The Evolution of Mara Dyer

By Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer knows she isn't crazy. She knows that she can kill with her mind, and that Noah can heal with his. Mara also knows that somehow, Jude is not a hallucination. He is alive.

Unfortunately, convincing her family and doctors that she's not unstable and doesn't need to be hospitalised isn't easy. The only person who actually believes her is Noah. But being with Noah is dangerous and Mara is in constant fear that she might hurt him. She needs to learn how to control her power, and fast! Together, Mara and Noah must try and figure out exactly how Jude survived when the asylum collapsed, and how he knows so much about her strange ability… before anyone else ends up dead!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Nov 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781471112850

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 Evolution of Mara Dyer

[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: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and was hoping that this book would cut down a little on the romance and provide a solid, thrilling plot line to expand on the world it introduced. Creepy, intense and convoluted, I think that while The Evolution of Mara Dyer makes up for the way its predecessor strayed into romance and forgot all about the plot, it seems to me that it’s over compensated. This book is almost nothing but plot, and not in a good way.There is very little character development – Mara is rapidly losing her grip on reality and although Noah is around to help ground her and provide strength, she begins the novel scared and determined to fight back, and ends the novel scared and determined to fight back. In between are a multitude of what I can only describe as the usual shop of horrors stuff – creepy dolls, crows, sleep walking and things re-appearing after they have been discarded, writing on mirrors and walls. And there’s so much of it that I quickly became desensitized, and the book stopped being thrilling and became annoying.There are points to applaud about the book – I liked the flashbacks into the past, but there is no explanation or exploration of them. I continue to enjoy the relationships that Mara has with her family, I enjoy reading books with positive familial relationships. I liked Noah, I think he has grown a lot since the first book and I liked seeing another side of him after being over-exposed to his ‘mysterious, rich, hot dude’ persona in Unbecoming. His family life was also great to explore, and I have these theories about his father that I look forward to testing out in Retribution.But ultimately, I didn’t like how the author basically offers no answers to the questions she posed in Unbecoming (and the ones she did provide seemed unsatisfactory to me). I didn’t enjoy that there are now twice as many questions to be answered in Retribution (that book is shaping up to be a series to revelations, from the looks of things). I didn’t like the cliffhanger, and I most definitely didn’t like that this book was so long. It seemed stretched out, thin (like butter scraped over too much bread), and in my opinion this premise would have done better as a duology.The Evolution of Mara Dyer is everything you have come to expect from a sequel that primarily serves as filler material between the initiating and concluding volumes of a series. The things I liked about it and that infernal cliffhanger ensure that I will be back for more in The Retribution of Mara Dyer, but I have given up hope of the series rising above my expectations and surprising me. A pity, because the potential was there.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

[goorgoahead · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

See the full review at Short & Sweet Reviews.

I didn't love this book, but it was still interesting enough to keep me going to the end, and, yeah, I'm guessing I'll read the final book when it comes out, too, just to know what happens. Like the first book, what really kept me hooked were the horror/thriller elements. I'm willing to overlook a lot for a book that does this well, and that's really where Evolution... succeeds. Also, Mara and Noah spend a lot of time apart in this one, not necessarily by choice. That was good because it kept them from getting too shmoopy and kept me from rolling my eyes too much, but it also meant that Mara spent a lot of time pining after him when he was away.

The paranormal element in this book seems to be ratcheted up a few more notches, as Mara begins to experience flashbacks to a life she never lived, but the core emphasis in this book is the psychological thriller aspect. Everyone's convinced that Mara's seeing things, hallucinating, that she's mentally unstable. Everyone but Mara and Noah, at least. That leads to a lot of really chilling moments where even the reader is left wondering what is and isn't real. Mara hasn't been the most reliable of narrators, so it's very easy to start questioning everything that happens.

The end of the book begins to unravel the paranormal aspect, sorting out some of the major plotlines but leaving plenty of questions for what will happen next. This is vague to avoid spoilers, but I feel like one of the "aha!" moments at the very end was kind of odd and majorly changes the tone of the first two books in a way that I'm not sure I like. I'll hold out on my feelings on that until the third book, to see how it's resolved. A lot of reviews for this book are also along the lines of "the end of this book punched me in the heart". I am not invested enough in the characters to feel the same way, but if you're in love with Mara and Noah and all the rest, you may have a lot of feelings about things that happen.

[readerscandyb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! What an emotional roller coaster ride... To say this one was a mind f* is an understatement. My heart just broke for Mara. Her family still thinks she is crazy. They don't believe anything she says. She spends time in a mental ward and has to act like everything is fine to be released. Once released she finds herself tangled in more danger and eventually a seat at a daily therapy retreat. Noah is once again by her side and refusing to do anything, but protect her *swoon*. Together they try to piece together the nightmares, freaky dolls, charms, hallucinations, and the past to present relation.



This book is everything a sequel should be. You get answers to questions and there is true development in the storyline. It's like reading a book for the first time all over again. Nothing felt repeated or lacking in importance. Each and every word came together to form a hauntingly, emotional, beautiful read.



This is YA read, but edged on the adult side. The sexual tension has progressed to actions and the romance is actually quite yummy. Noah will always be one of my favorites and this paranormal series will always be on my top reads list!

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG. I can't believe how this book ended. Such a cliffhanger. This book was so good. The ending was pretty shocking. I am annoyed I have to wait until November for the next book.

[amberfib · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Evolution of Mara Dyer was one of the best books I've read all year. The ARC has been sitting on my Kindle for awhile, waiting to be read, but between midterms, the GRE, and graduate school applications, I haven't had time to read it. I was missing out, but this book was definitely worth the wait. As most of you know, I wasn't a huge fan of the firs Mara Dyer book, but this novel was much better than the first. This is one story you do not want to miss. I'd recommend The Evolution of Mara Dyer to both fans of the first book and to people like me, who weren't completely sold on the first installment. Mara has always been a fascinating character, but she really came into her own in this novel. I felt like I got to know her much better, and she grew a lot as a character. I now respect her and feel that she does the best she can with what she has to work with. She's not a narrator that's easily trusted, but that makes the novel that much more interesting. I really enjoyed seeing things from her point of view this time around. Noah completely won me over in this book. I absolutely adore him! He's tortured, but not angsty. He's strong and intelligent, and he went to great lengths for Mara. He's just a terrific hero. We also got to know the supporting characters a little bit better this time around, but I still would have liked to learn more about Jamie. He's incredibly interesting. Also, I enjoyed getting to know Daniel better. I would have liked to have seen more of Joseph, but maybe we'll get that in the next novel. The characters seemed, for the most part, well-developed and realistic. The plot was a bit confusing and had a million twists and turns that kept me guessing. Instead of feeling frustrated and lost, like I did with the first Mara Dyer book, I felt intrigued. I couldn't put this book down! I'm not sure if Hodkin changed how she wrote things or if I have just changed as a reader. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed the non-stop mystery/action/suspense. It ended on another cliffhanger, which I hate, but that's okay. I don't feel like I read this entire book without a purpose. The story moved forward, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who has read the first Mara Dyer book. If you haven't read the first one, then you'll be lost when you pick this one up. So I suggest everyone go out and buy the first and/or second installment(s) and enter this disturbing world. You won't be sorry.

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

Not sure what this is now - paranormal/sci-fi teen romance but I will keep reading to see how it all plays out. I read the author has rewritten the final book and we have a long wait. The cliffhanger is not terrible but it is a cliffhanger. So if that bugs you, wait for the final book before you start this series. Noah and Mara are a unique couple. Very interesting things happen to them that required me to remind myself, let it go it's just fiction who cares if it isn't at all plausible.

[jbarringer-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I rather enjoyed this book. It is creepy and unsettling, a story about how well-meaning but closed-minded people would react if a teenage girl started to think she had superpowers. Rather than treating her as a budding superhero, they have her committed, and instead of having the support of her family she is completely isolated, with practically no one who is willing to even try to understand her as anything other than mentally ill. I had too many gripes to give this one a full 5 stars though.

I had some issues with how naive and gullible Mara is, because she could have spared herself a lot of grief by exploring her powers in private and just accepting that her powers, like sex and other teenage experiments, won't be a conversation her parents should share. If she had been more like me, or at least more like the teens I hung out with at her age, her powers might have gone unnoticed by her family for a long time, till she had had a chance to work out her own equilibrium with her supernatural side.

On a more structural note, I started with book 2, because the library didn't have book 1, and I found some of the plot threads very hard to follow because there was too little background provided from the first book. In particular, the whole mess with Joseph made very little sense till finally on ~pg400 one of the characters finally states what happened with Joseph in book 1. There were allusions to this incident pretty much from the beginning, but only as murky, super cryptic hints, to a point where I dismissed Joseph as an unimportant side character and almost forgot who he even was until that explanation on ~pg400. Mara's superpower was also awfully cryptically or incompletely described, to the extent that it was hard to believe she thought she actually had one. Surely she would be obsessively going through the sequence of events of every instance where she used her powers, and this would translate into the book since it was told in first person from her perspective.

I enjoyed the self-referential bit where Mara and her brother are discussing how she might write her story in first person, allowing the suggestion that she did just that and we're reading the result. It is always more satisfying for me when I have at least a shadow of a reason why the book I am reading is in first person, in other words why and how I am hearing this story from this character.

[margaraawr-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm utterly speechless after reading this book. WOW. JUST WOW. I didn't expect to like it very much. I was completely blown away.

I find some things very confusing but maybe the author meant to write it that way. I can't tell how many times I've said "What the hell?" while reading this. I am continuously surprised by the flow of the story. It was never predictable. And I liked it that way.

Mara Dyer is so complicated and I can't describe her properly. Through the story, sometimes, I genuinely thought that she's a psycho. I have so many guesses. But then, my theory would be proven wrong so I just stop and see where the story would lead.

I laughed out loud because of Noah. Yes, Noah Shaw. Is there a more perfect hero than him? He was so adorable. oh my gosh, I am fangirling and I don't care. *insert screaming lunatic gif here*

"You like them," I realized. "Like as people."
Noah's eyebrows lifted.
"As opposed to.... Furniture?"

Noah was everything you could ask for. And when he blamed himself for not being able to help Mara when she was handled by Jude, MY HEART JUST SIMPLY BROKE WITH HIM.

Near the ending, I cried with these characters. I felt their pain and fear that is so raw. Their desperation. Everything is just. Was just. Ugh. Everything was too much. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think straight. What the hell, Dr. Kells?

In the Evolution of Mara Dyer, I felt every thing. I was terrified. I fell in love. I was terribly sad and frustrated. There's a lot of emotions that I'm still dealing with right now. And I don't know if I'll ever move on.

The ending. Really, why do the authors like torturing their awesome readers by leaving them hanging? I have to wait 4 freaking months, I think. But I know for sure that it'll be worth the wait. If I just knew how to insert GIFs, I would probably flood this with so many. But whatever.

*clapping*

[brgodfrey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is stunning. Second books in a trilogy or series usually are not as good as the first. That is not the case with this book. I don't even know how to explain this book. You will be blown away when you read the ending. I will be buying the third in this trilogy tonight. I must know what happens.I love the relationships between all the characters in this book. I think they are very true to real life. They are realistic. I know that is part of what I loved so much about this book. The characters themselves seem real to me. I can feel The fear, the worry, and the surprise when the characters feel them. Jude was so creepy. Holy cow. Loooooooved this book!

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

teen fiction. I liked part 1 better, since the second book takes place mostly from the inside of various mental institutions (and also away from Mara's love interest). But there's a pretty big cliff hanger at the end of this one, so I suppose I need to read the third one now, if I don't forget all of the relevant plot points before its publication (I managed to forget most of part 1, and I'd read that only a month before starting this one).

[melrailey-412132 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my world, how great a book is is defined by how long it takes me to read it and whether I was able to do anything else while reading it (you know - like sleep). Luckily, I started The Evolution of Mara Dyer first thing on a Sunday morning. Otherwise, I would have stayed up all night reading it. There is no doubt about that. I read it straight through on a Sunday and did not stop for anything. I tuned out the whole world because I was entranced by this story. Most of the time, I can figure out where a story is going to go but that just doesn't happen with these books. Hodkin is a master at storytelling and keeping her endgame hidden from the reader. I've got no clue where she's going with Mara and Noah but I can't wait to find out. Speaking of Noah, he is one of the best book boyfriends ever. I absolutely love him.

On a side note, I have formed a really terrific theory (in my humble opinion) based solely on my reader of Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamer series. I'm probably way off but I sure can expound on that theory until the final book comes out next year.

I definitely recommend this series although I might suggest waiting until closer to publication of the final book next year because you won't like the ending.

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

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

My heart can’t take it. I thought the first book was amazing, but this, this was worse for my heart. Or do I mean better? With that ending I’m not sure! Michelle Hodkin is pure genius. This book picks up immediately where the first one left off and we jump right back on that roller coaster. Mara seems likes she is losing it, but we know she isn’t. Whatever is going on is bigger than we first thought, and instead of becoming clearer the layers keep building to create a very complex story. But it’s oh so simply told. It was exquisite.

Noah and Mara’s relationship: I. Have. No. Words. That boy will be the death (or ruins ;) ) of me. The chemistry is outstanding, we are talking off the charts sizzling. I’m pretty sure I freaked out while I was reading it. *flails just thinking about it* It is swoony to the bajillionth degree.

Then there’s the ending. Holy sh*it! Again, I was clutching my heart and screaming, “wtf was that?!” I expected a few things, but OMG, that? No way! God, I love when an author totally surprises me. So intense, but oh so worth it.

You must read this book for 3 reasons: 1. Noah 2. the story 3. the ending.
Trust me, you won’t regret it!

[justanotheryablog · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG.
Simply OMG
The story continues with 17 year old Mara Dyer waking in in the hospital after her episode in the Police station where she saw Jude,her ex-boyfriend no one believes her except her boyfriend Noah Shaw.Now with Jude back threatening to hurt her near and dear ones what will Mara do? shocking discoveries are made and more sinister characters are introduced we finally know what Phoebe wants and we discover more about Noah Mara 'powers' The story is fast paced and awesome This is one of a kind of story which leaves an imprint behind even after last page had been turned I truly love Michelle's writing this is one hell of a book!!
Fall COME FAST!!

[melanielost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book!! Omg! Amazing! I can't wait to read the last one.

[tiffy83 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OMG. I can't believe how this book ended. Such a cliffhanger. This book was so good. The ending was pretty shocking. I am annoyed I have to wait until November for the next book.

[wonderland_books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Michelle Hodkin, where have you been all my life? Hodkin's writing style is utterly amazing, not to mention the plot that goes along with it. After reading this book and the previous (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) I have come to conclusion that Hodkin could write any type of book at all and I would gladly purchase it with a huge grin on my face. Not very often do I come across a book that literally takes my breath away. This book left me sitting on the edge of my seat, with no fingernails left to mention. Sadly, I will have to patiently wait for the third book coming in 2014. For those of you who haven't already read this book, read it slowly (if you can)! It deserves the attention and praise I give it. Had I have known the effect it would have on me I would have indulged in it a little longer. Instead I am now clinging to the anticipation of getting my hands on book number three.

[marielreads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have no idea what just happened. I really liked the fact that reality was really blurred while I was reading this, but I feel like everything was a little too abstract. It's really hard to elaborate on my feelings without spoiling, but PLOT TWISTS! I was really confused in a good and bad way at the end of the book, and kind of through the whole thing. This book managed to go nowhere with a super slow and repetitive plot. Somehow, I was still engaged. It was pretty frustrating.

[laurat81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second novel in the Mara Dyer trilogy and it was just as engaging as the first novel. I'm pretty excited to read what happens next.

[kvhardy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Actually, a 3.5 rating. Honestly, I like the idea very much behind these books - there is a mystery, stuff is happening, and I admittedly know very little about the workings of mental health facilities - I just think the "angst" thing is far too overdone. Even for a young adult book. Underneath a lot of the "I'm horrible I've failed he hates me doom doom" there is a story that could be absolutely fascinating, and every once in a while, the author actually surprises me, and I continued on.

I like the idea of "where is the line between being insane and being different"... I know it's been done millions of times, but nonetheless, it is still an interesting conundrum. To me anyway.

[yogiboo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stupid sequel. There were some great bits in this book, the doll, the strange visions, the creepy lunatics. But I was annoyed by the writing. The repitition of the conversations got boring -I'm scared I'll hurt you, no you won't, oh yes I will, no no no, yes yes yes. For crying out loud shut up and do something else! I got to the point where I hoped she spontaneously combusted because she was so bloody boring! The love scenes were crap. Noah feels like home... All the time, nothing else and has delicate hip bones, wears his comfy jeans 'that way' and runs his hands through his hair constantly... Christian Grey anyone??I was eager to finish this trilogy after reading the first book but I really couldn't care less anymore. Meh!

[bell7_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and has ***spoilers*** for that title.Mara wakes up in a psychiatric ward: after seeing Jude in the police station, she became hysterical and told her parents and the police everything, but of course no one believes her. How could Jude have survived the collapse that killed his sister Claire and Mara's best friend, Rachel? Noah is the only one who believes Mara, who must convince everyone she's telling the truth. But the odd sightings, blackouts, and sleepwalking continue. Does Mara really have mental problems, just like her grandmother? Or is something else going on?Well. I got nearly halfway through this book wondering why it was a trilogy instead of one story, but by the end I was wondering what other turns Mara's story might take before we finally figure out what's going on. Perhaps not quite so riveting as the first book, The Evolution of Mara Dyer truly is a pageturner mixing fantastic elements with scientific in intriguing ways. The end truly did surprise me, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story wraps up when the third book comes out... in November.

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I'm giving up on this one. I tried to get into it for the sake of how much I loved the first book but I can't do it. The whole beginning is too bogged down in ominous mystery. I just can't get into it. I probably won't read the third book.

I can say this is probably all my fault, I'm just impatient to get into a story and if it doesn't grip me from the beginning I move on.

[patiencefortitude · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Things to know:
This is a sequel. It will not make one bit of sense unless you have read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

I liked this better than The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, because the suspense was less supernatural, and more nastily psychological.

This is not only a sequel, but a story that will continue into the next volume. I turned the last page and screeched "WHAAAAAT???"

The fact that I was on the subway at the time was somewhat awkward.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mara Dyer believes her ex-boyfriend Jude, who supposedly died in a building collapse, is alive, well, and stalking her. She wakes up in a mental hospital after having gone to the police station to confess all her crazy sounding crimes, including causing the building to collapse with her thoughts. Her doctors and her parents think she's delusional, paranoid, and a danger to herself and possibly others. Her goal is to lie and appear normal to everyone in order to stay home and protect her family from Jude's attacks. Her boyfriend Noah struggles to help her, but can't be everywhere at once. As the harassment from Jude escalates, Mara is under more and more stress. She sleepwalks, loses time, and doesn't remember events. Is she really crazy or is her dead ex-boyfriend really after her?I loved the first Mara Dyer book and I'm happy to report that the second book is just as good. It has a lot of elements I liked from the first book: the unreliable narrator and the mix of reality and fantasy. Mara doesn't have the PTSD hallucinations that she did in the last book, but she has a host of other problems now. She sleepwalks, doing things she doesn't remember. It throws her whole world into chaos. She has no idea if she actually did something or if it was Jude's harassment. It could be that she really is crazy since there is no hard evidence of Jude's existence and almost everyone in her life continually telling her she's overreacting and nothing is wrong. I like that uncertainty and the feeling that Michelle Hodkin can just pull out the rug on everything we think we know about the story. The mix of reality and fantasy works very well. Mara does have some psychological problems and has to go to outpatient therapy for most of the day, five days a week. She has do deal with real world things like not getting permanently committed to an institution, appeasing her parents, and appearing normal to those around her. So many other teen books remove the real world when things like supernatural powers come into play, but Mara desperately needs to conform to normal society in order to save herself and her loved ones.Some things improved since the last book, mainly Noah and their love story. In the last book, he was tolerable, but I didn't like him because of his cliche bad boy image. In this book, much more is revealed about his character and why he acts like he does. His defense mechanism is to act like an asshole and push people away or act uncaring when he really does care. After this was revealed, it was easy to read who he really was behind that tough exterior. I grew to like him over the course of the book because he seemed much less mercurial and showed he was dedicated to Mara, even if he disagrees with some of her choices. Their scenes together were sweet and much less fraught with drama in the face of all their other problems. Their romance also wasn't the main focus of the novel as it was in the last book. I felt it was integrated into the rest of the plot well without overshadowing the main conflict.My only problem with the book is that the pacing dragged a little in the middle and its similarity to the Jenny Pox series. I hope the big reveal goes in a different direction than that series, but the powers, the flashbacks into previous lives, and the relationships are quite similar. Overall, I loved The Evolution of Mara Dyer and the 500+ pages just flew by. I can't wait for the last book in the series.

[perpetualrevision · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't know why I tend to get drawn into books like this, given the silliness of the teen romance elements, but the mystery of what's really going on has me hooked. I'm saving the third book for the holiday break.

[srsharms · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay. Remember all of those things that I had issues with (some lack of feminism, some cultural ignorance) in the first book? It's like Michelle Hodkin stepped inside my brain and said, "Hey, you want to know what's going on with those things? You got it," and then delivered in the second book.

First, Mara’s world isn’t just gritty — it’s downright chilling. In the best way possible. Part psychological thriller, part gothic horror, Evolution is an eerie, imaginatively thrilling ride, in which Mara grapples furiously with both her mental illness and the fact that she does not have psychosis, even though everyone thinks she does — and that’s without the creepy doll nightmares (ugh, creepy dolls) and other supernatural, well, madness. The delicate dance between the these elements may feel a little haphazard, but once again the poignant prose (I can’t get the words You will love him to ruins out of my head, even if it is melodramatic) keeps you moving through it well.

What I appreciated was that now that Mara and Noah are an Established Couple or whatnot, their romance stops being so agonizingly why can’t I stay away from you omg and takes a refreshing breath — without losing its potency in the least. I think one of my favorite lines will forever be:

If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mean in each one.

Ugh, the energy and thrill that line elicits!

Still, Mara struggles with her lack of independence, which I really appreciated. She knows she needs help, and she wishes fiercely that she didn’t. It’s rare these days to find a heroine who knows she can’t do it herself, and wishes she could anyway:

And he couldn’t fathom how much I hated needing help. Noah had said before that I wasn’t broken but I was, and he was learning that he couldn’t fix me. But I didn’t want to be the injured bird who needed healing, the sick girl who needed sympathy. Noah was different like me but he wasn’t broken like me.

How often do you see a heroine in a supernatural and/or YA novel these days that actually owns the fact that she has difficulty doing things for herself? And, more importantly, wants to fix it — herself? I think that speaks volumes to Mara’s characterization. She’s not just tough and fierce, she’s not just lonely and vulnerable — even more than that. She’s complicated. And I love me a complicated woman.

The other thing I was so pleased about is that the cultural blindness that was going on in the first book is, if not cured, then at least addressed by Mara — and, based on the flashbacks, it seems like there is a reason the author has made that the case. And it seems like steps are being taken in the right direction to change that, slowly, which makes me feel much better about it.

Also,

Sometimes, Noah, I feel an overwhelming urge to punch you in the face.

But, happily, said overwhelming urge occurs less and less in this book. Noah feels more…settled. He’s still fierce and defiant, but way less obnoxious. Sadly, that apparently also means that he’s rather less humorous (one of the few complaints I had with this book), but still, his characterization is pretty riveting, if a little pretentious (but then, as I said in my review for the last book, that actually works because it makes him distinctly human). One thing I really I adored is how he and Mara are always in it together, seamlessly, as a team, 100%. There is no waffling back and forth about “can I trust you, can I not trust you, what does all of this mean.” It’s always “I believe in you. I have your back, no matter what.” That, I think, is what made it so refreshing — because they were sure of each other, it meant everyone (including the reader) could focus more intensely on what was going on. And believe me, what was going on took your full, undivided attention.

Another full, fantastic installment in a breathtaking trilogy. I can’t wait to see what Mara does when she’s “released from her cage”!

[abouttoread_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just really love the Mara Dyer series. Michelle Hodkin just loves playing with us! Is Mara crazy or isn’t she? It would appear that this was answered at the end of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, but as we find out at the beginning of The Evolution of Mara Dyer, it really wasn’t.Mara is just as unreliable a narrator as ever and we constantly have to question what she tells us. Since the entire novel is told from her perspective and we do know that some of the things that she has told us aren’t entirely true, we still have to question her sanity. This was by far my favorite part of the novel.The plot isn’t particularly action packed, but it still had a heart pounding, suspenseful quality to it because of the situations Mara believes are happening (which may or may not be really happening). By the end of the novel we finally do have an answer to whether or not Mara is crazy, and while it wasn’t the answer I wanted, it was still a spectacular read.The secondary characters were less memorable this time around, and while I still love Joseph and like Daniel, Noah did lose a lot of his charm. He is still a great character and I really did enjoy quite a few of the Mara/Noah scenes, but he came across as a bit pompous this time around. He also doesn’t really act like a teenage boy. A lot of his comments sound like they are coming from a much older man.The Evolution of Mara Dyer has all of the elements I loved in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer—an enjoyable cast of secondary characters (even if they weren’t quite as strong as the first time around) and a thrilling quest to figure out if Mara is sane or certifiable. It is the perfect story for fans of novels such as Turn of the Screw and Shutter Island.

[thebignerd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Like I mentioned in my review of the first in this series, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I went and purchased this book immediately after finishing the previous. I absolutely loved the first book with its romance and thrilling/creepy moments and the cliffhangers, but this book was EVEN BETTER.I had NO idea that the story was going to go in this direction and now I’m left with even more questions than answers and having to wait six months for the final installment to be published. The creepy factor has gone WAY up and there were moments where I seriously regretted reading it at 3 or 5 in the morning.The writing is so amazing that there were times where I had to remind myself that I am not Mara Dyer and the events were not happening to me. But Hodkin’s style of writing an her amazing talent made me want to cry with Mara or rage with her as she went through all the ordeals.The characters are still amazing and you meet some new players who are either interesting, freaky, sick in the mind or maniacal. The story has taken a turn for the worst better and I have no idea what is going to happen next. This series has become an immediate favourite and so has the author. I want to scream from the rooftops that everyone should read this book.Seriously, it’s amazing and I have no idea why it hasn’t gotten more notice from the online book communities (or at least the ones I am part of).

[annie.michelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I took a trip into YA land and discovered that I…..love it there!I read the first book in the Mara Dyer series “The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer” and I literally…flipped my lid. I could not put that book down, I read it straight through, which left my eyes crossed, my hands numb and my mind reeling! Consequently I feel the exact same way about this 2nd book…. wow, wow, wow!This is an incredible read, it has everything…mystery, love, danger, spooky, twisty and laughs!You never know where it is going, you are guessing and turning pages so quickly, trying to figure it all out but, good luck with that because even as I have finished both books and am waiting for the third on pins and needles I am not sure where it will go but I do know I must go along for this ride. I will forever be a huge fan of Michelle Hodkin!Mara is a girl who is the only survivor of a night spent in an abandoned asylum that has killed her boyfriend, her best friend and her best friends boyfriend. She wakes up in the hospital completely unscathed and she has no idea where she is much less who she is….Nothing is what it seems, just when you think you have it figured out…poof! There you are again wondering. You will have many questions that go unanswered and I think that is what I like about the first two books in this trilogy. Some questions will be answered in this book as well but, you will have many more by the time you are done and just who will you believe…?I love Noah but, I am still trying to figure him out, Is he all that he seems? What about Jude, is he really alive or is it more of Mara’s flashbacks, hallucinations, memory lapses? I also enjoyed Mara’s family as they desperately want to believe her and to help her. The ending will smack ya sideways and leave you wanting more. A fantastic trilogy and even though I have not read the third book yet “The Retribution of Mara Dyer” when it does comes out I am 100% sure I will also love it and be horribly sad when I read the last page!