leaves something to be desired, at least there’s an interesting idea at the heart of it.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
    • 5/5
      I loved it!!! so much so that I just bought the book that follows this one! totally recommend this!!!!
    • 4/5
      What's Left of Me is set in a world where children are born with two souls. As the child grows up one soul becomes dominant and the other recessive. Eventually in the childs life the recessive soul will fade away leaving only the dominant soul. However some children don't settle, and what happens then? At 15 Addie and Eva are faced with that problem.In a world where being a Hybrid is considered dangerous and a threat, Addie and Eva have to keep the fact that they have not yet settled a secret. But, as obstacles get in their way, can they? What's Left of Me was great and i did love it, but i just can't bring myself to give it five stars. I would love to rate it so high because the pace was crisp; the plot is brilliant and original beyond belief, and the concept that the story is told from the recessive soul, Eva, was a great twist on the common narrator. Everything was refreshing, fun, and there was never a dull or boring moment when reading What’s Left of Me, but it just missed… something. In What’s Left of Me, we're told straight away that hybrids are unstable and dangerous, and if you have suspicions that someone might be a hybrid, report them immediately. However during the book we arent told why hybrids are so dangerous, and all the hybrids we are introduced to seem harmless enough. So whenever they are spoken about like that all i could think was “Why?” It could be possible that they aren't any more dangerous than a normal person and they are just thought of this way because they are an anomaly in their normal society, and that's why there never was an explanation? Again, I'm not too sure, but I hope everything is cleared up in book two. As well as that little world-building flaw, there was a flaw in the writing for me that, while little at first, grew to be an annoyance the more I read the book. Zhang’s prose is beautiful, and, like the plot, the writing is crisp and it makes for fast reading, but, unfortunately Zhang uses an overwhelming amount of repetition when writing. At first, this was something I was able to look over easily, but, like I said, as I read more and more, and the use of repetition became more and more frequent, I became annoyed, but not overly so that I was unable to enjoy the book. And lastly in the things that make me conflicted on whether I should be giving What’s Left of Me four or five stars was that the ending felt too anticlimactic given all the buildup for it throughout the novel. It just didn't have the wow factor i was looking for (and expecting) Now onto less ranty things about What’s Left of Me’s rare flaws, and much more praising on everything else that’s in What’s Left of Me, because everything else was amazing. Eva’s voice and experiences (or lack of) were heartbreaking, as was reading about her longing to talk, to move her fingers even—all of the things we normally take for granted—but she was physically unable to do. And, although for most of the bookshe couldn't even move her fingers, she was still stronger than half of the heroines in YA literature, and that’s saying something. Another thing to absolutely love about What’s Left of Me is that all of the characters are flawed and believable, as are all of their relationships, especially the sisterly relationship between Eva and Addie, which was portrayed expertly. And, while there is some romance in What’s Left of Me, it takes up a very minor part in the actual story, and you might even forget there was a romance to begin with (like me). Overall, despite minor issues i had while reading i loved the book and will happily recommend it to all my friends and also to anyone looking for an original and refreshing new YA novel.
    • 5/5
      I liked this book more than I thought so I recommend it ^-^
    • 3/5
      The two souls idea is incredibly interesting and a unique edition to the dystopian YA genre. The writing needs a bit of polishing, but I'm looking forward to how Zhang continues and resolves the series.
    • 4/5
      Two people sharing a body? Interesting premise. Add in the threat of death if one of those souls doesn't depart? Now you've got drama and tension. I enjoyed seeing how Addie and Eva interact and how they both have to help each other.
    • 3/5
      Amazing premise, didn't fully explore it as deeply as I was hoping
    • 3/5
      What's Left of Me provides a very unusual concept. That of two souls residing in one body. Stephanie Meyer approached it in The Host but in a different way. Here either Eva or Addie is supposed to override the other one and become the dominant soul. But it turns out that they're able to co-exist and Eva hides underneath Addie's soul. But by co-existing, they are setting themselves up for being sent off and treated. I enjoyed this story a lot. I had issues at times following the dual personalities and keeping straight who was in charge but, all in all, this is a fantastic and creative book.
    • 3/5
      It was good, but it was a little confusing. I still had a lot of questions at the end of the book.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant novel about two souls residing in one body and the danger these "hybrids" seem to represent to the government. Glad to have this recommended to me and I can't wait to read the next one!
    • 5/5
      Warning: May contain spoilers What's left of me is one of those books that grip you from the very first chapter. The story is about Addie and Eva, two souls in the same body but very different from each other. Set from Eva's point of you, she tells you about the world she lives in where everyone is born with two souls, and how when you reach a certain age the repressive soul should in theory die off, leaving the stronger soul to occupy the body alone. Trouble is, Eva never wanted to go, and when at 12 Addie and Eva still hadn't settled after being given an extension past the normal age, the decided the only thing to do was to hide it from everyone. So Addie took over the body full time, leaving Eva only alive in Addie's mind, very much alive and breathing just without any motor skills. They had become what was only known as a hybrid, what her country had lead her and everyone to believe was a dangerous thing to be.They moved school and town in hope of starting over, away from all the people that still talked even though Addie was now declared 'normal'. And everything seemed be going great, until a girl at school called Hallie pays more interest in Addie and Eva than they think she should. Terrified that she somehow knows their secret, they avoid her at every cost, shooting down every invitation to hang out or spend time together. Eva who feels sorry for her, finally convinces Addie that maybe she's just lonely, only to discovery that not only did Hallie (and her brother Devon) know their secret, but they were hybrids just like them. And even though they are scared at first, the promise of Eva being taught to move again is too good to miss.But Hallie and Lissa, Devon and Ryan aren't the only ones who know about the 3 hybrids and soon they find themselves locked in Nornad Clinic with no hope of ever getting out.This book is without a doubt one of the best I have read this year. If this is what we get as a debut I cant wait to see what else she has up her sleeve. What's Left of Me was well written, clever and heart warming. Never confusing when the story would switch from Eva's thoughts to Addie's, and all in all just a wonderful book. The characters were brilliant and unlike most YA novels out there, it wasn't centered around love or a love triangle. Yes there was a love story in there somewhere but it wasn't over powering and it was so refreshing. I'm so upset that I have to wait for book 2, but I guess that's a blessing, because if the others where out already I would have finished them and been left wanting more still haha. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes YA scfi.Also for anyone who has read this and is looking for something to read while waiting for the second book I suggest you read The Host. Don't be put off by the author, its actually an amazing book and just like What's Left of Me its about two souls in one body, only difference being one of them is an alien parasite. Been one of my favourite books for a few years now :)
    • 4/5
      4 stars for originality.
    • 4/5
      I skimmed through the reviews. Very interesting, the different opinions people have on this book! Here's mine, written short, since there's already so much said. I'll try to keep to things I didn't already read:1. I liked that these characters have parents who do a good job raising them and love them.2. I liked the jolt of surprise at the end. It fit perfectly with what I'd learned in the book but hadn't connected up. 3. I think when this author rubs some of the 'new author' off, she's going to become a major force in Young Adult fiction. And good for her if I'm right.4. The market has become saturated with dystopian ya, so it was hard not to yawn upon being presented with yet another. When I reminded myself to view this book as a 'book', NOT a 'dystopian novel' I let go of many preconceived notions of how dystopian worlds work. I'm glad I did.5. As much as I like Days of the New music, I must admit it would be nice at this point if the song 'What's Left for Me' would get out of my head. It pops in every time I see the book title. (It's a nice song though, so if you go listen to it and get it stuck in your head too you probably won't be mad at me.)6. While I've grown a bit annoyed at series books in young adult fiction, because I feel like authors/publishers are just trying to milk that cow, this book was paced properly in my opinion. I am intrigued enough by this world to want to know more. I liked that the main characters weren't glossy normal-kid-to-instant heroes types. They acted dumb sometimes, selfish sometimes, and were basically real people. 7. This ended up longer than I planned. Thanks for reading it and I hope you have a nice day.
    • 3/5
      What's Left of Me has a unique premise, distinctly different than I've encountered before: what if everyone in the world was born with two "souls," two separate people living inside one body? Just that was enough to convince me that I should read this. So I was happily surprised to encounter this book in my school library.

      I've given this only three stars because, while it was good, and a fun read, it was also geared more toward YA/teen.
    • 4/5
      What's Left of Me explores what it might be like to be an unwelcome guest in your own body, within your own mind. In this world, each body is born inhabited by two souls. By age 7, most children have "settled", meaning the recessive soul has faded away leaving only the dominant soul. When this doesn't happen, those left with two souls past puberty are considered hybrid. Hybrids are considered sick and dangerous and are sought out by the government to be hospitalized and corrected.

      Addie is the dominant soul in this story, Eva the recessive. They have spent the past few years pretending that Eva has faded until a schoolmate finds out their secret. The schoolmate, Hally, and her brother Devin are also secretly hybrids as well as being foreign which means they are distrusted in the current political climate. Eva wants to trust them but Addie isn't so sure, the consequences if their secret were revealed could be deadly.

      The story is told from Eva's point of view and was at times very poignant as I was forced to consider what it would be like having to constantly live in my own head pretending that I don't exist to the outside world. The relationship between Addie and Eva felt genuine and the feeling between the two was expressed beautifully in the dialog they shared. With two souls inhabiting the body of each of the characters, you would think that the story would be confusing. Surprisingly, it was not. Each soul had their own individual voice and were easily identified.

      I think that Eva was an especially well written character. Her great longing to be acknowledged, her loneliness, and her genuine love for Addie was beautifully expressed and I found myself continually drawn to her.

      I enjoyed the unusual storyline, the relationships between the characters, and the beautiful writing that compelled me to continue reading late into the night. If I have one complaint about What's Left of Me it is that I would have liked to have had more information about the world and why children were born with two souls and why not settling is considered so dangerous.
    • 3/5
      Eva and Addie are twin souls in one body - in a somewhat vague future world where "hybrids" (two people/souls in one body) are not unheard of, but not acceptable in society. Through Eva's narration, we learn that many hybrids usually naturally develop into one person: one soul remains dominant, and the other recedes by late childhood. But Eva/Addie aren't so easily suppressed, yet, Eva tries to silence herself -"disappear" - knowing that her parents have enough struggle with their little brother Lyle who is ill and must get proper treatment. But Hally, a new friend at school, persists in drawing Eva/Addie in, and they soon discover that they aren't the only hybrids who may not truly b "settled", in spite of what the doctors and school attempt to do. Hally's brother Devon is also more than he seems, and the story begins to pick up the pace when Eva/Addie's behavior is noted by the authorities. She and Hally and Devon are sent to a scientific hospital, Nornand, in order to be studied and "settled" once and for all. But when Eva/Addie discover how they are treating even the youngest of the inmates, she knows she must leave - the challenge will be if she can take all of the patients with her. Definitely a psychological study of "twin souls" within one person - and how society treats individuals- but with enough action and conflict by the second half to encourage teen readers to hang in there til the end.
    • 4/5
      What's Left of Me explores what it might be like to be an unwelcome guest in your own body, within your own mind. In this world, each body is born inhabited by two souls. By age 7, most children have "settled", meaning the recessive soul has faded away leaving only the dominant soul. When this doesn't happen, those left with two souls past puberty are considered hybrid. Hybrids are considered sick and dangerous and are sought out by the government to be hospitalized and corrected.

      Addie is the dominant soul in this story, Eva the recessive. They have spent the past few years pretending that Eva has faded until a schoolmate finds out their secret. The schoolmate, Hally, and her brother Devin are also secretly hybrids as well as being foreign which means they are distrusted in the current political climate. Eva wants to trust them but Addie isn't so sure, the consequences if their secret were revealed could be deadly.

      The story is told from Eva's point of view and was at times very poignant as I was forced to consider what it would be like having to constantly live in my own head pretending that I don't exist to the outside world. The relationship between Addie and Eva felt genuine and the feeling between the two was expressed beautifully in the dialog they shared. With two souls inhabiting the body of each of the characters, you would think that the story would be confusing. Surprisingly, it was not. Each soul had their own individual voice and were easily identified.

      I think that Eva was an especially well written character. Her great longing to be acknowledged, her loneliness, and her genuine love for Addie was beautifully expressed and I found myself continually drawn to her.

      I enjoyed the unusual storyline, the relationships between the characters, and the beautiful writing that compelled me to continue reading late into the night. If I have one complaint about What's Left of Me it is that I would have liked to have had more information about the world and why children were born with two souls and why not settling is considered so dangerous.
    • 4/5
      I've been following Kat Zhang for a very long time, and I've been interested in reading this book FOREVER. But for some reason, I never got around to it. Oh, how I wish I had.First off, the writing is fantastic. Kat really has a way with words; there's no doubt about that. I especially love how she writes character interactions, and I think that's what made the book so strong. Although I love, love, love Eva/Ryan, the most interesting character interactions are between Eva and Addie themselves. I have to admit that I'm not particularly sure how I feel about Addie (especially after reading Once We Were), but I can say that I love the way they interact and react to one another. It feels so real. I can understand where both of them are coming from, even if I don't always agree.I also enjoyed the premise. I know a lot of people label this book as dystopian, but I don't view it that way. I'm not going to go that far into this particular matter, but I think the idea of two souls sharing a body is a really cool and new idea. I think Kat set everything up extremely well, and I could imagine living in that kind of world. I felt as if I were a part of the setting and of the book. It felt real. The explanations weren't too complicated, and they were well-woven into the plot.However, the world-building also came with some consequences. Mostly, it was the fact that having to set everything up slowed the plot down. It wasn't boring or slow per say, but it didn't keep me as interested in the book. I get it--it was important to set everything up. All of it was necessary information. When you build a world, this happens a lot. And while I think Zhang's writing made up for it, plus the fact that I knew it would become more fast-paced, it made it hard to get into the book. Even the "fast-paced" parts did feel slow, but that may have been more from what I've been reading prior to the book than the book itself.All in all, what stands out about the book is the characters and their relationships, the very premise of the book, and of course, Kat Zhang's spectacular writing. I'd definitely encourage everyone to read this book!
    • 3/5
      Interesting idea - two souls sharing one body. What is supposed to happen naturally is "settling", where one of the souls takes control and the other just fades away, but in the case of these two, it just doesn't happen.
    • 3/5
      At some point, goofy as the point is, it felt like there had been hybrids at work on this book. Because there suddenly were absurd puns and wordplay ongoing. Like the heroine thinking about the recesses of her mind during recess. The bits about lying and back. I just wanted to get this observation out of the way. I felt this was the book where the heroine shows the least amount of heroism. This book was a balancing act. In one way, the main character was Hally/Lissa. Everything converged one one question...would she die? Would she survive? From the very beginning I had marked Hally as the sacrificial goat that would get the plot moving. The way the third act's rescue went through made me give a star more than I initialed. It was impossible to pull it off, but my disbelief went suspended of its own accord. I wanted to believe this conclusion was believable, and suddenly it was. All credit to the author. The latter's lack of research was all the more admirable for it showed guts to try undertake writing this book alone. I cared for this book. Others should too, that's my recommendation.
    • 3/5
      Rating: 2.5 of 5I was so excited to read this book... begin sigh...I read faithfully at my usual pace up to chapter nineteen, page 199, and it took all my willpower to go that far. After page 199 I did a speed read to the end. I just never connected enough with either Addie or Eva, or their world and the hybrids, to really care. In other words, I wasn't lost in the story or emotionally invested in anything about it.Addie, supposedly the dominant soul, was too passive. And there wasn't enough shown or even told about their world to support her behavior as self-protection or a survival mechanism; she came across as fundamentally weak. For example, why were the government and citizens anti-hybrid to begin with?? Why was settling mandatory?? There wasn't enough shown to demonstrate Addie was anything other than Eva's puppet. Despite, supposedly, Eva having no control / say / life whatsoever.The beginning of the story definitely could've done with some beefing up in the character and worldbuilding departments to at least show the relationship between the two souls and what they meant to each other. To set up why and how the world was such a scary place for hybrids. And the ending was SO typical young adult, which I'm sure the intended audience will eat up. I did not. As is, I dunno... the characters and world all seemed ... superficial and flat So why round up to three stars? The whole notion of two souls, one body; one dominant soul, one recessive soul - it intrigued me. Though, sadly, not enough that I plan to read book two in the Hybrid Chronicles.I'll be donating my copy of What's Left of Me to the local library. End sigh.
    • 4/5
      3.5/5 stars.What's Left of Me is one of those books that I felt everyone but me had already read. Not only had they read it, but they'd raved about it so much it made me nervous to actually pick it up. And while I don't think I ultimately liked it as much as most folks have, once I got past a rather slow start, the book had nice flow, a unique plot, and intriguing characters that I did end up ultimately enjoying.This book is told from a unique perspective, because for much of the book, Eva - the recessive soul who was meant to die away, but didn't - isn't in any kind of actual control of the body she shares with dominant soul, Addie. That set-up made for unique storytelling that was very much focused on Eva's feelings and Addie's actions. One thing I wish was explained in more detail is how the world came to be this way. Is this our world that's been changed in some way? Or is this a made-up world in which the way we live and are never existed in the first place? I didn't feel that this information was explicitly stated, and made for a lot of questions on my part, and one of the reasons I wasn't completely sold on the story at the start. There is a lot of talk about the scary dangerous hybrids (which Eva and Addie are, although they live in secret) and the effects they've had on the rest of the world, and there's talk about the Americas (which are North, Central and South America all rolled into one giant super-country), but no actual explanations of how it all came to be. I want explanations! Call it the part of me that loves history, but I just feel like it would have really grounded the story and made it more relatable. But then again, that could just be me.Around the 20% mark, though, the book picks up in action, because Addie and Eva are shipped off to a rather frightening clinic due to a suspicion that they are indeed hybrid. The rest of the book is spent with them trying to figure out what's going on at the clinic, and trying to find a way to escape. There's also some romantic developments between Eva and Ryan, made all the more intriguing because Addie isn't at all interested in either Ryan OR his other soul, so she's definitely fighting Eva at every step, even if it's not intentionally. There's also the obvious give and take necessary as Eva becomes stronger, which adds tension to the girls' relationship and makes sharing a body even trickier. The sequel to What's Left of Me seems to focus even more on the girls' issues, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the author has taken that concept and expanded on it.All in all, while I wasn't completely in love with What's Left of Me like most people seem to be, I did find the book compelling and unique in equal measures. Eva is a wonderful narrator, and I liked watching her growth and strength. She and Addie are definitely two totally different girls, so the fact that they have to share a body - and only one can be in control at a time - makes for interesting developments that you definitely don't see every day. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing how their journey progresses.
    • 3/5
      I was left not sure how I felt about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the premise even though I am somewhat burned out on dystopian books. On the other, after getting about halfway through, it seemed to be the same old dystopian style story. Government controlling the masses, lies, etc., etc....In this world children are born with two souls, a dominant and recessive. After spending most of their childhood attempting to make the two work together, the recessive soul fades away leaving the dominant soul alone. When this does not happen, they are considered hybrids which the government have deemed dangerous. As the government tries to fix the hybrids (medication, therapists, surgery?) many hybrids attempt to make a life for themselves. Eva and Addie are hybrid and even though they have taken the medications (where does this medication come from? and what is the rest of the world really like?) nothing seems to work. She ends up in a 'hospital' with other hybrids and the typical dystopian story follows.Perhaps I am burned out, but I just felt it was OK. Not great, not bad, just okay.
    • 4/5
      It had a cool premise, a likable main character (or characters?), and no love triangle, which is enough to earn it four stars from me, given what current YA series generally offer.
    • 4/5
      What's Left of Me explores what it might be like to be an unwelcome guest in your own body, within your own mind. In this world, each body is born inhabited by two souls. By age 7, most children have "settled", meaning the recessive soul has faded away leaving only the dominant soul. When this doesn't happen, those left with two souls past puberty are considered hybrid. Hybrids are considered sick and dangerous and are sought out by the government to be hospitalized and corrected.

      Addie is the dominant soul in this story, Eva the recessive. They have spent the past few years pretending that Eva has faded until a schoolmate finds out their secret. The schoolmate, Hally, and her brother Devin are also secretly hybrids as well as being foreign which means they are distrusted in the current political climate. Eva wants to trust them but Addie isn't so sure, the consequences if their secret were revealed could be deadly.

      The story is told from Eva's point of view and was at times very poignant as I was forced to consider what it would be like having to constantly live in my own head pretending that I don't exist to the outside world. The relationship between Addie and Eva felt genuine and the feeling between the two was expressed beautifully in the dialog they shared. With two souls inhabiting the body of each of the characters, you would think that the story would be confusing. Surprisingly, it was not. Each soul had their own individual voice and were easily identified.

      I think that Eva was an especially well written character. Her great longing to be acknowledged, her loneliness, and her genuine love for Addie was beautifully expressed and I found myself continually drawn to her.

      I enjoyed the unusual storyline, the relationships between the characters, and the beautiful writing that compelled me to continue reading late into the night. If I have one complaint about What's Left of Me it is that I would have liked to have had more information about the world and why children were born with two souls and why not settling is considered so dangerous.