THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin

Title: THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Number of Pages: 544
Source of Book: ARC borrowed from teacher friend Lea

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?

I’m not totally sure how to express my feelings about this book because there are so many! My immediate thoughts at the end of it included some unprintable words because I was so blown away. I obsessively loved THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER when I got an early read of it last year, and was eagerly anticipating reading the sequel, THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER, and was extremely lucky to be able to get an early copy loaned to me, and it completely lived up to the anticipation I had going into it. This was a strong second book that definitely matched up to my love of the first book.

I adore Michelle Hodkin, but I finished this book feeling like she’s a diabolical genius of a writer. It surprises me that she wasn’t a writer before this, and I hope she continues to be one for a long time. Maybe that’s part of the reason that I enjoy her writing so much, it came from a spark of an idea for a story, and because her background is diverse, there’s a spark to the writing that just really clicks for me. The way the writing is paced, the intelligence to it, the unreliable narrator, the mood, the witty banter, the uncomfortable suspense of not knowing what’s going to happen, the love and support of family, the heart at the center of this chaotic psychological thriller, and, yes, the romance, too…it all grabs me and doesn’t let me go. I read 544 pages in two days (and those were teaching/working days!) because I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s a long book that doesn’t feel long. It’s a sequel that keeps the story moving, but is interesting in its own right. So much was revealed in this book about what’s really going on with Mara and Noah and everything that happened. I appreciated that we were given so much information and many questions were answered, but some still are not and more were created that make me anxious to see where this is all headed.

Interestingly, I didn’t think this book had as much of the creepy feeling as the first one, but it definitely had suspenseful and psychological tension to it. Favorite characters were back, and new intriguing ones were introduced. Family support and love is still central to the relationships that hold Mara together. And I can’t forget the romantic storyline between Mara and Noah Shaw, which because of their unique abilities, becomes even more difficult for them to manage. At its heart, there are questions of truth, reality, trust, faith…all the things that make for a conflicted character who is just trying to hold it all together against odds that seem stacked against her.

As much as I loved this book, there was one thing bugged me. There was a clue fairly early on to a twist that seemed so obvious to me, and Mara is very intelligent, and so it seemed like she should have realized it, but I guess she is dealing with quite a bit of psychosis stuff at this point, so I should cut her some slack for not catching it. I’m still thrilled there is going to be a third book, THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER, coming in 2013, especially after the twists and reveals of the ending of this book! Not sure how I’ll be able to wait so long!