Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

     I NEVER WRITE BOOK SPOILERS, SO ENJOY!
I honestly loved this book, this is on one of my higher recommendations of must reads!  The first chapter immediately hooks you, but I won't lie the next couple chapters were a tad slow at times (The build).  However, that quickly changes and before you know it, you are going to be so sucked into this book (like I was).  Even though it's over 400 pages, you are going to find it near impossible to want to put down!  So here goes my attempt at a review without ruining anything for those of you who might want to read it:)

Mara Dyer is the only survivor of a terrible accident and unable to remember any of it.  Suffering from PTSD she moves with her family to  Miami to hopefully leave the accident behind.  Mara is enrolled in a fancy private school with all the norms that come with high school. Including the great looking and intriguing Noah Shaw, who is also the guy with the not so her style "reputation".  Aside from not being able to avoid constantly running into Noah.  Her other problem is her mind is full of flashbacks.  Some that she understands and others she does not and pretty quickly a lot of bad things begin to happen around her and life for Mara begins to get a little crazy.

This story is full of mystery, darkness, humor, and at times quite twisted.  But it also has a seriously great build of romance.  In fact because of the way the author hooks you into the love story, it's light and heavy with some fun humor and situations.  I seriously found this to be one of the most likable YA romances I have read since Twilight.  However, unlike Twilight the female character Mara, isn't needy and as desperate as Bella was.  Mara is a strong and independent fun character, even with all her issues:)  I didn't find her or the romance storyline in the least bit annoying, instead it was something new and a little fun.  I bet you can't read it with out getting a bit simile on your face during certain moments!

This book will not only keep you guessing throughout, but for myself left me walking away from it unable to get it out of my mind for a while. (In a good way, I think:).
I will also note, as being an adult who also loves YA.  This particular book seemed to steer clear of the regular teenage banter that most YA novels have, it's almost like a YA for an adult reader...  If that makes any sense at all, maybe you should just read it and then you'll get what I mean!

The only major downside to this book is the fact that it is only Volume One...  I wont write anything of all the twists and turns and how it ends, other than to say I cannot wait to read Volume Two and if you read it, if you enjoy YA I have a feeling you will too!