Review: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles) by Kat Zhang

Title: What's Left of Me
Author: Kat Zhang
Series: The Hybrid Chronicles
Book #: 1
Pages: 343
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating:
Goodreads Rating: 3.93
Published: Sept. 18th, 2012

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.(

Taschima's POV:

First off let me start by saying that I don't consider What's Left of Me to be a dystopian novel because, well, it isn't. Not really. The premise of a dystopian novel is one where our world becomes fractured and the future is all kinds of crappy. In our world people are born with one soul, in What's Left of Me people have always been born with two. So obviously, the world being portrayed is an alternative fantastic reality loosely based on the real world.

Having said that I really enjoyed this story! It had a little bit of everything really. At the beginning it instantly catches your attention with the premise, "two souls, one body, going agaisnt the cardinal rule in their society because they are different and don't want to let go of life", but after a while there I have to admit the story starts to drag along... that is until the girls' secret gets discovered and they have to do everything in their power to survive.

The whole story has a very interest catching concept. Two souls occupying one body, one is dominant (Addie) and the other isn't (Eva). The submissive soul is supposed to fade away at a certain age, but sometimes this doesn't happen and this is dangerous because you are always supposed to settle and if you don't then bad things are sure to happen. This was my absolute favorite part of the story, seeing the relationship between Addie and Eva, seeing them evolve, trust each other, depend on each other, get pissed with each other and love each other as fiercely as only two sister can. It's a beautiful bond. And I have to give the author props because Addie and Eva are totally different even though they live in the same body. They have different experiences and very distinct voices. It's a treat.

What's Left of Me does a great job of explaining a lot of questions I had in my mind when I heard the premise, like for example what happens if Addie, the dominant soul and so the one who is able to move their body around, falls in love? Or wants to kiss someone the other soul doesn't necessarily like in that way? Why is it bad to have two souls instead of one? The whole two soul thing is kind of like a given, doesn't need explanation because it would be like explaining why we are born with a soul, it's just is. But What's Left of Me does explain the repercussions of being born with two souls and why it is necessary that one soul dissapears in order for the world to thrive. I find it hard to side in either side really because the arguments are valid, but at the same time how can you kill half of someone? It also shows us what happens when the second soul dissapears, etc. It was written beautifully, it is throughly original, and well explained because it shows us various different situations and doesn't ignore different scenerios.

What else can I say? There is some romance in the novel, but it doesn't overwelm. The romance is very cute really. But again the main part is reading about Eva and Addie and how they deal with their situation day to day, Eva hiding from the world just so they won't be separated forever. Even her parents think she is dead it isn't like they are in on the secret.

It's just an interesting read with a lot of excitement. I would definitely recomend this to a friend and everyone who wants to read a good book which is thoughful and not just fluff to keep you entretained.

The Vampire Academy Merchandise, Get it while it lasts!

Attention folks! There's this place in the internet called The Arcane Vault. In this magical place they have none other than Vampire Academy merchandise available for us fans!! Shirts, pins, Iphone covers... Isn't that amazing!? They have some pretty cool stuff, let me show you some of my favorites:

 

That bookmark looks kick ass, and those mugs? My favorite would have to be the one with the Vampire Academy crest. The purple color is just perfect, though I would have also liked it to be red as blood.

 

I, sadly, don't have an Iphone  but I had one I would SO cover up my Iphone with this bad boy. The pins are my favorite part. I am a pic maniac, I need all the pins and I need them now! My favorite is the "Little Dhampir" one *sigh*

 

I can just picture this on my backpack. Yeah, don't mind me, just advertising my love for Vampire Academy and hoping to make some friends on the way from home to school and back.

 

 

I want them. That's that. Just look at them!!

 I am in no way affiliated with The Arcane Fault, I just thought this was freaking cool! I know a lot of my followers are Vampire Academy fans, and I also know how devastated we all are by the end of that series... sometimes we just need something to remind us of the good times we had together, and a pin? Does the trick. PLUS how cool would it be if you happen to say wear one of these shirts at the mall, around campus, school, at work or at a party and someone recognizes what it is?! INSTANT BEST FRIEND!

That would be cool...Now I need that coffee mug and those pins stat!

PS; they are coming up with new stuff, new shirts to be exact. You can find all about it on The Arcane Vault Facebook Page.

New Cover Revealed: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

Goodreads

This cover definitely can say up to 1,000 words. The Fall feeling and leaves, the flying petals, the yellow dress, the woods... Aaand I am in love. Good silly love!I cant even form words, it's just that breath taking and amazing. Favorite cover yet of 2013. Boundless is the third installment in the Unearthly series, coming out sometime 2013. I definitely want to get started on this series! Maybe I need to wait till Boundless comes out though in order to read them all at once, what do you think?

Other covers in the series:

Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

Cover VS Cover, The Diviners by Libba Bray.

So I was skipping around through Goodreads when I clicked on The Diviners by Libba Bray (came out Sept. 18!!) and found out this book has not one, nor two, but four different editions! All very different kind of covers with the same theme of the 20s with the Art Deco lines and style of lettering.

 

Italian edition.

I like them all really, they all have something about them that make them special and eye catching. If I were to list them in order of liking them this would be my list:

1. The Second (blue) cover.
2. The Third (Dark) cover.
3. The Fourth Italian cover.
4. The First one.

What I specially like about the blue cover is, well, the blue, the art deco straight lines (which are an eco of the 20s), the font, the eye (which is probably important in the novel). I like the mystery of the third cover, the sort of maybe tattooed arms linking in the way they are, the tarot card, plus the color and the beautiful font.   I like the background of the Italian cover, the city, the lights illuminating the sky... the movel, sort of, she is very pretty but I am not into the black and white picture. Finally the last cover has nice font and the picture around the eye is pretty awesome, but the detail stops there as does my interest.

Has anybody read The Diviners? It's in my TBR pile, hopefully I'll get to it soon!

PS; Did you know I am giving away a copy of The Diviners by Libba Bray? As long as 15 other YA titles? Click here and enter for a chance to win!

Graduating from YA to Adult

Sometimes you are lucky enough to find that one Young Adult series that makes your heart flutter. That keeps you from sleep. That you wait for months with high hopes for the next installment and for which you suffer greatly when each books ultimately ends. Series can't possible last forever (no matter what House of Night might want to make you believe). At some point you are going to have to mourn the loss, and let go. Once that relationship is done however you might want to sink deep into a whole new world, and that is where I come in.

Young Adult is a freaking fantastic genre. I love it with every fiber of my being. But I also love Adult. It's awesome, they get to curse freely and without judgement, have sex, and break the rules. How freaking fantastic is that?

Now, this is going to be like a suggestion. A sort of "if you like this you will surely love this as well" thing.

Young Adult: Vampire Academy

Number of books: 6
Publication: 2007-2010 (Can't believe it's been that long)

Attributes: Head strong/brave/kick ass chick heroine, hilariously witty dialogue, smoking hot guardian/teacher with a Russian accent and an even better bod, great side characters, an academy, great plot, oh and did I mention? vampires, dhampires, Moroi, Strogoi, magic... all in all one of my ultimate favorite young adult novels in the whole wide world.

Some quotes:

“Lissa and I had been friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us up together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and we’d—or rather, I’d—responded appropriately. I’d chucked my book at out teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn’t known what those words meant, but I’d known how to hit a moving target.
Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“The only thing better than imagining Dimitri carrying me in his arms was imagining him shirtless while carrying me in his arms.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time." [...]
"This is my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session."
"Oh yeah?" I retorted. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."
"It's always a good a time to think about you naked," added someone nearby, breaking the tension further.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“And than suddenly he was there, charging down the hallway like death in a cowboy duster.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

“The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night. Judging by the look on the girl's face, it was.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy 

Dimitri: “If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”
― Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy

Those are just some examples. Now that I am done reminiscing I can tell you about this other fantastic Adult series that quite resembles Vampire Academy in a lot of things that made Vampire Academy a winner.

Let's Cross Over now...

Adult: Halfway to the Grave (a Night Huntress Novel)

Number of Books: 6 (for now)

Publication: 2007-PRESENT

Attributes: Again, Head strong/brave/kick ass chick heroine, hilariously witty dialogue, smoking hot vampire guardian/teacher with an Russian English accent and an even better bod, great side characters (after the series get off its feet, the first book is all about the two main characters, Cat and Bones), an academy, great plot, oh and did I mention? vampires, action, sex... all in all one of my ultimate favorite young adult novels in the whole wide world.

Quotes:

“The clock struck eleven and cat the vampire huntress was on the loose, except my battle armor was a push-up bra, curled hair, and a short dress. Yeah, it was a dirty job, but I was going to do it. Come one, come all, bloodsuckers! Bar’s open!”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Usually my form of turning someone down was shoving a stake through his heart while smirking, Gotcha!”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

Cat: “So do you remember this place?"
Bones: "Hard to forget." he snorted. "This is where you tried to kill me. You were so nervous, you kept blushing. Never had someone try to stake me who blushed so much.”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave

“I'm saying that I'm a moody, insecure, narrow-minded, jealous, borderline homicidal bitch, and I want you to promise me that you're okay with that, because it's who I am, and you're what I need.”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Lucifer's bouncing balls, Kitten, not again!”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Don't kiss me like a woman if you're going to treat me like a child.”
― Cat, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Kitten, you need to make a decision. Either we stay here and behave or we leave now and I promise you”—his voice dipped lower and the words fell against my lips—“if we leave, I won’t behave.”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“You're not a woman," he said finally. "You're the Grim Reaper with red hair!”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“There is only one way to fight, and that's dirty. Clean gentlemanly fighting will get you nowhere but dead, and fast. Take every cheap shot, every low blow, absolutely kick people when they're down, and maybe you'll be the one who walks away." Bones to Cat”
― Bones, Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

Bones: “Right, then, mate, terribly sorry for my unspeakable rudeness, and I do beg your pardon. I can only say that it was caused by my natural affront to the notion of her as my sister. Since I'll be shagging her tonight, you can imagine how I'd be distressed at the thought of rogering my sibling"
Cat: "You shmuck! The only thing you'll be shagging tonight is yourself!"
Bones: "You wanted sincerity, well, luv, I was sincere.”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

Cat: “I was thrown into a state of sheer, mindless panic. “It’s my mother!” I whispered fiercely,as if Bones hadn’t figured that out. “Holy shit, you have to hide!”
I literally shoved him toward the bedroom, yelling, “I—I’ll be right there, I’m not dressed!”
He went, but with none of my hysteria.“Kitten, you still haven’t told her? Blimey, what are you waiting for?”
The Second Coming of Christ!” I snapped. “And not a moment sooner! Here, in the closet!”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave 

“Didn’t say anything. I’ve got those names, so that’s all that matters, but you men…you’re all alike. Alive, dead, undead—all perverts! I had a drunken pervert in my pants! Do you know how unsanitary that is?”
Bones held me upright. I would have protested, but I couldn’t remember how to. “What are you saying?”
“Winston poltergeisted my panties, that’s what!” I announced with a loud hiccup.
“Why, you scurvy, lecherous spook!” Bones yelled in the direction of the cemetery. “If my pipes still worked, I’d go right back there and piss on your grave!”
― Jeaniene Frost, Halfway to the Grave

I could seriously keep on going all freaking day. All day long. In fact I am going to be re reading the series now because I love it so much =D Anyways I hope this encourages some of you to try out Halfway to the Grave, or some of the fans of Halfway to the Grave to try out Vampire Academy. I mean, there is cross over appeal either way. And if you haven't read either... THEN DUDE what are you waiting for?

PS; Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway! In it you have the chance to win some awesome 2012 YA titles, you are going to want to check it out.

The Highly Anticipated YA Fall 2012 Giveaway!!

Who is ready to party!?!?!
What does party time mean exactly around these parts?

 

It means we are going to have a big fabulous giveaway!

 

Here are all the books I have to give you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 in total, for now anyways.

Along with these collectable (never been used) Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare, and Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, T-Shirts...

 



And lots, lots of swag, a photo to come.

Now the Details...

• The contest is open only to Bloody Bookaholic followers. Please make sure that the Show Sites I Follow is checked on your Blogger Profile so I can make sure that you are following.
• There are going to be 2 winners for now (these two will receive the same amount of books, the first winner however gets first pick of what she/he would like).
• Open Internationally (as a thanks to all my international followers, wasn't going to let you guys out of this one!).
• Leave a comment on this post so I can see how many individuals have entered the giveaway. This is important because...

Listen to this one...

• If I hit 250 individual entries I will add ONE MORE WINNER as well as MORE BOOKS! And if I hit 500 individual entires... I will add a 2013 book to the prize pack, none other than...

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

*You will get points for commenting* Since I really enjoy reading what you guys think I decided to do this. It gives you more chances to win, so why not? You will get +1 point for each comment, and I do not appreciate SPAM (I'll be watching).

 Contest ends: Oct. 31st, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. to sign up and win.

GO FOR IT! And above all, have fun!!

Some of these extra entries are available when you fill out the form, the other ones (the comments) I will keep a notebook and add the extra points there.

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