The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

       First post of the new year! I know I'm late and I wasn't able to make a post like I did last year, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody!

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 528
Author website
Author Twitter
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 23 2013

Introduction

        Mara wakes up in a psychiatric ward sure that Jude is still alive despite the people that are insisting that seeing Jude was just a hallucination. Of course Mara's family wants to help her get better so they put her in an program to see if she would be best suited for in-patient care or out-patient care. Horizons is filled with people with all different kinds of issues, some more severe than others. Mara knows that she doesn't belong there. She has to get out, she has to find out what is happening with Jude and she has to sort out all of the other weird occurrences in her life and figure out if Jude is behind them, and if he is, why is he doing them. Mara knows she isn't crazy, but it'll take a lot to convince all of the people around her.

Jamie
       Jamie makes a comeback! After being expelled from Croyden, his parents placed him at Horizons. He's taller and without dreadlocks, but I'm ecstatic that Jamie is back, (Even if he is dreadlockless) him being my favourite character in the first book.

Stella
       Stella is another person at Horizons, she can almost pass for stable. I wish that a little bit more attention would have been payed to her considering that she is quite important.

Phoebe
       Phoebe is pretty much the complete opposite of Stella. Meaning, that she is entirely unstable. She is absolutely aggravating, Which, is probably what the author meant to do. So props to Hodkin.

Noah and Mara
       Noah and Mara are indeed still dating, but they are always very cautious with what they do physically, considering the Mara-maybe-almost-killing-Noah-while-they-were-making-out-although-it-might-have-just-been-a-hallucination-thing. I respect the fact that are constantly acknowledging what happened because even though Noah refuses to admit it, Mara is dangerous, being with each other is dangerous. However it makes me happy that they know that something could happen and don't throw themselves at each other because Omigodwe'resoinloveandIcouldn'thelpit.

Mara
       Mara didn't have any hallucinations in this book, which was fine. I think it was a good decision to stop the consistent hallucinations although I am aware that hallucinations are a very serious thing for people that suffer from PTSD. Now Mara sleepwalks, which is an interesting change.

"Before"
       Some chapters are labeled "Before" and are set in India. I believe they are dreams of some sort, and it is not Mara living them, I think it's Mara watching to see what unfolds. Usually I am not a fan of things that cut into the story, but the way that these "before" chapters are written is interesting and didn't bore me at all.

Ending
        The ending was not something that I expected. Like, at all. It was done well though. A lot of times twist endings like this one upset me because so much changes to quickly and then I have so many questions, but I liked thin ending, although it isn't something that I expected.

Conclusion
       I think I like the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer better than this one, but that is not to say that The Evolution of Mara Dyer is not great as well. It progressed nicely, and I am very excited, (and a little sad) to read the final book.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Author Website
Author Twitter
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.