*REVIEW* Once We Were

Synopsis:

"I'm lucky just to be alive"

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

Woohoo! Back in the fabulous world that Kat Zhang created in the first book of The Hybrid Chronicles, What's Left of Me. I LOVED the first book and jumped at the chance to read an ARC of the second and it did not disappoint. While it wasn't quite as amazing as the first (and doesn't that happen quite often with sophomore books?), it was still a SOLID book that was packed full of all the wonderful things that had fans falling in love with this world.

Once We Were picks up where we last left Addie and Eva, recently escaped from a life-and-death situation for Eva. Addie and Eva find themselves with the hybrids and their underground resistance. The girls meet new and interesting fellow hybrids who are near in age to them and they start experimenting with disappearing on purpose, giving the other time to be alone in their body. Both girls have experiences with very different boys and begin for the first time in their lives to have some independence.

Their new friends are unhappy with the slowness of the adults leading the resistance and Addie and Eva find themselves part of shocking plans to make a difference. When they realize how far their new friends are willing to go, will they be able to stop things in time, or will they make a choice they will regret forever? Danger, betrayal, love and friendship collide in this next installment of The Hybrid Chronicles.

This book was really good, 4 of 5 stars. It wasn't as mind-blowing as the first but I really enjoyed this installment and cannot WAIT to see where the next book takes our favorite hybrids. It's good to see Addie and Eva starting to have some true independence from each other, independence that allows them to form separate relationships and attachments. I also really liked the addition of the new characters, some more than others of course! All in all, this book will engage readers much like the first book did. And it comes out one month from today! Enjoy!! *XOXO*

Expected publication date: September 17, 2013 by HarperCollins