The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Christmas Present!
Edition: Hardback

Pages: 452

Rating: A

Mara Dyer believes life can't 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 strangely unharmed.
There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

This is one of those books that you should read again.
This is one of those books that I have read again.
This is one of those books that I am currently reading again.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was one the better books I have read in a long time. Mara is not your average girl. She has been through, seen, and done things that would break the spirit of most people. Her witty humor and, dare I say, sassy-ness are what seem to get her through.

Well... all of that, and the help of the beautiful, British, Noah Shaw. This bad boy seems to have gone after every girl in the school, so Mara thinks that she will be nothing but his latest conquest. Oh how mistaken she is!

While there is an essence of the supernatural within the book, it's not your typical "dark, YA book". There's no werewolves or vampires. It's not a dystopian society. Quite frankly, there's not even a love triangle. I think it's wonderful how Michelle Hodkin is able to suck in the masses without all of the usual gimicks. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some things that are going on in the book that don't happen in real life, but it's still closer to reality than most books with a harder edge.

To the book!

Mara Dyer was in a terrible accident. Her three friends lost their lives, and she was the sole surviver. Too bad she has no recollection of that night. Much of the book is Mara coping. She's coping with depression, moving, and of course, PTSD. (A slightly insane teenage girl made me feel like my life was a little more normal, personally)

There were some parts of the book that I had to read over a few times to fully understand, but that's because Mara was having hallucinations, so I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. But, that aside, she does also have to deal with everyday teenage girl problems. Parents, boys, and school.

It's hard to explain, all I know is that I love this book. I can't wait to find out what happens next. I highly recommend reading it!