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+).

**Don't forget to enter my international GIVEAWAY for your chance to win a SIGNED hardcover copy of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins!  Click HERE to enter!**

Review: Stay by Deb Caletti

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: April 5th, 2011

Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I've never been a huge fan of Contemporary Fiction. I hate as many books in the genre as I like, and those that I like, I often like in a "guilty-pleasure" way (as in, I wouldn't admit to other adults that I liked them). Teens are such a jumble of emotions and hormones to begin with; throw in the fact that the teens so many "realistic" YA books are written about are self-indulgent brats (think Gossip Girl and The Clique series), and I often find myself wondering why I picked the book up in the first place. Now before you get mad at me for knocking these series that you may well love, keep in mind that I don't think they suck; I actually find some of these books quite entertaining when I need a trashy, mindless read. I just have so many books to read, in so little time, that I would typically rather read something that takes me to a better place or has an impact on me on an emotional or intellectual level. That all being said, I wasn't sure about Deb Caletti. I never paid much attention to her or her books, and I just wrote her off as another CF author for teen girls. If this book (my first by Caletti) is any indication of her general style, I was very,VERY wrong in my assumptions. I was beyond impressed and I will most definitely read more of her books.  So, on to the review...

Stay was a great book on many levels. I will first delve into the technical aspects. The book was well written and expertly paced. It kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages, needing to know what the outcome would be. I felt like Caletti was doling out just enough information to keep the story moving, without giving the outcome away. So many authors just can't manage to do this. I will love the story, but will see the end coming a mile away. Caletti not only managed to do it, but managed to do it without my hating her for it.

As for the actual story? Chilling. Horrifying. Real. As with all of my reviews, I will not give any spoilers whatsoever. I will say that I believe that every teenage girl should read this; preferably before getting involved in her first serious relationship. I remember having a high school friend with a relationship like Clara and Christian's. It happens more often than we care to think, and it's tragic every time. Sure, they don't all end "badly" in a physical sense, but they always, ALWAYS leave the young girl damaged for life on some level. I also think parents of girls should read this. It is so hard to take teen romances seriously sometimes, and I think a great many parents blow off what is an extremely intense relationship just because it's between two teenagers. BIG mistake. Teens have some of the most intense emotions out there, but often lack the maturity to have full control of them. Throw in the hormones and you get a potentially dangerous situation like the one that plays out in this book. Unfortunately, adults, in most cases like this, fail to notice a problem until it's much too late in the game. Hopefully in reading this, teen girls (and their parents) would see warning signs early on and get out. 

As chilling as this book is, it isn't a total downer. There are a fair number of positive parts that add levity the story and the feeling that Clara's life isn't all intensity, fear, hurt, and uncomfortable feelings. I felt like it was balanced enough not to leave the reader depressed and hopeless, while still driving home the gravity of her situation. In all, it is an extremely competent portrayal of a very important and sensitive topic. Caletti manages to bring to light the horrifying nature of this type of relationship without coming across as preachy, or sacrificing the lesson for the sake of entertainment.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Grade Level Recommendation: Initially, I was going to say 9th grade+, but then I thought back to my high school friend and the fact that she became involved with her "Christian" at the end of 8th grade, and changed my mind. Thinking back, I realize that most of my friends their first "real" boyfriends by 8th grade, and that it would definitely benefit girls younger than that to read this. That said, I would recommend this book for 6th grade+ (ages 12+). It does have some mature content (the protagonist describes in a non-graphic way, the loss of her virginity), but it is relevant, appropriate, and realistic.

Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

Publisher: Point

Publication Date: April 26th, 2011

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book got some pretty scathing reviews on Goodreads, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. I was absolutely riveted by this book! I thought it was a great, modern take on the whole Hades/Persephone story. It was a quick (probably because I couldn't put it down) and easy read, filled with suspense and intrigue. The story was perfectly paced so that I wanted to keep turning the pages until the end, and then immediately go to Goodreads to find out when book #2, Underworld, is coming out (sometime in 2012).

Sometimes with re-tellings I get nervous. I wonder how the author can possibly do justice to the original while making the story her own. Meg Cabot managed to do this with ease (although I can't really say how without a major spoiler). This story was truly different from the one it is based on, and I felt like it parts of it were actually an improvement. I was kept wondering until the very end, and while Cabot answered a good number of my questions neatly, she still left enough for me to eagerly anticipate book #2. I hate it when too much is left to the sequel. I like at least some resolution, but not too much.

As far as the characters were concerned, I felt like the character development was good. I would have liked to know a bit more about Uncle Chris and Alex, as well as a bit more about Pierce's parents, but as far as Pierce and John are concerned, I felt like the amount of information we are given (albeit slowly, throughout the book), is sufficient. My favorite character, funny enough, was the cemetery sexton, Richard Smith. At first, I really didn't like him, but he grew on me.

The biggest gripe most of the haters of this book had was that they didn't like Cabot's writing style. Her style is what it is. I like it enough. I think she is a master at drawing you into the story by giving information, a tidbit at a time, through the entire book. Yes, sometimes you go through half the book not really knowing what's happening, but she always pulls everything together nicely. I'll admit that I get frustrated sometimes by the lack of understanding at first, because I'm an impatient person by nature, but I always feel like Cabot redeemed herself (and then some) in the end. This book was no different than her others in that respect.

One of the tings I loved the most was the chapter headers. Each was a stanza from Dante's Inferno, which happened to be one of my favorite reads in college literature. Most of the books I read in the many lit classes I took in college were painfully boring to me. The entire Divine Comedy had me enthralled, but Inferno was, by far and away, my favorite. Reading Abandon made me want to go back 15 years later and read it again, so "Bravo" to Meg Cabot for reminding me of how much I loved Dante! After all, has there ever been a better description of the Underworld than his?

Overall, I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. It left me wanting for more, which is always a good thing. I was invested in the characters, and really want to know more about them and their stories. I will definitely be on the lookout for Underworld in 2012!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Grade Level Recommendation: I would say late Middle School and up because of a teen suicide due to an affair with a teacher. Otherwise, this book is fairly benign. Grade 7+ (ages 12+).

Review: Trapped by Michael Northrop

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: January 1st, 2011

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive....

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision....

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I grew up exactly between Buffalo and Rochester, NY and when I found out there was a YA book coming out about a bunch of kids stranded at school, with no adults, in an epic blizzard, I knew I HAD to read it. I mean, where else gets more snow? I have first-hand experience going to school in snowstorms that would shut other places down for days; not taking blizzards seriously because "it's just a little snow". I figured that I could easily see if this was a far-fetched thing of something that could happen, and I have to say... I could totally see this happening.

This book was so much better than I expected. I almost didn't read it because it's average rating on Goodreads was a little more than three stars, and I typically don't pick it up if GR has it at fewer than 3.5-4 stars. Well, I am not sure why the lower ratings because I thought this book was very good. It took me two days to get through the first five chapters, but then I had to read the rest in one sitting. I liked the characters (even though a couple weren't really very likable), and I thought they were well-developed enough. In this tale, I really didn't see a need for more character development. The plot was pretty well paced. There were a few places where it was a little slow, but even those were only a couple of pages long. Overall, the story was so good that putting this down was not an option. I just had to know what was going to happen next, which brings me to my only gripe about this book (and the reason it's getting four stars instead of five)... The ending sucked. I'm not going to spoil it, but I will tell you that there were way too many unanswered questions for my liking. Of the seven kids that were trapped in the school, we only find out out the fates of two. The other five? A total mystery.

Overall, I really liked this book. It kept me turning pages, and I think it was just realistic enough. I will definitely read another book by this author.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Grade Level Recommendation: This book is clean as far as elements such as sex, language, adult situations, drinking/drug use, and violence are concerned. There is a death of at least one major character and the assumed death of several minor characters. There are some realistic, scary situations but nothing I think a 3rd or 4th grader wouldn't be able to handle. Maybe younger students in the Northeast should wait a little longer. :) Final opinion: 3rd grade+ (ages 8+).

Look for the following reviews later this week.  Happy Reading!