If you read my last book review you'll know that I LOVED the first book in this trilogy. Once again the cover and title didn't disappoint and when I started reading, I couldn't stop! Here's my summary:
Mara wakes up once again in the hospital. Unlike the first time this happened though, she remembers how she got there. Mara had gone to the police station to give a statement when she saw her ex-boyfriend--the one who is supposed to be dead--the one she's been seeing ever since she woke up in the last hospital. He touched her. He spoke to her. Apparently, Mara freaked out. That's how she ended up back in the psych ward. Mara does everything she can to tell her mom and brother and doctor she isn't crazy and isn't lying but no one believes her. Convinced they will lock her up for good, she decides to play their game and act normal and go along with what they are saying. It works. Mara is released. But she isn't giving up. She knows now that Jude is alive and stalking her and trying to make everyone believe she is guilty of his crimes as well as crazy. Mara's boyfriend Noah is the only one who believes her. Together the two search even harder from answers while Mara attends an outpatient program/school to get better. In the meantime, her and Noah discover that Mara's dead grandmother, who everyone also believed was crazy, and Noah's dead mother, actually knew each other. What's more is that Mara is starting to have memories that could only belong to her grandmother. Things get even more tense when Jude kidnaps Mara and displays some powers of his own. The next time Mara wakes up, she can't convince anyone she's sane. They send her to a last resort inpatient facility. Thankfully Noah manages to get in too. It's there she and Noah discover that Mara's doctor and the head of the facility isn't all she seems. When Jude shows up for one final attempt at revenge, Mara does the only thing she can think of that might finally get him out of their lives forever. Except this time the consequences are more than she imagined.
Whew! This was one roller coaster of an emotional book ride! Mara's journey was emotional and relatable once again. She dealt with many of the same teenage problems other kids her age deal with as well as the added problem of overwhelming emotional issues. I tore through this book loving the mounting threat of Jude and enjoying the sweet romance that continued to develop between Noah and Mara. I liked the little clues that were dropped along the way that kept me wondering what was going on with these two kids as well as many of the other kids Mara had met. Why were they different? Was Mara's grandmother like them? How is Jude still alive? The question of Mara's mental stability and reliability as a narrator was always on the forefront of my mind. Was she crazy and just had me fooled for two books? The answer at the end of Evolultion was a nice set up for book three and a shocking revelation that left more questions than answers. What's more is that where Mara is left and the consequences of what she did left me with my mouth open and my eyes wide with shock. Book three, The Retribution of Mara Dyer, releases in June 2014.
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Let me start by saying that what first drew me to this book was the title and cover. Gorgeous, right? I read the inside flap and thought, 'Ok, cool. I'll give it a try.' There are only two books I have ever read that completely surprised me with where they went. Liar by Justine Larbalestier is one and this is the other. I was expecting one thing and got blown away with the twist at the end! (probably because I thought it was a contemporary YA and not paranormal) Here's my summary:
Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. She's told right away that she was in an accident with her boyfriend, best friend, and boyfriend's sister and they are all dead. Miraculously, Mara survived. Mara's parents decide to move the family out of state so Mara can have a fresh start. It's at her new school that Mara meets Noah. The two have an immediate connection. Mara and Noah start trying to piece together just what happened to Mara in an effort to help Mara get her memories back. But when Mara starts hallucinating her dead boyfriend, the boundary between what's real and not, what's true and not, and if she is crazy or not, begins to blur. Can she figure out everything she needs to about the accident before she completely loses it? Is there more to Mara than meets the eye?
**This is one of my favorite books. I should probably go and add it right now to my "List" because of how much I love it. I have always been fascinated with the brain and why we do and don't remember some things (another reason I decided to read this was to find out why she didn't remember). Mara waking up and learning that all these people she loved are dead and then having to move to another state is heart-wrenching and beautifully written. In fact, this whole book is beautifully written. The characters are well-developed and unique. Mara's voice and relationship with her brother and especially Noah is fun and different. I was completely not expecting the twist that was taken at the end. If you haven't already, you MUST pick up this book and its sequel, THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER. I just finished it and I can't wait to post all about it for you! Now, if only it were next summer already so I could get my hands on the last book, THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER...
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I picked this book up because the cover was cool and I love the title. 'Unbecoming?' What could that mean? My best guess was that some girl was either going to go over the edge insane or over the edge psycho. I read the inside flap and was intrigued but it was vague so I didn't know what to expect. When I finished all I could think was "Wow! This book was awesome!" Like all the other summaries out there, I can't give you too much information because it would completely ruin it for you. Here's my summary:
Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital and has no memory how she got there. She quickly learns she was involved in an accident with her friends and that they are dead. Mara however, is unharmed. Quick witted, observant, and not afraid to speak her mind, Mara deals with her PTSD and the hallucinations that go along with it and starts trying to figure out exactly what happened to her and her friends. She feels there's something more going on with why she was unharmed and why she can't remember the accident. Slowly though, the details begin to emerge in bits and pieces of memory flashes. And all the while, Mara is falling in love with Noah. He's the perfect counterpart to her shock-value sense of humor and the two of them together balance each other out in a way that is good for them both. Together they discover what happened to Mara and her friends. What they find will completely turn their world upside down.
**So this is one of those books I started reading thinking I'd take my time and read it over the course of a week. Well, I was wrong. Once I got past the first chapter it was like, BAM! Mara drew me in and didn't let go. Hodkin brilliantly creates a world that is believable and full of major and minor characters that are so well drawn you can't help but love them all in their own way. The love between Noah and Mara will have you at times laughing out loud and fanning yourself. When I got to the end and learned just what the big mystery was, I was blown away. Not very many books surprise me and that's saying a lot since I read like 7 books a month. This book shocked me with it's surprise ending. It is completely unexpected and will have you clamoring to get you hands on the next book to find out more. Book 2 in the Mara Dyer trilogy, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, is already out and I need to read it ASAP!
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