Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Romance
Pages: 456

Summary:
Mara Dyer believes life can’t 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 strangely unharmed. 
There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. 
She’s wrong.

My Thoughts:

“I was warned about you, you know.”
And with that half-smile that wrecked me, Noah said, “But you’re here anyway.” 

CAPTIVATING. DANGEROUS. HAUNTING.

This is Book 1 in a trilogy about a girl named Mara Dyer who miraculously survives a dreadful accident that caused the death of her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s sister. She wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of the accident. Since then, she’s been suffering from PTSD and hallucinations. To be able to cope up, she asks her parents to move to another state, hoping that she could start fresh but her hallucinations follow her wherever she went.

Mara was damaged, making her an unreliable narrator. I was just as confused as her; I couldn’t grasp which was real and which was not. But I really loved liked her character though. She was strong and independent(she just needs a little patching up) despite all the PTSD and hallucinations she has been going through. Mara is a mystery you’ll love to unravel.

Upon moving to Miami, she meets Noah Shaw, her love interest on this book. May I least down some reasons why you should love the guy?

• British
• Smart
• Funny
• Caring
• Sincere
• Sexy
• Handsome

Was I able to convince you now? I’m pretty sure his accent got your attention already 😉
He’s also a bit of a bad boy with a reputation,

“Asscrown,” I muttered under my breath as I headed to my next class. I wasn’t proud of swearing at a complete stranger, no. but he started it.

Noah matched my pace. “Don’t you mean ‘assclown’?” He looked amused.

“No,” I said, louder this time. “I mean asscrown. The crown on top of the asshat that covers the asshole of the assclown. The very zenith in the hierarchy of asses,” I said, as though I was reading from a dictionary of modern profanity.

“I guess you nailed me then.”

but he’s  SO MUCH more! Don’t let his early interactions fool you! He’s very swoon-worthy and he left me feeling giddy the whole time. Also, he may be the one who could “fix” Mara 😉

“Fix me,” I commanded him. “This thing, what I’ve done – there’s something wrong with me, Noah. Fix it.”

The romance on this book was definitely A+

“You’re the girl who called me an asshole the first time we spoke. The girl who tried to pay for lunch even after you learned I have more money than God. You’re the girl who risked her ass to save a dying dog, who makes my chest ache whether you’re wearing green silk or ripped jeans. You’re the girl that I–” Noah stopped, then took a step closer to me. “You are my girl.”

It was edgy, fun, full of witty and sarcastic exchanges, but most of all, it felt so real! THIS SHIP WILL FOREVER SAIL!!!

“Where are you going?”
“My God, you’re like the plague.”
“A masterfully crafted, powerfully understated, and epic parable of timeless moral resonance? Why, thank you. That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me,” he said.
“The disease, Noah. Not the book.”
“I’m ignoring that qualification.”

The minor characters deserve a mention too. Daniel is honestly the best brother I could ever ask for! He watches out and protects Mara all the time. Jamie was one of my favorites too! The guy is so smart and he’s always been there supporting Mara ever since she transferred to her new school. As for Joseph, he’s such a cute little brother! He knows when to play along. 😉

The ending was very unexpected and left me wondering the whole time. Was it real or not?? I can see where the story is going and it just keeps me more and more thrilled to read the next two books!

Overall, it was a really enjoyable read. The characters and the plot were interesting(never a dull moment, that’s how good this book was!). The creepiness and eeriness was consistent throughout the book. I would be lying if I said that mirrors did not scare me when I started reading this book. I’m honestly kind of terrified to look at the mirrors now because what if someone was staring at me, and not my own reflection?!

But yeah, creepiness aside, I thought this an was an epic and a fantastic start for a trilogy.

I rated the book 4/5 stars.

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What do you think of this book? Are you adding it to your TBR list or have you read it already? Let me know in the comments! Have an awesome day everyone!

Much love,