Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: September 27th 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 452
Rating: ★★★★☆

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.

I honestly have no idea where to start with my review for this book. I literally just finished it moments before writing this, and I am utterly confused. One thing I can say for certain is that Michelle Hodkin's writing is beyond a doubt amazing. I love the tone she uses and the  transitions she makes. Her settings are wonderful and the comedic relief made me laugh out loud. The writing flowed so seamlessly I found myself entranced from cover to cover. 


But what I'm most confused about is the story line. You meet Mara in her pre accident days where mentally she's a different person. Then we're put into her life just a short time after the accident where she has no recollection of what happened that night. We follow her through the next couple of months as she remembers what happened that deadly night, and he connection with a boy at her new school, Noah. 


The cover is absolutely the most beautiful cover I have seen in awhile. I have to say that the cover gave me high hopes for this book, because unfortunately that is how I am. If it was a good looking cover and a slightly interesting story line, I'm more likely to pick it up. But thankfully this book held up to it's cover. I hate being able to tell what's going to happen at the end of the book from the beginning and I can honestly say that I was thrown for a complete and total loop. 


What happens with Mara, Noah, her family, and every other character in this book is a surprise as it happens. I was shocked multiple times and towards then end the confusion began. I understand Mara, and Noah for the most part, where their relationship left off, I have no idea, what is happening with Mara at the end, I have no idea. But I can say that I am extremely excited to see that this is the first in a series. I know there has to be more to the story, more that I'm not knowing, and I will be buying the next book in the series to see what happens! 


I know there's been a bunch of mixed reviews about this book, but I have to say I was pleased with it. I had high standards for it before I even began reading it and it lived up to them, other than throwing me for a big loop leaving me confused at the end. If you love a mystery with a good lead and some comedy thrown in, then this is a book for you. So I suggest you let yourself decide on this one, and pick up a copy for yourself.