Author: Michelle Hodkin
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Publication Date: September 27 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Introduction
Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the last few days. She is informed that her friends died when a building collapsed. She was with them, but she somehow managed to escape the same fate. She shouldn't be alive, she should be dead, along with everybody else. She isn't dead, but she isn't what she used to be. Mara starts hallucinating. beginning to doubt whats real, Mara downplays everything that is going on so that her family doesn't worry, but most importantly, doesn't have her committed. Mara's whole family moves to Florida in hopes to have a new beginning, but the hallucinations still follow her. She doesn't know how long she can hold herself together, but she also knows that she can't fall apart.
Cover
I really like the cover of this book. I mean, really like it. I don't really know why, but it probably has something to do with the fact that I have never seen one much like it
Noah
I liked Noah. His easy banter with Mara was hilarious. Even though he has a lot of money, I never really thought he was spoiled or bratty, like many authors make higher-class people out to be.
Jamie
Jamie was probably my favorite character. Because he is one of Mara's only friends, he is in a lot of the book. You are probably not going to believe me, but even before it was mentioned in the book, he reminded me of Yoda.
Hallucinations
Mara's hallucinations are consistent throughout the book. I enjoyed how while Mara was having a hallucination, there was no giveaway that she was having one. It wasn't written differently, it didn't go into another chapter. It was all written the same way. I liked that, because this way, it's a little bit of a guessing game at some points, just like it would be for Mara.
Plot Twist
I have to say, I did not see this plot twist coming, and that actually makes me really happy. A lot of times, I predict the plot twists, and it kind of takes away most of what you should be feeling at the plot twist point. This book did manage to put a nice plot twist. It's not a earth shattering twist, but I liked it, nonetheless.
Conclusion
I am extremely happy with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It has pretty much a little bit of everything. it had some paranormal aspects, it had Mara just trying to live a normal life, the romance between Mara and Noah was great. It was in most of the book, but it wasn't overwhelming. I will defiantly be recommending this to my friends. I believe that both genders would enjoy this book, and I can't wait to read the second installment in the trilogy.
