Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Publication Date: September 27th, 2011

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.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

In short, this book was amazing!  I had really high expectations because it has gotten such rave reviews from bloggers whom I respect, but that can be really dangerous...  Often when I have such high expectations, I'm disappointed, and that disappointment makes me judge the book a little more harshly than I would have.  I was so happy when this book not only met my high expectations, but exceeded them.  It was really awesome!

I didn't have a single complaint of this book; it was perfect!  The writing was very good.  You would never guess that this was written by a debut author.  Michelle Hodkin did a wonderful job with Mara's flashbacks and nightmares, which could have very easily gone wrong.  She also managed to take characters who, if written differently, would have evoked entirely different feelings in me.  Mara is a great heroine who I never felt pity for, even though I felt sad for her great loss and confusion.  She was a strong girl who had a terrible tragedy befall her, but she was aware of what she wanted, and did what she needed to do.  I also adored Noah; with his playboy reputation, he could have easily been someone who, despite his actions, I could never trust, but I do.  I trust him. Implicitly.  

As for the story itself...  So good.  Original, dramatically paced, with just the right amount revealed at just the right times.  I never once thought I had things figured out, but at the same time, I never felt confused.  I was taken aback by a few twists, and even then, I wasn't thinking back on things like I usually do, saying, "Oh, I should have totally seen that coming!".  The twists and revelations were always surprising, and often the type that leave you with your mouth hanging open.

I loved this book.  A LOT.  It is easily one of my top 5 books of 2011 (which is saying loads because so far, I've read 181 books this year).  It was an amazing read, and I highly recommend it for lovers of all genres.  It's got it all; thrills, suspense, mystery, romance, and drama.  Sadly, book #2 doesn't come out until late 2012.  It will be torture to wait considering the ending, but I'm sure the read will be that much more satisfying when the time comes!  Michelle Hodkin has definitely raised the bar for future debut authors, and I have a good feeling that she'll do the same for the Sophomores...

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★+

Grade Level Recommendation:  There are some scary moments and a bit of cursing.  There is also some steamy stuff.  I would put this book at 8th grade and up (ages 13+).

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