Wednesday 24 February 2016

Book Review - The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin | ★★★★

SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT CONTINUE READING THE REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER, YOU MAY GET SPOILED!


Mara Dyer wakes up in a psychiatric ward where she has been involuntarily committed. Her Doctor explains that she has been telling everyone about how she was the reason for the asylum to collapse and that she killed her friends, including her ex-boyfriend Jude. But Mara is not sure about killing Jude anymore, because right before she blacked out, he was standing in front of her. Was it only a hallucination again? Maybe it was, then Daniel, her brother, reassures her that it couldn´t have been Jude, the man in the hallucination had both hands, but one of Jude´s hands was found in the ruins of the asylum.

“But when everyone tells you you're crazy and no one believes you when you swear you aren't, a small part of you will always wonder if they're right.” 
During her stay at the hospital, Mara finds out that her grandmother suffered from a mental illness and killed herself when Mara was only three days old. She had the same symptoms Mara has. Soon after, Mara is allowed to leave the hospital but the thought of her grandmother isn´t leaving her mind and even her hallucinations and visions have started to revolve around her grandmother.

Everything is going more or less well again until one morning Mara finds a dead cat outside her backdoor and the words "For Clair" written in blood on her bathroom mirror. She is sure about it being the work of Jude, that he killed a cat, broke in her house and wrote on the mirror with the cat´s blood. Mara participates in an outpatient program which was recommended by her doctor at the hospital, where she finds her friend Jamie again. There some creepy stuff happens which freaks out Mara even more and she is given some pills which should help her cope with everything, but in Mara´s opinion make matters only worse. She starts having blackouts more often, even is sleepwalking now, and though Noah tries his best to support her in anyways, it is clear that he starts to wonder himself what is going on with his girlfriend and if she is really stalked or haunted by her ex-boyfriend.
“I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.”
Mara Dyer is my favourite. Entirely persuasive in her vision of events, but vulnerable and fearful of herself, too. In most moments I´m not sure if it is reality what Mara is showing us, if her reality is legit, but it doesn´t matter, she is my heroin and I´m on her side. Character growth is huge with her in this book, which made her even more fascinating. Her companion Noah´s characteristics are still so unbelievably lovable as in book 1, but we learn more about his past in this book and it shows us why Noah isn´t so perfect as it seemed before, but still, his love for Mara is unquestionable and truly heartwarming.
“You can't hurt me the way you think you can. But even if you could? I would rather die with the taste of you on my tongue than live and never touch you again. I'm in love with you, Mara. I love you. No matter what you do.”  
The main goal of Mara and Noah in this book is to convince Mara´s parents that she is not insane. On that path many enemies pass their way, both real and/or imagined, who work against that. The book often creeped me out and evoked same feelings I have while watching a horror movie. It made the book extremely hard to put down.

“It doesn’t matter what we are. It matters what we do.” 
A lot of questions from the first book were answered, but often by new questions. Michelle Hodkin is so talented at stretching ones patience, giving you something as a reward but only by asking for even more patience at the same time.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer is so much better than the first book (which I already truly loved). So If you haven´t read it, or haven´t even started the Series, go do so. It will be amazing.
“If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one.” 




Rating:
★★★★