Book Recap: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Cover Inspection:
I really think that the cover fits the story well.
The silhouette of the girl can be Eva, who if fighting for her identity.

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
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.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	3.0
Plot	3.0
Writing	3.0
Characters	3.0
Ending	3.0
Overall Rating	3.0 Very Good! (89% to 92%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The first part of the book is set in England. Then the main character goes to India to permanently live there.

MAIN CHARACTERS:
Eva is no ordinary girl. She's an Echo. She's created by a weaver in the likeness of another girl, called her Other. Basically, Eva will replace her Other in case her Other dies. As a character, people describe Eva as
contrary and difficult. But, she is brave and intelligent. It's hard not to like her character.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
Eva has been created by the weavers upon the request of the parents of the girl from whom she is pattered, called her Other. The plan is this: upon her Other's death, Eva will step into the shoes of her Other.

LOVE:
The thing I loved the most about this story is that, from time to time, a striking and meaningful line pops up. Those lines made me reflect about life, myself, and about love. They touched my heart in more ways than one. As regards the romance, there is only one word that can describe it, and that is tender. I think this scene between the two can concretize that:

“What do you dream about?” Sean asks me. “When you’re not dreaming about flying away? Is it always Amarra’s life?”

“No, I only have the Amarra dreams now and then. Otherwise it’s cities. I always dream of cities.” I don’t tell him about my dreams of the green nursery.

“What about people?”

“Sometimes. People in those cities.”

I step onto the train and turn back to look at him. He’s quiet, says nothing.

“What do you dream about, Sean?”

He’s staring at me, but he takes a step back as a whistle blows. I raise my hand to wave as the compartment door starts to slide shut.

“You,” he says, before the door closes all the way. “I often dream of you.”

Sweet huh? Despite that innocent sweetness, the love between Sean and Eva is something that goes beyond attraction. They're friends first and foremost, and one is willing to sacrifice for the other, and vice versa. Just beautiful.

Moreover, I started this book not knowing what to expect. I have never read a book like this before. Echoes and their Others are something completely new to me. But it took only very few pages before I got fully invested in the story. It didn't take long for me to understand fully what the plot is all about. The author was able to present the necessary details of the story line early in the story, such that i was not left creeping in
the dark.

This book is well-written. I have no complaints regarding it. Its direct to the point, without being too scientific. It's poetic, without being excessively flowery. It flows smoothly and effortlessly, without being boring. It was such a pleasure to read. The writing is just lovely.

This book has the capacity to evoke very strong emotions in the reader (at least in me). Tears were flowing while I was reading this. One thing's for sure, Eva wasn't coddled by the author. She was battered,
bruised, and abused. One painful experience after another. And it hurt me. Every single time. Eva's story broke my heart into a million and fifty pieces.

NO LOVE:
There were a few things I didn't like about the book. First, there were some very, very small inconsistencies. They're hardly noticeable, but they're there, and I noticed them. Second, I cannot deny that some things and some events were not explained well. People just did things in the story. Events just happened. It was quite confusing. Lastly, while I loved the first two-thirds of the story, I didn't particularly like the last few chapters. It just went way too fast, especially the last chapter. It felt like a portion of it was cut.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
Sean. Eva's only friend turned sweetheart. I like him because he reminds me of Jay Heaton from The Body Finder. Like Jay, Sean is a good boy. He's the kind of boy whom you would present to your family at reunions, and not be ashamed. He's sensible and sweet. And he's very protective of Eva.

MUSINGS:
There are those books that can be described as believable, meaning, the fictitious plot has the possibility - however remote - of happening. This book is not it. The story was entertaining and engaging, yes, but I didn't think the plot is "believable." I really don't know why I feel this way, but I think it's because there aren't many details as to the circumstances of Eva's creation. In the story, Eva was just "created" or "stitched" by the weavers, nothing more.

Nevertheless, the book is oozing with all kinds of human emotions, both negative and positive - love, hate, grief, loneliness, guilt, and anger. I believe that this is the best thing about this book - its ability to evoke emotions. If you are looking for that kind of read, then this one should not be missed. The Lost Girl is the kind of story which appeals to people of all ages because it's a story of a struggle for one's identity and a fight for one's humanity.

DOODLES:

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Sangu Mandanna

SIMILAR READS:
Fracture (Fracture, #1) by Megan Miranda

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: moderate few curse words
violence: moderate
sexual content: mild
mature themes: mild
age recommendation: 13+