Review for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer #1?)
By Michelle Hodkin
Published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 
Source: Read Online
452 pages

"Mara Dyer doesn't think 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 mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong." - Goodreads

   Just to clarify, readers, if I had a half star rating system, this book would have recieved 4.5 stars but since I don't, I had to round up. I didn't fall-on-my-face love it but I couldn't bear to give it a four stars because it was such a different, unique story!

   This book is written through the viewpoint of a girl who calls herself Mara which I really enjoyed. Since she has no memory of what occured during 'the accident' and strange things are happening to her (hallucinations, nightmares, killing thoughts) she is understandably confused, thus as the reader we are confused with her. And as the revelations are revealed we are as shocked as she is. To my utter surprise I actually liked Mara. I mean I had this nagging feeling that I shouldn't like her (for some reason) but ended up incredibly absorbed by her thoughts. There are always those few personality traits that are less than desirable but as a whole she is a well written character. But I have to admit, yes here it is coming, I was in it for Noah Shaw. You've probably all have heard, that if for nothing else, read this book because of him. Do I agree? Uh, yah! At first I have to admit I didn't fancy him too much but by the end I was totally crushing on him. British accent, handsome, smart, troubled,  mysterious, confident, and somewhat of a loner he made me want to slap that cockiness off of his face but then what to melt in his arms. Both were extreme emotions. So, yes, he lived up to the hype. The conversation between those two were so witty and I squeeled with joy at the chemistry between them!

   The plot, which would be impossible to describe, was so interesting - packed with mystery - that I was absorbed. In the beginning I wasn't too gung-ho about it but it started to really pick up. In short, the plot will keep you guessing as well as turning pages. Now, here is a warning to all of you (that I wish I would have got): It ends in a cliffhanger. Yes you heard that, this is NOT a stand-alone. As soon as I read that last word, my mouth dropped and I screamed at my computer screen. I did not expect that to happen and it to be the end of the book. MAJOR cliff hanger. I want to know more!

   So, is all this hype really deserved? I have to admit that I am not crazy in love with the book, but I can't shake the feeling that this book was in some way special. It's like nothing I've read before. That is why, I am recommending it to those of you who like heated romance, major suspense, some thriller, lots of mystery, and a book that will leave your mouth hanging open in surprise (like mine did).

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 Excerpt:

  My name is not Mara Dyer, but my lawyer told me I had to choose something. A pseudonym. A nom de plume, for all of us studying for the SATs. I know that having a fake name is strange, but trust me - it's the most normal thing about my life right now. Even telling you this much probably isn't smart. But without my big mouth, no one would know that a seventeen-year-old who likes Death Cab for Cutie was responsible  for the murders. No one would know that somewhere out there is a B student with a body count. And it's important that you know, so you're not next.
Rachel's birthday was the beginning. This is what I remember.

Free excerpt