Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer
The Mara Dyer trilogy #2
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: October 23rd 2012
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 544
Source: Bought.
Purchased: TBD, Amazon

From Goodreads
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 Review

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is the mind blowing, breath-taking sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, a psycological thriller you will die to solve. I really loved the first book in the trilogy, even if the real mystery is just only mentioned at the end of it; in the second book instead Mara will be persecuted and tormented by the truth of what she has discovered and she will have to deal with the difficulty of being left alone, infact, how can anyone believe what she saw if she is not even sure of it herself?

Let's just start with how much I loved this book! It was so well developed, full of mysteries, crazy events that will create this huge tension for all the book, that will really make you sigh for Mara! 

Actually, at the beginning, I feared that The Evolution wouldn't keep up to my expectations because it seemed a little slow and didn't really satisfy my curiosity at first. I was confused, I didn't fully recognise the characters of the previous book and what I was more afraid of was Noah's character, he was so different and strange that I was afraid the author would have reserved some bad presents for us.

I don't feel like saying that The Evolution of Mara Dyer was an horror, but what is certain is that, compared to the first book it was so much more creepy and dark and this is probably one of the reason why I liked it even better. I immediately noticed (something that was also present in the first book) that chapters were a little too short but progressively, the book became more interesting and full of intricate mysteries and the fact that once bothered me, started to amaze me: Michelle Hodkin has this great ability of creating one hell of a chapter but, especially, one hell of an ending for each and one of them!This made it practically impossible for me to put the book down because every ending revealed a little piece of the puzzle and curiosity always tortured me to continue.

As the story proceeded the mystery became even more thick and Mara looses the track of what is real and what is not, and what made the book even more amazing is that I lost control with her, I couldn't make the difference between what I was actually reading and what was the product of Mara's visions.The author created this amazing, impenetrable dark-creepy atmosphere that completely upset the protagonists and the reader also, and just when you think you (and Mara) have lived enough, there is always something more powerful and fantastic to come!

The characters were so well developed and I really liked that the events were written by Mara's point of view because as I said, she is an unreliable narrator, since we do not know for sure whether she is crazy or not, whether what she is seeing is real or not. Also, I found the chapters told by Mara's grandmother point of view were also really interesting since their story seem to connect so much but at the same time, you can't understand what is really happening, and it's just "more meat on the grill", if you know what I mean. 

Another aspect of the narration that really caught my attention was the part in which the story is recounted through Noah's journal, because it finally gave us the possibility to know more about what he was thinking, since he had been a pretty mysterious character at the beginning.

Of course, what I enjoyed most in this book, is how the relationship between Noah and Mara grows into something perfect, an unbreakable bond that cannot be destroyed by neither the absurdities that tormented Mara. The fact that Noah was always ready to follow Mara in every situation she finds herself in, was simply adorable and touching and I can't get enough of them! 

Overall

I think the Evolution of Mara Dyer is an hard book to review without giving away too much of the story, so if there is something I feel like saying is if you haven't started the Mara Dyer trilogy yet, you really should. It's a book you won't regret reading, full- packed with action, strong and lovable characters and a mystery that will completely torment you!

Rated 5.0

My favourite quotes:

*May contain spoilers*

"What do you guys do together?"

Aside from evading my stalker and burning dolls? "We talk."

"About what?"

Genetic memory. "Books." Possession. "Movies." Jude. "People we don't like".

"What?"

"It wasn't Jude," Noah said quietly.

"What wasn't Jude?"

"The doll in your bedroom. He didn't put it there."

I blinked, not getting it. "Then who did ?"

It felt like forever before Noah finally spoke.

"You."

"You have me. You inhabit me. You want to know what I want? I want you to be the one wanting me first. Pushing me first. Kissing me first. Don't be careful with me. Because I won't be careful with you."