What's Left Of Me (Hybrid Chronicles, #1)

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang


Oh, I loved this book!

All the things I loved:

- That cover. It's freaking gorgeous. I have the paperback and I don't think this picture really does the cover justice. It's way too blue here! Still, I love it and it really captures Eva and Addie. To me, the person who's eye is visible is Eva and the other Addie. Don't ask why, it just is that way for me.

- The originality. I really loved the idea of two souls in one body, with the recessive soul fading away and all that. One thing I didn't get was why the government was afraid of hybrids, but maybe this will be explained in the next book.

- The characters. Zhang did such a good job with giving Eva and Addie distinct voices and personalities. I was never confused, never got the feeling they were too alike. The other characters in the book were displayed very well too. When Eva said one of the hybrids 'shifted', I really noticed a change. Very well done!

- The writing. It was lush and lovely and great. For some reason, it felt really calm to me. There are books that always make me a bit nervous, like I can't sit still and concentrate. This book did the opposite. I felt really calm, even during the action scenes. That doesn't mean I didn't feel them, I did, but I still felt really calm. It was really nice and relaxing, and I read the book in one sitting.

- The plot. It was good and at times pretty action-packed. If you expect this to be a book with a lot of action, though, don't. It isn't.

The romance fell a little short on me, but I didn't dislike it at all. It was there, but only barely. Recently, YA books (not all of them of course) are pretty much turned toward romance. Girl meets guy, they fall in insta-love, yada yada yada. I'm used to books with a lot of romance, so What's Left Of Me surprised me. I actually think it's good to have a book where the plot comes first. Learn from this, other YA books!

One other thing I slightly - but only slightly- disliked (or not even that, I just raised my eyebrows, y'know) was Eva's sudden progress. In teh beginning, she can't take over Addie's-her-their-whatever body, and later on she can only just move her fingers. But later, SPOILER, she suddenly takes over the whole body, is able to walk and talk and all that? I get that she was in danger - or thought she was-, but I would have liked to see Eva taking small steps, like first moving an arm, one leg, her head... But this was my only, minor issue with this book.
END OF SPOILER

On the whole, I loved it. What's Left Of Me takes great characters, lovely writing and an original concept, pushes it into one book, and tops it with a cover to die for.