3.5 stars...While reading What's Left of Me I found myself searching for ways to personally connect with Addie/Eva. To associate my life experiences with what they were going through. This was almost impossible because Kat Zhang (Coolest name ever!) created a world so different than any I had read before. Sometimes you just have to keep reading, you don;t understand fully what's going on but if you just keep reading things will become clear. This was how I felt about this book and I was rewarded with a thrilling story about two girls trapped in one body. In a world where only one soul should survive and the other should just fade away. Well that never happens to Eva, she doesn't go away but fades into the background and lets Addie take control of their body. Years pass and no one knows their little secret... until one day they meet someone just like them.When we first meet Eva/Addie I found that I connected with Eva more because she seemed so trapped, her sister is the person who gets to "live" a life, have friends and communicate with people. You don't find yourself lost between the sisters because Kat Zhang wrote Addie and Eva point of views and them communicating so seamlessly. For a long time Eva is just a voice in Addie's head but as the story progresses we get to see Addie and Eva in different lights.Some issues that the story brought up was the idea of never being alone. What would it be like if someone was always in your head, listen to what you say, and never being able to have a private relationship? This is where Addie/ Eva's internal struggle for independence but staying connected was so important. It wasn't easy to read a world where one soul has more importance than another. The idea that one child would fade away, the parents would never talk about them and they wouldn't be missed was horrifying to read. It was the ground work for the rest of this story and foreshadowing for what's to come in book two.Some things bothered me about the story. When Eva/Addie fell off the roof and then we cut to her surviving a 3 story fall with just a few minor injuries had me saying "Huh?" Just didn't seem believable. I also felt that when Hally finds out what Addie is hiding and then they all share all their secrets, it just seemed so far fetched.I was captivated by the ending and also very interested in where this story will take us. I'm looking forward to reading, Untitled when it comes out.I read this book as part of the YA-MA Group YA-MA Traveling Book, Round 3... If you haven't experienced a group Traveling book then you're missing out. I enjoyed looking at all the post cards and being able to see peoples notes in the margins. Also the idea that other women have held this book, enjoyed this story and passed it along was amazing.
