Initial reaction: That was a satisfying end to a good series overall. A few points for me had the narrative dragging but I enjoyed the journey overall.

Full review:

I'll admit I'm a little sad to be finishing this series with "Echoes of Us" for two reasons: 1. It took me a long time to pick up this final novel and 2. This is pretty much the end of the journey for Eva and Addie. I've spent three books following these characters and found myself invested in their fight for representation and non-erasure of hybrid souls. This book has Addie and Eva delving into an alternate identity once again by going undercover at a facility with hybrid children like themselves to expose the horrible treatment of the souls there, but it comes with a high cost.

It may be a better thing for those who are reading the series to read these books back to back because I did struggle a little in the transition between this book and the last for remembering certain details and characters (though the book does a fair job of highlighting some of the major events from the previous books that Addie and Eva were involved within). Once I reacquainted myself with events, I was okay for the most part. I wasn't expecting some major character deaths from the get go - when the action hits home, it definitely hits home. I definitely felt for Eva in the midst of the novel for the separation anxiety and loss she feels on multiple levels. The novel on the whole ties up the major conflicts in a way that - to me - was one of the strongest ends to a YA series that I've read in recent times. However, I feel like there could've been more time spent with respect to the character development and some of the plot points that really didn't have a lot of answers with them (i.e. the existence of hybrid souls vs. the general public and how that related to the international conflict). I can't complain on the whole though, this series collectively had me glued to see what would happen next in Eva and Addie's overarching journeys.

I'm going to miss following these two - wonderful audiobook narration by Kim Mai Guest and a unique YA dystopian trilogy that left me with great impressions. The only thing I wish in finishing the novel (and series) is that it could've delved a bit deeper.

Overall score: 3.5/5 stars.

Initial reaction: It was decent, probably around my same reaction to the first book (which admittedly I read a while back ago.) The intrigue is strong but the execution felt a bit shaky through the novel.

Full Review:

Don't let my rating of this book fool you - I thought "Once We Were" was a very good book, and a worthy second book in the Hybrid Chronicles series (following up the first book "What's Left of Me.") Following Eva and Addie in this book shows them in quite a few harrowing situations - a struggle between claiming the right to exist as Hybrid souls and changing the status quo from the oppressive network that's quickly expanding its reach and aim. It's an apt theme as far as a dystopian novel is concerned. It also shows Eva and Addie not just as one entity, but struggling to come to terms with their own identities in the mix of some harrowing events.

So you might ask: "Rose, what's the problem with this book?" I'll admit it took me quite a bit of time to really get into the flow of this story. I thought it meandered a bit too much in the beginning and in parts of a sagging middle. Some parts I understood because the story took some much needed (and appreciated) time to flesh out Eva's character for her flaws and struggle to exist independently of her sister. The narrative did a decent job of showing how difficult it can be to have two souls sharing one body and fighting for competing interests - whether it may be in the vein of relationships or in the measure of what side they find themselves on in the midst of a difficult conflict. But for some reason, the narrative felt like it took a long time to stage that development, though it was progressive. The framework of the supporting characters and their role in the overarching story was fine, but I'm not sure why it felt like it took so long to get to the story's respective climax despite some notably interesting themes, scenes and intentions in the narrative.

I think one thing I like about Eva in comparison to other heroines in YA dystopia is - despite the fact she can make some infuriating decisions in a massive conflict - she's more self-aware and recognizes and learns from her mistakes. She recognizes her sister's wishes when they come into conflict and even learns of the greater repercussions of her decisions as the book marches to a rather explosive (literally and figuratively) conclusion. I really liked the intensity and emotion of the ending - I wish the pacing in the beginning and middle had the same kind of pull. Nonetheless, I find myself eager to pursue the conclusion of the series.

Overall score: 3/5 stars.

This book is amazing and I couldn't put it down. I love how Kat Zhang wrote this book because you have to be very talented to write this book, because to write a book in first person with two people living inside someone is very hard. I think this book is about finding yourself, because its easy to lose yourself when you're sharing your body with someone else. Eva is the recessive soul and her twin soul Addie is the dominant one. Eva is clinging to live in her body when everyone is telling her to let go. No one says her name, no one knows that she's still there but Addie. And she still has the strength to fight on. This is why I love this series because it shows that you can fight on. 

Both Hailee and Alex become very appealing characters quite quickly. Alex has a tremendous amount of boyish charm and Hailee is very strong minded and not an easy target. With the introduction of the darkness the story dynamics take on a love triangle, good vs. evil and a mission to save the world. With every twist and turn of events another layer of this story is peeled back to reveal yet another exciting development. There is so much more to their story than what you first anticipate. Engaging and interesting with a lot of heart and emotion shown from all of the characters. Haillee is faced with a heck of a lot for a young women to handle and although she does handle it well some of the drama and fighting become a little repetitive and had me wanting some of this to be resolved and the story to progress. Over all though a super start to this complex series and an endearing heroine that is bound to win over many readers.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

What's Left of Me is set in a world where children are born with two souls. As the child grows up one soul becomes dominant and the other recessive. Eventually in the childs life the recessive soul will fade away leaving only the dominant soul. However some children don't settle, and what happens then? At 15 Addie and Eva are faced with that problem.In a world where being a Hybrid is considered dangerous and a threat, Addie and Eva have to keep the fact that they have not yet settled a secret. But, as obstacles get in their way, can they? 

What's Left of Me was great and i did love it, but i just can't bring myself to give it five stars. I would love to rate it so high because the pace was crisp; the plot is brilliant and original beyond belief, and the concept that the story is told from the recessive soul, Eva, was a great twist on the common narrator. Everything was refreshing, fun, and there was never a dull or boring moment when reading What’s Left of Me, but it just missed… something. 

In What’s Left of Me, we're told straight away that hybrids are unstable and dangerous, and if you have suspicions that someone might be a hybrid, report them immediately. However during the book we arent told why hybrids are so dangerous, and all the hybrids we are introduced to seem harmless enough. So whenever they are spoken about like that all i could think was “Why?” It could be possible that they aren't any more dangerous than a normal person and they are just thought of this way because they are an anomaly in their normal society, and that's why there never was an explanation? Again, I'm not too sure, but I hope everything is cleared up in book two. As well as that little world-building flaw, there was a flaw in the writing for me that, while little at first, grew to be an annoyance the more I read the book. 

Zhang’s prose is beautiful, and, like the plot, the writing is crisp and it makes for fast reading, but, unfortunately Zhang uses an overwhelming amount of repetition when writing. At first, this was something I was able to look over easily, but, like I said, as I read more and more, and the use of repetition became more and more frequent, I became annoyed, but not overly so that I was unable to enjoy the book. And lastly in the things that make me conflicted on whether I should be giving What’s Left of Me four or five stars was that the ending felt too anticlimactic given all the buildup for it throughout the novel. It just didn't have the wow factor i was looking for (and expecting)

Now onto less ranty things about What’s Left of Me’s rare flaws, and much more praising on everything else that’s in What’s Left of Me, because everything else was amazing. 

Eva’s voice and experiences (or lack of) were heartbreaking, as was reading about her longing to talk, to move her fingers even—all of the things we normally take for granted—but she was physically unable to do. And, although for most of the book

she couldn't even move her fingers, she was still stronger than half of the heroines in YA literature, and that’s saying something. 

Another thing to absolutely love about What’s Left of Me is that all of the characters are flawed and believable, as are all of their relationships, especially the sisterly relationship between Eva and Addie, which was portrayed expertly. And, while there is some romance in What’s Left of Me, it takes up a very minor part in the actual story, and you might even forget there was a romance to begin with (like me). 

Overall, despite minor issues i had while reading i loved the book and will happily recommend it to all my friends and also to anyone looking for an original and refreshing new YA novel.