Review ~ What's Left of Me ~ Kat Zhang

Title: What's Left of Me
Author: Kat Zhang
Published by: HarperCollins
Date: September 2012

goodreads says:

How I Live Now meets His Dark Materials in this stunningly written and intensely moving debut.

Imagine that you have two minds, sharing one body. You and your other self are closer than twins, better than friends. You have known each other forever.

Then imagine that people like you are hated and feared. That the government want to hunt you down and tear out your second soul, separating you from the person you love most in the world.

Now meet Eva and Addie.

They don’t have to imagine

Opening line: Addie and I were born into the same body, our souls' ghostly fingers entwined before we gasped our very first breath.

Closing line: Sorry, I can't tell you the last line, it might give to much away ;)

I was a little unsure about this book because I'm not really a fan of 'His Dark Materials', I didn't get further than book one but I really enjoyed What's Left of Me! I can understand the connection to Pullman's stories but I think What's Left of Me is a unique story all on it's own. I decided to give a 4 star rating, I think maybe 3 for the book but then the extra star because it's the kind of story that makes you think.

What's Left of Me follows the lives of Eva and Addie, two different souls but in one body. When children reach a certain age the dominate soul takes over the body with the weaker one fading into nothingness thus, the child has 'settled'. Although everyone believes Addie is alone Eva still exists but she's to weak to fight for control of her body and sits in the back of Addie's mind.

I loved the concept of this story and as I've mentioned the story really made me think and wonder what it would be like to have another voice in my head, just my own is enough! Eva and Addie have a relationship that is beyond anything we can understand and through their story we share their hopes, reservations, frustrations and their sadness. Zhang has done an amazing job in creating these characters, not just Eva and Addie but also with the other Hybrids we meet along the way.

Although the government are hunting down hybrids because they are considered dangerous we are never really told what these dangers are and I hope we are told more about this in book 2. I know other readers have been annoyed by his but it didn't bother me that much, it will just be nice to learn a little more.

This is a rather thought provoking start to a new series and I think Zhang is an author to keep an eye on!