Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
(Mara Dyer #1)

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publication Date: September 27th, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Genre: Paranormal

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Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts: Alright, can somebody tell me why I didn't read this one sooner? Seriously, I'd like to know what I was thinking putting this one off. It was freaking AMAZING! I read this with Book Twirps for their October Read A Long, let me tell you, we always left off at the worst places each week. I would sit there and read the entire week's reading in about an hour, then I'd sit there anticipating the next week so I could read some more. I was very glad when we finally got to the last week because it meant no more waiting! I know, I could have just read ahead, but that's not how read a longs work!! So why did I love this one? It was super creepy! I'm still confused about some things and how they happen after finishing, I think I'm going to need to pick up the next book sooner rather than later. Another reason I like it? Hot British bad boy. Yup! I liked Noah pretty much right away, I always like the bad boy. I'm not really sure why, but come on, he was British!! The accents!

So Mara Dyer moves to Florida after her best friend and two other "friends" die from an old asylum caving in on them. Mara is the only one to live and she can't remember what happened. What she does know though, is that she's seeing her dead boyfriend, who was with them, and it's freaking her out! It she going insane? Most likely. She might end up in her own asylum if she's not careful. After everything, she starts a new school and meets Noah. The boy who is the school player, the one she can't stop thinking about no matter how badly she wants to, the one she can't stay away from. Then strange things start happening to her. She is imagining things that are actually coming true, horrible things.

Poor, poor Mara. She is having a really hard time, she has almost no friends in her new school, her best friend died, people are dying around her in horrible ways, oh yeah, and she's having hallucinations. Just showing her how crazy she is. She's afraid to tell anyone anything because there is always the chance it hasn't really happened and she'll be sent to a padded white room. All she wants is to be normal, but I can tell you, considering everything that happens to her, she seems to be doing pretty well. There is a minimum of breakdowns from her. She doesn't trust herself though, since so many weird things are happening, but aren't really happening. If you know what I mean. She definitely a different type of protagonist. You get to watch while her mind falls apart and it's somewhat creepy.


So should you read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer? Yes, yes you should. Especially if you are a fan of creepy stories. This one has plenty of creepiness. It's also written in a way that you'll have a hard time putting it down. I know I did (even though I forced myself to for the read a long!). There were so many times that I found myself thinking about what I had read so far. Easily one of my favourite reads this year! Michelle Hodkin is amazing!!

Review: Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski

Ten Things We Did

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Publication Date: June 7th, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Contemporary / Chick Lit

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Synopsis:

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have. If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed reading Ten Things We Did. There is just something about reading a great contemporary at the end of summer. Just laying back and immersing myself in the drama of someone else's life. And there was drama, was there ever. I knew after reading the synopsis that I had to read this. Some of the things that went on with April were crazy. For one, her father was completely insane letting her live with a friend, even if their mother was supposed to be there. But yes, I really enjoy just laying back and reading contemporaries, I'd say they are a guilty pleasure for me. Sometimes they can just be over the top ridiculous and I'll just completely love it. This was one of those reads for me.

Ten Things We Did follows April, the protagonist, while she explains how she really messed up her life. The book starts off with her waking up next to someone who isnt her boyfriend, after a crazy party, to her dad calling and saying he is only 20 minutes away to coming to visit. Back track to where it all began, to show how things got to the point of the party and we have one crazy story that includes her and her closest friends, her boyfriend, a couple other guys and a sweet, adorable kitten they adopted. Living without parents, sex, a hot tub, late night get togethers and parties. It makes for a lot of drama and fun.

I really liked April's character. Yeah, she made some pretty stupid mistakes and decisions, but she definitely learns her lesson in the end. She is thinking about having sex with her boyfriend of two years for the first time, he seems to be avoiding her and she has no idea why. I figured out why early on, it was a bit predictable, but still good. If you're wondering at all why she isn't living with her parents, they are divorced. Her mom lives in Paris with her brother and stepfather. She lived with her dad but he got a new job and she didn't want to leave her hometown in the middle of the school year.

If you're looking for a fun, mindless, drama-filled read, I definitely recommend this book. It was a lot of fun, although I can tell you that I certainly won't be letting my kids ever move in with a friend without talking to the parents first. Hopefully my children don't want to move out until college though.. Yes, great read! You should look into it if you haven't yet!

Review: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Ten Things We DId (and Probably Shouldn't Have)

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

My Thoughts: This genre is a little bit outside of the realm of my normal Paranomal/Fantasy preference, but not an uncommon genre for me to read. When I originally read the summary I was super excited to read the book - it sounded like a hilarious blast. I was prepped for hilarity, stupidity and a bunch of one-liners. Well, stupidity I got.

April's parents are divorced. Her Mom lives in Paris with her new husband and her brother Michael and she lives with her Dad and her new step-Mom Penny. When April's Dad accepts a better job in a new state (conveniently Penny's home state, near her parents), April is devastated and refuses to leave her life, friends and boyfriend behind on a whim. She somehow manages to convince her Dad (who gave her a 10 PM curfew) to let her move in with a friend and her Mom - who he had only spoken to through email.

April liked to pretend that she was independent, but it becomes abundantly clear that she was sheltered when she didn't know how to operate the dishwasher and had never gone on a grocery shopping trip. She spends the money her father gives her for necessities and rent on frivolities (a hot tub, really?). She has a long-term boyfriend that is acting super strange and seems to be avoiding sex with her like the plague, despite being all for it previously. On top of that, they have huge parties and decide to skip school. Their place quickly becomes a hang-out.

I didn't mind this novel up until almost the very end. For everything these girls did and all of the lies they weaved, I was expecting a major climatic situation - which didn't happen. Not in the slightest. We had a small climatic scene, but it was hardly what I would call a resolution or even a conflict. The ending seemed quick, didn't tie up any loose ends and was incredibly open-ended. I felt like I worked through the novel for absolutely nothing.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this book unless someone was just looking for something to fill the time. It was anti-climatic and, I don't know, I just didn't really enjoy it all that much. What did you guys think of it?