Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


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.


This is a book that I have been eagerly watching the library shelves for, hoping it would appear.  When it did, all other reading was suspended.  As it turns out, pretty much all other activities were suspended, including sleeping.  I thought this book was that exciting.


To begin, I thought Mara was a fantastic narrator.  Hodkin does a brilliant job of keeping the readers entranced in the mystery of Mara's past, while also giving her a humorous voice.  To me, the humor helped temper the darkness of the plot, as did the high school drama.  The love interest, Noah, is equally exciting and interesting.  While he is rumored to have a dark past too, I couldn't help but smile over his sarcasm and kind-heartedness (though these two traits seem to be disparate, Hodkin made them work for Noah!).  My only complaint would be the way Mara treats Noah for a good portion of the novel.  She is surly and somewhat cold, which got a bit tiring after a while.  But then again, perhaps it was just because I was cheering so intensely for him.


The plot in this novel was much more driven by character development than anything else.  I personally prefer this kind of novel, especially when I know that it is going to be the first in a series.  The slow pace allowed me to try and look for clues to unravel the mystery myself, rather than just having it revealed to me quickly.  I'm not even sure I still fully understand what's happening to Mara, but that only serves to heighten my anticipation for the sequel.  However, this is not the book for the impatient.  Mara's secrets are not revealed until the end, and she spends much of the book in denial.


One strength of this book is the fantastic cover art, which is hard to ignore.  Though it seems shallow, I will openly admit the cover art was largely what drew me to the novel in the first place.  I am hopeful it does the same for potential readers!  Content-wise, there is a lot of discussion about sex, but nothing graphic, and nothing overtly "happens."  Typical of a high school setting, there's also a bit of swearing, but nothing over-the-top.  Certainly nothing that would keep me from passing the book along.


I am so thrilled I found a book I couldn't put down - it was perfect to enjoy along with the unseasonably warm weather.  I can't wait for the sequel, and to share this book with others!


Anyone else excited for the sequel??

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Image courtesy of fatgirlreading.com

Goodreads.com Summary:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged srangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages - not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she is about to find out.

When one of the strangers - beautiful,, haunted Akiva - fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

When I read the description of this book, and even throughout the first 150 pages, I thought that while this book sounded interesting, it also sounded a little trite. Perhaps a bit too Twilight-esque for my taste, especially in the midst of what can only be called a tsunami of paranormal romance. Holy guacamole, I was wrong. This book is so much more!

First of all, the protagonist, Karou, is absolutely endearing. She has a sarcastic tone to her narration, which I particularly appreciated. Furthermore, her struggle between her attraction to Akiva and her devotion to her "family" seemed realistic and understandable. Too often, I see characters chuck their family ties out the window in favor of some fateful love that they've only known for 30 pages. (I call this the Titanic effect. While Leonardo DiCaprio certainly is cute, three days would NOT be enough for me to float on some freezing door for any guy. Call me too practical). Not so with Karou. We get to see her fall in love, but we also see her loyalty to the family that has been all she has known for 17 years. As someone who is devoted to her family, I could really appreciate this.

As I said, this book was SO much more than just a run-of-the-mill paranormal romance. Without becoming preachy or obvious, the underlying theme of this book became an exploration of hatred, war, and discrimination. These weighty considerations took place within a plot that seamlessly transitioned between a realistic setting (Prague), and a fantastic "otherworld." The mystery of Karou's past kept me turning the pages and trying desperately to unravel the clues Taylor left. By the end of the book, I was left surprised, satisfied, and eagerly anticipating the second installment of the series!

One of the particular strengths of this book was the engaging writing style. The imagery that Taylor creates with some heartbreakingly beautiful writing is captivating, but approachable at the same time. To many of my students, this becomes incredibly important - if they feel they can't get through a book without a translator, they will quickly abandon it in favor of something a bit simpler. The cover art is also eye-catching without being over the top.

So, why have I not gone out and bought 50 copies of this book to mandate ALL of my kiddos read? Well... this book walked the very fine line between young adult literature and adult. The characters in the book are NOT Twilight chaste (which I always found a bit far-fetched for most teenagers anyhow), to which some parents might object. I personally don't have a problem with sex being mentioned in a book - like I said, completely abstinent teenagers just don't seem realistic - as long as it is PG-13 style. (You know, kiss kiss ... fade to black ... morning after!). This book was awfully close to taking the next step. However, I think that with the right student, this wouldn't be a problem.

In my world, I think this book will live a comfortable life on the particular classroom library shelf that is behind my teacher's desk. I know that there are some of my sweet, dreamy, romantic girls who will absolutely LOVE this book (sorry boys, it might be too sappy for you), but I wouldn't want it falling into just anyone's hands. For the rest of you YA lit fans I say - ENJOY! Books that are this heartbreaking are rare, and one that earns the hype that is has generated is even rarer.