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Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Release Date: September 27, 2011
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 452 pages
"Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong."- Goodreads
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was a debut novel by Michelle Hodkin. I was extremely excited to read this book because of all the hype other bloggers and reviewers posted about it. I'm so glad I did end up reading it because it was one of the strangest books I've ever read. In a good way of course. This book was just so unique- it was a fantastic break from all the other paranormals and dystopias I've read lately. Sadly enough, I can't rate this book as highly as I'd like to.
The writing was okay. It was descriptive enough that I could always follow the story but not overly so. There weren't too many adjectives but everything was described just enough. At some points in the story, I found that the setting changed suddenly, which was a bit disconcerting. It felt a bit disjointed.
The storyline was insane. I'd never read anything like it, and the plot kept me guessing throughout the entire book. Mara has no idea what happened to her the night before she ended up in the hospital. As the reader, I was forced to keep guessing along with Mara, even though Mara had flashbacks occasionally. Unfortunately, at times the plot leapt past unique straight to confusing. There were certain situations in the story that made no sense, and I had to reread those passages only to find that I still didn't understand them. I eventually just had to move on and keep reading. In the end, a lot of things were explained, yet even more questions were brought up with these explanations. The book ended with a cliffhanger, though, and I am eager to read the next book.
Mara Dyer was someone I felt an instant connection with. She stood up for her friends and was a reliable person to know. She didn't immediately jump into Noah's arms when he showed interest, even though he was the most popular/ cutest guy at school. Noah was a good guy: he had a bad reputation but it was for an understandable reason. Their relationship built up over time, so that a strong bond was built between them. It was clear they loved each other and were willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. Mara's parents were annoying. Her mom was manipulative and refused to take into account what Mara wanted. She always thought she knew best but often had no idea what was going on. Her dad was hardly ever home because he was a lawyer. Mara's brother was a loveable character who defended Mara against her parents to no end. I couldn't help but love him.
I did think that the end was a bit rushed. One thing I know for sure is that I will be reading The Evolution of Mara Dyer. I am eager for more and hope the loose ends will be tied. I'm also hopeful that with a published book under her belt, Mara Dyer will create a five star masterpiece in her second book. All in all, it was a book worth reading.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a break from the norm. If you're sick of dystopias/ paranormals/ contemporaries this is the book for you. This book is so unique that I didn't even know what sub genre it was until the end. The ending of this book will make YA fans eager to read the next one.
Memorable Quotes:
- “There's nothing I want. There's nothing I can't do. I don't care about anything. No matter what, I am an imposter. An actor in my own life.” - Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
- “I was warned about you, you know."
And with that half-smile that wrecked me, Noah said, "But you're here anyway.”
-Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - “Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real.” -Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
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