Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin

I fell victim to the "over-hype" when it comes to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Don't get me wrong--I loved this book, but I was expecting a twisted, surprising premise, and I didn't get that.

Mara wakes in the hospital and finds out that she was with three of her friends when they were killed in a building collapse. Mara was the only one to survive, and she remembers nothing.

Mara suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and to assist her recovery her entire family (parents and two brothers) relocate to Florida. I found this a bit far-fetched, and really unnecessary to the plot. I don't think any mental health professional would suggest that a family needs to move across the country to deal with the trauma the Mara was experiencing. So, weird, but not important to my feelings about the book.

I loved Mara's character, and I thought her reactions and fears were very realistic. I liked how her older brother, Daniel, stuck up for her and helped her. I thought Noah was a bit strange, but that's part of the story. Jamie was a great character, and added a lot to Mara's experience. Too bad he disappears halfway through the book. I would have liked him to be a part of the entire story.

I guess what was most disappointing about this book is that I figured Mara out fairly early in the book. I kind of thought it was obvious what was going on. Noah was a surprise, however, so that helped.

The book is masterfully written so that it draws you in. I couldn't believe how fast those 450 pages went by. I was surprised by the twist at the end, and I'm in for another story. I need to find out what happens to Mara and Noah (and some other characters.)

Published by Simon & Schuster, Sept. 27, 2011
Copy won from Heidi @ YA Bibliophile (autographed!)
452 pages (qualifies for my 350 Page Book Challenge!)

Rating: 4/5

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