Book Review: The Evolution Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers
Publish Date: October 23rd, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2179-0
Pages: 544
Series: Mara Dyer, #2
Source: Bought

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

My Review:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer picks up not long after Mara is having her melt down in the police station because she sees someone who should not be there. Mara is put into a hospital and all she's asking is for someone to believe her.

Book 2 definitely did not disappoint. If anything, it made me love the series even more. I loved the first book and was so eager for this one, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! The characters we all came to love are here, the creepy feeling you got from book 1 is even creepier, and the story just keeps on twisting! 

Mara and Noah have to work together to solve the pieces of why this person keeps showing up and how. They have their work cut out for them, since Mara is supposed to be getting better and always has someone keeping an eye on her. She's got to prove to her parents and the doctors that she is not insane and that's hard when people are showing up and doing things that only you can see.
The romance in book 2 has softened a bit, only because there was so much of it develop in book 1 when Noah and Mara first meet, but it's not completely gone. And the romance we get is hot and steamy! We learn a lot about Noah's past and some of Mara's is revealed and we meet some new characters through Mara's outpatient program. And Jamie, I freaking love his character. He is funny, witty and a great personality in The Evolution.

Michelle Hodkin is a fantastic writer, she's a natural for sure. She nails it, and gets everything right. Except for the cliffhanger at the end of the book?! That was just wrong. To leave us hanging the way we are was just unfair. I actually tweeted right after I finished The Evolution - "The feeling when u finish a great book? U'll never read it 4 the 1st time again,wish u read slower?@MichelleHodkin #TheEvolutionofMaraDyer" That was my initial response (in which Michelle herself replied to!). I was truly disappointed that I had to put the book down for good.

That aside, there is humor in her books, both laugh out loud in the moment and those subtle jokes that make you snicker. The Evolution has it all. I've said before and I'll say it again, Michelle Hodkin is definitely my new favourite author. The fact that she can keep the readers so completely engrossed in her works is just amazing. And there is still so much that we need to answers to but have to wait until The Retribution of Mara Dyer comes out - which cannot come any sooner.

Only 3 more days....

Until this hit's shelves




The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

I've been dying for this book and cannot wait to read it! I've just re-read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer just because I loved it so much, and am so eager to read Evolution.

Michelle Hodkin has an amazing giveaway happening on her blog right now, only until Monday night though! And if you're lucky enough to be in the areas where she will be, I'd suggest going to see her. She's definitely someone worth seeing I bet. (She's even made it on my list of people, dead or alive, that I want to have dinner with before dying!)

Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday

Breaking The Spine, to show readers what we are anxiously waiting for!

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Set to be released October 23, 2012 by Simon & Schuster

I know, I know, I have already done a WoW post with this book. But to be honest, I'm just so excited to get my hands on The Evolution of Mara Dyer. If this was the only book to come out this year, I'd be okay with that. Even if this is the last book I read all year, I wouldn't see a problem in it. Because Michelle Hodkin is one of the greatest authors and Mara Dyer is one of the best books I've read in a while. 

If you haven't already, I'd suggest reading Book #1, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer before Book #2 comes out. You can read my rave review here. You can visit Michelle Hodkin on her blog, and believe me, she has some great stuff on her blog (links to chapter 1, steamy scenes, pictures, etc from the Mara series) It's all on there.

Seriously, go read or re-read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I know that's what I'll be doing on the days leading up to the release date.

And if you want more, here is the book trailer for
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

I can't wait!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is thanks to The Broke & The Bookish

This weeks top 10 - Top Ten Favourite Books in the Lifespan of My Blog

Without further ado, in no particular order...

That's my list! What about you? Leave a link and I'll check your list.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking The Spine, to show readers what we are anxiously waiting for! 

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Set to be released October 23, 2012 by Simon & Schuster

Two days after Mara walks into a police station in Miami at the close of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, she is committed for psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe is a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But she's about to discover that the price is more than she can bear.
Dark and thrilling, suspenseful and passionate, The Evolution of Mara Dyer will have readers breathlessly turning pages to find out what will become of Mara Dyer next.

I LOVED The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and I've been dying for book 2 to be released! 

Spotted: Cover of The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Holy crap! This is probably the best news...ever!

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) is to be released October 23rd, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

There's more....We have a synopsis, here it is:

From Goodreads:
Two days after Mara walks into a police station in Miami at the close of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, she is committed for psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe is a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, disturbing secret and that some wants her to pay. But she's about to discover that the price is more than she can bear.
Dark and thrilling, suspenseful and passionate, The Evolution of Mara Dyer will have readers breathlessly turning pages to find out what will become of Mara Dyer next.

I for one cannot wait, I LOVED The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer so much! I was lucky to get an ARC of it, I spread the word about the book to everyone, bought a finished copy, gave one away on this blog and even won a singed archival print of the cover! (The best prize EVER!) I'm so excited!

In My Mailbox (November 20, 2011)

In My Mailbox credit goes to The Story Siren

Bought:

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I actually pre-ordered this one, and have had it for a while. just kept forgetting to take a picture of it!

For Review:

Fever (The Chemical Gardens #2) by Lauren Destefano | Goodreads Synopsis

Dead To You by Lisa McMann | Goodreads Synopsis

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel | Goodreads Synopsis

Won:

Signed archival print of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer! And signed bookmarks!! This has to be one of the coolest prizes I've won, EVER!

Once again, a HUGE thank you to Simon & Schuster, and Michelle Hodkin!

What ended up in your mailbox this week?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Trailer

It's here!! Finally here - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer book trailer!

Watch for yourself:




Thoughts? The only thing I can say that I'm disappointed about is the girls voice. It's not what I had in mind when I thought of Mara, but other than that, the trailer is really cool! Amazing even :)

Enjoy, and make sure to pick up a copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer when you can! It's the best read.

And The Winner Is....

Sorry for the delay in annoucing the winner to my Blogoversary Giveaway, with my vacation and all, I didn't have the time. So without further ado, the winner is...

unlucky (or lucky in this case) entry #13

Kandice who chose The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

A quick glance on my spreadsheet shows that The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was the book that most had as their pick, and trust me, it's a great choice!

The winner was chosen by random.org and has been notified. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. The book will be shipped from The Book Depository when available, and I am not responsbile for lost or stolen packages.

Thanks to all who entered, and don't forget to enter my current giveaway for a copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead via The Bloodlines Canadian Blog Tour.

Rook Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

 

Publish Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 450
ISBN: 978-1-4424-3239-0
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Source: ARC from Publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can 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 mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

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

She's wrong.

My Review:

Well Ms. Hodkin, you have written yourself one heck of a book! Hands down, one of the best books I've read this year.

I'd had my eye on this book for quite some time, and was thrilled when a copy from the lovely people at Simon and Schuster ended up in my mailbox. From the first page, I was hooked!

Michelle Hodkin isn't just a great writer, she is a great story teller. Everything about the way she wrote The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, her debut novel, is extraordinary!

Ms. Hodkin clearly has a way with words. They draw you in and make you want more. The story was painted clear in my head and I love when the author can do that. I felt like I was there, experiencing things with the characters. The other thing I loved about Mara Dyer were the short chapters. I love that I can read here and there (like on my break at work, waiting for my ride, whenever I had a few minutes) and I wouldn't have to worry about being in the middle of something big and important. But honestly, the way Ms. Hodkin ends the chapters...HOLY COW! At some points, it's almost impossible to stop reading.

Let's talk characters. I loved the characters in Mara Dyer. Obviously, we have Mara, a girl who was the only survivor of her friends in an accident. She is such a great character. Everything about Mara is honest, believable and real. She was going through a tough time, dealing with the deaths of her friends. As I was reading, I could really relate to Mara. Her parents were great characters too. And her brothers played key roles in the book, which was great to see. (Not like other books where the family is there just for the sake of having a family) Then we have Noah...oh Noah. I love him! (He's everything I want and more :) !) He was the bad boy with the bad boy reputation (and yes, admit it, we all adore the bad ones) He was sweet, with a gentleman quality and I saw some modesty in him too. Together, Mara and Noah were wonderful. Michelle Hodkin got the characters perfect! Their playful banter and smart remarks always had me smiling and actually laughing out loud.

Engaging characters aside, the story and the plot really had me going. Hodkin had me guessing from the beginning as to what was going on, why Mara was the only survivor and I was a little worried that it would get cheesy at the end when the final plot was revealed. But trust me, there was no cheese in this book, just twists, turns and a whole lot of guessing.

I really can't say enough good things about Michelle Hodkins book. Everything was fantastic. Michelle is a great writer and I believe we will be seeing a lot more greatness from her in the future.

Read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, if you don't read anything else, just read this!