Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 09/27/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

Mara Dyer doesn't believe 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 strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

Plot: 4 Stars
This novel did a fantastic job of keeping the reader in the dark, while giving away just enough to keep the wheels turning. As peculiar events continued to transpire as I read, I couldn't help but wonder what the paranormal element to the story was. There were a couple scenes that seemed more like random tangents, and it was great when they tied together later on in the timeline. Although I'm not sure I completely understand the mysterious paranormal element of the story, it was very interesting and definitely not something I've come across before. I hope to learn more about it in the next novel, especially after the cliffhanger at the end.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
I could not put this novel down. There was just something about it that kept me coming back for more. The author did a great job of weaving everything together. Every now and then, bits and pieces of the past were brought in to give the reader more background. It was also very interesting to try to figure out if a scene was actually happening as I read, or if it was just a hallucination due to Mara's PTSD.

Characters: 3.5 Stars
Mara was a very strange character. Given the events leading up to the start of the novel and her PTSD, there were times when Mara wasn't sure what was going on. It was very interesting to be along for the ride as she tried to figure out if certain events were actually happening. Noah seemed a bit too interested in Mara a bit too fast, like many Paranormal YAs, but he grew on me as the story continued. Besides Mara and Noah, none of the characters really interested me. They were either a bit flat, or I didn't feel like I learned enough about them.

Cover: 4 Stars
The cover is a striking image that immediately grabs the eye. The murky colors along with the titled overlaying the majority of the image adds to the mystery surrounding the novel. The two floating bodies are entangled, and you cannot tell the reason. You can't tell if someone is being saved or drowned, or if they're just floating for the heck of it. As striking as this cover is though, it doesn't depict a scene from the novel and doesn't seem to be relevant. As much as I'd like the cover to be a bit more relevant, it was also refreshing against many other Paranormal YA covers. It doesn't include a close up of the female cover model, and it doesn't include the cover model running away in a overly dramatic gown. I'm also a really big fan of the font choice for the cover.

Overall: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure with a gift card I received for my birthday.