The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Michelle Hodkin


Rating: 8 / 10

From the blurb: When Mara Dyer wakes up in hospital with no memory of how she got there, or any explanation as to why the bizarre accident that caused the deaths of her two best friends left her mysteriously unharmed, her doctors suggest she start over in a new city, at a new school, and just hope her memories come back.
But Mara's new start is anything but comforting. She sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere and now she's started to see other people's deaths before they happen. Is she going crazy? As if dealing with all this isn't enough, Noah Shaw, the most beautiful boy she's ever seen, can't seem to leave her alone. But does he have her best interests at heart, or another agenda altogether?

I have been really excited to read this book for a very long time. And it didn't disappoint. I loved Mara, her uncertainty and tenuous grasp on her own identity. She's fragile but brave. Her family is beautifully realistic; the serious younger brother, loyal older brother, working father and brittle mother combine to create the most whole portrayal of family life I've read in a long time.

The characters in 'Mara Dyer' are very well developed, for the most part. Except when it comes to secondary characters. Mara's supposed best friend is cheeky and cheery, but we know this because we're told so explicitly. Her "arch enemy" is equally flat, simply showing up to progress the plot. And one character vanishes altogether - we're told, "Just like that, he was gone", but I didn't really expect that to be the last we see of him.

The storyline really didn't head where I was expecting. A lot of the time it seems to travel in circles (not in a bad way!) but towards the end it got a little confusing. I spent maybe the last forty pages with a huge "What the heck?" frown on my face desperately waiting for the snarls to be unravelled. They weren't, unfortunately. But the cliffhanger revealed on the very last page is excrutiating, so Hodkin clearly knows how to tell a story!

And Noah. Dear, sweet Noah. As a British girl, I can't completely understand the fascination with British boys and their accents, but that's besides the point. He's at war with himself, a true gentleman in the body of a rebel keeping secrets but pretending he isn't. His past may be a little sordid, so I'm glad he's ashamed of it, but he's sweet and flirtatious and in my book that's close enough to redemption.

Teaser quote: "Fix me," I commanded him. "This thing, what I've done - there's something wrong with me, Noah. Fix it."

If you enjoy this book, try out 'Shatter Me' by Tahereh Mafi.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is scheduled for release in October 2012.