Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

The Lost Girl 
by Sangu Mandanna

Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 432
Genre: YA
Source: ARC
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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. What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva. From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Eva was created as a replacement for Amarra. Her whole life has not been her own. Everyday is based on Amarra's life, eating what she ate, learning how she talks, dresses, what she did that day, even studying maps of her house to know where her bedroom is located. Understandably, Amarra does not like Eva. Amarra has to make journals everyday sharing everything about her life with the girl that might one day take her place. The girl who one day might hug her mom, laugh with her friends, and kiss her boyfriend. Amarra hid her boyfriend for a year because she did not want to share him but Ammara never took the time to ask how Eva felt. Eva wants a choice and she wants to be with Sean, one of the people assigned to watch over her.

Eva loses the last of her free will when Amarra dies and she must take her place. Everyone deals with grief in a different way but this was just beyond what I could imagine doing. But to give credit to Amarra's parents the Weavier's overstated their powers. The Weaver's hope to one day be able to transfer the soul into the created body but they are just not there yet. Amarra's parents were hoping that Eva would come to them as Amarra in a new body and not just a clone. Eva had to try her best to pretend to be Amarra or they could order to destroy her. Eva does feel extreme guilt pretending. I felt extremely sad for Eva. She had to leave Sean and the family she knew to work so hard to pretend to be someone she is not. When Amarra's boyfriend Ray looks at her with love she feels so sad because she knows he doesn't love her but Amarra.

One mistake or misspoken word could alert her friends that she is not really Amarra and Echo's are illegal where she is. So much pressure! I couldn't live like that. My favorite character was of course the swoon worthy Sean who loved Eva as Eva, as an echo, as herself. He snuck her off to the zoo and did nice things for her. I was almost crying when she had to leave him. My other favorite characters, besides Eva and Sean, were actually Amarra's brother and sister. They took Eva in as herself. Accepted her as Eva and really took the entire echo process with such nice consideration. A very intriguing character. but not one I necessarily liked, was one of the actual Weavers, Matthew. Three Weavers work at the Loom creating the Echos. I found this extremely interesting and what connects Matthew to Eva is a bit shocking. Brings some real excitement to the ending of the book. It ends perfectly although there is room for more. I have been trying to figure out if this is a series or not but either way I am happy! It was a very emotional book that dealt with loss, grieving, choices, freedom, love, family, friendship, loyalty, and bravery, all in a unique and beautiful manner. 


"Because they cannot bear the thought of losing her."

"She was right. I am the thief. I've taken everything that belongs to her. She's had to give it all up.
What must that be like, to know that every single thing you wear, every last thing you know, is being copied,
mimicked, duplicated halfway across the world."

"But your sister hated me."
"I'm not my sister," say Nikhil, "and my echo's not you."
"But he might replace you some day. Don't you hate that that might happen? That he might be here with your family?"
"No," says Nik, so calmly I am exasperated. "I worry about what might happen to the people who love me if I die before them. I like knowing I have someone who will try to stop them from feeling so sad if that happens."

"Because like Frankenstein's monster, I could win."

"You said it, Eva. You said we could do it together."
"But you have a life-"
"Yeah," he says. "But I'd rather have one with you."

Rating: 5/5