July 18, 2012

Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Hardcover, 432 pages
Expected publication: August 28, 2012 by Balzer + Bray

GoodReadsAmazon

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies 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 fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.
Now she must abandon everything 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.

I’m not sure if I can express my thoughts on The Lost Girl well enough to do it justice, but I’m going to give a shot.

Books mean something different to everyone.  We all absorb stories differently, and I’m absolutely certain The Lost Girl will be no exception. There is a forbidden romance, potential enemies around every corner, a lot of angst, and a touch of dystopia. To some, I think it will be seen as nothing more than that. That in its self would have made it enjoyable for me.

I’ve lost a lot of people in my life to various illnesses, accidents, etc. I think this is why I connected so well with the story, and on a level deeper than casual enjoyment. The Lost Girl explores death and dealing with grief in a way that I’ve never come across.  I had a hard time blaming anyone for their actions in this story, and that’s saying a lot because a few of them do and say some pretty awful things. But how can you really blame any of them? (Okay, I didn’t have a very hard time hating the Weavers) Some are dealing with the loss of Amarra, some are dealing with the loss of Eva, but they’re all hurting and Eva’s existence doesn’t really make any of that any easier. Not on Eva, and not on the people who loved Amarra.

The thing I loved most about The Lost Girl was Mandanna’s ability to balance all of the elements so well. The death is an important factor, but it isn’t romanticized and it doesn’t drag the story down. The characterization is fantastic.  The concept—Weavers creating Echos—is fascinating. Would I recommend The Lost Girl? Absolutely.

4.5/5 Stars





15 comments:

  1. Wow, wonderful review. Seen it about various blogs as waiting on, but not many reviews - this has definitely prompted me to pre-order it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is one Im going to watch for! I love your review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh! This is the next book on my to-read list! I am so happy it is already receiving some excellent buzz. Your review made me all the more excited to pop open its pages! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've been curious about this book. Great review. Looks like I'll have to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooo after this review, I put Lost girl on my TBR list. It sounds awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree, great concept and characters and Sangu handled it beautifully.
    Thanks for review,
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lost Girl sounds really interesting and fascinating!Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I haven't really read any books quite like this one. It sounds like one I would really enjoy. Thanks so much for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have never read anything that sounds like this book. I think I will have to give it a shot. thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This one sounds right up my alley and I am in love with that cover! I think I'll be picking this one up as soon as possible :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have been seeing this EVERYWHERE. I must read it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This book sounds like the movie The Island. I've never heard of this book, but since I love that movie, I think I'd like it :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. This sounds much more solemn than I first thought, but still pretty amazing, I can't wait to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. That is a great review and I think i will check out the book. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  15. This books sounds really amazing. I do want to read as soon as possible!! Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by! We love reading your comments and we try to reply back to each comment. So make sure to check back with us.