From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)

Michelle Hodkin

Start date: December 12, 2017

Finish date: December 30, 2017

Discussion: Books of the Month

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What Members Thought

Feb 27, 2013 Carrie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, parnormal, library

This is a very tricky book to rate/review. It was going so strong, it was interesting, captured my attention. Creepy and head scratching all at the sametime. But then it just took on a whole new direction. A whole new feel,it started to lose me. The creepy factor disappeared. The head scatching of 'hmm I wonder' changed to 'hmm what?' And not in a good way.

I was expecting something else the whole time reading it. The book seemed like it was going to be something else but a lass twas not. I'll r ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 26, 2012 Lauren⁷ 💜 rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-has-a-copy, romance, young-adult-teen-new-adult, cover-i-love, fantasy-science-fiction

Hmmmmm. This was very........ Interesting. Reminded me a lot of Shutter Island. I didn't love it, but my interest is piqued enough that I'll read book 2. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 28, 2012 Marla rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, book-about-books, mixed-reviews, series, young-adult, mystery, paranormal, horror, buddy, zz-2015

I spent a great portion of this book not knowing what was going on. I also wasn't particularly fond of Mara Dyer or Noah Shaw and I still gave the book 3.5 stars, so I would guess that most people would enjoy it more than me. And I'm definitely going to read the next book because I want to know what's going to happen.

Likes:
* Daniel & Joseph Dyer, Mara's brothers
* Lots of book references
(view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 18, 2014 Avigail rated it liked it

Shelves: own, 2014, physical-book

Publishers Weekly
When 17-year-old Mara wakes from a coma, she learns she was in an accident; her best friend, boyfriend, and his sister were all killed when an abandoned asylum collapsed on them. But Mara has no memory of why she was there. Hoping to escape her hallucinations and nightmares, she moves with her family from Rhode Island to Florida, and on the first day of school meets a handsome boy "miling at me like he knew me." Even as Mara's romance with Noah starts to simmer, her stress boils Publishers Weekly
When 17-year-old Mara wakes from a coma, she learns she was in an accident; her best friend, boyfriend, and his sister were all killed when an abandoned asylum collapsed on them. But Mara has no memory of why she was there. Hoping to escape her hallucinations and nightmares, she moves with her family from Rhode Island to Florida, and on the first day of school meets a handsome boy "miling at me like he knew me." Even as Mara's romance with Noah starts to simmer, her stress boils over, especially when her fantasies about bad people dying start coming true and she starts remembering the fateful night. There are plenty of haunting, cinematic images to capture readers' attention, but first-time author Hodkin has packed too much into this mystery, including a murder trial in the background and Noah's own secrets. Readers may enjoy drawing their own conclusions about what is real, but they will have a hard time tracking all the possibilities. And after so much windup, they will certainly feel let down by the scripted conclusion. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)

18.10.14:
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Well a book that I read in two sitting. I absolutely loved the book and I Started the second. It's the kind of books that grips you tight from page one and still has a hold of you long after you've read the last sentence on the last page. I found it absolutely captivating, riveting, smart, highly original, and brilliantly written and developed.
The paranormal part is always apparent, and it has a nice, big mystery and paranoia and psychological edge to it that I wasn’t expecting. By the end of the book, there are still a lot of questions to be answered.
Michelle Hodkin's writing was fantastic. The book flowed and the plot was great; characters were well developed and showed what she is capable of. I found I kept turning the pages and I always wanted to know what happened on that next page. She left you questioning, but provided just enough of an answer to make you keep going. Great Style, Great Twist at the end.
As a bibliophile I loved Noah's room description, I liked how Mara takes a couple of books and ask for the synopsis fro Noah.
Thanks Michelle Hodkin for a fantastic time with this book. ...more

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