Author: Kat Zhang
Genres: Fiction ; Young Adult ; Science Fiction ; Dystopia ; Romance ; Fantasy ; Paranormal ; Contemporary
Publication: September 16, 2014 by The Borough Press
Pages: 354
Format Read In: Audiobook
Summary from Goodreads (GOODREADS LINK)
To change the world, I may lose everything
All Eva ever wanted was the chance to be herself. But in the Americas, to be hybrid—to share your body with a second soul—is not tolerated past childhood. Now Eva and Addie, her sister soul, are constantly on the move, hiding from the officials who seek to capture them. But the tide is changing. A revolution is brewing, and people are starting to question the hybrids’ mistreatment.
Then Marion, an ambitious reporter, offers Eva and Addie a daring proposal: If they go undercover and film the wretched conditions of a hybrid institution, she will not only rescue them, she’ll find a way to free Jackson, the boy Addie loves. It’s risky, and Eva will have to leave Ryan and her friends behind, but if she succeeds, it could also tip the scales forever and lead to hybrid freedom.
As Eva and Addie walk into danger, they cling to each other and the hope of a better future. But the price they might pay is higher than they ever could have imagined.
Trigger warnings: Sick children ; Child abuse ; Forced incarceration of children ; Violence ; Endangerment of children
My Review [MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD]:
This is the final book of an early 2010s YA dystopia that gripped me at the beginning, though the 2nd novel sort of disappointed me.
What I Liked
- I think this series really helped solidify my love for the trope of two people sharing a body! It always delivers interesting questions about autonomy.
- Happy to say that Eva was less annoying and more careful this time around as opposed to book 2, especially when it came to Addie, while Addie was the one endangering them just to save her boy, Jackson. It’s an interesting reverse.
- I was super weirded out around Eva starting to develop feelings for Jackson, although it makes sense that her feelings and Addie’s would mix like this. I was almost worried about having a random love triangle or rectangle in the final book but, thankfully, it didn’t go that way.
- I definitely liked Jackson’s tenacity more than Ryan’s this time around, though Ryan had a lot to do in the last two books and less in this book.
- The talks with the family were the most heart-wrenching scenes, but they did a great job of showing Eva’s character development and built-up confidence in herself.
What I Didn’t Like
- The ending felt kind of quick and not as satisfying after being with these characters for so long and knowing how complicating untangling the hybrid system would be.
- Again, this book failed to ask some logistical questions about how hybrids can live their lives now that one doesn’t have to be killed off. It seems like author didn’t want to really think too hard about those questions.
- Peter’s death felt like it meant nothing, and that felt like a waste of a revolutionary.
Conclusion
I think, overall, this was an interesting trilogy with a cool concept and characters, but was pretty average. Though it was better than a lot of the trilogies that came out around it’s time.
My Rating: Raining
Where to Find Me
sweaters.and.raindrops@gmail.com
Sweaters & raindrops 