REVIEW: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Genre: Young Adult, YA Paranormal Romance

Pages: 452 pages (hardcover)

Publication: September 2011

(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)

Goodreads Summary: Seventeen-year-old Mara cannot remember the accident that took the lives of three of her friends but, after moving from Rhode Island to Florida, finding love with Noah, and more deaths, she realizes uncovering something buried in her memory might save her family and her future.

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Review: If you lost the memory of the most tragic event of your life, would you want to remember or would you want to leave it forgotten? What if it haunted your life, consumed your every waking moment? For Mara Dyer remembering is all that she wants, because if she can remember the night that haunts her then maybe she can live a normal life again.

Mara Dyer was a typical girl: she liked hanging out with her friends, living her life and going to school. She was normal until she woke up in the hospital with no recollection of the accident she had been in, no memory of her friends deaths, and unable to recall the events leading up to accident. Mara wants to start over, so her family uproots itself and moves to Florida in hopes that it will help Mara get past everything.

But starting over isn’t always easy. Mara is haunted by the tragedy of her friends death, by strange accidents that happen around her, and her attraction to a boy who isn’t exactly what he seems. Mara hopes that her memories will help piece everything together and not just prove that she truly is crazy.

I actually had no expectations with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I had heard all the buzz about it, but never any solid info about the plot. I ended up devouring the book, I just couldn’t put it down. I loved the subtle paranormal aspect, as well as the mystery within the novel. Mara was a very well developed character. I felt that she was an actual person and really felt for her with her emotional struggles. I had a little problem with the secondary characters, mainly Mara’s family. They were a little flat and they gave in to Mara a little to easily when she wanted to move. The romance aspect was very well done. It was easy and not too over the top like some young adult novels.

This was a very well written debut. I think that the author, Michelle Hodkin, has a very promising career and after reading this first book I think that people will be picking up whatever she publishes next. I know I will.

Rating: 4 stars