Courtesy of Simon and Schuster Pulse It!
Mara Dyer is in Miami, miles away from her home town and miles away from her best friend. Dead best friend, that is. And Mara was just waking up from a coma when she got the news, with no recollection of what had happened, even though they were together when the building collapsed on Mara, her BFF, her BFF's friend and Mara's boyfriend, Jude. So, now she's in Miami with no friends in a new private school. To make matters worse, she has hallucinations on the first day of school and land herself on the radar of the most popular girl on school, just because of one single guy, as most novels begin. Noah Shaw, the most unattainable and most beautiful British guy -yup, a Brit with a sexy accent- takes an interest in Mara. To top it off, she has to deal with sudden, violent recollection of the night that changed her life.
I have nothing to say. Except that it's awesome! Decently plotted and strategically planned, Hodkin wrote with a precision that moves you along the page. She caught the voice of a traumatized, angsty teen perfectly. Evenly paced, laced with suspense, thrill, mystery and -whatnot- romance, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a novel you can't miss.
The protagonist, Mara Dyer is someone you'll remember and sympathize with. A beautiful, strong girl's life is turned upside down by the death of close friends, and she has to move to a new place, and she meets a totally hot guy, and she gets picked by a popular girl. Now, doesn't that sound familiar? Yet, Hodkin mixed this combo with paranormal and deep, moving relationship with family. You'll love her, as she's vulnerable and unbreakable at the same time.
Noah Shaw, the male interest, is as perfect as a guy you can get. Well, he's a playboy, but you see that change when he meets Mara. Attentive, sensitive and loaded, he is the perfect boyfriend. His relationship with Mara is real enough for me, but sometimes he's a little too perfect.
Heartwarming moments of Mara with her brothers, Daniel and Joseph are genuine, and Hodkin created a couple of authentic siblings. The bickering and care of those three will sometimes make you go "aww...". And damn I wish I have a brother like Daniel. The dynamic of the family is genuine too, and when a string is pulled, a doll follow(sorry, crappy analogy, but you get what I mean). There's no wasted scene as every happening is crucial to add tension or to build the plot.
A little ramble on the paranormal front. Though there's a lot of romance and suspense, there's not a lot of visible paranormal. Well, it's there right from the beginning, but it become more pronounced as the plot grew. I have to say the paranormal is a little unexpected.
Tense, compact and vivid, with a heavy atmosphere and twisted romance, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is one novel you should read.
The cover is plain uh-mei-zing! Dark and moody, one of my faves!
Ratings: 4.5 stars
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I loved this book! The characters were mysterious, and michelle does a really good job of keeping you flipping the pages! I read it in a day!
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