The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

By Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn’t know if she is crazy or haunted—all she knows is that everyone around her is dying in this suspenseful and “strong, inventive tale” (Kirkus Reviews).

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.
     After Mara survives the traumatizing accident at the old asylum, it makes sense that she has issues. She lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s sister, and as if that weren’t enough to cope with, her family moves to a new state in order to give her a fresh start. But that fresh start is quickly filled with hallucinations—or are they premonitions?—and then corpses, and the boundary between reality and nightmare is wavering. At school, there’s Noah, a devastatingly handsome charmer who seems determined to help Mara piece together what’s real, what’s imagined—and what’s very, very dangerous.
     This fast-paced psychological—or is it paranormal?—thriller will leave you breathless for its sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Sep 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781442421783

Michelle Hodkin

Michelle Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan. She is the author of the Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw trilogies. Visit her online at MichelleHodkin.com.

Reviews for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book very quickly drew me in and kept me up reading late into the night for the last 2 nights. It was an easy and smooth flowing read and I breezed thru it. It had all kinds of suspense. I like Mara's character and love Noah's character. Can't wait to dive in to the second installment. :)

[cathishaw · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was really interesting. It had a great premise but I wasn't sure what it was. Was it paranormal? Was it mystery? Was it something else? The lack of genre specification bothered me more than I expected.And while I found Mara's story intriguing, I found her character really difficult to like. This isn't necessarily a game breaker for me. I hated Katniss Everdeen but loved The Hunger Games. There were moments where this book really shone. The action and pacing were very good. But I also felt like I was left in the dark too much as to what was going on.The book ends on a bit of a twist. But again, as a reader I felt like I didn't know if I could trust Mara and that was not a good thing for me.I will most likely pick up Book 2 but this wasn't a book where I'm dying for the sequel. Part of a trilogy, I'm curious whether Book 2 will pique my interest a bit more.

[mckenzielook12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the most screwed up books ever! I love it! The twists and turns of the novel capture you into thinking more than one thing is right. This series of three books captures you into imagining the characters, as if these paranormal things could even happen.

[emily1s · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

love!
so freaking good!

[jenfarley2001 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Interesting idea poorly executed. Poor writing. Not clear before reading that this was the first of a series. Will not be reading the rest of the series.

[leila.khouane · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amazingly beautiful!

[emma_manolis · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Let me get this out of the way. . .this book was awful. Seriously just bad. It had so much potential but it seemed like maybe there was some poor planning so the potential was never quite reached. I say that because there didn't really seem to be a rhyme or reason to anything. It felt to me like the author was thinking, "Ooo wouldn't it be cool if this randomly happened?" and then in the middle of that thought switched directions. It was just so unbelievable and I'm not even referring to the "paranormal" element. I'm incredibly disappointed because this could have been so epic. Great idea. . .crummy execution.

[celeste.harrington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was originally reviewed with my friend Christina on The Book Hookup

Holy mind f*ckery. This book was so unbelievable. I don’t even know where to start because I’m flailing and swooning and flailing some more because of Noah Shaw…and then I’m like gah gah omg OMG! at the ending. I know there’s no way I can do this book justice but I sure will try.

I will not spoil here. I will just give you my general feelings, and hopefully it will convince you to read this book (like TONIGHT) if you haven’t yet put it on your list. The heroine, Mara Dyer wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It only gets stranger from there, and while I had a pretty good idea of what Mara was capable of doing, I could not turn the pages fast enough. As far as the story goes: I’m going to leave it at that…all you need to know is that this is the story of her journey. ;)

At school Mara meets the totally gorgeous, swoony, as well as supposed man-whore Noah Shaw. He oozes confidence. And I mean it ooooooozes out of every pore. Unggggg. I will also not spoil his description, but trust. That is all. #EPICSWOONING

While Mara and Noah’s relationship is full of sparks flying everywhere, the resistance is huge. Yes, that’s right. Lots of UST. It was perfect and I couldn’t get enough. They also have more in common than they thought, and start to put two and two together. It turns out while strange things have happened to Mara, what she knew is only the beginning (again, just read it to see how awesome it is).

Another thing I loved about this book (yes, another thing!) was the fabulous absence of the typical YA novel BFF. I normally can’t stand them and find they have no added value. That’s right, there was no giggling girlfriend, but there was a friend and I loved him. I’d to know a little more about him though.

Ok, let’s get to the ending. Holy Sh*t. I was NOT expecting that. At all. Thank goodness the second book, The Evolution of Mara Dyer is already out because I’m starting it tonight, and so should you. ;) Happy Swooning!

[aaishah_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, that was different.The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is definitely unlike any other YA book I can remember reading. It's darker, creepier, and there are abolutely no mythical creatures to speak of. That's not to say the only YA books I read are supernatural, but you get what I mean. That difference made itself known from the very first page - the very first sentence, in fact. And with that sentence, igniting that first spark of curiosity, of a need to know more, you find yourself trapped in Mara's world.Mara Dyer wakes up in hospital to learn that her three friends died in an accident - an accident which should have killed her, too. The price of living is that she can't remember anything about what happened. To get away from it all - or rather, to ease the weight of Mara's mother's constantly watchful gaze - the family move. But it's not the new beginning they're hoping for. Instead Mara finds herself haunted by nightmares and hallucinations that aren't actually nightmares and hallucinations. And that's not even counting the dead bodies.The first thing I liked was the way the author interwove the past and present. I loved seeing the flashbacks, acquainting us with her past and memories as she herself recalled them. It gave a more complete view of the situation and Mara's life without feeling disconnected or disjointed. Mara's state of confusion also came across really well, right from the beginning. We were able to empathise when she didn't understand what was going on. When the lines between reality and dream blurred, I felt just as confused as she did. I say confused like it's a good thing, although for me there were times when it also made my enjoyment for the book slip. Sometimes the transitions didn't work, instead making me wonder what just happened. However, generally the panic and uncertainty was really well crafted. Something that bugged me was the way her family treated her. While I understood their concern, what I didn't understand was their need to treat her like she couldn't make her own decisions or be her own person. They didn't trust her strength or ability to handle things. The way Daniel intersected with his private conversation with Noah meant that he was giving away a piece of her that wasn't his to give away. Between him and his mother, I felt very frustrated.I didn't feel any connection to Noah at first - and when I say at first, I mean at least the first half of the book. He was just an arrogant guy. Who smoked. Who was nowhere near as amazing as Jamie. But then we get to know more about him, about the guy he really is, about the fact that despite his reputation, this time it's different. He had his own vulnerabilities, his own insecurities. And while I didn't agree with some of the things he'd done, he also recognised that they weren't exactly things to be proud of. It was sweet to see how his feelings for Mara changed him, and touching to see how much he cared for her. I loved that he was so willing to be there for her and to help her where others would simply have been disgusted. I loved that he tried to reason with Mara and keep her from changing herself irrevocably. The last few scenes between them were heart-rendering. In the end, he turned out to be strong, serious and adorable.The end. How. Amazing. Was that. Like a few others, I found my attention waning for a chunk of it, but then BAM! Out of nowhere comes this...this...awesomeness. First there's this incredibly intense scene between Noah and Mara, and then confusion and stuff is happening and you're wondering what's going to happen now. Then this beautiful presentation of Mara, detached, but broken, her voice coming across perfectly. Then her heart-breaking sacrifice, and then that cliffhanger. Where did that come from?There. That wasn't too spoilery, was it? ;) (I hope not, anyway.)Overall, this was an intriguing read. I did toy with the idea of giving it 3.5 stars, but then the ending came along and upped it. It's dark, engaging, and perfect if you're looking for something different to read.This review is also posted on my blog.

[jonez-6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.0

A weak 3 stars. Almost gave this a 2.75. Not sure if I will continue on with the series. There are elements I liked, but I am not sure if I am really a big fan of these characters...

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, my goodness! This book is totally engrossing - creepy, dark, mysterious, thrilling, humorous and romantic. Mara, is an unreliable narrator (I just love books with this type of narrator) and from the first page I was hooked. There are so many twists and turns in this book that the reader doesn't know what is real and what's not. Just when I thought I might have finally worked out where this book was going, the author would take me in another direction.

I also love the front cover, I think it captures the overall atmosphere of the book. Also, the characters are great. Mara is flawed, insecure, defensive and mentally fragile (insane?) but I admired her courage and determination as she struggles to overcome her emotional battles.. Noah is the quintessential bad boy. He even manages to make tying up a girl's shoelace intimate (really?!), but I still liked him and I enjoyed the dialogue he and Mara shared. I also really liked Jamie, Mara's only friend at school, although he suddenly disappears two thirds the way through the book. I hope he turns up again in the sequel. However, I think my favourite character is Mara's younger brother, Joseph. He is a real little sweetheart.

I think "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" will become quite popular with older teens, but at the same time they are going to hate the ending, especially if they like all the loose ends tied together in a neat bow. Can't wait to read book 2!

[bookscantgetenough · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book but I really didn't like the ending

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book sucked me in at the very beginning, and held me until about the halfway point. That’s where it went from being fairly realistic, with elements of a psychological thriller, to being a paranormal romance that was barely hanging together. I haven’t read Twilight or Fifty Shades of Gray, but Noah’s control over Mara made me think that’s what those books were like. It didn’t seem very original, at least, and probably not the best thing for impressionable teenagers to read. I was disappointed at how everything seemed to fall apart at the end, like the author wanted all these various elements in the book, but couldn’t think of how it would work and just threw them all in. The story could have worked as a psychological thriller, and I really wish it had stayed that way; instead it seemed like it became a paranormal romance because that’s what’s popular these days.

[readingover50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading this book. The plot moved along quickly. I wanted to find out what happened to Mara in the asylum, and the flashback teases worked well in maintaining my interest. I loved her brothers, they seemed almost perfect.

Noah, the love interest, seemed a little unlikeable to me. But I guess his magnetism and their special "connection" kept bringing them together. The story moved steadily until close to the end, when suddenly it leapt into the paranormal realm. The last couple chapters were not good for me. Mara makes too many stupid and rash decisions. And the last chapter left me feeling confused. It seemed like just an abrupt set up for a sequel.

Overall, I liked the book. It was a fast, interesting read.


I received an ARC of this book for free from the goodreads first reads program.

[beth.clarke · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved the first half of the book. The mystery gripped me, the characters were raw and interesting, and I couldn't put it down. Then, I started not to like some of the characters or the direction they were headed.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Note: NO SPOILERS for EITHER Mara Dyer book.The reason I am reviewing the two Mara Dyer books together is that I refuse to accept that they aren’t actually one big book. When the first one ends (in a great big cliffhanger), readers still don't know what is going on. In no way would I consider it an "ending" of any sort. It is only in the second that we start to get some answers. (However, I should add we aren’t done yet. But the third book will not be out until Fall of 2013.) Thus, it is almost inevitable (and yet unusual) that the second book is, in my opinion, better than the first, because only in the second does the story finally start making sense, and at the end we get a bit more of a wrap-up than in the first book. Mara Dyer, 17, thinks she has been causing her friends to die. But maybe she is crazy. Or maybe they haven’t actually died. Maybe she has PTSD, but maybe she is psychotic. It’s not at all clear, and she’s barely holding together. Her parents decide to move from Rhode Island to Florida to give her a new start and she begins school at a private academy, Croyden. But there’s definitely something weird afoot. The hallucinations, or actual provocations (neither she nor the reader knows!) continue. She grows more scared, but has two new allies. One is Jamie, a male friend she makes at Croyden. Unfortunately, she doesn’t make any female friends because she is also the immediate object of interest of the Beyond-Hot Guy, Noah Shaw. Noah is rich and gorgeous and bored with all the vapid girls of Croyden. Mara is sardonic and sassy and seemingly immune to his charms (but self-confident Noah knows better). Noah pursues Mara, and so she is hated by the rest of the girls, led by the jealous and popular Anna, who tried to win over Noah but failed.Meanwhile, Mara’s life becomes more and more of a nightmare – both in terms of what happens when she sleeps AND when she is awake. No one in her otherwise exceedingly loving and supportive family finds her stories credible. Noah, however, is different. But he believes her because he knows more about Mara than she knows about herself. And the two of them are about to find out they aren’t the only ones who know what is really going on. Evaluation: The author does a good job of combining a bunch of very overused YA tropes and mixing them into something a bit more unusual and nicely scary. You’ve got some "Blair Witch Project," some "I Know What You Did Last Summer," some standard scary tropes like “creepy locale,” “foreshadowing event,” “freaky doll” and “shocking secret villain” along with the usual teen triangle tropes like “hot sexy guy,” “insouciant girl,” “mean jealous girl,” “crazy jealous guy, and "repressed adolescent passion.” Taken together and mashed up with a few more oddball tropes it would be spoilery to mention, Hodkin delivers a fairly frightening Halloween read.Note: If you read these books and think the story doesn’t seem very realistic, check out “The Story Behind the Story” on the author’s blog (scroll down to the bottom), telling about what inspired her to write this. It’s almost scarier than the book! Note 2: No sex, although it is often discussed (or as we used to say in my high school, "all yack and no sack.") There is hardly even any kissing! No drugs; some rock and roll. But plenty of Halloween-story-type violence!

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read the full review here.The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is well written and realised vividly. Mara’s PTSD is described so well that I freaked out right alongside her when something happened. I took up this book before I went to bed, intending to read a few chapters before sleeping. I found myself staying up until 2.30 am to finish it. I thought Mara was going to be a whiny protagonist, something about the way she was jealous of the new girl in the first chapter. As the story progressed I saw her grow into a strong and independent person. Her visions were expertly conveyed to the reader: I couldn’t tell where her hallucinations ended and reality set in, so I was just as terrified as Mara. The odd thing about her visions is that I never thought they were visions, and when I saw that the blurb described them as such, I was left wondering why I instantly jumped to other conclusions. Mara’s family deserves mention because I feel the author has conveyed a wonderful, caring family in them. Her relationships with her brothers and parents are honest and realistic. Her relationship with Noah, on the other hand, is complicated and prickly, and funny to read about. Noah is an awesome character: quirky, funny and in the business of making girls melt with his smile. The only flaw I find with him is that Mara’s obsession with him develops too quickly and is never fully explained.A good book with a wonderful, totally unexpected twist at the end which has me begging for the next book in the series, I recommend it to all readers who enjoy thrillers and young adult fiction.

[laneliterati · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The intrigue of this novel sets it apart in my opinion. It will leave you clueless as to what is happening to Mara for most of the book. It was a quick read, but mostly because I wanted to know what was the truth. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

[justanotheryablog · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it!! I mean it is too awesome and it is a must read.It tells a story about 17 year old Mara Dyer ( the name itself is so awesome!) who is suffering from PTSD and so is under scrutiny of her parents and two brothers she has recently lost her best friend, boyfriend and his sister in a building crash (Tamerlane Asylum-an abandoned building) but she doesnt remember how did she end up there and what was she doing there .Mara shifts to Miami,Florida and begins a new life as she struggles to adjust in private school and a place she thinks she doesnt belong to when beautiful,mysterious,sexy,arrongant ( yep a lot like Jace and Augustus Waters ) Noah Shaw enters her life,she is warned. about him being a womanizer but Mara can't stay away from him neither can he.The story follows mystetious death of an cruel owner of a poor dog in an gruesome manner ,and, exactly the way Mara had imagined while dealing with her already awful life.Mara has secrets-deadly dangerous secret of her own but she discovers she is not the only one with one.The characters develope very much throughout the story and We can connect with each character.The ending was bloody awesome!The story is full of unexpected it is dark,sexy and at the same time sad and gives us an inside of a teenage girl 'struggling to becone normal'I loved it!It would really interest shadowhunters,tributes,any faction ( except abnegation) Guys I really suggest you this book.Though i should warn you It has uses of F-word and A**.
I cant wait to read Evolution Of Mara Dyer!!

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Going into The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I had some expectations but also no real idea what the book was actually about. It's an odd thing, diving into a book that pretty much everyone you know has already read. Though readers at large loved Hodkin's debut, the bulk of my friends, as evidenced by ratings on Goodreads, did not like this book at all. For much of the book, I could definitely see myself going the same way, but then the twist happened and I've got to say that I'm curious and really eager to read the next book.Before you get mad at me, do not even try to tell me that saying there's a twist in this book is a spoiler. It's about a girl who waked up in a hospital with no memory of her friends dying and herself being trapped when a building collapsed. Obviously, that is a book that is all about surprising you with spoilers. You should expect this.As is the case with many books that use this basic framework, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a bit slow and awkward at the beginning. Much of the book, you're really just waiting for answers and a reason to care. Thankfully, I found one, with the seriously creepy twist about which I want to know so much more. I wish I could say more about that, but then it would be a spoiler.Many readers were upset by the relationship dynamics between Mara and Noah, but it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Noah does run to the English, fantastically wealthy and overprotective stereotype, true, but I don't feel like he forces Mara into anything that truly matters. He does initially seem too interested in her, but there are reasons for that explained later. In a lot of ways, Mara's the more powerful person in the relationship and Noah's the nice one once he opens up a bit. I wouldn't say that I ship them, really, but I don't want to strangle Noah either.The characterization in Mara Dyer is rocky. Obviously, Mara's not in a healthy mental place at any point in the novel, as she suffers from PTSD after her friends' deaths. Plus, she's hallucinating and generally not sure of anything. It's not a good place from which to get to know her true character. Pretty much the only thing I know and really like about her is that she likes to protect animals, but even that seems somewhat inconsistent. Noah, too, doesn't ever really jump off the page. He's interesting, but seems somewhat contradictory at various points throughout the book. I also, because I'm me, really loathe the fact that he smokes, which seems like an incredibly unnecessary thing to add and only romanticizes a filthy habit. Oh, also, he needs to stop attacking every guy who says anything flirty to Mara. While it can be attractive for a guy to have the strength to defend you, it's certainly not hot to assume you require that protection and starting shit over minor incidents will really only endanger the girl than protect her in the long run.My favorite character doesn't get a whole lot of screen time, but I hope he comes back in the next two books. Jamie Roth is hilarious and one of the only people in the school not to subscribe to the social hierarchy accepted at their pretentious private school. Plus, he's bisexual AND a POC (as I believe Mara is as well, actually). He's by far the most interesting character in the book and I only wish it was more about him.Like the characterization, I think the writing is a bit clunky. The transitions, especially, were off somehow, with inconsistent switches between memories, dreams and the present. Much of the dialog felt stilted. The writing as whole was pretty decent, but Hodkin has quite a bit of room to develop her prose. This being her debut, I don't think it's a bad showing.I'm really all over the place with this book, but what it comes down to is that I'm captivated by the plot and have to know where it's going. I'm not sure why it worked more for me than others, except perhaps a certain weakness for particular plots.

[nicdar111 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great ending. I thought it was really unique for YA book

[kbuescher-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

*spoiler alert* This book was strange but interesting. I absolutely loved the title it really drew me in, and I also loved the vocabulary that was enriching this novel. Mara Dyer is a normal teenage girl who snuck into an old asylum with friends and it collapsed. She moves to Florida to get away from her past and start over. What I thought was strange was that 3/4 through the book it turned into a sci-fi novel. It turns out two of the main characters have super powers now that counteract each other. What????? She imagines people dying and the do, so I figured since she is on anti-psychotics that she is the one committing the murders but she doesn't remember them. Plot-Twist she has super powers. I really have to give the author credit for an unexpected ending.

[lemurkat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not quite sure what to make of this book. It was dark, and beautifully written, somewhat haunting, rather eerie at times. The thought that Mara's mind might be crumbling and that everything is just her delusions is rather compelling. No real drama, however. The characters are fairly two dimensional and her relationship with Noah does that typical love/hate thing. When Noah first turned up, I thought perhaps he was a ghost (because she turned away for a second and when she turned back, he had vanished). Now, that would have been an interesting twist! Would have been nice if we'd had any inkling of how she had managed to obtain her "talent". Adopted, perhaps? This was a book filled with interesting ideas that never really seemed to go anywhere. It is an interesting concept but I do not know if I shall bother with the follow-up.

There are a few swear words, however, and a hearty dollop of sexual innuendo. If those sort of things bother you. They don't bother me, but as my job is recommending books to people, I like to take note of these things.

[raeadav · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't finish. I read 191 pages and I quit. All I discovered from reading 191 pages is that a girl with obvious issues manages to snag the guy nobody else can, a girl has a supportive family and complains about her mom a lot, and the girl may be psychotic. I didn't get supernatural or paranormal out of this at all. I got crazy and sad. Things could have happened quicker. One instance in 191 pages eludes to maybe some sort of "paranormal" ability. Maybe. And that's it. If more happens, it's in the last 260 pages.
I flipped to the end and skimmed a few pages and she still doesn't know what's wrong with her and she still thinks she could be crazy.

That's not paranormal or supernatural...it's tragic.
*sigh*

[ishanella · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This took waaay too long to get to where it needed to go. I'm wondering if it should have been just one, or even two books, but got made into a trilogy. Way too much fluff for no particular reason.

more to come.

[tiffy83 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book very quickly drew me in and kept me up reading late into the night for the last 2 nights. It was an easy and smooth flowing read and I breezed thru it. It had all kinds of suspense. I like Mara's character and love Noah's character. Can't wait to dive in to the second installment. :)

[sarafwilliams-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SO......MUCH......IS.....HAPPENING.....

Seriously, so many things happen I do not know where to begin.
This book presents itself as a mystery from the very beggining. Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with no memory whatsoever of what had happened, and to her two best friends gone and her boyfriend Jude, too. Curiously enough, no harm was done to her. What happened?
Eager to forget all about it, her family moves away, searching for a new beggining.
But will that be possible? Of course it won't.

The endings comes off as a big surprise, but apart from that, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer can be quite guessed along the way. It is very exciting, a bit too long that would be necessary. It makes you NEED the rest of the series right away, that's for sure.

I wasn't much of a fan of Mara, neither Noah but that can be overlooked as to, as a whole, this is totally worth reading.

[tarklovishki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer surprised me. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. Usually when books come out and the praises of authors I'm iffy about (the author whose praises were on the front cover was Cassandra Clare) I end up being very wary.

However, I'm glad I went with gut instinct and ordered this in. Even the romance in this book didn't take away from the plot, it added to it. Mara and Noah bicker like normal people, fight like normal people - they are regular people. Except for Mara's PTSD thing she's got going on after the accident she had in the beginning of the book.

I love the suspense! When Mara was trying to figure things out about herself, I felt like I was also grasping at straws. Usually I'm able to see things coming when it comes to the 'suspense' in young adult novels, but in this one I was 95% clueless most of the time.

I love that Mara's family isn't vacant from her life. When Mara's at home, her parents are there doing regular things. In many young adult novels I've read, the family of the protagonist is missing. As in, they're always out, or they're very neglectful, just so that the protagonist has room to move and the plot can go forward without those pesky parents whose main concerns should be to protect their child, and really, how lame is that? Parents doing what they're supposed to do? Puh-leeze that is so 90s.

Anyway, I look forward to getting my hands on The Evolution of Mara Dyer!

[fromthecomfychair · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A serious page-turner. We don't know what's going on with Mara Dyer, for sure, and we don't even find out at the end of this volume. Is she what she thinks she is, or is something else going on? Chosen by our high school book club, and hard to put down, although now I have to read two more, or else find the spoilers.

[kelly_mills-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hmmm....there were things I loved & didn't love about this story. I loved the overall concept, and as there will be a sequel I am very interested to see how things will play out. Several plot twists abound throughout the story, and they mostly all work. However, I wasn't such a fan of the final plot twist at the very end of the story. I found certain aspects of this twist hard to buy. I can't go into detail without a huge spoiler, so I'm unable to explain further, but this is something that I hope is resolved with credibility in the next book. Loved the well-written characters (hope to see more of Jamie). Overall I would definitely recommend this book (that final plot twist is what brought it down a star for me) and I will be reading the sequel.