New trilogy from bestselling YA author Michelle Hodkin!

Readers!!  Check this out!!  I loved the first book in the Mara Dyer trilogy and this latest news will definitely make me move the last two books to the top of my tbr.  I need Noah's POV! 

 

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, announced today that it will publish The Shaw Confessions, a new trilogy by Michelle Hodkin, a spin-off to her bestselling Mara Dyer Trilogy, told from the point of view of character Noah Shaw.

The Mara Dyer Trilogy was a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling series. It was described as “haunting and dreamlike” by Cassandra Clare and “darkly funny, deliciously creepy, and genuinely thoughtful” by Veronica Roth. Lev Grossman called the author “One of the greatest talents in Young Adult fiction.” The novels were praised by Romantic Times, MTV’s Hollywood Crush, and the Los Angeles Times, and books from the series appeared on several state reading lists. Additionally, The Retribution of Mara Dyer, the third book in the trilogy, was selected as one of TIME.com’s Top 10 YA Books of 2014. The entire trilogy is now available in paperback, and as a boxed set.

What happens after happily ever after? By the end of the Mara Dyer trilogy, Noah Shaw and Mara Dyer discovered their world-changing abilities along with their love for each other. In the first book of The Shaw Confessions, Noah’s father is murdered, and Noah inherits unimaginable riches, terrible knowledge, and the chance to find other people like himself. But as Noah and Mara begin their global search, they’ll discover that they have very different goals: Noah wants peace. Mara wants power. When the girl of your dreams turns the world into a nightmare, what do you choose? The girl or the world?

“Like many fans of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, I fell in love with Noah Shaw the moment he was introduced in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer,” says Christian Trimmer, executive editor, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. “Michelle tantalized readers with a few chapters in his voice in The Retribution of Mara Dyer, and I couldn’t be more excited that she is now giving him his own series.” The first book in The Shaw Confessions is scheduled to release in Summer 2017.

“When I wrote the first words of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I knew that I was writing an antiheroine’s origin story,” says Michelle Hodkin. “What I didn’t know was how many readers would ask for the adventures of that antiheroine and her hero: both powerful, both in love, and almost certain to destroy each other. I always wanted to tell the story of the choices the characters would make and the risks they would take after they discovered who and what they really were, and I’m thrilled to finally have that chance. Readers may think they know Noah Shaw, but there’s so much more to tell.”

Christian Trimmer, who will edit all three books, acquired world rights to the three books from Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan. She is the author of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, which includes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, 

The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer. 

Visit her online at MichelleHodkin.com.

Review: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Retribution of Mara Dyer 
by Michelle Hodkin
Publisher-Simon & Schuster 
Published- Nov 4th 2014
Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.There is.She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.She should.She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.She will now.Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.Retribution has arrived.

My Thoughts:
The Retribution of Mara Dyer is the epic, mind exploding conclusion to this highly anticipated series and so amazingly worth the long two year wait. This does not disappoint!

You know, I don't even know what to say. Apart of me wants to scream and jump around all over this review praising all the awesome that it is, but given this is the last book in the series- a book fans have been on hands and knees waiting for, I don't think I should spoil anything. But I will say that I'm in total awe of the brilliant way Hodkin turned this last hurrah. All those questions that have been burning since book two come together piece by agonizingly messed up piece, but in the best way possible. I can't tell you how liberating it was to finally get some hardcore answers as to what the hell was going on, but I loved that Hodkin did it at a leashed pace, bringing us closer till the moment when everything hits click. This book is a lot darker then I would have thought, more edgy and twisted. The things that are done aren't very pretty and even Mara isn't the same girl that we once knew. Her anger and hatred is at its max extreme and apart of me was rooting her on while the other part was scared she'd go to far. But leave it to Hodkin to find the perfect comedic balance to calm the mood or moment. Jamie, Stella and Daniel were amazing characters that had Mara's back. No matter what. And I love the back and forth banter and zingers that made me laugh out loud, which is saying something considering how intense this book really is. 
I'm not going to say anything about the romance or Noah since that would probably be the biggest spoiler, but I will say this; Fate and destiny plays a large part of this love story, but love can endure despite it.

Bottom line. This series is the best physiological thriller that I've ever read. It's crazy addicting and spins you into madness from the first book till it's epic freaken conclusion. Also, chapter 73? BEST chapter evah!!! My heart, my gawd, my heart!! Congrats to Michelle Hodkin for such an amazing series. It's been one helluva wicked ride and I greatly look forward to anything else you put to pen. Bravo!

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                                 5 Snowflakes

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer 
by Michelle Hodkin
Publisher- Simon & Schuster 
Released- Oct 12th 2012
Purchase- Amazon / B & N / Chapters

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!!

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                                  5 Snowflakes

Waiting on Wednesday, #6

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on.

For this week, I picked The Evolution of Mara Dyer. I have been dying to pick up where the last book left off. I remember being on the edge of my seat the entire time I read book one and Hodkin’s kept surprising me at every turn with her creative twists and evil genius. I’m sure this second installment will be just as fun and fascinating as the first, and I can’t wait to hang out with Mara and Noah again. Excited!

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin

Expected Publication: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pre-Order: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in this gripping sequel to the thrilling "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer." One week after Mara walked into a police station in Miami at the close of "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer," she has been committed to psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe was a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, deeply disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But when no one believes the truth, Mara is totally helpless. The only person on her side is Noah Shaw, as sexy and handsome as he is loyal and cunning. Noah is the only person who can help Mara--as long as he doesn't get himself killed in the process.

If you haven’t had a chance to read book one and you’re curious about this series, check out the YouTube Book Trailer.

So… tell me, what book are you waiting on?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1) by Michelle Hodkin

 Rating 3 Snowflakes


What happens when you wake up to find you are the only one out of your 3 friends to survive a building collapsing? And what if you couldn't remember why you were there to begin with?   Mara doesn't remember why she, Rachel her best friend, Jude her boyfriend, and Clarie her not so good friend all decided to go to an old boarded up asylum at 2:oo in the morning.  The worst possible thing happens and Mara wakes up to find that the building they were in collapsed and she is the only survivor.  Left with no memory of what happened Mara has to deal with the guilt of being alone and when strange things start happening she wonders if she lost more than just her memory.  Buildings start crumbling, people start dying and Mara feels like the catalyst for it all.  So when she meets Noah, the resident hottie, everything changes and she starts to feel like maybe she is not alone in this after all and Noah may hold the key to getting her memory and sanity back.
For the most part I really liked this one. I enjoyed all the mystery and twists and turns that Hodkins wrote into this story. Noah was a fun male lead, he was very sure of himself which at times felt a little forced but he really did seem to want to help Mara. They had fun chemistry but I would have liked for Mara to give in a little more, she needed to show she liked him just as much as he liked her. I am also curious about Daniel, I really think there is way more to this boy than him just being her older brother. Like I said I really liked the story but I am so confused!! After reading this I cannot for the life of me give an explanation as to what is actually going on in Mara's mind and I feel that after 400 some odd pages we should at least have some clue as to where the story might be going. There were so many little subplots that I have several questions to and I really hope that the sequel spells them out clearer than the first book. I think the idea is original just we the reader need more info to understand a couple of things.
Overall good book and I will definitely read the sequel.