Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer 
by Michelle Hodkin
Publisher- Simon & Schuster 
Released- Oct 12th 2012
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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?

My Thoughts:

Bizarre, crazy, insane, sensational and astonishing! Dame, dame, dame!! I about jumped out of my skin after finishing this book and wanting the last installment so badly that it physically hurts that it's not in my hands this very second. What a freaken sequel people!

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is a twisty physiological thriller that keeps you on the very edge of madness till the very last page, then it will have you hanging and begging for more. I love Michelle Hodkin's writing! She is a mastermind at spinning a mystery that just keeps throwing in loops after loops till your dizzy with pure curiosity and aching with anticipation. I love that this story is so exasperating. I love that the minute we think we've figured out a tiny clue we're back to square one. And I love that her characters are so complicated and put together in the same breath. I loved the first book, but this book was so much more that my head is still spinning days after I finished it. It just blew me away.

Wow, this is one helluva story-line. It takes on a different direction from the one that's already been established. The mystery of Jude and if he's alive or a hallucination. Is Mara really insane or is everything she sees really real? Hodkin brings in a new element to the story, something I don't really want to spoil for those who haven't read this yet, but I will say that I love how she blended the fainting and flashbacks to a long ago time that somehow connects Mara and maybe even to Noah together in an unexpected way. Then there is the creepy and crazed happenings that range from dead animals to blood on the mirror to spooky dolls with a hidden meaning. There is a lot of loose ends by the time this is said and done which can get frustrating, but in a way I'm glad that we don't have all the answers. It's something to ponder and something to look forward to once the last book is out and we can finally get all the answers fans are desperately craving. 

All of these characters are amazingly put together. I can just imagine Hodkin with a notebook filled with character traits and picking which one get what for which scene. She brings new meaning to head games.

Mara is a very wound-up character and for a very good reason. What must it be like to pretend to be insane when no one believes that your sane. What must it be like to not be believed in by your own family and haunted by things that aren't in your control. Mara is so many different kinds of people. She's good and caring and wants answers and wants to protect her family. But there is a darker side to her that hates and fears and wants revenge. The last installment is called The Retribution of Mara Dyer. That's a great title. I pray she finally gets it.

Noah is a complex character in a calm and controlled maddening way, but we get to see a new side to his inner demons and we come out of this understanding Noah Shaw a little bit more then we did. He's the only one that believes in Mara, but that's because he's just like her. They share something that can only be described as an all-consuming connection. Their love story is intense and raw and profoundly measured. There are so many moments that made my pulse race, my breath stop and my heart pound. All I can say is....more.

As frustrating as Mara's family is, I love them. They want what's best for her and who could blame them for not truly understanding the events that unfolded.They are good people and I love how united they are as a family, but sometime I wanted to bang my head against a wall and scream 'open your dame eyes already!'

I wish I could say more about some of the characters at the center, but I'm afraid of saying to much and I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that their colorful personality was quite entertaining and I liked what they brought into the plot. 

In a nut shell, I loved this book. The spin is absolutely fantastic and even though it's not something new, I still loved Hodkin's take on this genre. That ending just about killed me. It was like being on roller-coaster that stops in mid air, upside down. This has just about everything I love in an escape. It's mysterious and thrilling and creepy and unhinged and has one of the sweetest love stories that is both mesmerizing and disastrous. A brilliant and amazing installment. I can't wait for the next book!!

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