Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Book Description via Goodreads:

Hardcover, 432 pages

August 28, 2012, Balzer + Bray

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination--an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything and everyone she's ever known--the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love--to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be--until she found the strength to decide for herself.

Source: Christine and Harper Collins (Thank you!!)

My Thoughts:

Eva was an echo, a replication, a back-up in case the real ‘Amarra’ dies. From page one, I cared for her and soon, got attached to her. It was easy for me to like her. She had a burning curiosity, an endearing stubbornness and a great thirst for life and freedom. This way, I saw myself in Eva. For so long, almost everything she did depended on what her Other did. She was enslaved in a way, living in a cage. She wasn’t supposed to go out of the house, to be seen by other people and to do anything that she wasn’t told to do.

The moment Eva was shipped off to India to be Amarra, she knew it was going to be hard. Eva blended into Amarra’s skin, claiming what she left behind, pretending to be someone she’s not. Despite being given the ultimate chance to freedom, Eva wasn’t 100% free. She was shackled by her responsibilities as an echo. In a country where Echoes are illegal, fitting in and blending in were bound to be difficult. I cheered her on as she faced the challenges. I felt her pain, her sadness and her frustration when she couldn’t quite convince the world that Amarra was still alive. I ached for her whenever people assumed that she was dispensable, unfeeling and inhuman. She may not be originally human but she thought, lived and suffered like one.

One of the things that I liked was Eva’s relationship with Sean. It was a sweet, slow and savored romance. The author did an amazing job in developing their relationship. I experienced first love all over again along with Eva. The hesitation, the anticipation, the wishful thinking and the crazy thump-thump-thump of her – and my – heart during her encounters with Sean all drew me in. Sean was mature for his age, in my opinion. He was rational and charming. I liked that he was Eva’s knight in shining armor. But that doesn’t mean that Eva was your typical damsel in distress. Eva fought hard.

Our determined heroine struggled against her shackles and fought hard. I ached for all the pressure and suffering she went through. She was trapped and in every direction she went, a wall blocked her way out. However, Eva was persistent, hungry for freedom and like her Weaver, clever. Can she claim her freedom before her time is up?

The Lost Girl is a breathtaking, atmospheric and unputdownable science fiction that will draw you in and let you experience the sophistication of England and the exoticness of India. If you enjoyed Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver and What’s Let of Me by Kat Zhang, you might like this, too. Both were written beautifully but The Lost Girl’s pacing is faster. Highly recommended!

Rating:

 5 Cupids = Eternal book love. 

I will never, ever, ever forget this book. I highly recommend this!

 

 

2013 YA + MG Time Travel Reading Challenge

Who doesn't love YA time travel? Well yes, there are those who don't but these two book bloggers love it to bits! Maybe even a (lot) little obsessed. So after Dianne put it out there that Precious should host a challenge and Precious invited Dianne to co-host it, their sleep-deprived brains worked out all of the details, giving birth to the *drumroll*  

2013 YA & MG Time Travel Reading Challenge!

hosted by Precious from Fragments of Life and Dianne from Oops! I Read a Book Again

So join us on a time-bending experience and read time travel books. We will bend backwards (and the time-space continuum, natch) just to read as many YA time travel books this year. 'Cause don't you know, time travel is the thing!

Challenge Guidelines:

1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. You can sign up anytime of the year.

2. Anyone can enter. You don't have to be a blogger but you'd have to be a reviewer (Goodreads/Shelfari/Amazon/anywhere).

3. You can read any YA or MG time travel books. There aren't lots so we don't want to restrict you to a publication date, just with the genre.

4. If you're a blogger, make a post about your joining the challenge on your blog and put the direct link when you sign up for the linky. You can include a list of Time Travel books that you want to read for the challenge. It can serve as your guide. If you're not a blogger but a reviewer (you can post your reviews on Goodreads, etc) tweet about your joining the challenge and put the direct link when you sign up!

Here is a sample tweet: I'm joining the #YAandMGTimeTravelReadingChallenge @precious_shusky @oopsireadagain http://shusky20.blogspot.com/2012/12/2013-ya-mg-time-travel-reading-challenge.html! 

5. You can move up levels but we do not encourage moving down.

6. At the end of each month, the hosts will put up a wrap-up post. It will feature a time travel book and an interview or guest post from its author (and maybe a giveaway). All you have to do is link up reviews to the YA & MG time travel books you've read for the month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry for the giveaway. The giveaway will run for one week and then we'll choose the lucky winner!

7. If you miss a wrap-up post and the giveaway, you can join the next one. Please be guided though that reviews can only be linked ONCE. We will definitely check your entries (and read your reviews).

8. Lastly, for bloggers, post the button on your sidebar and link back to us!

<center><a href="http://shusky20.blogspot.com/2012/12/2013-ya-mg-time-travel-reading-challenge.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEgdXHxiBuzuCBjlPbOelXHvpNH4KCvlg9RlkTn6lSpl3f471cQ8VXA8rmY5KuKDF4KbKiD7y-gSGWdO0mVqbV-eajma6KK6iZ13LcQUuy2TBVsgAEkj1JP-SLXMD2wboxyfeX4WexyQ/s1600/timetravelbutton.jpg"></a></center>

Levels

Nostalgic Traveler - 3 books

Year Hopper - 5 books

Time Slipper - 7 books

Era Switcher - 10 books

Temporal Explorer - 12 books

Time Travel Junkie - 15 or more

For a list of time travel books, refer to the Goodreads list we made. You can also add books to the list!

Perks of Being a Participant

What’s in it for you, aside from 365 days of time travel goodness, you ask? Here’s a list:

Free electronic copies of The Golden Scarab (Book 1) and The Cursed Nile (Book 2) by S.W. Lothian. All you have to do is email us at precious_shusky AT yahoo DOT com OR tomakunisnumberone AT gmail DOT com with the subject: I want The Quest Series!

Free electronic copy of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis by Sharon Ledwith. Just email us to get your copy!

Free electronic copy of Time’s Twisted Arrow by Rysa Walker. Again, just email us to get your copy!

Exclusive Giveaways! There will be books and swag giveaways that are only for you guys.

Easy Access to Authors. Have your questions answered and get writing inspiration from participating authors.

For any inquiries, feel free to comment or tweet us at @precious_shusky or @oopsireadagain. If the linky's not working, drop me or Dianne an email so we can add you up.

For authors who'd like to be featured, please email precious_shusky AT yahoo DOT com or tomakunisnumberone AT gmail DOT com. Thank you!

Sign-up for the monthly newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the features giveaways and freebies:

Subscribe to our mailing list

End of the World Book Blast + Giveaway: The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

Hi everyone! Today marks not only the start of my Christmas break but also the start of the End of the World (or so they say) Book Blast! Win two $50 Visa gift cards and an ebook of The Stone Guardian!

When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…

A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Book Description via Goodreads:

Hardcover, 343 pages

September 18, 2012, HarperCollins

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.

Source: Christine & Harper Collins (Thank you!!)

My Thoughts:

Addie was the dominant soul and Eva was the recessive one. Their lives were tied together but they were meant to be apart. I loved the whole concept of dual souls. It presented a strong connection and a complicated relationship between the twin souls. As children, they have leaned on one another, lived together as two parts of a whole. Inseparable until the moment that one of them fades into the background. Their relationship was complex and fascinating. It wasn’t all sunshine. There were ‘can’t leave with her, can’t leave without her’ moments, too.

I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of Addie. True, she still talked to Eva and acknowledged her twin soul’s presence but she was too hesitant to help Eva. I understand that all she wanted was for them – mostly for her – to live a normal life just like everybody else but it seemed to me that she was the selfish sort. Although Addie was not all bad. She cared for Eva, too.

Eva was supposed to fade but somehow she held on to what little what left of her life. Unable to control her own body, she was paralyzed, imprisoned inside her own flesh. She could only see and hear through Addie. She was considerate, kind-hearted, patient and brave in so many ways that I couldn’t help but love her. My heart broke a hundred times and I shed a bucket of tears along with her. Losing control and co-existing with Addie was difficult. But when hybrids start revealing themselves to Addie, things get even more complicated.

One of my favorite characters ever is Ryan, Devon’s twin soul. He had a gentleness and risky way of being sweet and helpful. It was admirable how much he could risk making sure that Eva was safe. His relationship with Eva was a sweet one. He was there to hold her and when she couldn’t move. He was there to talk to her when she couldn’t speak a word. That kind of patience is hard to find. But at the same time, having an almost-relationship between two hybrids was complicated. They had to consider that they were not always alone and they could only do as much as their twin souls allowed them.

I found a renewed fear of scary doctors in this novel. Hybrids were sent to various institutions that aim to correct them. There are surveillances, tests and operations that they went through. It was terrifying. It was the kind of thing you wouldn’t want to happen to you. Ever. I couldn’t bear the idea of being ‘corrected’ when in their hearts, the hybrids believed that there was nothing wrong with them in the first place. I sat at the edge of my seat while I read about their time in the clinic.

Although the ending was not what I expected it to be, I was content with it. I will be on the lookout for the sequel! Original, heartbreakingly good, and well-written, What’s Left of Me is a breath of fresh air in the YA science fiction field. Fans of Delirium and Pandemonium will like this. I strongly recommend this to readers of YA sci-fi.

Rating:

4.5 Cupids = Obsessive book love. 

Almost made it as one of my favorites! I strongly recommend this!