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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I made a calculated decision when I finished the Mara Dyer Trilogy. I decided that I would not read The Shaw Confessions. I liked where the first trilogy ended and didn’t want to spoil it. But I changed my mind. Because I still had so many questions. And I wanted answers.
I had an idea of where the storyline was going to go because in considering not continuing, I pondered several outcomes.
Put a group of people together and you will create conflict.
Make them teenagers who posses powers which they are still trying to figure out, and you get tension.
Connect them through shared experience and you get betrayal.
It was written in the stars.
Of course there was only ever going to be one outcome: it would get darker.
I think a lot of the negative reviews that I have read for The Becoming Of Noah Shaw are not deserved. This is a great book, a real page turner. And I think that that the nature of the “companion trilogy” might have confused some readers. This is a book which allows the same story to continue being told, in a different way. It’s still true to the characters, it’s still Michelle Hodkin’s voice underneath every other voice. It still feels like the same world. Because it is.
This book has less action - yes. The action it does have rises more steadily, more slowly, but that is no discredit to it at all.
This book is more psychological, more brains than brawn. This is completely justified by the need for answers and explanations - often lengthy explanations - as the plot continues to thicken. It is not boring at all, if anything it is less mindless (that is more mindful) than the other books.
With the psychological aspect comes a lot more dialogue, opening up a whole new plane of possibilities. You can read into what the characters say, the doublespeak, the nuances of their language. More hidden secrets. I really enjoyed the dialogue.
The starkest difference in The Becoming Of Noah Shaw is that it is written from Noah’s perspective. Naturally, the writing comes across as more snarky and sarcastic. Because it’s Noah. Characters like Jamie for instance, are presented differently as they are seen through the eyes of Noah. It wouldn’t make sense for it to be otherwise - for Jamie to be as wisecrackey and droll as Mara experiences him.
Likewise, Mara appears in a different light - not only because she has gone through an evolution by the end of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, but because we are seeing her through someone else’s eyes, no longer from within. Hence, it is not that Mara and the others are paled, it is that Noah is brought into sharper focus - which is a total treat.
We finally get to see what we had only had glimpses of before, under his cool exterior. We get to see what Noah is thinking. That is a reason to read if ever I saw one.
It ventures even darker than the Mara trilogy, and it takes a much more mature turn with the themes it delves into.
There is a trigger warning at the start of this book - essentially a caution that everything which takes place in this book is a potential trigger. That is true, but it is also important not to shy away from the important issues it raises. Issues that are as pertinent to normal everyday teens as they are to the characters in this book. Namely suicide and self-harm. These issues, importantly, are not shied away from but are addressed directly, and continue to be something the characters struggle through.
For a fantasy book, this is disturbingly true to life. The characters are very real and behave like people in the real world. The relationships are all to recognisable.
This book gets to a really dark place - but that was the only way this was ever going to go.
The Becoming Of Noah Shaw did answer all my questions, but it also presented more, as any good author will do to their characters, Michelle Hodkins doesn’t give them a break.
I had an idea of where the storyline was going to go because in considering not continuing, I pondered several outcomes.
Put a group of people together and you will create conflict.
Make them teenagers who posses powers which they are still trying to figure out, and you get tension.
Connect them through shared experience and you get betrayal.
It was written in the stars.
Of course there was only ever going to be one outcome: it would get darker.
I think a lot of the negative reviews that I have read for The Becoming Of Noah Shaw are not deserved. This is a great book, a real page turner. And I think that that the nature of the “companion trilogy” might have confused some readers. This is a book which allows the same story to continue being told, in a different way. It’s still true to the characters, it’s still Michelle Hodkin’s voice underneath every other voice. It still feels like the same world. Because it is.
This book has less action - yes. The action it does have rises more steadily, more slowly, but that is no discredit to it at all.
This book is more psychological, more brains than brawn. This is completely justified by the need for answers and explanations - often lengthy explanations - as the plot continues to thicken. It is not boring at all, if anything it is less mindless (that is more mindful) than the other books.
With the psychological aspect comes a lot more dialogue, opening up a whole new plane of possibilities. You can read into what the characters say, the doublespeak, the nuances of their language. More hidden secrets. I really enjoyed the dialogue.
The starkest difference in The Becoming Of Noah Shaw is that it is written from Noah’s perspective. Naturally, the writing comes across as more snarky and sarcastic. Because it’s Noah. Characters like Jamie for instance, are presented differently as they are seen through the eyes of Noah. It wouldn’t make sense for it to be otherwise - for Jamie to be as wisecrackey and droll as Mara experiences him.
Likewise, Mara appears in a different light - not only because she has gone through an evolution by the end of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, but because we are seeing her through someone else’s eyes, no longer from within. Hence, it is not that Mara and the others are paled, it is that Noah is brought into sharper focus - which is a total treat.
We finally get to see what we had only had glimpses of before, under his cool exterior. We get to see what Noah is thinking. That is a reason to read if ever I saw one.
It ventures even darker than the Mara trilogy, and it takes a much more mature turn with the themes it delves into.
There is a trigger warning at the start of this book - essentially a caution that everything which takes place in this book is a potential trigger. That is true, but it is also important not to shy away from the important issues it raises. Issues that are as pertinent to normal everyday teens as they are to the characters in this book. Namely suicide and self-harm. These issues, importantly, are not shied away from but are addressed directly, and continue to be something the characters struggle through.
For a fantasy book, this is disturbingly true to life. The characters are very real and behave like people in the real world. The relationships are all to recognisable.
This book gets to a really dark place - but that was the only way this was ever going to go.
The Becoming Of Noah Shaw did answer all my questions, but it also presented more, as any good author will do to their characters, Michelle Hodkins doesn’t give them a break.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
surprisingly, a quick read. As a super fan of the Mara Dyer trilogy, I couldn’t wait to devour this, however, it didn’t meet expectations. It’s like the Hunger Games, I would be happy for it to have finished on The Retribution. The first instalment of the Noah Shaw trilogy felt forced, unnecessary, and to be honest, I would’ve preferred it as a novella, a collection of stories after the events, rather than a drawn out suicide mystery.
(the mara dyer fan inside of me feels guilty for not liking this book)
(the mara dyer fan inside of me feels guilty for not liking this book)
2.5 stars.
The disappointment of the year. No, really. I was SO excited for this book to come out—I waited so long for it! I couldn’t wait to reabsorb the creepiness and the plot twists and everything.
This book was not what I wanted.
Either my reading tastes have changed SUPER drastically (I don’t really think so), or this book just wasn’t good. First of all, it was overly vulgar, and overly explicit and sexual. It didn’t even mean anything because something either disgusting or supposedly “hot” was happening all the time, and I just ended up becoming desensitized and annoyed by it. There was no real plot, and I only kept reading because I wanted a plot twist at the end and I didn’t want to DNF it. I have to say, it was addicting as always, but instead of being intrigued, I just wanted to get it over with.
I was super confused the entire book, since Hodkin didn’t do a very good job of reminding us what had happened in previous books, and nothing really happened in this book anyway. I mean, I remember the Mara Dyer books as being vague, but nothing made SENSE in this one. Did Mara actually force people to kill themselves? And if she did, I mean, WHY? There was no reason to anything; it just happened and it was useless and grotesque. Basically, all the violence and the sex was pointless. I didn’t see any motive for anything, and quite honestly, this book made my head hurt.
Another part I despised was how the author used suicide/mental illness/self-harm so freely. She literally used suicide as a plot device! And with no motive! Yea yea there’s a trigger warning in the beginning of the book, but really? It was so unnecessary; and I hated how it didn’t even mean anything. The book ended unclear, which I’d be fine with, but there are some things you have to explain, and this was one of them.
I have so many more complaints, but all I want to say now is that I wish I had loved this more. Sadly, the best part of the book was the last 50 pages, and I don’t think it was worth reading the rest of the 300+ pages for that. Giving it an extra 0.5 stars purely for the ending (I liked the cliffhanger) and because of my nostalgia for the old books. Not sure if I’ll continue the series, but we’ll see.
"...which she describes as strange and twisted and fun."
Sounds like the typical Michelle Hodkin book. But I'm excited. And why did I learn about this just now?!
The disappointment of the year. No, really. I was SO excited for this book to come out—I waited so long for it! I couldn’t wait to reabsorb the creepiness and the plot twists and everything.
This book was not what I wanted.
Either my reading tastes have changed SUPER drastically (I don’t really think so), or this book just wasn’t good. First of all, it was overly vulgar, and overly explicit and sexual. It didn’t even mean anything because something either disgusting or supposedly “hot” was happening all the time, and I just ended up becoming desensitized and annoyed by it. There was no real plot, and I only kept reading because I wanted a plot twist at the end and I didn’t want to DNF it. I have to say, it was addicting as always, but instead of being intrigued, I just wanted to get it over with.
I was super confused the entire book, since Hodkin didn’t do a very good job of reminding us what had happened in previous books, and nothing really happened in this book anyway. I mean, I remember the Mara Dyer books as being vague, but nothing made SENSE in this one. Did Mara actually force people to kill themselves? And if she did, I mean, WHY? There was no reason to anything; it just happened and it was useless and grotesque. Basically, all the violence and the sex was pointless. I didn’t see any motive for anything, and quite honestly, this book made my head hurt.
Another part I despised was how the author used suicide/mental illness/self-harm so freely. She literally used suicide as a plot device! And with no motive! Yea yea there’s a trigger warning in the beginning of the book, but really? It was so unnecessary; and I hated how it didn’t even mean anything. The book ended unclear, which I’d be fine with, but there are some things you have to explain, and this was one of them.
I have so many more complaints, but all I want to say now is that I wish I had loved this more. Sadly, the best part of the book was the last 50 pages, and I don’t think it was worth reading the rest of the 300+ pages for that. Giving it an extra 0.5 stars purely for the ending (I liked the cliffhanger) and because of my nostalgia for the old books. Not sure if I’ll continue the series, but we’ll see.
"...which she describes as strange and twisted and fun."
Sounds like the typical Michelle Hodkin book. But I'm excited. And why did I learn about this just now?!
I’m so glad this series is continuing with Noah Shaw’s story. The Mara Dyer trilogy was only the beginning. Their story progresses a lot in this book.
Though Noah was one of the main characters in the Mara Dyer trilogy, he still remained a mystery. That series was narrated by Mara, so we only got to see her perspective. This book was narrated by Noah, so we got an inside look at what it’s like to be Noah. He is very distinct and different from Mara. Mara becomes the mysterious figure in this book.
I’ve flown through each of these books. I can read them in just a couple of hours. I can’t say too much without giving away the ending, but it was a fast-paced story! Also, there is a page with trigger warnings at the beginning. However, if you’re familiar with this series, you know that just about anything bad that can happen to a person happens in these books, including torture and suicide. The page turns into a bit of a joke, because if you can’t read about these subjects, this series is definitely not for you.
I loved the cliffhanger ending! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Though Noah was one of the main characters in the Mara Dyer trilogy, he still remained a mystery. That series was narrated by Mara, so we only got to see her perspective. This book was narrated by Noah, so we got an inside look at what it’s like to be Noah. He is very distinct and different from Mara. Mara becomes the mysterious figure in this book.
I’ve flown through each of these books. I can read them in just a couple of hours. I can’t say too much without giving away the ending, but it was a fast-paced story! Also, there is a page with trigger warnings at the beginning. However, if you’re familiar with this series, you know that just about anything bad that can happen to a person happens in these books, including torture and suicide. The page turns into a bit of a joke, because if you can’t read about these subjects, this series is definitely not for you.
I loved the cliffhanger ending! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Trigger warning for discussion of suicidal ideation, self-harm, and mental illness. Oh, and there's a warning at the beginning of the book, too, so definitely pay attention to that if you have triggers.
Confession time: it's been a while since I read the original Mara Dyer trilogy, and I can't remember it very well, so definitely chalk up some of my confusion to that, though I don't think it has much impact on a lot of the problems I had with this book. Noah Shaw was my favourite character, I think, along with Jamie, so knowing that both of them were coming back - and that Noah was headlining this series - was really exciting to me.
Things I really loved: Noah's voice. He's bitter and dark and sarcastic, and unapologetically so, and I could relate to him a lot (which is probably a bad thing, as Noah is ... really quite unhealthy. But Michelle Hodkin described suicidal ideation really well. Unfortunately, a lot of other things were handled ... not quite as well. fairly badly, in fact.Honestly, I just read the book for Noah and Jamie, because they were the two most well-written characters in the book. Jamie is a good break from the Noah and Mara Show and all the turmoil and angst surrounding them. He's definitely the most fun character, but he also has depth to him. Mara was all right - I do love good antiheroes - but I just did not feel any connection between her and Noah at all, even though the book was supposedly about them. Seeing Mara through Noah's eyes was really interesting because he definitely idolizes and romanticises her, but I was really frustrated by it sometimes.
I really was expecting more to happen in this book, plot-wise, but it was ... very slow and boring, for the most part, and I wanted to find out more about Noah that I wasn't getting in this book (but I suppose this is a trilogy). Again, a lot of focus was on Mara and Noah's relationship, but I felt like the book got started ... right at the end. So much of it could have been cut out. Obviously, I don't know what Hodkin has planned for the next books but I feel like it could easily be a duology.
The big problem I had with The Becoming of Noah Shaw, though, was the romanticisation of mental illness throughout a lot of the story - and, well, through the series too. A lot of it was awful and skewed, such as when Noah tells Mara, "You're my favourite form of self-harm." After a scene where Mara. And that left me absolutely dismayed, because one of the things I know about self-harm intervention is that you're not supposed to make relapses a big deal. People around you are not supposed to make relapses a big deal. How Mara dealt with it was infuriating. And Noah's response was too. That's the big one, but really, this problem is prevalent throughout the entire book.
Confession time: it's been a while since I read the original Mara Dyer trilogy, and I can't remember it very well, so definitely chalk up some of my confusion to that, though I don't think it has much impact on a lot of the problems I had with this book. Noah Shaw was my favourite character, I think, along with Jamie, so knowing that both of them were coming back - and that Noah was headlining this series - was really exciting to me.
Things I really loved: Noah's voice. He's bitter and dark and sarcastic, and unapologetically so, and I could relate to him a lot (which is probably a bad thing, as Noah is ... really quite unhealthy. But Michelle Hodkin described suicidal ideation really well. Unfortunately, a lot of other things were handled ... not quite as well. fairly badly, in fact.Honestly, I just read the book for Noah and Jamie, because they were the two most well-written characters in the book. Jamie is a good break from the Noah and Mara Show and all the turmoil and angst surrounding them. He's definitely the most fun character, but he also has depth to him. Mara was all right - I do love good antiheroes - but I just did not feel any connection between her and Noah at all, even though the book was supposedly about them. Seeing Mara through Noah's eyes was really interesting because he definitely idolizes and romanticises her, but I was really frustrated by it sometimes.
I really was expecting more to happen in this book, plot-wise, but it was ... very slow and boring, for the most part, and I wanted to find out more about Noah that I wasn't getting in this book (but I suppose this is a trilogy). Again, a lot of focus was on Mara and Noah's relationship, but I felt like the book got started ... right at the end. So much of it could have been cut out. Obviously, I don't know what Hodkin has planned for the next books but I feel like it could easily be a duology.
The big problem I had with The Becoming of Noah Shaw, though, was the romanticisation of mental illness throughout a lot of the story - and, well, through the series too. A lot of it was awful and skewed, such as when Noah tells Mara, "You're my favourite form of self-harm." After a scene where Mara
Spoiler
threatens to leave Noah because he cut himself as a demonstration of healing abilities
I just gotta say, this book was not good. I think it set out to do a lot of great, interesting things, and it didn't accomplish it at all. First up, read some reviews about the many trigger warnings for this book, because there are a lot. Definitely don't read this if any mentions of suicide puts you off, because the whole plot revolves around that.
Overall thoughts:
This book lacked so many things that made the first series interesting. When I think about Mara's books, the things that made those books so interesting and compelling was that Mara was such an unreliable narrator, who was losing track of time, and couldn't tell what was real and not real. She had a very dark power and is such a morally grey character that she was interesting. Noah was wonderful in the first book because he was a stability that Mara desperately needed. He was someone she could trust, someone who believed her and was like her. Now, throw all that out the window, throw in a confusing and weird plot about Mara and Noah trying to figure out why other gifted people keep dying/committing suicide. Noah is so dull as a narrator. He's reliable, knows exactly what's up, and to be honest, I don't think he brought an interesting voice to the story. Not kidding, it was shocking reading this book and seeing how ridiculously underdeveloped Mara was in this book. Looking back on it, there are hardly any scenes with Mara and Noah in it where they are getting along, besides from the scenes where they're having fun in bed- you know what I mean. They spend so much of this book keeping secrets from each other, and that is not good conflict. It's just annoying, especially when we've already had three books where we've seen how good Mara and Noah are together. I read somebody else's review where they said this book reads like fan fiction, and I hate to say it but I agree. The writing is so sub-par, when it was stellar in the MD trilogy. The characters don't act like themselves, and nothing is explained. I'm going to read the second book of this series and see how it goes, but I don't have high hopes.
Issues:
- the book isn't matching up with the Mara Dyer trilogy. A lot of their powers have very blurred lines. Noah's powers specifically seem to be displayed very differently than in the original series. (Before, he was seeing people in any type of pain, and it wasn't clear what the connection was between them. Now, he's seeing people he's never seen before as they commit suicide (which is different than pain). I also only noticed this in this book, but I don't get why Noah is the only one with two powers, when everyone else just has one. Noah also is very different. He's angry, and has much darker thoughts, with suicidal tendencies. I know in the first trilogy he's described as having anger management problems, but he really wasn't. He got frustrated but didn't act on it. He was more a person who didn't care about the rules and what other people said about him. Here, several times, he was lashing out at people, physically and verbally.
- The plot is very confusing. It jumps on a short time after the end of the Mara Dyer trilogy, but this offers no recaps or explanations. It's built heavily on the end of The Retribution of Mara Dyer (a book that was very confusing and left a lot of readers with many questions). I think maybe this book set out to answer those questions, but it was all so vague, and only made me have more questions. I literally just reread the Mara Dyer books in preparation for this series and I'm still confused.
- I never understood what they were all doing in New York. There are several new characters introduced that do not add anything to the story. Noah meets up with an old friend named Goose from his life in England (which, why is he named Goose???? It says it's a reference to some kind of inside joke, but never tells what the joke is, so he just sounds like a moron for the entire book). I could never figure out how he ended up with the crew in NYC, even though I know that Noah invited him, I don't know why. He really felt like an intruder on the friend group the entire time.
- also, Noah was constantly referring to his phone as a 'mobile.' It wouldn't bother me if the word was used occasionally, but it was so many times. Seriously, this book was published in 2017 - you don't need to specify that it's a mobile/cell phone and not a house phone anymore. Just call it a phone. Maybe it was supposed to add to his pretentious English-ness.
Overall thoughts:
This book lacked so many things that made the first series interesting. When I think about Mara's books, the things that made those books so interesting and compelling was that Mara was such an unreliable narrator, who was losing track of time, and couldn't tell what was real and not real. She had a very dark power and is such a morally grey character that she was interesting. Noah was wonderful in the first book because he was a stability that Mara desperately needed. He was someone she could trust, someone who believed her and was like her. Now, throw all that out the window, throw in a confusing and weird plot about Mara and Noah trying to figure out why other gifted people keep dying/committing suicide. Noah is so dull as a narrator. He's reliable, knows exactly what's up, and to be honest, I don't think he brought an interesting voice to the story. Not kidding, it was shocking reading this book and seeing how ridiculously underdeveloped Mara was in this book. Looking back on it, there are hardly any scenes with Mara and Noah in it where they are getting along, besides from the scenes where they're having fun in bed- you know what I mean. They spend so much of this book keeping secrets from each other, and that is not good conflict. It's just annoying, especially when we've already had three books where we've seen how good Mara and Noah are together. I read somebody else's review where they said this book reads like fan fiction, and I hate to say it but I agree. The writing is so sub-par, when it was stellar in the MD trilogy. The characters don't act like themselves, and nothing is explained. I'm going to read the second book of this series and see how it goes, but I don't have high hopes.
Issues:
- the book isn't matching up with the Mara Dyer trilogy. A lot of their powers have very blurred lines. Noah's powers specifically seem to be displayed very differently than in the original series. (Before, he was seeing people in any type of pain, and it wasn't clear what the connection was between them. Now, he's seeing people he's never seen before as they commit suicide (which is different than pain). I also only noticed this in this book, but I don't get why Noah is the only one with two powers, when everyone else just has one. Noah also is very different. He's angry, and has much darker thoughts, with suicidal tendencies. I know in the first trilogy he's described as having anger management problems, but he really wasn't. He got frustrated but didn't act on it. He was more a person who didn't care about the rules and what other people said about him. Here, several times, he was lashing out at people, physically and verbally.
- The plot is very confusing. It jumps on a short time after the end of the Mara Dyer trilogy, but this offers no recaps or explanations. It's built heavily on the end of The Retribution of Mara Dyer (a book that was very confusing and left a lot of readers with many questions). I think maybe this book set out to answer those questions, but it was all so vague, and only made me have more questions. I literally just reread the Mara Dyer books in preparation for this series and I'm still confused.
- I never understood what they were all doing in New York. There are several new characters introduced that do not add anything to the story. Noah meets up with an old friend named Goose from his life in England (which, why is he named Goose???? It says it's a reference to some kind of inside joke, but never tells what the joke is, so he just sounds like a moron for the entire book). I could never figure out how he ended up with the crew in NYC, even though I know that Noah invited him, I don't know why. He really felt like an intruder on the friend group the entire time.
- also, Noah was constantly referring to his phone as a 'mobile.' It wouldn't bother me if the word was used occasionally, but it was so many times. Seriously, this book was published in 2017 - you don't need to specify that it's a mobile/cell phone and not a house phone anymore. Just call it a phone. Maybe it was supposed to add to his pretentious English-ness.
It’s interesting to see Mara from another perspective. That chick is crazy, lol.
I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of Noah. I never have been. He seems like one of those Edward Cullen types. You know, the “poor me, I have endless money and influence and I’m also drop dead gorgeous, but you should feel sorry for me because I’m so just so tortured and brooding and misunderstood” type? Yeah, Noah is one of those. I thought I would like him more if I read a book where he was the narrator, but he sounds so similar to Mara that there were numerous times I forgot that Mara wasn’t the one speaking.
I liked getting to know some of the new characters, and I’m curious to see what will happen to Mara and Noah from here.
I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of Noah. I never have been. He seems like one of those Edward Cullen types. You know, the “poor me, I have endless money and influence and I’m also drop dead gorgeous, but you should feel sorry for me because I’m so just so tortured and brooding and misunderstood” type? Yeah, Noah is one of those. I thought I would like him more if I read a book where he was the narrator, but he sounds so similar to Mara that there were numerous times I forgot that Mara wasn’t the one speaking.
I liked getting to know some of the new characters, and I’m curious to see what will happen to Mara and Noah from here.
Do I even need to read this book in order to put it on my favorites shelf?
12/26/16: yo michelle can we get a cover or release date or something
2/19/17: THE BECOMING OF NOAH SHAW. NOVEMBER 7TH. END ME. (jk don't I need to stay alive to read this)
11/14/17: mother. fuck.
12/26/16: yo michelle can we get a cover or release date or something
2/19/17: THE BECOMING OF NOAH SHAW. NOVEMBER 7TH. END ME. (jk don't I need to stay alive to read this)
11/14/17: mother. fuck.
Oh, man, this book was so fantastic! Different from the first in the Mara Dyer series, because Noah is more clear, the events of the first series have happened. But oh, that ending! So evil!