Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publication Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

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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?

The unfortunate byproduct of being a high school senior is that I don't have much time to read. Not as much as I used to, anyway. Before, I was able to finish a book in less than a week, and now, quite frankly, I'm lucky if I make it through half of the book in that time.

This book took me three days to finish.

Three days.

GUYS. THREE DAYS.

Insanity. I don't even remember the last time I finished a book so quickly.

So here's how it all went down....

Me before reading:

Beyond excited. In fact, I may (or may not have) done a happy dance when I finally had the book in my hands. And this happy dance may or may not have been incredibly embarrassing and performed in public...

Me while reading:

This book was an addiction. It's fast-paced and full of creepiness, revelations, and sexy times with Noah, and if you think you can just stop after one chapter, you are lying to yourself.

The stakes, suspense, and mystery are all elevated in Evolution. More than ever, you see Mara's sanity being put in question, to the point where she doesn't even know whether or not she's experiencing reality or a delusion. Reading this story was akin to playing a mind game  Half the time I was trying to figure out who to believe, what the truth really was, and the other half, I was questioning everything I thought.

Unlike many YA books, Evolution really included Mara's family into what was going on. Her parents aren't absentees or idle spectators. They see their daughter in trouble and they act. And don't even get me started on the sibling relationship in the Dyer family because I won't be able to stop gushing! Mara's relationship with her brothers, Daniel especially, was just incredibly realistic and SO sweet. It definitely made me wish I had an older brother like Daniel.

My favorite part of this book, though, was seeing more of Mara and Noah's relationship. At the beginning of the series, it seemed like the only thing really tying the two of them together was their inexplicable abilities.  In this book, however, it becomes so much more apparent that these two are perfect for each other!  I think it's safe to say that they are both quite screwed up as a result of their respective powers, but when they're together, they make each other better (which sounds cheesy, I know, but there's really no way to describe it!) They keep each other grounded when everything around them is questionable.

I especially enjoyed seeing more of Noah's character. He wasn't exactly a flat character in Unbecoming, but I definitely didn't get to know him as much as I wanted to. Evolution did a great job of showing me more of Noah Elliot Simon Shaw and I loved it.

Eep.

Help.

I'm swooning.


Me after reading:

In Unbecoming, I was full of questions, wondering just what the heck Mara was and how it was possible that she could do the things she did. In Evolution, it feels like Michelle Hodkin is finally letting you in on the big secret.... but it's all a big. Fat. Lie!!! It's like she's dangling this delicious-looking carrot of truth in front of you, making you read page after page after page, but in the end, all you are left with is a blown mind and more questions. Oh, and frustration. Heaps of that. Well played Ms. Hodkin, well played. 

Rating: 5 stars

Dear Ms. Hodkin,

Book three....

Pretty please?