Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 544 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: October 23rd 2012

Find it on Goodreads: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Source: Purchased

Rating:  5/5

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 Thoughts: OH. MY. GOODNESS. This book is without a doubt, phenomenal.

Every good thing I heard about this book was true. The writing was fabulous, the story intriguing, the characters complex. This was not a sequel that suffered from SBS (second book syndrome). It had everything that made The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer amazing and more! 

Michelle Hodkin has some real talent with her words. The way she wrote captivated me entirely. But every time I tried to pick up the book, someone would begin speaking to  me! SO FRUSTRATING! When I finally had a chance to read for a long uninterrupted period of time, I was completely immersed in the story. Mara's head is such an interesting one to be in! The way she thinks and acts and feels are so different from so many protagonists but she's still a teenage girl. I loved that about the book. Although the things Mara was going through were hard to even fathom, she's still a girl who loves her family, wants to  be with her boyfriend, and has conflicts with other teenagers. And then there's Noah. Oh, Noah. Why, oh why do you not exist in real life? I adored Noah in the first book and he just got better in this one. He's sweet but snarky, smart and sexy. He is Noah Shaw. I don't know how I can not love him. 

Moreover, the story in this book was just incredible. Fantastic is more the word. It was creepier than the last, which, if you've read the first book you'll know, is hard to imagine. The way Hodkin writes enthralls me. I become completely immersed in the story and cannot get it out of my head.There is nothing better than a great thriller with an amazing romance in my eyes. It had my heart racing for more than just one reason. There were some parts that really freaked me out and others that had my heart melting on the spot. The scenarios the characters are put through are sometimes just crazy! There was some foreshadowing in the beginning of the book of what was coming, but I didn't focus on that stuff as much as I did with what was happening while I read. Usually I can't help but analyze a book completely, but this time something made me stop and just read until the end. And it was so worth it. Even the things that I suspected would happen surprised me. And then the ending almost killed me. I almost screamed at the thought of waiting another year until the final novel is released. It's going to be such a long wait... 

If you have not read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, YOU NEED TO! I'd recommend it to anyone who likes some shivers up their spine or anyone who likes a great romance. And if you're like me and enjoy a story with both,bonus! This series is so so amazing. I'm completely in love with the main characters and their story and I cannot wait for more!

Happy reading!
~Kristy