Saturday, July 13, 2013

Brad About Books: Once We Were by Kat Zhang

Read on May 7, 2013
ONCE WE WERE
Expected Publication Date: September 17, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: ARC
Page Count: 352 pages
Source: ALA
Series: The Hybrid Chronicles, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, What's Left of Me.

Once We Were is an electrifying and fantastic sequel that not only surpassed the first installment in this epic series, it blew my mind and made me fall even more in love with this world. Zhang's sophomore shines bright and is an absolute page-turner!

What's Left of Me is one of my favorite books ever, and I have no idea how Kat Zhang managed it, but she made the sequel even better! Sequels can be tough, since you have to build upon the characters and the world that's already been formed. And believe me, the world expands tremendously in Once We Were! We get to see even more of this broken world, and I loved getting to see it with Eva and Addie. Plus, new characters were introduced! I can't even tell you how thrilled I was about that. I will admit that some sequels fall flat compared to the first novel, but that is totally not the case with the Hybrid Chronicles. I love these books to pieces!

The characters are phenomenal. Truly, amazingly, and utterly phenomenal. Being inside Eva and Addie's head is one of a kind, and now that things have changed since What's Left of Me (you'll have to read it to find out what!), we get to see how they have evolved and changed - not only as hybrids surviving in a brutal and harsh world, but also as sisters. They have their moments when they can't stand each other (I mean, when you have to deal with one person all the time and share the same body, it'll be tough), but they also have moments where they truly love each other and would do anything for their sister. The relationship feels authentic and real, and it's one of the many reasons why Once We Were is one of the best sequels I've ever read!

And SO. MUCH. CRAZINESS. goes down in Once We Were! Explosions, climatic scenes, and tension-filled times, there is never a dull moment. Everything flies at the reader so quickly, and so many dark secrets are brought to the light. I devoured this book in mere hours, simply because I couldn't dare put it down! If you loved What's Left of Me, just wait 'til you get a copy of the sequel - it will blow you away!

Also: can I just express how badly I need the third book?! I love this series so, so, so much, and I'm dying for the next novel!

Overall, Once We Were is a fantastic and magnificent sequel that grabbed me right from the first page and never let me go. Absolutely marvelous!

M Y    R A T I N G


2 comments:

  1. I just read What's Left of Me last month, and now I am excited to read this book once it release.

    ReplyDelete

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