The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Source: Publisher
Interest: Debut
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon
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Buy the E-book: Amazon
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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.
I'm probably a little bit biased, but I absolutely adored this book.
I've been PSYCHED to read this book for over a year now... one of the downsides of me seeking out books to die for... er I mean pine for. The cover was what drew me in, I'm not going to lie. Look at that thing, it's freaggin gorgeous. Then I got an email from Michelle about possibly interviewing her on stage at BEA. Now... they don't usually ask us lowly ole bloggers to do that sort of thing, so I was extremely humbled to even be asked... but I had to, you know... actually read the book. So, there I was in the airplane on the way to NYC pumped to be going and then pumped to be interviewing Michelle, so I was just generally excited to read this book. That being said... without that whole experience and meeting Michelle in person and sharing email correspondence with her and learning about what a very awesome person she was, I believe I would still have adored this book.
This book surprised me. It stunned me. I was expecting one flavor, and I got something totally different. I think if I had to describe this one it would be a contemporary novel - part psychological thriller, with a supernatural twist ... a BIG supernatural twist and one that you don't really see coming until it is IN YOUR FACE. And then you're all like.. "whoa did that really just happen!" and you go back and read that last paragraph... and you're like "yeah, that totally did just happen... holy $*#&$&!" I had a very similar reaction to the ending.
Mara Dyer is a book you are either going to LOVE... or HATE. Very passionately.
Although the story is told through Mara's eyes, considering everything that she's been through, you don't always know if you can believe what she is "seeing." But you will love her as a character. She's not the type of character to settle back and let everyone else control her. She has a mouth and an opionon and she uses it. Love her. And I can't fail to mention the incredibly sexy Noah Shaw... whew. Just wait until you read that locker scene.. don't worry you'll know what I'm talking about. Like me you'll probably be on the fence about Mr. Shaw... but that locker scene will win you over, for sure. HOT!
And the writing and the story... it's just addicting. I never tried to guess what was going to happen next because it was just a wasted effort. Sit back and enjoy the ride people. You will not be sorry.
Not to mention there is a part in the story where Mara rescues a dog, and I think we all know how I feel about those four legged canines, so that also made the story full of win for me. Michelle ROCKS!
Dying for book two!