Blog Tour Interview: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

WHAT'S LEFT OF ME
by Kat Zhang
Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (September 18, 2012)

Today I'm excited to have an exclusive interview with a very fascinating person. Kat Zhang, in her book What's Left of Me, tells the story of Addie and Eva, two girls living in one body. We've asked Addie to answer some questions, and even though she doesn't like to talk to strangers much, especially about her "situation," she has reluctantly agreed.

• What was is like sharing a body with Eva when you were younger?

Everyone shares their body with another soul up until a certain age, so it was easier when we were little. No one thought it was strange.

• When Eva was controlling your body, could you take over if you wanted to?

Sometimes. Not when we were very young, when she was almost as strong as me. But later, yes. If I really wanted to. That's the way it works. That's just the way we were born.

• How did you decide who got to be in control, or did it just happen naturally?

We didn't decide anything. Who gets to be in control, who fades away...it's just written into your genes. It's not like I forced Eva to lose control. She just did.

• Now that Eva is "silent," has it been easier for you?

I don't know. I guess. We don't have to deal with everyone's distain anymore. We weren't shipped off to some hybrid institution. Yeah, I suppose it's been easier. But not just for me. And keeping this secret...I don't think that's ever going to be easy.

• It sometimes seems like that you're having a hard time with the progress that Eva is making.  Are you afraid that if she gains some control, that you will be lost?

Eva deserves her chance to live. But so do I.

• Of course everyone wants to know about romance.  Have you ever had a boyfriend?  Would it be hard for Eva if you did, or could she disconnect?

There have been guys I've liked, but none I've liked so much I could set aside Eva's feelings. She there. Always. No one else knows what that's like. I can't do anything without thinking about her. How can I ever be with someone with her there?

Eva gets to tell her side of the story, and I know she thinks it would be so much easier to be me instead of her. But if she really thought about it, she'd know that isn't true.

• If you could have Eva back, the way she was when you were little, would you want to?

...yes.

Thank you, Addie, for speaking with us. I know this is a very difficult time for you.

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Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else--two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't...

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet...for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

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