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Red House Books is going through a bit of a update!

I've always had a pretty clear vision of what I wanted this space to be but I've been detoured from my path by...lots and lost of other people's opinions and ways of doing things...

I'm committed to this little chunk of the interweb but I've also branched out into other places so! Now it's time to think of Red House Books as more of a hub of all things me! And Me is a hell of a lot of book love!

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

***2011 Debut Author***

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 2011
Pages: 450
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: Trade

Summary:
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. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
Wow. Just wow.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a book unlike any other I've read. You'll have to forgive me if this review is a tad short as there is very little I can say without giving away Mara's secrets. It is the secrets of this story and of it's characters that makes it what it is. And what it is, is the best book I have read in a very, very, very long time.

From hearing a few tidbits from those who read it and also from hearing Michelle herself speak of it, I knew there was going to be something different about this book. It was pretty hard for Michelle to even give a brief synopsis without revealing too much and now I understand why.

I was captivated and draw into the story from page 1 and it was very hard for me to put it down. I lost sleep and I was late for work because I just couldn't not read one more page! Michelle has a way with words and such a firm grasp on her characters, especially Mara. I felt what she felt and I questioned what she questioned. At no time did I feel like, as a reader, I knew more then she did about what was happening to her. This level of depth was fantastic and opened up the door to so many possibilities -- loved this!

And wow again - that ending! Shock and fright and amazement -- so did not see it coming and it was brilliant! I'm almost sad that I read this one early -- it means waiting even longer for book 2 and man! I need book 2 like yesterday!

A fabulous debut for Michelle and I can't wait to read more from her. As one of the best books I have read this year, I highly recommend The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer!!

Overall Rating:
5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Simon and Schuster
Author's Website
Goodreads

3 comments:

  1. I have been hearing so many amazing things about this one. Right now, it is sitting on my shelf. Have to admit that I am afraid to read it cause I fear it won't meet my expectations. But our reading tastes are similar so I may just have to dive in. Thanks for the great review :)

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  2. There's so much buzz about this book, but your review has me intrigued.

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  3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer starts out with a note. And guys, it's not an ordinary note. The note sets the tone for how awesome the whole book is going to be. In fact, it's a soulsucking note. (I really do wish I could think of some other way to describe this book.) But seriously, every page made me want to read the next and the next and the next.

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