The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Review)

Mara Dyer: The Retribution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Published by: Simon & Schuster, November 6th 2014

Genre: YA, Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction

Pages: 464

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

It had to end sometime, but Mara had no idea it would end like this. Experience the mind-blowing conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy.

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. 

I knew this book was going to ruin me, and I wasn't wrong. From the beginning it is brutal and bloody and full of action and impossible-to-make decisions. Mara Dyer's journey takes her out of the morally grey and into the black as she stops at nothing to find Noah and the answers about what she is. I thoroughly loved this book. It is a genuine thriller, with emotional highs and lows that gave me whiplash, and plot twists abound. Not to mention it held out on me for so long before giving me Noah. I genuinely thought he was dead and we'd never see him again at one point. And don't even get me started about the ending. The romance near about offed me, the friendships made me happy and frustrated all at once, and the goddamn plot - I almost had about twenty heart attacks. Thank God for the happy ending. I have been broken and remade by this awful, stupid book, and I will never forget it.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

Reading round up (60)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

5th January

Read another 10% of In The After by Demitria Lunetta, taking me to 33%, and it's just not doing it for me. It's so dull.

6th January

Starting The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin because I really don't wanna DNF another book this week. Also I love this series. Read 169 pages.

7th January

Currently Reading: The Evolution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Current page/percent: page 354

Read today: 185 pages

Thoughts: *is basically a pile of feelings*

8th January

Finished The Evolution of Mara Dyer (174 pages) and it killed me with feelings and dread. I went straight into The Retribution of Mara Dyer (115 pages read). I don't want this series to end but I NEED to know answers to so many questions.

9th January

Currently Reading: The Retribution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Current page/percent: page 210

Read today: 95 pages

Thoughts: I hate this book. Fuck this book.

10th January

Currently Reading: The Retribution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Current page/percent: page 366

Read today: 156 pages

Thoughts: EVERYTHING HURTS.

11th January

Finished The Retribution of Mara Dyer and wow am I gutted to have to let this story and these characters go. I love them so goddamned much I'm crying/

I also started rereading Avalon by Mindee Arnett, one of my faves ever, so I can read Polaris in time for its release day!!

Books finished this week: 2.5

In The After (DNF Review)

The Darkest Minds

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (reread review on Goodreads)

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (scheduled for Wednesday)

Reading round up (59)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

29th December

I finished The Wizard's Promise by Cassandra Rose Clarke (138 pages) and it was pretty cute. A nice book, even if I didn't love it as much as I'd expected to. I NEED the next book, though, because I know I'm gonna love it so much more - but since Strange Chemistry went down, are we even getting a sequel? 

I also started my reread of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I was meant to just read the first chapter to get started, but I read sixteen chapters. Oops. I'm on page 105 and it was a literal chore to put it down and sleep.

30th December

Currently Reading: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Current page/percent: page 267

Read today: 162 pages

Thoughts: Ughhhhhhhhh I love this asshole so fucking much. Fuck you, Noah. Fuck me, Noah.

31st December

Finished The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (read 189 pages) and *melts into a puddle of mushy love for this series*. I also started The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (82 pages) because I was in the mood for dystopia. Bonus: I get a great start on my tbr pile challenge of 2015!!

1st January

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Currently Reading: The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken

Current page/percent: page 185

Read today: 103 pages

Thoughts: Liking this so much more than I was at the beginning.

2nd January

Currently Reading: The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken

Current page/percent: page 307

Read today: 122 pages

Thoughts: Aw crap, I love this book. And I JUST spent all my christmas money of books, none of which were Never Fade or a preorder of In The Afterlight. DAMMIT.

3rd January

Currently Reading: The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken

Current page/percent: page 488

Read today: 171 pages

Thoughts: So. Fucking. Good.

4th January

Started In The After by Demitria Lunetta (12%) because I was meant to read this like last May. Oops. Hoping this is good but not 100% sold so far. Which is bad, since I have the sequel.

Books finished this week: 3

The Wizard's Promise

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (reread review on GR)

The Darkest Minds (review scheduled for Wednesday!)

30 Days of Books - Day 6

A book that makes you sad

The Evolution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

This book is heartbreaking. It genuinely hurt my heart to read it, and strains it now to just think about it. Mara and Noah have the most achingly honest relationship I have ever read about. I just wish things were easier for them, that they could be happy for longer than a day.

Book Fashion Friday: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

This weeks BFF is inspired by Mara Dyer, though it's more by the dress on the cover than the actual cover.

The cover:

The fashion:

I don't have much to say about this dress. It's dainty and similar to the cover dress.

Available here for $119

Most Anticipated of 2013 (#3)

Mara Dyer: The Retribution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

October 22nd 2013

The ending of Evolution is killing me, even though I refuse to believe it is true. I need this book right now. I cannot survive the wait. Noah Shaw has taken over my life; I need to know my darling is okay.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Review)

Mara Dyer: The Evolution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Paranormal, Psychological Thriller, Romance
FOR FANS OF SHATTER ME BY TAHEREH MAFI

Characters ★★★★★
Setting ★★★★☆
Writing Style ★★★★☆

Review:

The beautiful sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is even more captivating than the first.

As a shadowy and presumed-dead character from Mara's past returns to haunt her, and more is exposed about her nature and ability, she and Noah are pushed even further to their limits. The couple come face-to-face with yet more danger and chaos than in the first book when Mara is written off as crazy and delusional and nobody will believe her that her not-so-dead ex-boyfriend is stalking her, resulting in Mara being committed to a mental institution. Mara, isolated and cut off from the only person who believes her, Noah, struggles against her own mind to determine what in her life is hallucination and what is reality, whilst helplessly fearing for her own and her family's lives.

Mara Dyer proves, yet again, that she has a mind and will of phenomenal strength, that she possesses courage way beyond admirable, and that she is capable of surviving events and braving fears that would collapse even the strongest of adults.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is full of twists and turns, heartbreak and love, and emotions so strong they will leave you hurting for days. An incredible installment in a chilling series.

(And a horrible cliff-hanger)

Overall ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Review)

Mara Dyer: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Paranormal, Psychological Thriller, Romance
FOR FANS OF SHATTER ME BY TAHEREH MAFI

Characters ★★★★☆
Setting ★★☆☆☆
Writing Style ★★★☆☆

Review:

I flew through this book in little over a day so it's safe to say this is a gripping book. From the very first page I was drawn in and my attention and interest was held, which is a rarity for me. I'm in the habit of taking a day or two to read the first few chapters and then reading the rest at a quicker pace, but I just could not stop reading this book once I had started.

I'm not sure what it is that makes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer so compelling - whether it's the mysterious and aloof Noah Shaw, or the broken yet incredibly strong Mara, or the way they connect and cannot seem to draw themselves away from the other. In some ways their romance is like watching a train crash; it is chaotic, and ruined, and hurtling towards destruction. But there is something haunting and beautiful and so unique about Mara and Noah together that makes one never want to put down the book until one has found out every single detail about their life together.

The paranormal element, while being essential for the plot and the reason for Mara being where she is, takes a back seat sometimes to the development of her relationship with Noah. But while I'd expect this to get tiresome it somehow doesn't, and the ghostly and often mind-fucking parts blend seamlessly with Mara's everyday life to create a story that is unnerving, moving, and so incredibly real.

Overall ★★★★☆