Book Review: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles, #1)

Author| Kat Zhang
Edition| American Paperback
Genre| YA Dystopian
Publisher| HarperCollins
Rating| 4 Stars

This has been sitting on my shelf forever.  I actually got to meet Kat Zhang at a signing over a year ago, but didn't buy her book then (my loss).  When I later got around to purchasing it, I never thought much of it.  But it was eagerly recommended to me, and I'm so glad I picked it up and gave it a try.

What's Left of Me follows Addie and Eva, two sides of the same person.  In their world, everyone is born with two souls- the dominant one takes over and the other goes to sleep, forever.  Except for in Hybrids, like Addie/Eva is.  When they're found they're sent to an asylum along with some friends.  It's there that they uncover a conspiracy that changes everything.

I liked the concept.  It reminded me of The Fire Sermon, to be honest, though I think it did a better job than that did in telling stories.  It also managed to capture feelings of the hospital- a real hospital and not a romanticized one you often see in these kind of things.

I classify this book as dystopian, but it's not set in the far future.  In fact, it's set in relatively present day.  I guess it's more of a parallel universe than a dystopian.  But it has many aspects those books have- a government with too much control, a character who steps outside society, a society that bands against a threat that isn't real, a false sense of security.  The list goes on.

The characters are well developed, but there are moments where they fall completely flat.  None of them had a special spark to them that makes them worth remembering.  It's this lackluster character building that weighs on me the most.  However, I think, if I spend more time with them (and pick up the sequels) this shouldn't be a problem.  Still, for a debut book that's a lot to ask a reader.

I will be picking up the next book in the series, at least, because the ending was wonderful.  Not what I expected at all but in a good way.  I'm hoping for similar surprises in the future.

What's Next: What's Left of the Storm Moon

What's next is a meme hosted over at Iceybooks (who you should go check out immediately!) that gives you guys a chance to pick what book I'll be reading next.  This week's options are (drum roll please)...

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles, #1) by Kat Zhang

I should not 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.

Let the Storm Break (Sky Fall, #2) by Shannon Messenger

Whirlwind romance and breathtaking action continues in the sequel to Let the Sky Fall, which Becca Fitzpatrick called “charged and romantic.” 
Vane Weston is haunted. By the searing pull of his bond to Audra. By the lies he’s told to cover for her disappearance. By the treacherous winds that slip into his mind, trying to trap him in his worst nightmares. And as his enemies grow stronger, Vane doesn’t know how much longer he can last on his own.
But Audra’s still running. From her past. From the Gales. Even from Vane, who she doesn’t believe she deserves. And the farther she flees, the more danger she finds. She possesses the secret power her enemy craves, and protecting it might be more than she can handle—especially when she discovers Raiden’s newest weapon.
With the Gale Force weakened by recent attacks, and the power of four collapsing, Vane and Audra are forced to make a choice: keep trusting the failing winds, or turn to the people who’ve betrayed them before. But even if they survive the storms sent to destroy them, will they have anything left to hold on to?

Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1) by Steven Erikson 

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting, and bloody confrontations. Even the imperial legions, long injured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. 
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. 
But it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...

So what do you guys think I should read next?  I wanna know!