Echoes of Us

July 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Despite a slow start, this conclusion to the "Hybrid Chronicles" ends up having the most compelling plot of the books in this trilogy. It opens with twin souls Addie and Eva recovering in a safe house from the Powat bombing, trying to figure out what to do and where to go after that spectacular failure. They still desire to fight for the rights of hybrids, so when they are approached by an American reporter who wants to reveal to a population who has long been taught that hybrids are insane the horrific abuse of hybrid children, they agree to help her. But what she wants is for them to allow themselves to be locked up in the worst of all the hybrid institutions: Hahns, a stark, icy-cold facility where the inhabitants are mostly ignored until they actually do go insane or die of illness. The girls' courage is great, but the consequences of their brave choice are huge. Zhang had a daunting task in this book: for half of the characters she had to develop a second distinct personality-by this third book there are so many hybrid characters that keeping them straight is a bit complicated. There are a few places where the story requires a bit more suspension of disbelief, but ultimately, the fast-paced plot allows readers to forget these transgressions as he or she eagerly turns the page, anxious to find out what awaits our heroines. Less nuanced than the previous series installments, nonetheless this is a satisfying conclusion that examines the power of story and what it means to be human.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
The struggle for hybrid rights goes very public in the conclusion to Zhang's dystopian trilogy.In the aftermath of the Powatt bombing, Eva, Addie and their fellow fugitive hybrids are more notorious and hunted than ever. Nevertheless, when capture and arrest begin to seem inevitable, Eva and Addie, sisters who inhabit the same body, refuse to seek refuge overseas. Instead they strike a deal with Marion, an ambitious journalist who wants to air an expose of hybrid institutions. Marion promises to arrange for the release of Addie's beloved, Jackson, if the sisters go undercover to film the footage she wants. Zhang deftly portrays the horrors of institutional life, and her writing shines when she focuses on Eva and Addie's sisterhood and their interactions with their family and friends. Their tense relationship with Bridget, a returning character from the series opener, What's Left of Me (2012), is a highlight of the novel. The limits of Zhang's worldbuilding and plotting, however, become apparent as the narrative focuses more on the public political fight for hybrid rights. Eva and Addie's increasingly prominent role in the hybrid movement strains credulity, and much of the denouement seems improbable and overtidy.Though some fans of the characters may be satisfied, this finale doesn't fulfill the promise of the series' highly original premise. (Dystopian adventure. 13-17)

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