Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Slayra

*facepalm* Really? Edward Cullen 2.0? That’s just so sad… and old. And why does every author think turning their protagonists into the new Bella and Edward is a good thing? Ugh.:P

Glad I read this review, this book has been on my wishlist for a while because it seemed interesting. Now… not so much. No thanks. I’ve read enough “Twilight” “look-a-likes” (lol) already. Wimpy girls without personality and forceful boys? Not romantic at all, and it’s pretty sad that these types appeal to teens, in my opinion. It seems like we are going backwards in our way of thinking. Instead of strong heroines who can think and act for themselves, we have girls who are solely defined by the love they have for their brooding, stalkerish boyfriends. 😛

KB/KT Grant

I’m up to the first 115 pages and like you I’m enjoying the beginning. But then when Jamie tells Mara (and the reader) that Noah is a walking STD man ho teen bag, that’s where I rolled my eyes. I’m so sick of the YA’s heroine’s love interest being disrespectful toward the heroine and sleeping with all the girl just because it gives him a sense of some deranged sexy appeal to him. Seriously, authors and publishers think this is smart? At least Edward was a virgin and very dedicated to Bella.

I also like Jamie and it does seem he’s just there to be a narrator of sorts about the situations Mara finds herself in. I really wonder if Jamie was a recommendation per Mara’s agent or her editor to make him the character the way he was portrayed?

Infinite stare- Noah wants to Buzz from Toy Story? To infinity and beyond, and try to get into Mara’s pants?

KarenS

Thank you for the review and for the snippets, especially. I was bummed that I couldn’t find an ARC of this at BEA because I wasn’t sure about it (too much hype).

Your review, and the snippets, have helped me make a decision. The snippets reminded me of Hush Hush and why the narrator of that YA frustrated me so much – she was disturbed by Patch, but kept giving into him as if she had no choice.

I hate when a heroine acknowledges a possible love interest is douchey, but gives into him “despite myself” or acts like she wouldn’t give in if she didn’t have to, as if charm and aggression are valid reasons for doing something you don’t want to do. Seems lazy.

Ceilidh

Yay for more slut-shaming and douchebag worshipping in YA!

Su

I’m glad you read these books so I don’t have to. I was really looking forward to this review since the plot sounded intriguing, but those excerpts you posted would definitely have me screaming and throwing the book at the wall. 🙁

Alice

The beginning sounded like a book I read a long time ago and perked my interest, but the rest of the review completely turned me off. I am really really sick of romances like these. So sick.

*spends some twenty minutes searching*

Ah, The Dark Garden by Margaret Buffie. After a bike accident, Thea suffers from amnesia. She begins to see things and hear voices and she doesn’t know if she’s going crazy or if there’s something going on. Also first person. Male love interest doesn’t come in until much later since this was more a book of mystery.

Much better book.

Cory

Another book I have no desire to read. *sigh* This is exactly why I don’t like PNR. And the black/Jewish/Bi friend? *double sigh*

Megan

Is there anything worse than a less than stellar book with a truly gorgeous cover?

Franki

Yes – a stellar book with a less than gorgeous cover. 🙁 Those ones sometimes just don’t get enough attention.

capillya

Just for clarification, I think an “infinite stare” is kinda like a Care Bear stare? Not as cute, but still a weapon? Mmmm?

Nymeth

What Renay and Angie said 😐

Emily

Ugh, this sounds absolutely atrocious. I’m so sick of “romances” like this.

Do you ever read the blog Amy Reads? Your review reminds me of one she posted a few months ago: that you might find interesting.

Elana

As a teenager myself, I don’t understand the appeal in all these douchebag types–they’re the ones I run away from as soon as I see them. Would it be too hard for the love interest to be a NICE guy for once, in an equal relationship with the (also nice, non-douchey) heroine? Not all teenage girls find pushiness sexy, authors.

Also, why is there such a lack of sex in these YA books? Again, I’m a high-schooler, and although I don’t do that kind of thing myself, pretty much everyone is sexing (along with drinking, doing pot, swearing up a storm, whatever). It would be nice if YA authors acknowledged that teenagers are not perfect virginal angels.

Kari

I really loved this book. To me, it was nothing like Twilight, and Mara was a strong character who didn’t give into Noah. I think people who are basing there opinion of this book on the ONE review, should really check the book out for themselves.

VeganYANerds

I just discovered this because I am reading your review of Shatter Me, and you have captured exactly how I felt about this book – LOVE it!

What is with all these teens not daring to any more than hold hands? Especially when Noah continually boasts about what a stud he is. Ag. So. Over. It!

Mands xox

YA who hates YA

So glad I’m not alone!! I was assigned this book for a school project, and I feel like ripping it apart. Bad action, bad characters, bad cliches- way to much hype, I can agree. So not worth reading.

ñ

(I might have grammar mistakes because my native language it´s spanish)
Excuse me but: first of all, at the beginning they have sort of a pretending relationship (than after it isn´t just pretending) and they don’t kiss because Mara has an hallucination (no one knows what the hell happened there, whatever). Second, Noah it isn’t at all like edward and, he is how he is because he wants to destroy himself (kinda of cliché, nevermind). Third, I think you should read the other books because Jamie keeps appearing, indeed i think that he appear more in the third book than Noah. Also *SPOILERS* mara says in the last book “This is a love story. Twisted and messy. Flawed and screwed up. But it’s ours. It’s us. I don’t know how our story will end, but I know how it will start.” it’s romance, obviously.
Two things more:
-Unlike other books (or even series) they use everything related with mental disorder or biological things, correctly.
-You have to read the other books because, at least Mara, evolve. Yes, at the first book she was weak, she got PTSD, got problems with death bullshit, (i´m gonna skip to the third book)but then she just killed a man and feel nothing, no guilt, no remorse (even though it may have been because of some weird drug). That it´s not weakness, maybe madness but not weakness, because always, ALWAYS was the damsel in distress that couldn´t kill anyone because it was so innocent (Indeed, Noah said somewhere, something like “she looks nothing like a damsel in distress. She looks like a dragon instead”), even Katniss Everdeen, for the love of god, couldn´t kill anyone, and when she did she got traumatized. My point is that she might not be the typical strong heroine, I don´t think she it´s the heroine at all.

Here it’s the thing these books might have little clichés, are about romance with (kinda of) typical douchebag, and have some weird power. But those clichés complement the book, that douchebag was supposed to be the good guy, but he was the selfish one, and the weird power makes everything weirder. That it´s what makes these books amazing plus the scary parts.So just because one review say that it sucks you are not going to read it. I get it if you don´t like YA but if you do like them at least give it try, the story it’s very well written and amazing.

Naz

I finished the trilogy last night and though I partially agree with some of the points you make, I actually liked the overall quality of the novels. They are challenging and unnerving and the fact that everything that happens doesn’t take place in some distopian future or made up universe and happens in the ordinary world we live in is RIVETING. They got me to question the concepts of sanity and reality in a way no other Young Adult series had. And then there was Mara:

She really is not a conventional hero and according to a destiny that precedes her, she is quite the villain. She really got me questioning the idea of self fulfilling prophecies (The subtle but not so subtle conversation about Oedipus in the beginning of the first novel did point in this direction though.) : If she goes from being a normal teen to everyone thinking she’s insane, dangerous or in dire need of being fixed, of course she’ll be terrorized and she’ll make mistakes. Perhaps even become what everyone believes she is. She was utterly human and some choices she made did unnerve me but everything was just so realistic and awful, I could not put down the novels.

Apart from the instinct of self-preservation, the novels explored how far people were willing to go for the ones they loved. This being shown by Mara-Noah and Mara and her family. Maybe I’ll think differently about the novels after some time but they were so witty and gripping that I absolutely think that anyone with some spare time should read them.

And everything gets better once I learned what the author based these novels upon…

Kiyah

I actually think the twilight books and movies are amazing. Look a likes aren’t that good I agree. And I really hope your a boy talking like heroines haven’t reached you yet.

Yukta

Please don’t judge the book unless you read all of the series. Mara doesn’t know what is happening to her in the first book. But when you read the whole series you can understand that she is not a weak girl who needs help but a strong women who has power, intelligence,courage and great love. She truly accepts her ability and she’s proud of it.