The Lost Girl Review

432 pages

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination--an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning 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 sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this. Now she must abandon everything and everyone 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.

Review:
I'd imagine it would be hard being a clone of someone else. So many ethical dilemmas, with some people considering you to be human and others thinking of you as an abomination. This is exactly what Eva has to deal with in her life as an echo. Eva has her own personality and feelings but she's forced to mimic someone else's. When Eva's time to take Amarra's place finally comes, she's not sure if she is completely ready, and she's not. Both Amarra's family and friends have differing reactions to Eva's presence and we also discover Amarra's true feelings towards Eva as her echo. Eva is sucha strong person who wants to do what is right for everyone but also what is right for herself. The other characters in this novel all have their individual personalities that make them stand out as well. This story is so complex, at times heartbreaking, and at others full of hope for Eva being able to embrace her own identity and stop trying to live Amarra's. I definitely enjoyed reading this and I would recommend it to those who like science fiction type novels.