Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Michelle Hodkin

Release Date: September 27th, 2011

Read: April 9-13th, 2014

Publishing: Simon & Shuster Children's Publishing

Series: Mara Dyer #1

Format:Hardcover, 452 pages

Source: Winnipeg Public Library

Description from GoodReads:

   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.

Review:

Contains Spoliers:

   And I could see it with stunning clarity.

   For months before I got myself a copy of this book, this series was all I saw on Tumblr. Quotes, pictures, gifs and I have to admit I sort of became obsessed with the covers. But the book itself was completely unique as well. To loose your best friend and boyfriend all on one night is really rather tragic, but to have no memory of it? How can one person kept their sanity? 

  One of the things that keep coming back to the surface of the novel was the fact that Mara had lost a huge part of herself already by loosing not just her friends, but her memories as well but she was experiencing hallucinations. Thinking about this experience gives me chills, many people go through sorts of experiences that are similar to this in our world, Mara thought she was insane or slowly becoming it. What if this is what all those people feel? Reading this book we see a bit into the life of someone this has occurred too. I understand people in our world don't tend to have powers that can kill people whichever way that evil part of you desires but otherwise the life Mara lived was quite haunting. 

   Even though we never met Rachel I felt like she would have been a terrible friend, no matter what Mara said about her. Best friends are supposed to know you better then you know yourself, the fact that Mara had told her multiple times she didn't want to stay at the Asylum over night would have been a big red sign. In the end Mara was fighting to keep her friend exactly that her friend, there shouldn't have been any fighting. Rachel was never truly Mara's friend if she couldn't care about her wishes. 

   Mara having powers also set off a flag for me.With Mara having powers I felt as if at any moment she would pull a Carrie on us and attack Anna or Aiden. Mara at times could be a bit unstable so it would make sense wouldn't it? Either way I seriously think some magic voodoo going on in this book.

   The Evolution of Mara Dyer is the sequel to this unpredictable read, which I will have my hands on as soon as I possibly can! The final book in the Mara Dyer trilogy, The Retribution of Mara Dyer releases on November 4th, 2014. 

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"There." he said as he finished tying the laces on my left shoe. "Now you won't fall."
  Too late. " ~ Mara

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance.