BOOK REVIEW: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Quote:

There was an edge to his voice that I didn’t like.“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.”

This book left me hanging pretty bad, and yet I loved it. I loved Mara. I loved Daniel, I want to have a brother like him. And most of all, I loved Noah.

I read this book to experience first hand what the fuzz was all about when I read it’s review in Amazon. It’s one of the most interesting book that I read in a while, next to The Catastrophic History of You and Me.

The story started out a bit slow but not dragging. I was already halfway reading it but I was still confused as to what is really going on with the heroine, Mara. I was on the edge of my seat, my bed, because I don’t know what will happen to her in the next few pages. I don’t know what her dreams are trying to say about her. I found myself thinking of a possible explanation or diagnosis halfway through. I was asking myself, it seems like it or if it isn’t then what is it?

What I liked:

The story was creatively written. I liked Hodkins’ prose, lyrical, not that complicated. Witty. I have always been a sucker for suspense, psychological thriller and wholesome romance, and this book has both with a little bit of paranormal. The connection between Mara and Noah was lovable and not forced.

The Characters are relatable. Jamie can crack funny and witty lines, so does Mara, although she can have a filthy mouth for a girl her age sometimes. She is not your typical damsel in distress. She may be confused most of the times due to her predicament, she is strong, though not as strong as Katniss was in The Hunger Games Trilogy. Noah Shaw, oh Noah! He is my typical kind of guy, which is one of the few reasons why I fell in-love with this book. Noah was born and raised in England, just my type. God, I love that accent! Who wouldn’t? He can be a jerk sometimes with how he talk and dress. But he can be very sweet, really.

While Mara grew more and more confused with everything that’s shes experiencing every waking day, I was as confused as she was at the same time. With Hodkins’ writing you can feel what she feels. I also liked how Hodkins’ wrote Noah’s part as well. Some small details of his actions are never a small detail. Hodkins successfully shocked me telling Noah’s story towards the end. Explaining that his small gestures has more significant part of the story other than just to make you swoon and fall in love with him.

What I don’t liked:

Hanging questions. I have quite a few. So many unexplained details, unexplored possiblities that were laid out but then forgotten by the author, maybe. Like, what about Jamie? What really happened between Noah and Jamie’s sister? The high Priest? And wtf Jude? (I think the latter will be answered in the next book.) And then probably the same questions running on Mara’s head that were unanswered.

I was also irked when Noah tried to convince Mara to change her mind towards the end of the story. Noah was fighting a lost battle there, Hodkin used too much words just so Noah can make a point. When they really shouldn’t have dwell on that argument and just moved on on the next scene. And the fact that Noah and Mara tried so many times to kiss but never really happened?! And the addition of  the Cinderella Love Story, Noah being freakishly rich, Super. I don’t like it.

You’ll find yourself feeling how Mara feels. Confused. You’ll have a hard time figuring out what’s real and what’s not as well, as the story progress.

To sum up what I felt about this book. First, the cover. STUNNING! When I read the first few chapters I thought,what a very interesting plot. When Noah Shaw entered the picture, “Oh My God! He is hot!!!” After a few more chapters, as the story unravels, Mara’s unbecoming, I said “oh no! Few pages left?!” And when I finished, I said “WTF?! That’s it?” and that’s actually a good reaction, since I really liked the book. I just can’t wait for the next one to come out! For my questions be answered, for Mara’s sake and mine.

A must read!

-The Otaku Artist

**UPDATE: The title of the 2nd book will be : The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

There’s no official synopsis and no official release date as of yet, as per Michelle Hodkin on her blogger account.