Weekend Words #1 (New Feature!)

I’ve been wanting to have a quote-oriented feature on this blog for a while, but I couldn’t find an existing meme that addressed the components I wanted in my own feature. I have finally decided on a format that I like, and it is a new weekly meme at 52 Letters!

Weekend Words showcases inspiring quotes from books, about writing, and about life. This feature will happen every weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday, depending on my schedule. While this is a reading/writing centric blog, this feature doesn’t have to be focused on those areas–it is intentionally open-ended to give bloggers a chance to say what’s on their mind. Quotes can just be typed, or they can involve graphic design or drawing.

Everyone should feel free to take part–it would honestly make my day!

Each Weekend Words has three parts:

1. A Powerful Quote From a Recent Read

This one is fairly self-explainitory. Share a quote from a book that you are either reading or just finished. Avoid spoilers (of course) but other than that, anything goes.

I just finished reading this book, Black Dove, White Raven, and I’ve barely stopped crying. It was so beautiful and inspiring and heart-wrenching and surprising–I don’t know what to think. I’m in awe. If you’ve never read anything by Elizabeth Wein, you’re missing out on a lot of emotional torment, and some gorgeous storytelling.

2. A Quote that Inspired Me This Week

This quote can deal with life, writing, reading–honestly anything. It doesn’t even have to be a quote you “discovered” this week, just one that helped you get through the week or that gives you the extra bit of motivation you need to face the next week’s hurdles.

(The fonts are Channel and Garamond, the original picture is from pxleyes)

3. Something I’ve Been Wanting to Say

This is entirely up to you. I’ll probably talk about school, politics, or my writing–who knows what mood I’ll be in when I write this each week. It doesn’t have to be positive, but it shouldn’t be intentionally mean or disrespectful. Let’s strive for constructive honesty. This is a chance for you to share the little thoughts that you had that weren’t big enough for a blog post (or that don’t exactly fit the theme of your blog), but that you want to put out into the world.

There is no worse feeling than realizing your time is being wasted by something you can’t get out of, when you know exactly what you wish you were doing instead.

---

 So there it is: the first Weekend Words! If this seems like something you’d like to take part in, please do, just link to the feature’s page  (essentially the same information as this post).

Have a great weekend!

How The Queen’s Thief Stole My Heart

Behold, my favorite series ever.

Most people have trouble picking a favorite book, and I admit, depending on how recently I’ve read other amazing books, I sometimes doubt my go-to answer: The King of Attolia, book three of the Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. But since the first time I read this series, easily half a dozen years ago, my answer has always come back to this book.

I reread these books (for the fifth? seventh? time) in the last week before school started, and I completely and utterly remembered why this series is so important to me. At first, I was going to try to review each book, but I honestly have trouble forming complete sentences when thinking about how much I love these books, so I decided to skip individual reviews and write this post instead, describing what exactly makes this series a must read.

Here is the plot synopsis for book one, The Thief (a mashup of Goodreads’ and Amazon’s descriptions)

“I can steal anything.” Gen’s bragging lands him in prison . . . but then the king’s magus needs the thief’s skill for a near-impossible task: to steal a priceless magical jewel from a faraway land.

The king’s scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king’s prison. The magus is interested only in the thief’s abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone’s guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

---

I have a confession to make: I did not want to read this book when my mom bought it for me. I was in elementary school (third grade, I think) and nothing about this book grabbed me. The plot sounded “whatever” and the first page (though it now occupies a special place in my heart) was dull. The Newbery Honor seal on the cover sealed the death sentence; have you noticed that children’s books that get these awards are always boring? At least that’s what had been true up until this book.

Since this series remains hype-less, I have to assume that a lot of people felt the same way. But I am so glad that I finally picked it up and got past the first pages–and fell in love.

Reasons I Love This Series

1. GEN. He is such a great character. There aren’t words to describe his personality–you just have to read about it. I guarantee you will love him. The best (and often used) word to describe him is incorrigible
2. SO MUCH HAPPENS. It is really hard to talk about why I love book two because where it starts is entire football fields away from where you expect book one to end. The same thing holds for talking about book three–if you haven’t read the second book, you will never guess the turn of events that leads The King of Attolia to happen.
3. But the series still has continuity. Even though each book has a strong and independent plot, the series still maintains continuity. The feeling you get reading the first few chapters of The Thief is the same feeling you get reading the last chapter of A Conspiracy of Kings (book 4).
4. Everything is so effing intricate. I’m sorry, the half-curse-word is necessary. You haven’t read these books until you’ve reread them; you haven’t understood the immense web of details that Turner created until the fifth time you’ve read the books. I’m not kidding–the most recent time I reread the series, I was still having OH MY GOD moments when I realized the significance of certain scenes or lines of dialogue.
5. This series makes you think. These books don’t spell things out for you. They leave breadcrumbs and trust that you are smart enough to follow them. The broad strokes of the plot are simple and easy to read, but the true power of the series is hidden, waiting for superfans to discover (*raises hand*). It also uses complex vocabulary that you don’t often see in YA/MG books. Incorrigible, for instance.
6. It breaks the rules. There are certain things that authors generally don’t do to their main character. MWT throws those guidelines out the window. Honestly, depending on how you categorize the POVs of books 1 and 2 (because there is a difference), each book has its own main character. But we still get the same story, and the plot of the series moves forward continuously. And those main characters get pummeled.
7. It doesn’t play for unnecessary drama. In this way, these books honestly aren’t modern YA. Don’t get me wrong, I love dramatic romances and revolutions and awkward first days of school and even the occasional love triangle. But one of the things that captivates me about this series is the fact that it draws me in without any of those flashy plot devices. It is just incredible storytelling.
8. Unique fantasy. I consider the series to be in the fantasy genre, but none of the characters have magical powers. The setting (a made-up island that resembles ancient Greece) has the feeling of a fantasy series. Also, there are gods, and they interact with the politically-oriented plot to weave in fantasy elements.
9. The romance is mature and simple and utterly perfect. Because the series has so many different POVs and plots, I can’t say more than that about the romance. It is a subplot, carefully woven into the later books without ever dominating the series. It is amazing and plainspoken and blows all YA couples out of the water. THEY (avoiding names here) are my OTP, unquestionably.

Have you bought the books yet?

No? Are you driving to the store?

(I’m kidding…kind of.)

Seriously, people should read this series. I’ve never read anything like it, and from the discussions on nameless book 5’s Goodreads page, I’m not alone in my obsession.

If you’ve read these books, fangirl/fanboy with me in the comments!

Book Tag: Rip It or Ship It

Hey guys! I saw this tag at Josie’s Book Corner and knew I had to do it sometime soon. I couldn’t find an original source for this tag; it seems to just be floating around. The premise is simple: put an even number of character names into a hat and draw out pairs. Then, you simply decide if you ship the couple, or would rip them apart. Fun, right?

---

Sean Kendrick (from The Scorpio Races) and Shazi (from The Wrath and the Dawn)

Initially, I hated the idea of this couple. Sean is reticent and somewhat broody, takes his simple life very seriously. Shazi is headstrong and bold, willing to take world leaders head-on. However, Shazi is similar to Puck (Sean’s love interest in Scorpio Races), and I think that she’d give him a run for his money. I’ll ship this.

Verity (from Code Name Verity) and Hale (from the Heist Society series)

Nope. Nope. Nope. This is awful. Their personalities are just too different. The sassy, tortured POW and the rich boy who hangs out with a bunch of light-hearted thieves would not mix well. I can’t even imagine them in the same room. I rip this.

David (from The Reckoners series) and Gemma Doyle (from the Gemma Doyle trilogy)

Geeky and spazzy, David is a twenty-first century dork. An endearing and lovable one, but Gemma wouldn’t know what to do with him. She’s good at being mysterious and is more fiesty than your average Victorian girl, but David and her would be a disaster. I rip this.

Dmitri (from the Vampire Academy series) and Elend (from the Mistborn trilogy)

book 5

When I drew this pairing, I cracked up. It’s great in such a weird way. They both have serious characters, and they both have badass sides, but Dmitri is dark and troubled, while Elend is a socially awkward reader who steps up to the plate when people need a leader. I think they’d be good influences on each other. I ship this.

Ronan (from The Raven Cycle) and Eugenides (from The Queen’s Thief series)

I ship this so hard. Ronan is a darkly sarcastic, somewhat magical, haunted prep school student with a drinking problem. Gen is a notorious thief who taunts kings and slinks around the shadows. They would definitely start off hating each other, but I think they’d end up  running into each other in their wanderings. The resulting romance would be slow-burn amazingness.

Titus (from the Elemental trilogy) and Blue (from The Raven Cycle)

These two would be a cute couple. Blue is eccentric and willful, and Titus is a duty-driven prince with a love of books. They are both similar to each other’s love interests (in the real stories), and they both have love/hate relationships with psychics and prophecies. I ship this.

Miriam Black (from the Miriam Black series) and Gansey (from The Raven Cycle)

This is awful. Damaged and deathly prophetic, Miriam Black would destroy Gansey. Studious and unconsciously preppy, Gansey’s determined and driven character would crumble if exposed to the darkness of Miriam. RIP.

Katsa (from Graceling) and Vin (from the Mistborn trilogy)

SHIP.  This would be so great. They’re both badass fighters with magically enhanced abilities and strong personalities to go along with them. I can just imagine them training together, each of them trying to best the other’s supernatural advantage. Just thinking about the trouble the two of them would get into makes me so happy.

Celaena (from the Throne of Glass series) and Adina (from Beauty Queens)

Yes. Omg yes. I don’t know which one of them is more sarcastic and determined, but they would be great for each other. They’ve both had their hearts broken, and they’ve both got rebellious streaks. I ship this.

Fire (from Fire) and Todd (from the Chaos Walking trilogy)

Oh, God, no. This just…doesn’t make sense. They’d probably be good friends, but I cannot imagine the two of them ever falling for each other. Just…no. I rip this.

---

What do you think of my pairings? Do you agree with me–or did I judge a pairing wrongly? If you could pair up any of these characters, who would they be?

I tag…

• Ashley @ Words We Heart
• Skylee @ The Night Girl
• Holly @ Belle of the Library

…and anyone else who wants to do it. Enjoy!

4 Ways to Stay Motivated During a Hectic Life (Second Draft Journal #3)

Second Draft Journal is a series of posts in which I randomly discuss things that occur to me during my process of writing my second draft of my WIP. Today I’m tackling how I make sure I stay motivated.

Staying motivated. It’s a broad topic. Everyone has their own tips. Here are some ways that I’m kept myself feeling good about writing and itching to sit down and write, even if my hectic school schedule doesn’t allow me the time.

1. “High Scores”

So I talked a while back about the spreadsheet I keep in which I track how many words I write per day. The spreadsheet itself is a useful motivation tool–it gives me a kick in the pants when I haven’t written in a while, and it challenges me to sit back down and write more when I realize that I only added 900-ish words in a day.

Recently, I took it a step further and decided to keep track of my “high score”–the most words I’ve written in a day, to date. Right now my high score is 4,071 words. I know that’s pretty low in the grand scheme of things, but if I write that many words (or get close) I’m proud of myself.

What I specifically like about the high score motivation tactic is that it is a pleasing balance of motivating without being a lot of pressure. I know that not every day that I sit down to write will be a high score-setting day, but when I can tell that I’m on a role and the words are flowing well, the high score pushes me to stay in the chair for a little while longer and hit a new “best.”

2. Monthly Word Count Goals

I’ve also set myself a goal of adding at least 10,000 words to my WIP a month. For August, I’ve already achieved this (13,000, like what?!), but I know I’ll still keep writing. I like that the goal is low enough that if I have a rough month, I can still accomplish it, but that I still want to keep writing after I achieve it. The goal of getting higher and higher above that baseline monthly target will keep me motivated.

3. Reading Just Enough Writing Advice to Keep My Head in the Game

I wrote a post a little while ago about the debilitating effect that reading other people’s writing advice can have on my self-confidence. While this can still trip me up, I make sure that I expose myself to writing advice fairly regularly. Whether it is a random pin that comes up in my Pinterest feed or a Chuck Wendig post, I make sure to check out writing advice blog posts when they cross my path. I tend not to spend a lot of time reading them–just glancing at the main headings and skimming the paragraphs. This way, I get a dose of writing advice that keeps me thinking about writing and that points me in the right direction, but I don’t get bogged down in specifics or self-doubt. Other times, when I have more downtime, I’ll go back and really focus on the writing advice that I found, sometimes taking notes or bookmarking especially great pieces.

Reading other people’s writing advice gives me confidence (if I’m already doing what was suggested), makes me think (in a good way), or helps me find my way through a rough patch (like a scene or a relationship that I can’t quite make work). Making sure I read posts like that regularly keeps my head in the writing game.

4. Fall Asleep Thinking About My Story

I find it is much easier to sit down and write a scene that I have already run through in my head a few times. I usually do this while I’m falling asleep, playing out different ways a scene could happen, playing with character reactions and personalities. It gives me something to think about, and distracts me from anything that is stressing me out–my WIP is kind of a happy place for me. Making sure that I think about what is coming up next in my story (or just a part of the plot that I need to develop further) when I’m falling asleep also connects my WIP to my daily life, even if I didn’t write that day. Often, if a writer goes a long time without writing, it is hard to come back to the story; I’ve found that keeping the story close by when I’m not writing makes it easier to come back. 

---

How do you stay motivated? Have you tried any of these methods?

Top Ten Books That Would Be On My Syllabus if I Taught Friendship in YA 101

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week, they post a new Top Ten topic and other bloggers respond with their own lists. 

Best friend characters. They can so often be overlooked, but when they are done right, they can take a book from being “okay” to being amazing. This class would (if it actually existed) highlight the importance of having more than just enemies and love interests in YA books.

1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

What I like about this book is that there are enough characters that the friendships that develop feel natural. Not all of the characters are on good terms with each other, and cliques form within the group of stranded beauty queens. I love that the friendships that do form feel real, but also that the dynamic between the characters is more complex than “everybody loves each other.”

2. I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You (The Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter

The friendship in these books is what makes them my ultimate “feel good” series. The four girls honestly stand by each other during their struggles, and they can always make me laugh.

3. Heist Society (Heist Soceity #1) by Ally Carter

Ally Carter creates amazing friend groups. Heist Society showcases a group of friends with more realistic conflicts, and that isn’t exclusively female.

4. A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1) by Libba Bray

I love this book (and this series) because I was never completely convinced that the friend group was healthy for the main character, Gemma. The personalities Bray created are vivid and powerful, and putting them all together creates intricate conflicts; I would love to discuss it with a group of students.

5. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

This book is a wonderful example of a classically YA plot that is driven by friendship instead of romance. Though it has the same tone and playful lightness as YA contemporary romances, and though it does have a love interest and a romantic subplot, the main story line involves the effects a friendship can have on our lives–even if the friend is no longer there.

6. Vampire Academy (VA #1) by Richelle Mead

Another solidly YA book (this time paranormal) that has a strong romantic plot line but that also discusses friendship’s intricacies. Rose and Lissa’s friendship was a major force driving the series’ plot; even when both characters got romantic partners, the friendship element of the story never vanished.

7. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Travelling Pants #1) by Ann Brashares

Need I say more? These are the ultimate friendship books. I read them a long time ago, but I’ll always remember them as books that immortalized friendship while realistically depicting coming-and-going romances.

8. The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

I love the Raven Boys’ relationship with Blue. For all of the conflicts captured within the group, they are still one of the tightest and most complex friend groups that I’ve ever read about, and I can honestly say that they are #friendshipgoals (I can’t believe I just typed that).

9. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahedieh

I would include this book to showcase the importance of friendships in books. I LOVED the romance in this book, but the lack of backstory surrounding Shazi’s best friend (that Khalid killed) seriously hurt the book. (I elaborated more on this in my review.)

10. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

And we would finish the semester with this book because OF COURSE. I haven’t read a more friendship-oriented book, or a book that played with (read: ripped out) my heartstrings as much as this book. If you haven’t read this book yet, stop what you are doing and go read it. Do it.

(you’re not doing it… )

---

Would you take this class? What class would you design? 

Happy Tuesday!

Book Review: When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-Are-You #1) by Meg Cabot

Classic Meg Cabot, this book entertained me, but was nothing special.

3/5 stars

Amazon Description

Just because her best friend wants to exercise, Jessica Mastriani agrees to walk the two miles home from their high school. Straight into a huge Indiana thunderstorm.
And straight into trouble.

Not that Jess has never been in trouble before. Her extracurricular activities, instead of cheerleading or 4-H, include fistfights with the football team and monthlong stints in detention — luckily, sitting right next to Rob, the sexiest senior around.

But this trouble is serious.

Because somehow on that long walk home, Jessica acquired a newfound talent. An amazing power that can be used for good…or for evil.

My Review

I’m a big fan of Meg Cabot’s stories. They are always (usually) funny, light-hearted, and imaginative. When Lightning Strikes followed this pattern.

I picked this book up at a used bookstore on a whim. It only took a few hours to read, and they were an entertaining few hours. However, this book is probably my least favorite Meg Cabot book to date, mainly because it felt like so many of her other books crammed together.

Jessica, the protagonist, is a belligerent high-schooler whose moral code lands hers in trouble; she can’t let someone she loves be insulted without paying the insulter back with her fists. Jess was an entertaining main character, but her voice was extremely similar to that of Samantha in All-American Girl (which I reread recently, review here). I would have appreciated more originality to distinguish Jess from countless other Cabot protagonists.

Jess’s reactions to her newfound powers (being able to find missing people in her dreams) was believable but naive. The fact that she was surprised when the police came to find her was–let’s be honest–annoying. It was obvious that her miraculous abilities would raise red flags, and the fact that she was never suspected as the kidnapper itself struck me as unrealistic. As it was, the police went along believing her psychic abilities, which allowed a dramatic plot to unfold, but which disconnected the story from reality.

Her best friend, Ruth, was also a conglomeration of other Meg Cabot best friends. She’s the misfit who wants to be cool, the loyal friend of the other misfit, even though their personalities aren’t actually similar. Though not unique, she added conflicts to the plot as well as appropriate humorous moments.

The love interest, Rob, was less impressive. All of the other Meg Cabot books I’ve read had amazing love interests, the kind of guys you need the main character to get with. I didn’t fall for Rob. He wasn’t enough of a bad boy to be interesting, and he never developed enough of a personality for me to care about him. In later books, I’m sure he will become swoon-worthy, but I wish that more had happened in book one, to compel me to read the rest of the series. As it is, I doubt I will ever read enough of the series for my opinion of Rob to change.

The plot was well paced; it kept me reading, and it never lagged. The plot was the right about of ridiculous–just enough that it was fun to read, testing the border of sheer impossibility but never fully crossing it. The other subplots–dealing with her family and her friends–were interesting. They set up conflicts to be developed more fully in later books of the series.

Ultimately, this book feels like the beginning of a series. Everything is half-finished, leaving characters and subplots waiting for later books to develop during. Meg Cabot is a talented writer, but everything of this book had a parallel in another of her contemporary reads, and I found myself longing for an original moment or an honest surprise.

Poetry: Three Random Haikus

Haiku #1

sun trapped above

canyon walls reach to the gods

pebbles below, alone

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley, CA

---

Haiku #2

footworn path of grass

first page of a fairy tale

the forest beckons

Descanso Gardens, CA

---

Haiku #3

deep breath of cold air

nothing but the sky above

a god’s view below

my twin at Auegeberry Point, Death Valley, CA

---

This was an assignment for English class. While I wish we had been working on actual AP Lang material instead of writing (and decorating) haikus, I did enjoy a change to write during the school day, and I decided to share these with you. The pictures are all my own, and provided loose inspiration for each of the haikus. 

My Top Ten Auto-Buy Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

1. Libba Bray
   • I LOVE Libba Bray. Everything she writes is incredible, diverse, and captivating. At this point, I don’t even read descriptions of her books before I buy them; I trust that I’ll love whatever story she decided to write this time.
2. Patrick Ness
   • I have yet to read a Patrick Ness book that didn’t amaze me. His understanding of human emotions and motivations is incredible, and the stories he creates are gripping and insightful.
3. Megan Whalen Turner
   • Her Queen’s Thief series is my favorite series EVER. I can’t count how many times I’ve reread those four books. If she ever published the rest of the series, I would shove people out of the way to buy it first. She has promised two more books to the series, but the fifth book has a practically blank Goodreads page. The fangirl angst is real.
4. Brandon Sanderson
   • Okay, so I haven’t read (or bought) everything that Brandon Sanderson has written. But I plan to. And when he publishes new books for the series of his that I have read, I will (of course) buy them. Very. Quickly. Because he is freaking talented.
5. Maggie Stiefvater
   • Like Sanderson, I haven’t read everything that she has written. Once I knew I loved her writing, I tried to read her first series (the Shiver one), but it didn’t grab me at all. However, all of her new books are amazing, and I will buy anything she publishes (once again, probably without looking at the plot at all).
6. Elizabeth Wein
   • Code Name Verity goes down as the best historical fiction I’ve ever read, and the most emotionally destructive book I’ve ever sobbed my way through. I haven’t read her other two books, but I own them, and I will read them, the next time I need a good cry.
7. Ally Carter
   • OMG I actually own every (YA) book that she has written. A literal auto-buy author, and I love all of her books. They are comfort food in the form of books, and I have read her Gallagher Girls series at least four times (and the earlier books at least 6 or 7 times).
8. Stephanie Perkins
   • I loved her Anna/Lola/Isla series, and if she publishes any other novels, I would pick them up, no question. Her contemporary style is magical.
9. Naomi Novik
   • I’ve fangirled over Uprooted a lot on this blog (the awestruck review here). I haven’t read her Temeraire series yet, but I own half of it (my sister is reading it currently).
10. Kristen Cashore
    • Kristen Cashore writes strong female characters like no one else. Her fantasy stories have complex plots, breathtaking romance, and powerful characters. I love her books so much, and I can’t wait for more books in the Graceling/Bitterblue/Fire series to come out.

---

Who are your auto-buy authors? Have you read any of these author’s books? 

Happy Tuesday!

Book Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkins

After the addictive story in book one, this installment of the Mara Dyer trilogy left me wishing for more. It was undeniably creepy…but little else.

3/5 stars

My spoiler-free review of the first Mara Dyer book can be found here. 

Amazon Description

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

Once again, the main thing I can say about the Mara Dyer books is that they are dark and creepy. Jude stalking Mara was genuinely scary. It was written well, giving the reader the feeling of being crept up on and spied on. This book will make the skin between your shoulder blades tingle. I read part of this book at home alone and it scared the crap out of me, not gonna lie.

The catch 22 Mara faced–she can’t get anyone to believe about Jude because talking about it only makes her look crazier–was frustrating and gripping. I empathized with the impossible situation Mara was in, and I forgave her for actions that I would usually see as stupidly reckless from a different character. Mara is a survivor, and I respected her character for her emphatic determination to fight and stay out of mental hospitals. It broke my heart when the people around her started to doubt her. The story was written in such an “in your face” way that I couldn’t help but feel for Mara; we were trapped in the story together.

Unfortunately, the main selling point of book one–Noah–became annoying in book two. Noah was obviously keeping secrets, putting unnecessary stress on Mara by making her worry about their relationship. While he was my favorite character in the first book, I just wanted him to go away in this book. Mara could handle herself, and Noah was just serving to present drama that the story didn’t need.

Without the veil of Noah’s swoon-worthiness, the romance between the two of them was reduced to stereotypical Instalove. While I expected their relationship to develop and deepen in the second book, it ended up stagnating, stuck on reiterating the fact that Noah loved Mara more than anything and that he would do anything to keep her safe. I still didn’t understand why Noah was willing to throw his life away for Mara. When their relationship refused to have any depth, I started to give up on the romantic subplot. It was a good thing that the book was so scary, because otherwise, it would have absolutely nothing going for it.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer has one major plot problem: nothing happens. There was no clear plot arc or sense of cause-and-effect. Looking back on the plot, there were no stand-out scenes or sense of rising action. The book lacked forward momentum and honestly could have been half as long. There continues to be nothing about the Mara Dyer trilogy that sets it apart from the rest of the paranormal pack–and there was a reason I stopped reading the paranormal genre.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer can boast of an addictive plot and a haunting darkness. It kept me reading, and I want to know what happens next. The ending of book two was just surprising enough that I need answers, and I want Mara’s character to get a happy ending. Despite my complaints, I want to find out what happens in the last book.

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

This book was a powerful and creepy read that fits perfectly into the YA paranormal genre.

3/5 stars

Amazon Description

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.
After Mara survives the traumatizing accident at the old asylum, it makes sense that she has issues. She lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s sister, and as if that weren’t enough to cope with, her family moves to a new state in order to give her a fresh start. But that fresh start is quickly filled with hallucinations—or are they premonitions?—and then corpses, and the boundary between reality and nightmare is wavering. At school, there’s Noah, a devastatingly handsome charmer who seems determined to help Mara piece together what’s real, what’s imagined—and what’s very, very dangerous.
This fast-paced psychological—or is it paranormal?—thriller will leave you breathless for its sequel,The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

My Review

I used to be really into YA paranormal books, but I fell out of that phase a few years ago, and since then, I’ve been more focused on fantasy and contemporary stories. I’d always seen the series in bookstores but I’d never bought it, so when I received it as a gift, I decided I could return to the paranormal genre for a little while.

Mara was a good protagonist. I clearly understood her personality and I enjoyed her voice. The PTSD she faced affected her severely, but her character had other facets as well. While I usually don’t like PTSD-dominated stories, the hallucinations and other inexplicable oddities that occurred around Mara were so creepy and thrilling that I actually loved them. After the mysterious trauma that pushed her family to move to Florida, it was obvious that Mara was damaged, but there was always the question of where the mental illness ended and the truly supernatural weirdness began. I couldn’t stop reading; I had to know what was in her mind and how the rest of it could be explained. (But more on that later.)

Like most paranormal stories, the romance is a driving force of the plot. Noah was a great character–hot, mysterious, supportive, flirty. From the first scene with him, I knew that he was going to be a strong love interest; scenes with him were easily my favorite scenes in the story.

However, his relationship with Mara had a heavy dose of Instalove. Noah went from being this bad boy (and I honestly believed him to be the player that everyone said he was) to the ultimate caring and compassionate boyfriend for Mara. He made sweeping declarations of love and stood by Mara even as corpses appeared around her. I understood why Mara loved him and needed him in her life–he helped her heal, he believed in her, he added normalcy to her life–but I didn’t understand why Noah suddenly dropped everything for this girl. (Even the explanation given later in the book–spoilers–didn’t satisfy me.)

The romance was swoon-worthy and addictive, but if you are looking for a developed or complex relationship, this book does not deliver. Noah was a great character to read about, but the mechanics of why he was even part of the story (before certain things are revealed) are vague and unrealistic.

Like the romantic subplot, the plot of this book is fast-paced and gripping. The plot grabbed me from the early chapters and didn’t let me go; I had trouble falling asleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen next. The battle between insanity and paranormalcy was dark and haunting, and I genuinely had moments where I wondered if Mara was insane.

Unfortunately, this became a problem. The paranormal elements were revealed too late in the story, leaving the plot arc feeling unbalanced for me. The “is she crazy” aspects could have been toned down more to allow the paranormal side of the story (which was remarkably interesting) to stand out more. As it was, the story ended with me unsure of what Mara’s paranormal skills actually were. I love understanding the mechanics of a book’s magics, and this book left me unsatisfied and confused.

Overall, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a solid paranormal story. It doesn’t have any plot elements that set it apart from other books the (in my opnion) “meh” genre. If you love insanity/paranormal stories, then this book is a must-read. I will definitely finish the series, but I don’t expect the later books to be anything other than creepy stories dominated by romance.