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Mara Dyer #3

The Retribution of Mara Dyer

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Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.

470 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2014

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About the author

Michelle Hodkin

11 books12.2k followers
Michelle Hodkin is the author of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, which was a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling series. The trilogy, which includes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer, was described as “haunting and dreamlike” by Cassandra Clare and “darkly funny, deliciously creepy, and genuinely thoughtful” by Veronica Roth. Lev Grossman has called Hodkin “One of the greatest talents in Young Adult fiction.” The novels were praised by Romantic Times, MTV’s Hollywood Crush, and the Los Angeles Times, and books from the series appeared on several state reading lists. Additionally, The Retribution of Mara Dyer was selected as one of TIME.com’s Top 10 YA Books of 2014. Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan, before finally settling in Brooklyn last year.

You can visit her online at:

http://www.michellehodkin.com/
http://twitter.com/MichelleHodkin
http://pinterest.com/michellehodkin/
http://michellehodkin.tumblr.com/

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5 stars
23,988 (42%)
4 stars
18,095 (31%)
3 stars
10,517 (18%)
2 stars
3,218 (5%)
1 star
1,002 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,329 reviews
22 reviews33 followers
December 31, 2014
After the cliffhanger, I sat like this for about twenty minutes, more or less.

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FRIGGIN HODKIN WHY?!?! And Noah? Noah, NOAH, NOAH, NOAH!!!!!! UGHUGH.
COME ON, now I have to wait a whole year. Brb, sobbing still.

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Profile Image for Amina.
45 reviews
Want to read
June 29, 2013
UPDATE!
Loving the cover! AND WE HAVE A DATE! just the blurb to go then, not long till THE BOOK IS FINALLY MINE! MUHAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW..*cough cough*
******

LOVE THE TITLE; well we know what that will look like...


Is it too early to be thinking about Movie casts?? Heck.
My choice for Noah;
Douglas Booth


OR Max Irons


I agree Max irons is waay sexier but then Douglas Booth is a Brit...

So to put my mind off of that GODAWFUL cliffhanger, I've decided to share these quotes and fanmade jewels :)










--The unbecoming of Mara Dyer
(Is it too wrong to think a cartoon hot, cus that Noah is looking mighty fine--)

“In spite of everything I loved you, and will go on loving you—on my knees, with my shoulders drawn back, showing my heels to the headsman and straining my goose neck—even then. And afterwards—perhaps most of all afterwards—I shall love you, and one day we shall have a real, all-embracing explanation, and then perhaps we shall somehow fit together, you and I … we shall connect the points … and you and I shall form that unique design for which I yearn.”

The Evolution of Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin

Gosh, I love them!! And I fangirl too much...
Profile Image for megs_bookrack.
1,471 reviews9,376 followers
February 6, 2023
**4.5-stars rounded up**

A twisted, messy, horrifyingly beautiful story. I'm so incredibly sad our journey is over.



I'm astounded by how much I enjoyed this trilogy. I wasn't expecting it. The feelings!

Following along with Mara as she discovers who she is, and truly what she is, is an absolute roller coaster of emotions.



In this installment, the true objective of the rehab center is revealed, as well as the players behind it.

Mara, as well as the other teen patients, have been subjected to immoral scientific experiments since their entrance into the facility and it has left them shaken, haunted and disoriented.



Together Mara, Jamie and Stella are able to fight their way out, with the help of an unlikely source, but Noah is nowhere to be found.

Now on the road, they head to New York City in search of answers.



They are forced to use their powers along the way, like never before, in order to dodge authorities and travel unhindered.

I really enjoyed the bond between the three as they learned to trust and rely on one another. Particularly the relationship between Mara and Jamie. I just cannot imagine them without one another.



One glaringly obvious, missing piece to this narrative, is Noah. I missed it, the interactions between him and Mara.

However, Hodkin pulls through for her fans in the end and I am happy with the conclusion to this story.



There were some aspects I found to be slightly confusing.

Mostly the historic aspects from the perspective of Mara's grandmother. With this being said, I do feel I understood the gist of it enough to be able to apply the ramifications to the modern-day storyline.



I liked the idea of there being a genetic manifestation to the abilities this set of kids display.

I thought that was very interesting. Another one of my favorite aspects to this installment, was Mara, Jamie and Stella investigating the mystery behind Dr. Kells.



I am so happy that I decided to pick this series up.

I think a lot of times all the focus is on the new releases, and they are so important, but there are some real gems to be found in the backlist as well.

Don't ignore your backlist!

Profile Image for dee ☾.
96 reviews34 followers
November 20, 2014

It's over..

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And I don't know what to do with my life right now. I need help.
Do not have any coherent thoughts at the moment. Be back. Bye.

No, srsly. This book was FANTASTIC! Like vavabooommmm baby!!!

And Michelle ..

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*****




THAT IS ONE GORGEOUS COVER PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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SAY WHUT ?????????

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noun \ˌre-trə-ˈbyü-shən\
Definition of RETRIBUTION 1: recompense, reward 2: the dispensing or receiving of reward or punishment especially in the hereafter 3: something given or exacted in recompense; especially : punishment



description

OMG.
I AM SO EXCITED THERE ARE NO WORDS. i can wait. BUT I CAN'T.

I MISS NOAH :(


description
Profile Image for Katerina.
420 reviews16.8k followers
May 22, 2016
“The villain is the hero of her own story.No one thinks they're a bad person.Everyone has reasons for doing what they do.”

Don't they say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions?Protect the world,protect those you love,protect yourself?I just finished a story about teenage mutants with superpowers and a history of mental illnesses who were tortured in the name of science but the only thing I can think of is that in the end I didn't know who was the hero and who was the villain.The line between right and wrong is still blurry,my moral compass can't point the North and I can find only one word to describe how I feel right now.


“Stop saying that we have to be fixed.I like who I am.I don't think I need to fix anything.I'm not broken.”

Murders,revelations,immortal professors,moments of weakness and strength,hatred,guilt,letters from the other side,answers,you find all of them while reading The Retribution of Mara Dyer.It was a dark,freaky and agonizing journey that shed light on the depths of human madness and I did not emerge safe and sound from this abyss.It took a piece of me,a piece I willingly gave up.


“This is a love story.Twisted and messy.Flawed and screwed up.But it's ours.It's us.I don't know how our story will end,but I know how it will start.”

It is no secret that I was hooked to this series from the start.And I was warned that the final book would give me mixed feelings,something that turned out to be true.I loved it,I really did,but it was my least favorite among the three.Don't get me wrong,I am not disappointed at how things were wrapped up;in fact, I had many what-the-fuck moments where my mouth hung open but not a word could escape,and the most anticipated scene towards the end was so perfectly and beautifully written that I felt my heart beat fast and I puked rainbows,but I couldn't give it 5 stars.Because the fifth star lies back where Noah was.
“You own him.You should’ve seen the way he was looking at you while you were out.”
I smiled a little. “How?”
“Like you’re the ocean and he’s desperate to drown.”

His absence during the 2/3 of this book was painful.I know that the romance is only one out of the many elements that make the Mara Dyer series so fascinating,but I needed more Noah scenes.And Mara oh Mara,I don't know if I like you at all.I know who you are,I know what you are,your motivations and your reasons,but I can't make peace with them.
“To be the hero.
To slay the dragon.
But you fell in love with it instead.”

But despite the one missing star,I fell in love with this series and Michelle Hodkin's amazing writing.
Now it's your turn!
Profile Image for Danielle..
258 reviews238 followers
Shelved as 'need-to-read-next'
August 7, 2013


What the hell is this.

WHAT

THE

H E L L

IS

THIS

Hodkin whatever you think you're doing, don't you effing dare.
Dont. You. DARE.

Profile Image for Josephine.
23 reviews
November 2, 2020
After reading:
It was good, that's all I can say :)


Release date:
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd now two years of waiting are done!!! It's OUT! And I have it :D

Pre release date:
Hold on... June 2014???????? Nooooooooooo

*About 3 or so months before the June release date*

And now it's November 2014 .... :(



Profile Image for MischaS_.
785 reviews1,334 followers
July 21, 2019
It wasn't as good as the first 2 novels but it's still our Mara. Mara that we cannot trust because even she doesn't know what's real. (I seriously love this! That we cannot trust the person who is telling the story, that's so good! I need more of this!)
I can tell you that from a certain point there is also Noah's POV. And my first thought was: Allegiant.

The only problem was that there are still so many unsolved questions!

MAY BE SPOILERISH!!!






What the hell were those things Mara had in her stomach?
So, did they die and then revived or what?
In the first novels when things between Mara and Noah were getting hot he started to die. How come this is not a problem anymore?
How old was Mara's granny?
Why Mara had to be born if she was supposed to be so evil?
So Noah daddy is pretty hardcore and you want to tell me that now he just let them go? Don't think so.
So Jamie is now going to persuade everyone who knew that they were sent away that everything is fine now?
Where did Stella go?

And I could continue forever.
Profile Image for Kai Spellmeier.
Author 5 books13.5k followers
August 16, 2018
“Do not find peace. Find passion.”

It's really hard for me to rate this.

First of all it was as intense and terrifying as The Unbecoming and The Evolution. And way more satisfying, because Mara finally got her Retribution.
Second of all, it was confusing, complicated and not really resolved. Too many loose ends (which will hopefully be resolved in The Shaw Confessions).

Nevertheless, I'm so madly in love with this series. It's shocking and ruthless but also quite funny and never disappointing. Michelle Hodkin is such an awesome writer!

Find more of my books on Instagram
Profile Image for High Lady of The Night Court.
135 reviews5,041 followers
January 29, 2019
I don't think I have words that will aptly encompass this book. I absolutely loved the entire book and have no complaints. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer trilogy is now most definitely on my favorites list, I have grown enamored of it.
The Retribution of Mara Dyer is my favorite of the trilogy. It is adventure filled, mysterious, and is a great finale to the trilogy. This book upheld the atmosphere that the first book began very well and also did a great job in putting together the past and the present. A lot of the things I was so anxious and curious about after, and some due to, the ending of the last book were cleared and were pretty satisfactory.

This book begins in the most exciting way possible and held my attention throughout the 72 chapters. Even though most of the plot happened by chapter 65-66, the ending was written so artistically it was beautiful (I especially favoured the letters our characters received).
The book picks after the events at Horizons. Mara is now kind of 'captured' by Kells, who also claims that Noah is dead. After the past two books, for me the significance of the chapters in her grandmother's past seems more prominent.

In the third book we learn so much more about this world and it's characters I have grown impossibly more fond of them. In this book our characters grow into their own characters and learn so much more about themselves and the people around them, it is fascinating. Mysteries and histories unravel in this third and final installation of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
If it isn't already obvious I rate this book 5 stars.

P.S: I'm in love with Noah Shaw
Profile Image for Ferdy.
944 reviews1,098 followers
November 7, 2014
Spoilers

This had the potential to be an amazing read, the heroine was on the verge of going full on crazy/vengeful and the mystery/WTFery was getting really good. Sadly, it ended the way most YA PNR usually does with nonsensical non-answers and a speshul snowflake heroine who thinks she's a badarse but is actually just a boy-obsessed-twit who gets her sappy-speshul-snowflake ending. Ugh.

-The plot didn't consist of much, most of it was repetitive. The first 75% or so was just Mara/Jamie/Stella going from A to B to C to D whilst occasionally bumping into trouble of some sort. There wasn't enough focus on Horizons/the experiments/the powers, there was too much of Mara angsting, and worrying and searching for her precious Noah.

-I mostly hated Mara, she could have been awesome but her obsession with Noah was nauseating, it took over her whole personality. She wasn't even bothered about finding out who she was and why her and her friends has been followed, locked up and experimented on. Nope, it was all about Noah. Pathetic.
There were things I did love about Mara: Like her repeatedly using proper swear words when the situation called for it unlike most do goody heroines.
Also, her murdering/hurting people was great, it was even better when she felt very little guilt/remorse for punishing people. It made a nice change from the usual overly forgiving, always guilty heroine.

-I was glad Noah wasn't in it much, I would have preferred if he wasn't in it all though. He was such a generic hero. He had no personality apart from his mummy/daddy issues and his manslut ways.

-I don't know why there was the whole 'Is Noah Dead?' cliffhanger at the end of the book 2. It was obvious he would be alive. I don't know what the point of cliffhangers like that are. It's such a cheap trope. It would have been more original and satisfying if he had actually been dead or at least evil instead of the usual cliches.

-Was I meant to find Noah/Mara choosing to be with each other at the end romantic? Was I meant to be rooting for them or something? They were so selfish getting together when Noah could have changed the world (though I don't get how). Also, I hated how Noah's suicidal tendencies were romanticised, like all that was needed was the power of Mara's love to save and cure him. The guy needed professional help, he didn't need a destructive relationship. I would have enjoyed the ending more if Noah/Mara parted ways after they sexed it up, now that would have been romantic and epic - them giving up their love and not being able to be together for the sake of everyone else. It was such a great opportunity to make Noah/Mara tragic heroes instead of the insufferable twits they were.

-I liked most of the secondary characters, especially Jamie and Daniel, their interactions with Mara was great. Stella and Mara's friendship was the most enjoyable though, probably because it was the only significant relationship Mara had with another female character. I was unimpressed that Mara was only really close to/interacted with guys.

-I rolled my eyes at Mara's pregnancy scare, the whole thing was done purely for some cheap drama midway through. It was obvious Mara wouldn't be pregnant because YA heroines have to remain virgins/baby free because they are only allowed to shag it up/be impregnated by the manslut heroes. It would have actually been interesting if Mara had to deal with an unwanted baby that was forced on her by crazy scientists. But no, we were stuck with the same old, formulaic YA romance/dynamics.

-The reasons for Mara and co having powers was down to them being born with a special gene. So the powers were all genetic based, yet the rules about the carries of the gene were utterly nonsensical. Apparently, if a carrier of one of the superpower genes wasn't killed by its foil (a person with the opposite sort of gene) then the anomaly would manifest again later on in their bloodline. What? How would that even work?! If a dominant gene is passed on then it'll manifest full stop. How would Mara's grandma dying affect Mara's genes? It was like saying someone who had a cancer gene would never get cancer because their grandma who had the original gene got cancer and died and that would magically make their own genes dormant. That's not how science works! Ugh, it made no sense.

-This was such an unsatisfying ending. There were so many things left up in the air, and the few answers that were given were unclear.
What was Mara's real name? Why did she even change her name to Mara in the first place? It wasn't like she was a criminal or in danger. Or was the Mara Dyer trilogy actually supposed to be the books she was writing at the end or something. If so, what a fucking cop out.
What was with Mara's reflection when she was drugged up? The drugs were meant to block her powers completely but instead she got a convenient new sort of power which just so happened to tell her exactly what had been going on when she'd been out of it. How perfectly contrived.
What was the point of all those grandmother flashbacks? They didn't add much to the overall story. All they did was show Mara's grandma having the same sort of powers as Mara.
Why was Mara able to heal herself when she was dying? Why would her fully manifesting into her powers save her? Healing wasn't even one of her powers. Also, how did she even get powers in the first place? Didn't her grandma cancel them out by dying or something? Wasn't that the whole reason why she was hanging around with Noah's mum so that Noah could kill her and stop the curse/gene from carrying onto Mara or her siblings?
If Noah's dad didn't want Mara anywhere near Noah why did he manipulate things so they'd end up near together? If he thought she was so dangerous why did he and Kells trigger her powers and push her so much that she went crazy and murdered people? Where did Noah's dad disappear to after Mara was dying? Why didn't he come back for Noah and take control of him now that he was free of Mara? How did Noah survive the knife wound at the end? If it was his healing powers then why did he think stabbing himself in the heart would work in the first place? Both Noah and Mara coming back from the dead was ridiculous, one of them should have died.
Why was Jude bothered about his watch in the recording? What were with those drugs in Mara's stomach? If they were able to stop her from using her murderous powers then why did Kells want to kill her if the drugs were working? She was no longer dangerous.
Why did Lukumi impregnate Mara's grandma? Did he want another person with shadow powers or something? How did Lukumi/Lenaurd not recognise Mara when he first saw her? Wasn't he following her family? What was Lukumi trying to even achieve? Was he trying to help Mara or did he just want Noah? What was his end goal? How could he be centuries old when his powers were having visions and not healing? Why was Noah such a big deal? Surely, there were other healer/hero types that had been born? How exactly could Noah's powers change the world? Why was Mara's grandma slow to age as well? Why did Noah's dad think Mara would be such a menace to the world? Her grandmother had the same sort of powers and she managed to not go on random killing sprees. The only time Mara killed (when she was finally aware of her powers) was in self defence. There was no real reason for Noah's dad to want her dead. Him fearing she would make Noah weak was ridiculous, they were both teenagers - so why would he think they'd spend the rest of their lives together? Nothing made sense.

-The writing was pretty good, it was easy to read and the various descriptions were done well. Well, except for the cringey sex scene at the end.

-Didn't like the pop culture references, it took me right out of the story.

I wasn't expecting great things from the Mara Dyer finale, but I was expecting a decent resolution to the mystery. Instead I was just left more confused by the piss poor explanations. I wanted less Mara/Noah angst and better world building and answers. I would only recommend the trilogy to anyone who wants a series that at its heart is just a cliched PNR YA love story.
Profile Image for ily .
455 reviews631 followers
December 16, 2014
RESEÑA CON SPOILERS Y MUCHO SARCASMO



Qué decepción. La trilogía de Michelle Hodkin solía ser una de mis preferidas, pero desde que releí los dos primeros libros, empecé a notar actitudes desagradables en los personajes principales, y mi amor por la trilogía disminuyó bastante. Quizá se deba a que estoy creciendo, y ya los libros young adult no significan tanto para mí. El punto es que estaba ansiosa por leer la conclusión de esta trilogía, por la cual Michelle nos hizo esperar tanto. Si mal no recuerdo, The Retribution of Mara Dyer iba originalmente a publicarse el mismo día que Allegiant de Veronica Roth. Lo sé porque lo tenía anotado en mi calendario. Pero leí en un blog que la fecha de publicación iba a ser cambiada, debido a que la autora no había quedajo conforme con el final que le había dado a Mara Dyer. Traducción: Michelle había asesinado a uno de los personajes principales, y por eso decidió cambiar el libro. Esperaba algo mejor que esto.

Puntos negativos:

a) Mara y sus dos amigos tuvieron todo en bandeja de plata. Ellos lograron escapar ilesos del lugar donde la señora Kells los tenía secuestrados. Lo peor es que fue todo tan fácil. O sea, habían solo dos, DOS, individuos custodiándolos en todo el edificio: Kells y Wayne. Yo esperaba que por ser un edificio de difícil acceso, ubicado en una isla remota, la seguridad fuese de alto nivel. La autora les puso retos muy simples a los personajes. No sentí su lucha por escapar. Todo fue piece of cake.


b) El poder de persuasión de Jamie fue tan conveniente. Lo único que le faltaba era tener un rastreador para encontrar a Noah. Mara y sus dos amigos escaparon de la isla gracias a un par de pescadores que les llevaron al muelle; luego inventaron que el resto de sus compañeros les habían gastado una broma cruel al dejarlos abandonados en la isla, sin comida o medio de comunicación. Pero es que hay buena en el mundo capaz de proveer a tres adolescentes sospechosos con comida, dinero e incluso ropa... ¡gratis! Sin pedir identificación alguna o llamar a sus representantes.


Como diría mi mamá, así la vida es un jamón Yo también quiero encontrar a buenos samaritanos que me regalen cosas. *Hace puchero*


c) El que le hayan dado mucho protagonismo al hermano de Mara me pareció algo sin sentido e innecesario, que solo sirvió para chantajear a la pobre Mara. Pienso que a Michelle no le quedó de otra que utilizar a Daniel para ese propósito. Y no funcionó conmigo.


c) Noah asesina a Mara.
Noah asesina a Mara
Noah asesina a Mara
Noah asesina a Mara
NOAH ASESINA A MARA


Para mí esa escena acabó con la pizca de no-odio que le tenía a Noah. Pensé, creí, tenía la ilusión de que él haría algo bueno por primera vez en su vida y se mataría en lugar de hacerle daño al amor de su vida. Pero oh sí que estaba equivocada con Noah Shaw. Él inyecta a Mara con una sustancia que su padre le había dado para asesinarla. Pero por alguna razón que aún desconozco, Mara sobrevive a esa inyección letal, y despierta para ver a su pobre Noah con un cuchillo en el pecho, cortesía de su ex novio Jude.


Qué escena tan emocional.


c) Después de que la haya asesinado, Mara perdona a Noah (porque el amor lo puede todo, por supuesto), y luego llegan las escenas de amor entre MADNESS. Hasta el nombre de la otp es tonto. Si hay algo que me molesta más que el villano revelando todos sus planes antes de asesinar a su última víctima, es el que terminen la película con besos y sentimentalismo barato.

“Je t'aime. Aujourd'hui. Ce soir. Demain. Pour toujours. Si je vivais mille ans, je t'appartiendrais pour tous. Si je vivais mille vies, je te ferais mienne dans chacune d'elles.”


Por supuesto que nuestro querido Noah Shaw no dejaría pasar una oportunidad de iluminarnos con su increíble conocimiento de otras lenguas.

“You are what happiness means to me. And I would rather have today with you than forever with anyone else.”


“I know what I can do to a girl with a word, a look, a touch. And I want to do them all to her.”



Y aquí lo que menos me gustó de todo el libro: El mensaje.

d) La relación entre Mara y Noah es destructiva. Ellos lo saben. Se les ha dicho a ambos que si Noah sigue con Mara, él morirá, será destruido. ¿Y qué hacen ellos? Siguen juntos. No creo que el mensaje que se les esté dando a los jóvenes lectores sean el correcto. Sí, el amor es bonito y toda esa cursilería, pero si estás en una relación que sabes terminará de mala manera, lo correcto es dejar a esa persona, por mucho que la quieras.


Puntos positivos:

a) Lo único que rescato de este libro es Jamie. Él es la razón de esa estrella. Jamie fue quien me hizo seguir con la lectura cuando lo que quería hacer era abandonar.

“Before I could say anything, Jamie began writing giant letters over the words with his index finger.
F-U-C-K Y-O-U.
My sentiments exactly.”


“I planted a kamikaze kiss on Jamie’s cheek.
“FUCK,” he shouted, wiping it off. “What if you killed me!” He threw a Skittle at my face. It hit my forehead.
“Ow!”
Taste the rainbow bitch.


Hubieron pocos momentos que realmente disfruté, y todos ellos fueron cortesía de Jamie. La mayor parte del libro se va en la operación Finding Noah , y muchos aspectos me resultaron bastante predecibles y sin sentido. Creo que el final de la historia de Mara debió haber sido mucho mejor, porque esperé mucho para este libro, y terminé decepcionada. Sin duda uno de los peores finales que he leído.
Profile Image for Matilda.
71 reviews
Want to read
January 17, 2013
OH MY GOD. THAT COVER, THE PLOT. MY LIFE. I NEED HELP PLEASE. MEDICATION OF SOME SORT THAT WILL KNOCK ME OUT AND WAKE ME UP THE DAY THIS BOOK ARRIVES AT MY HOUSE.



The fact that they would even ...

My sanity is truly in the hands of Michelle Hodkins! I'm about this > [| close to snapping. THERE'S BEEN A MISTAKE. That's the only reasonable explanation. The release date should say 1/16/13 9:50:11.5 , which is about ... NOW!



I CAN'T EVEN. ALL THESE FEELS!



Check out my rant? http://characterized.blogspot.com/201...
Profile Image for Aj the Ravenous Reader.
1,014 reviews1,051 followers
August 24, 2016

Thirst not completely quenched, hunger not fully satisfied, questions not fully answered and yet I’m still one happy gal and one of the things about the entire series that made me happy is how I could never point out what it really is. After finishing the third book, I’ve decided that it’s a mix of everything- paranormal, mystery, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy and best of all, humor which what made me completely enjoy the books.

☼ Just for my personal record, the books in the series should be entitled as follow: ☼
♣Book 1: Mara Dyer
♣ Book 2: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
♣ Book 3: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

…because Mara’s transformation in the third book is definitely unbecoming. She has become a total wacko, the things she did a lot gorier yet funnier and commendable. (Yes, I am sometimes or a lot of times perverse. Forgive me). It also made me happy that I could not seem to predict which direction the plot is going to take and which course of action will specific characters choose. It was really cool.^^

One thing is consistent about the series though, Mara Dyer is awesome and so are the other characters in the series who are all are adorable, unique and funny in their own ways. I won’t be naming names anymore to avoid spoilers.^^ The plot is just as fast-paced as the first two novels and the writing is just as engaging and addictive to read. I think I may have a new favorite trilogy and a new favorite author.

I’ll stop here and leave the rest to you when you do decide to read the series. ENJOY! 

P.S. Happy early birthday to my friend, Daiane! (Her birthday is on August 25).



274 reviews332 followers
Want to read
July 15, 2015
I wanted to read this so badly but as the publication date got pushed further and further back, I pretty much forgot everything that happened in the first two books. -_-
Profile Image for Evie.
706 reviews923 followers
November 4, 2014
Hands down, best book/series finale I have ever read. Fucked up. Insane. Gutting. Tragic and beautiful. So good! SO GOOD people!!!
Profile Image for Corrin B.
1 review31 followers
November 26, 2012
OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I FREAKING LOVE THIS SERIES IM FANGIRLING AND FREAKING THE F OUT STUPID CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!

Well then
Here are some crazy things I noticed in the Evolution of Mara Dyer:
-Mara's middle name "Amrita":Gender:Girl Origin:Sanskrit MEANING:IMMORTAL; ambrosia; nectar........YOU GUYS MARA IS IMMORTAL. Or a goddess or something.
-The numbers in the fake address of Claire and Jude's house are the same numbers at the beginning of the tape of the asylum collapse
-DR KELLS OR WHATEVER HER NAME IS IS A BITCH. I hate her guts.
-On the board that Mara read in the hospital at the end, it said that Claire also had the weird supernatural traits. Wait, but then how did she die? I'm confused
-You know when the fortune teller lady said she got bribed with the tall dark handsome guy with an accent at the carnival? I wonder if he's the same guy Mara saw at the well with the old lady in the flashback.
-NOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. He's obviously not dead, guys. Michelle Hodkin would have to face the wrath of us fans. We'd collapse her house- on accident of course.... >:-D

I'm thinking very violently. This is my first review on this site. I just HAD to talk about this book with people with similar loves. I guess that's all, for now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Daiane.
179 reviews202 followers
March 23, 2016
Actual Rating: 4.5

"Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real.
Except that when I want it, it should".




Don't be afraid my friend, the end is not bad. It is not too fast and in my opinion, it was carefully staged.



"The villain is the hero of her own story. No one thinks they’re a bad person. Everyone has reasons for doing what they do".

I must confess that I was scared with the ending arriving. I actually thought that there was a fourth book that I didn't know about when my pages were finishing with a lot of story to tell. But I was rewarded with big decisions and even thought I ended with a lot of questions, it wasn't bad. Michelle Hodkin got a new fan and this series will have a special place in my shelf and in my mind. Because seriously, it was genius.



I had so many theories about what was real or even if the whole thing really happened or if she was just in the hospital dreaming...
In the last book of this series the plot gets darker and creepier. Sometimes when I needed to stop (Really needed for really good reasons or else I just wouldn't sleep) I couldn't stop thinking about it. Plus, all the insanity helped compose such a great environment for all the action and mystery.

“What’s the most terrifying thing you can think of in these tunnels? Rats? Mole people?”
“Evil mastermind hell bent on killing you?” Jamie suggested.
“Wrong. The most terrifying thing in these tunnels is me.”


Losing a person can make another insane. As Mara wasn't that mentally healthy to begin with, she really lost it. So now we have crazy people with superpowers and great irresponsibilities. Mara gets really badass and has no sense to get what she needs and protect who she loves.

“You’re not so bad, are you?”
Those were his last words before I cut his throat.




So you know when you like a story so much that you get really involved with it all? In the end we can't notice our own scruples to see what is right and what is wrong and we are just rooting for a character. Yes, this happened here.

There must be a villain for every hero, a demon for every angel, a monster for every god. Despite what we are, I do not believe this. I have seen the villainous act heroic, and men called heroes act villainous. The ability to heal does not make one good any more than the ability to kill makes one evil. Kill the right people, and you become a hero. Heal the wrong ones, and you become a villain. It is our choices that define us, not our abilities.

Hodkin's writing was so engaging that she was able to through how hypocrite society can be judging in a way that is so entertaining that we don't see that we are judging ourselves. At the same time it was full of seriousness, revelations, murders and freaks. It was still able to get a light vibe with some good funny, cute and lovely moments.

I looked behind me and scanned the room for a camera. Stella followed my gaze, then stopped and pointed at a tiny little reflective globe suspended from the ceiling, in the far right corner of the room. I stared at it for a moment, then raised my hand and gave it the finger.
“I thought you were going to give it the District Twelve salute,”


“What are you going to do to them?”
“I kind of want to see Mara Crucio their asses”
“Avada kedavra, more like”




They suspected our differences and hated us for it. So we had to pretend to be what we were not, so we would not be harmed for what we were.

I don't think I can talk more without giving spoilers. To summarize, this is a story full of lies, deaths, love and hatred, trust and betrayal, guilt and intrigues and insane mutant x-men teens who were tortured and experimented upon in prol of science. A great journey about gods and monsters, blessed and cursed, a dragon and a hero.

This is a love story. Twisted and messy. Flawed and screwed up. But it’s ours. It’s us. I don’t know how our story will end, but I know how it will start.

Profile Image for Andrea.
157 reviews183 followers
November 5, 2014
THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER
OH MY GOD
FINALLY AFTER 2 YEARS SUFFERING WAITING
ONLY A WEEK MORE
AAHHHH
It's an understanding that I'm excited haha

Teaser:
“The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I was covered in blood.

The second thing I noticed was that this didn’t bother me the way it should have.

I didn’t feel the urge to scream or speak, to beg for help, or even to wonder where I was. Those instincts were dead, and I was calm as my wet fingers slid up the tiled wall, groping for a light switch. I found one without even having to stand. Four lights slammed on above me, one after the other, illuminating the dead body on the floor just a few feet away.

My mind processed the facts first. Male. Heavy. He was lying face down in a wide, red puddle that spread out from beneath him. The tips of his curly black hair were wet with it. There was something in his hand.

The fluorescent lights in the white room flickered and buzzed and hummed. I moved to get a better view of the body. His eyes were closed. He could have been asleep, really, if it weren’t for the blood. There was so much of it. And by one of his hands it was smeared into a weird pattern.

No. Not a pattern. Words.

PLAY ME.

My gaze flicked to his hand. His fist was curled around a small tape recorder. I moved his fingers—still warm—and pressed play. A male voice started to speak.

"Do I have your attention?" the voice said.

I knew that voice. But I couldn’t believe I was hearing it.”


Holy. Shit.

I need this book!!

Whose voice is it!? Jude?... Noah!?!? PLEASE BE NOAH!

Edit 08/7/13:
Hold on.... JUNE 2014!!??
Are you kidding me!? I Thought I was gonna have this book in my hands in two months and now you're telling me that I have to wait another year?
Not cool.

Edit oct 2012:
Can I haz it? Can I haz it now pleaseeeee?
The waiting is gonna kill me! After that hell of a cliffhanger It will be impossible to live with all of these questions that I have in my mind and know that I won't get any answer until next year!
I need more Noah!

Have you guys seen this cover?
I hope this is the final cover! 'Cause is really pretty, I love it.
description
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Brandi.
628 reviews1,279 followers
December 4, 2014
"The villain is the hero of her own story.'

The conclusion to Mara's story was full of twist and turns, shocking reveals and thankfully everything is wrapped up surprisingly well. In The Evolution of Mara Dyer the author introduced side story, that honestly had me in a constant state of confusion, but in this fast paced, eerie finale, everything is cleared up.

description

I don't think it is really possible to review this without spoilers, so I am not really going to try. I will say it was a bit creepy, and intense, with a sprinkling of humor. I was hooked to my kindle, and anxious to finally get some answers, and I did. I have really enjoyed this unique series, and I am sad to see it end.

description

Now, for those of you who have been wondering about a certain guy.



“This is a love story. Twisted and messy. Flawed and screwed up. But it's ours. It's us. I don't know how our story will end. but I know it will start.
Profile Image for Rachel E. Carter.
Author 9 books3,479 followers
Read
January 27, 2023
description

Well this book made me cry. Three -THAT'S RIGHT- three times. Well done, Michelle. That said, all my predictions were wrong and I am a little bit bummed they didn't play out. I was so convinced from book one that the brother Daniel was actually terrorizing his sister, or that she had never woken up/left the hospital/Noah wasn't real. This book was all over the place. I feel a little lost from all the crazy plot lines (throughout the series), but I love Michelle's writing style so I don't really care that they weren't exactly what I wanted. And that POV switching at the end? I never like reading any perspective except the main character, and I mean ever, but I actually really enjoyed Noah's. The prose near the end was beautiful, and I'm sure it didn't help that I was listening to tear jerker violin music on my iPod as I was reading it.
Profile Image for Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.).
401 reviews427 followers
April 2, 2016
“As I was saying. He could never use you. You own him. You should’ve seen the way he was looking at you while you were out.”
I smiled a little. “How?”
“Like you’re the ocean and he’s desperate to drown.”


A MASTERPIECE ! INTENSE, DEEP AND DARK

So long time a saga did not interfere so much in my heart and soul like this one

description

It has been a unique journey into a world that Michelle Hodgkin has created, where at times I have completely forgotten the fact that it is actually in the real world as every day.
But the story of Mara Dyer grabs you completely and you come to understand that there is much more in this world we call "normal"that we can not see, you forget it and you completely get into the stories where everything is beyond FANTASTIC!.

Ok let's start with this book in which I found it of the best I have read is that this series does not stop to put on better and better.

The Retribution of Mara Dyer


Undoubtedly one of the strongest early ...

This time we find a different Mara and you soon realize that she is changed , shows a much darker and calculator image. I come to think that in fact if it was something crazy, kept me chills!.

“The villain is the hero of her own story.”




I love her so much that has not changed I have fond a lot with Mara for all the things she had to spend through I think it's fair and understandable that beech changed his personality and is darker and fighter, which undoubtedly also due to power and things that have been revealed in the previous book

description

In fact according to myself mara has been protagonist in one of the strongest scenes of the book I have shocking
... speechless about that.

Noah had me with my heart in my throat for nerves throughout the book and if you read it you know why!



“Do not find peace. Find passion.”

Flashbacks have been great the story was taking shape thanks to them! . At begining is a little confusing but then you're tying nails and is much easier to understand.

And then there is the character of the father of Noah that in fact think it was time for his grand entrance, a character hidden so long, a very cold person.

.And that END !! for the love of God

“This is a love story. Twisted and messy. Flawed and screwed up. But it's ours. It's us. I don't know how our story will end. but I know it will start. I pick up my pen and begin to write:

My name is not Mara Dyer, but my lawyer told me I had to choose something.”


Really do not want it to end I think they could easily make 4 more books is a story without waste, but I'm already dreaming lol.

description

The thing is that it was a beautiful end of truth is already I was waiting something catastrophic and I was crying profusely but ... if yes I was crying but it was for happiness.... is a story that has everything but in terms of impossible love and mystery takes gold



Profile Image for Ahmad Sharabiani.
9,566 reviews56k followers
March 30, 2021
The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3), Michelle Hodkin

It had to end sometime, but Mara Dyer had no idea it would end like this. She wants to believe there's more to the lies she's been told and she doesn't stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست هشتم ماه فوریه سال 2017میلادی

عنوان: سری مارا دایر کتاب سوم: کین کشی از مارا دایر؛ نویسنده: میشل هادکین؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا سده 21م

سرعت رویدادها نسبت به دو کتاب پیشین کمی کندتر بود، اما هنوز هم خیالهای پیشین مرا رها نمیکنند؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Want to read
November 3, 2014
UPDATE: It's really happening, they're releasing excerpts and shit!

NOVEMBER 4TH IS TOMORROW!!!

You can read an excerpt from The Retribution of Mara Dyer here

When I read the first line of it, I was like this:


GOOSEBUMPS!!!

*****************************************

I'm very, very sad!!! I love this series and the release date keeps getting pushed further and further away! Dear author, please just release the darn book! I'm begging you!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!





So I've bee stalking Michelle Hodkin on every social website available to me and this is what I found. I haven't read the teaser by the way :)))

Copied from Michelle Hodkin's Tumblr:
http://michellehodkin.tumblr.com/

Death, kids, and books.

My mother says that only two things in life are permanent: death and children. You can’t undo either of them. You can’t ever take back having a child, and you can’t ever bring someone back to life.

This has always been a comforting idea for me. Think about it: pretty much any mistakes you make in life you can unmake! You can move on from a failing grade, or a failing relationship. You’re never stuck, or trapped, no matter how stuck or trapped you might feel. You can always start fresh. Start over. Reboot.

But in the last few years, I’ve realized that there’s a third thing that you can’t ever undo. Most people won’t have the chance to discover this third thing, but I have. You can’t undo a book.

Once it’s published, and people read it, it’s out there. Forever. You can’t ever unwrite it, or go back and change it. It may go out of print someday, or fade out of public consciousness if you were ever lucky enough to have your book become part of the public consciousness in the first place, but its still something that can be found and will exist forever in whatever form you wrote it in. Whatever mistakes you’ve made in it are permanent, on the page and in people’s minds.

When I’m having a hard time making a choice, which is a lot because I’m a naturally cautious and indecisive person, I try to do that which I will regret the least. And in working on the third book in the Mara Dyer trilogy for the past 16 months, I came to realize that I would regret asking Simon & Schuster to push back the book less than I would regret having them publish the wrong book. And they have been nothing but patient and understanding about it.

Sometimes you have a moment of clarity when you realize the book you’re writing is not the book you should be writing, that it’s a good story, maybe, but it isn’t the story you need to tell. You’d think that it can’t happen with the third book in a trilogy, but it can. It did. It happened to me, and I know I’m not the only one.

I’ve finished The Retribution of Mara Dyer three times now. The first first draft of it, semi-complete at 87,000 words, was just blowing out the cobwebs, as they say. I scrapped almost all of it. Then I started on a new draft, which was actually pretty good. Really good, in parts. But as I wrote, the deeper in I got the more I realized that while it was starting to take shape as an awesome story, it wasn’t the story I needed to be writing. It wasn’t the end of Mara’s story—it was the beginning of something else, something different. So I put it aside completely for now, and started over again on the book I needed to be writing, and I’ve been working on it since.

I can’t tell you much about it, but I can tell you this: I love it. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written, and I think you will too. It’s shocking and provocative and wild and a bunch of other adjectives I won’t use because spoilers, but the important thing is: I’m proud of it. And a thing I want you to know: the ending to the trilogy has always, always been the same, since the second I had the idea for the series. Only the beginning and the middle have changed. (So, you know, nothing important).

So that is all to say, The Retribution of Mara Dyer will not be coming out this October. It will be coming out in 2014. When specifically, I do not know. When I do, I will tell you personally, and I will make sure that the date I give you is the official date. I am so, so sorry to disappoint you—you can’t possibly know how sorry I am—but not as sorry as I would be if I gave you the wrong story. The Retribution of Mara Dyer is finally right now, and the ending of the trilogy, which you will read in 2014, will be the right ending. And I can’t be sorry for that.

But to soften the blow, how about a teaser?

[Here be spoilers, under the cut]






The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I was covered in blood.

The second thing I noticed was that this didn’t bother me the way it should have.

I didn’t feel the urge to scream or speak, to beg for help, or even to wonder where I was. Those instincts were dead, and I was calm as my wet fingers slid up the tiled wall, groping for a light switch. I found one without even having to stand. Four lights slammed on above me, one after the other, illuminating the dead body on the floor just a few feet away.

My mind processed the facts first. Male. Heavy. He was lying face down in a wide, red puddle that spread out from beneath him. The tips of his curly black hair were wet with it. There was something in his hand.

The fluorescent lights in the white room flickered and buzzed and hummed. I moved to get a better view of the body. His eyes were closed. He could have been asleep, really, if it weren’t for the blood. There was so much of it. And by one of his hands it was smeared into a weird pattern.

No. Not a pattern. Words.

PLAY ME.

My gaze flicked to his hand. His fist was curled around a small tape recorder. I moved his fingers—still warm—and pressed play. A male voice started to speak.

"Do I have your attention?" the voice said.

I knew that voice. But I couldn’t believe I was hearing it.
Profile Image for alittlelifeofmel.
882 reviews342 followers
March 21, 2017
Let me start off by saying I waited 2 years for this and it was so disappointing. Why did it keep getting pushed back? It just made it worse.

I have to add this to the list of book that were part of the Third Book Syndome.
Third book syndrome is when the third book in a trilogy sucks. Like royally sucks.
Unfortunately, I think this one is going to be second (first is and always will be Allegiant) on that list.
I don't really know how to review it because im so angry but I'll do my best
THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

I found this book extremely boring. It was excruciating getting through the beginning and it only started picking up when she got to New York. I will say that I did enjoy the book at moments and I was hooked on it from that point on, but the book itself wasn't for me.
There was no conclusion in this book. Yes, we got an explanation as to why her and Noah are connected and why they are gifted and everything, but there was nothing REALLY explained beyond that. The end itself had no conclusion like who ends a book in a fucking SEX SCENE?? Are you kidding me??? Seriously disappointed. But the biggest disappointment for me is definitely that she didn't tell us her real name. I know it means nothing, but I really wanted to know and was a huge reason why I wanted to read this book so much.
I feel like this book fell flat to me. There was no closure, no conclusion. I'm leaving this series wanting more. Wanting closure with characters we didnt even see this book. Stella?? where'd she go. His dad?? Joseph? Her parents? What's going to happen to horizons?? Is anything going to happen with the Professor? Not to mention WHY was she being tested on? Where do the gifts she and the others have come from? etc. This book ultimately had one purpose and that was to conclude a romance plot. Which is upsetting because the unique plot of this series was what drew me. But Hodkin completely left it in the dust in order to focus on their romantic connection.

Mara Dyer is one of the most selfish YA heroine's I've ever read. Lets just start by saying... no care in the world for why anyone drugged her and her friends, no care in the world for WHY anything happened to her (and surprise surprise we don't know) all she cared about was Noah. Noah Noah Noah. So. Annoying. I think Michelle coped out making him live, it woulda been better if he died. Not to mention the fact that I seriously think it's ridiculously selfish that they ended up together. Like Noah could save the world and instead he's living with someone who could kill him anyday basically.

I just want answers. What was the purpose of horizon and why were they experimenting anyways?? Why do they have their powers, how does it work? How do they go away forever (as I recall it was supposed to be Noah who got rid of them forever but since they are both so incredibly selfish we'll never know).

The best part of the book was the chapters on Mara's grandmother. That's not a good thing when the best part of a book is a secondary storyline. Especially when they don't seem to have really had any purpose to the story at all besides the introduce one character Mara would encounter like 2 times.

I'm just disappointed. I waited so long for this book and was so let down.
I honestly don't see what anyone liked about it. I really don't. I don't understand how anyone could find this an acceptable conclusion to this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Fenia.
253 reviews457 followers
January 28, 2015
OH MY GOD. THIS. MINDBLOWING. I just. This book is creepier and more thrilling than the other books. Its a masterpiece. Usually book 3 in a trilogy is the worst book,but this one is the best.

Where should i begin? From the constant fangirl mentions? Like the Hunger Games reference or the Harry Potter one or or the Lord of the Rings?? Michelle gets us.

Lets talk about the freakiness and creepiness. Like. I almost screamed in public. And the faces i was making.... I was ridiculed :P Anywayyy since i dont want to spoil you, i wont even mention the over emotional ending. I WONT. Or the FEELS i caught from it. I WONT I TELL YOU. DONT MAKE ME.

THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION. The constant action,the thriller feel it has,the humour, the romance,the friendships, family relationships..the plot. This book is gold. the whole trilogy is gold. ♥ It will stay forever in my heart. ♥
Profile Image for Jamie-leigh Haughn.
168 reviews836 followers
April 7, 2015
I'm not sure why so many people were so disappointed with this conclusion. I actually thought it was quite good! While it was a bit slower than the first two books, I still found it to have that creepy vibe and the story all came together for me in the end. My main issue with this book was that there were too many of the "before" parts and I wasn't a fan of that story line. Overall this is a great series! I listened to it via Audible and I thought it made great audiobooks!
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