The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

What is it about?

"When Mara Dyer wakes up in hospital with no memory of how she got there, or any explanation as to why the bizzare accident that caused the death of her boyfriend and two best friends left her mysteriously unharmed, her doctors suggest she start over in a new city, at a new school, and just hope her memories gradually come back.

But Mara's new start is anything but comforting. She sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere and now she started to see other people's deaths before they happen. Is she going crazy? As if dealing with all this isn't enough, Noah Shaw, the most beautiful boy she's ever seen, can't seen to leave her alone. But does he have her best interests at heart or another agenda altogether?"
- The blurb of the book.

How did I come across the book?

I let my sister choose a book for me, which I was apprehensive about at first, but so happy with the result!

What did I think?

Spoiler Alert

If you want a book which is tense, romantic, confusing and dark then The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer (a.k.a The Unbecoming) will be absolutely perfect! Yes, it's supernatural which I must admit isn't usually my cup of tea, but this just kept me turning the pages on and on and on until I finished at 5AM yearning the next one to come out! 

Mara's character is real. The fact she even had a boyfriend before the asylum collapse meant to me that she was kind of real and that she wasn't just getting with Noah for our reading pleasure but because having boy friends when you're a teen is 'normal'. She's also not too much of a 'girly' girl or a tom-boy, she's just herself. Herself in the presence of rugged, just-rolled-out-of-bed perfect guy.

Well, seen as I mentioned him. Noah Shaw is the definition of perfect to me. Here are just a few ways he is described through-out this book; "Whenever he arched his eyebrow like that, his forehead creased in the most appealing way." - page 91. "That mouth. Smoking was a bad habit, yes. But he looked so good doing it." - page 96. "I could see hints of gold in his perpetual five o'clock shadow." - page 99. "Noah-sarcastic, distant, untouchable-Noah, cared. And that made him real. - page 217. Lastly; "I never knew which Noah to expect from day to day. Or hell, from minute to minute." - page 194. And the way he talks just sends shivers down my spine! Makes me proud to be English!
Another thing I loved about The Unbecoming is that it had so many aspects to the plot. What I mean by this is that you never knew which parts were going to be picked up again, like her being tapped on the shoulder. Sometimes this is just a random thing that happens to Mara, other times someone is stealing something from her bag. It made me as a reader always unsure as to what to remember, meaning I could empathise more with Mara and once again she became a real person in my mind.
I loved the secondary characters in this book too, Joseph and Daniel I absolutely adore. Especially Daniel. He is so caring and protective of Mara, it's such a simple bond and so easily created by Hodkin but it works a treat. Then there is Jamie, he offers humour and certain lightness to the book. Another feeling or reality to the sense of this weird world Mara is being sucked into more and more.

Reasons why it's nothing like Twilight (people are making comparisons so I wanted to clear the air); 
-Mara is not fully sufficient on Noah. What I mean is that she isn't too passive, unlike like the character Bella. She is herself and she is dealing with her own problems, just with the assistance of a truly amazing, perfect boyfriend.
-Nothing is certain. In Twilight we know that Jacob is a werewolf and that Edward is a vampire. But in The Unbecoming we really aren't sure of any of this. If this is even real, it could all be one big hallucination or dream. And sure that could be Bella's case to, but the way Michelle Hodkin  writes this, its so uncertain. 
-There isn't a stereotypical, God awful love triangle. Yes, this might've been great in the first YA book book I read, or maybe even the second. But by the twentieth book with yet another love triangle, it a) get's boring and b) get's predictable. You can always tell in the way it's written who will end up together.
-The Unbecoming is dark and sexy. Whereas, well I'll let Stephanie Meyer (author of Twilight Saga) explain; "I don't think my books are going to be really graphic or dark, because of who I am. There's always going to be a lot of light in my stories." 

Okay, so I'll stop with the comparisons  obviously (in my opinion) The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer is ten times more thrilling and brilliant in every single way than Twilight. The End. 
On to ratings...

Characters;  5/5 stars
Narrative; 4/5 stars (only because it's supernatural)
Literature; 5/5 stars
Overall; 5/5 stars

Some of my favourite quotes from the book

Spoiler Alert

I'll only give one because I gave some up in the review.
Page 394
""Fix me," I commanded him. "This thing, what I've done - there's something wrong with me, Noah. Fix it."
Noah's expression broke my heart as he brushed my hair from my face, and skimmed the line of my neck. "I can't."
"Why not?" I asked, my voice threatened to crack.
Noah lifted both of his hands to my face, and held it. "Because," he said, "you aren't broken.""

Websites for this book

Websites that look into this book; (right click to open)
Mara Dyer Official Site
Goodreads - The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer

Websites that sell the book;

Waterstones