Book Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Title: What's Left of Me

Author: Kat Zhang
Series: The Hybrid Chronicles, #1
Pages: 343
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's
Date of Publication: 27th September 2012
Source: Publisher*
Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.

My Thoughts:
I didn't really know what to expect from this book. What I'd heard about it was good, but there'd been no hype, as far as I'm aware, so I didn't really expect amazing things. It's always the books that I don't expect to get anything amazing from that blow me away. It really was so very, very good.

At first, it's a bit confusing, while I was trying to understand the world that the book is set in. I didn't really get what was going on with the hybrids, but I was intrigued as to how it would work, trying to live as a person, but with another person living inside your head. Like, literally, a whole other person thinking and communicating with you, but never able to make themselves heard on their own in the real world. I kept reading to find out, and it only got more interesting as I found out more and more.

Once I'd got the world and the situations of Eva and Addie figured out, the plot moved quickly and had a lot of twists, but not too many that I couldn't keep up. I thought it was actually paced really well, and I was struggling to read the tiny font on my manuscript copy (I had a headache at the time) so it really helped that the writing is easy to read and to understand. It was slightly predictable, I guess, but I don't mind that so it didn't bother me.

I really liked both Addie and Eva, and even though they were sort of the same person, I could really tell the difference between the two of them, and they really did feel like two separate people. Despite Eva not having a body of her own, I think I liked her better, probably because I felt sorry for her not being able to move or communicate for herself and I could connect with her want to be able to do these things. I know I would drive myself crazy if all I could do was talk to myself! I kind of felt more sorry for Addie though, because she's had to live for her whole life pretending that she's 'settled' and that she doesn't have another person living inside her head. To have to give that up for your literal other half, and to have to watch them learn to move and talk with your body must be really difficult... Not that these characters are real, or anything, of course!

One of the most interesting things about the book for me though, happened near the end and has left me needing the next book very soon, and it was the idea of a romance between Eva and another character. I don't know how it would work, and it could definitely have some complications and I really want to know how it would work out! Does Addie have to just tune what her own body is doing out? Or is there a way she can disappear for a while, while Eva and the boy kiss, or do whatever...? I don't know, I'm just speculating ;P

What's Left of Me really was fantastic. It started off really well, and it only got better as the book went on. I would definitely recommend to YA fans who are looking for something a little bit different and a little bit new. With an interesting concept, easy writing style and unforgettable characters, I loved it and am really excited for the sequel!

*Thanks to HarperCollins for sending me this in exchange for an honest review! In no way has this affected my opinion of the book.