This review is part of Melody’s Summer Reading: Diversity Spotlight. Enjoy!
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Young Adult Sci-fi
ISBN: 978-0062114877
Source: Bought
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I shouldn’t exist… But I do
Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t…
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.
What’s Left of Me is one of the most daring novels in recent years that I’m sure was hard to nail down but clearly was so worth it and I can’t wait to read the rest of this trilogy. I loved how we’re introduced to this world in which two souls live in one body and the dominant soul lives while the other fades away and we get to see the fight that Eva and Addie hold up to both remain.
The concept is so intriguing and surprisingly really easy to follow. My issue actually just became keeping up with the names of each character as its really a two in one deal for most of the characters that we meet. Bravo to creating such a diverse cast of complex characters all fighting to survive in their own skin. Really great job, here. I also loved the character dynamics between parent and daughter, siblings, friends, doctor and patient, and so on. All of these relationships were challenged and that made for such an exciting story to follow.
In regards to the story, I was so moved by the fight Addie and Eva and many more fought for the rights to their own bodies and souls. I love that this is a story about accepting all of someone and not going against conforming to society to make society more at ease with the less complicated. We’re human beings. We’re complicated. That’s never going away, that’s the beauty in being human… and seeing a group of people try to suppress that, as great as their intentions may arguably be, wasn’t exactly a fine walk in the park. This made for such great conflict! Ah! The tension in this book is so thick! Everyone thinks they’re doing the right thing and everyone’s going about getting there own their own path so…yeah. Lots of different attitudes in the air. I loved it.
The theme of trust played a huge part in the story as the main characters are minors held in an institution against their will and they’re told to trust so many adults only to find out that many of those adults are deciding who among them is enough… and that frightening reality really kicks the story into an even higher gear! The lengths people will go to deceive others in the name of protection, to do the wrong thing for the right reason is mind boggling. And we get to see so much of this play out!
What’s Left of Me is about not letting our minds and bodies be a prison or society be a poison and instead us recognizing the beauty in free will and the power we as individuals have with such a hearty weapon. It’s about so much more and I could go on and on about how in awe I am of all of the themes touched upon here but I’ll simply encourage you to read this yourself and let all of this mull over in your mind long after the final page because this book will stay you with for some time, as it should.
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang is available today.