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nikki52010's review
4.0
It has been a few days since I have finished this, and I still can't wrap my mind over that ending. Holy cliffhanger. The first book was a WTF is going on kind of book, but the second took it to a whole other level.
For the most part it was fast paced and kept me guessing what in the world could possibly happen next. So many twists were thrown at me that I was not expecting.
And that ending, WAHHHH.
I still can't even process my thoughts.
__charla's review
5.0
amazing. i applaud this book
this was so good, this is such a page turner and im deeply in love with noah shaw
this was so good, this is such a page turner and im deeply in love with noah shaw
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
2.0
Part 2 of ’’Sarah is the black sheep when it comes to sequels.’’ Previously featured: [b:Days of Blood & Starlight|12812550|Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2)|Laini Taylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337964452s/12812550.jpg|17961723].
2.5 maybe?
I have a mild love/hate relationship with this series. Mild meaning that there is no extreme hate or love going on; instead I quite enjoy some elements of the book and severely dislike others.
The bad:
When you mix three so different genres as mystery/horror, paranormal and romance, at least one of them is bound to flop.
In this case, the mystery was a very weak one.
The suspense was underwhelming, the ’horror’ too in-your-face. Pointing at something and screaming, ’’Ahh! That’s scary! Look at it’’ does not send shivers down your spine.
Those scenes lacked the much needed atmosphere and tension for them to work.
Avid horror readers who aren’t easily frightened - stay away.
The plot was dragged out and some storylines felt unnecessary and too messy. The whole book is all over the place, and it actually works on occasion; everyone's convinced that the main character is insane, so it made sense that the novel itself was odd and is a mix of jumbled subplots.
Every character but one have very little personality, and it feels like they’re just there without doing any good to the story.
Mara annoyed me at times, and for the most part she was a dull, helpless girl who I couldn’t relate to.
The romance between her and Noah was intense, but her thoughts about him were repetitive and sometimes… written in a crazily obsessed way.
But my favorite half-smile appeared on his mouth. I wanted to live in it.
Why, oh why? That sounds nothing but weird.
However, she did become stronger and less frustrating toward the end. Fingers crossed that she’ll be likable in the third book.
The secondary characters are no better. This is a big crowd, too: Mara’s brothers, parents and a few other teenagers. They are all in the background, doing absolutely nothing, resulting in me not caring about them.
The good:
There is one interesting character: Noah Shaw, the boy whose name is on every YA reader’s book boyfriend list. I am an exception to that rule, yet definitely not immune to his charm.
He has a darkness to him, one that I want to know more about, and ended up being one of the highlights of this book.
I'd stumble out, two gorgeous, faceless girls clutching my waist, the dull thud of soulless house music matching the dull throb in my temples, evident even though the slight haze of ecstasy and alcohol, and I would drink and feel nothing and laugh and feel nothing and stare at my life for the next three, five, twenty years, and loathe it.
Now, this I adore.
The writing is so much better in these passages told by Noah; on the outside we see a confident, ridiculously attractive person who should have it all going for him. Ladies would die to kiss his feet, his pocket is always full of money, he can get anything he wants.
And he is a numb, broken, lost boy.
The glimpses we get into Noah's mind are small and infrequent, but they are better than the whole book altogether. He has more depth and personality than any of the other characters, is intelligent and cares more than he shows. Noah Shaw is overall a great character. I would’ve preferred if the whole series had been written from his perspective.
I’m an impatient person. I like my questions to be answered as soon as possible, if the response I get is satisfying.
If there’s a mystery in a story, I’ll need a carrot; tiny clues cleverly placed here and there, to keep me interested.
And although there are fewer answers in this book than I’d prefer, I found myself going back and forth between the theories I had, rethinking and trying to solve the mystery.
I was more curious than interested, but it kept me reading, and that counts for something.
Part of me has high hopes for the final installment, and wants it to remain on my TBR list. If Hodkin plays her cards right, it could be great.
The other part of me says, ’’Screw it’’, decides it’s not worthy of my time and puts the series hidden behind the rows of books on my shelf; the not-good-enough-to-be-displayed shelf.
Final verdict:
The good and bad were almost equal when it comes to this one, but it ended up leaning more towards only okay. What’s going on with Mara Dyer? Guess what, we still have no idea and are seemingly no closer to figuring out the answer. Do I really want to know? I'm not sure.
2.5 maybe?
I have a mild love/hate relationship with this series. Mild meaning that there is no extreme hate or love going on; instead I quite enjoy some elements of the book and severely dislike others.
The bad:
When you mix three so different genres as mystery/horror, paranormal and romance, at least one of them is bound to flop.
In this case, the mystery was a very weak one.
The suspense was underwhelming, the ’horror’ too in-your-face. Pointing at something and screaming, ’’Ahh! That’s scary! Look at it’’ does not send shivers down your spine.
Those scenes lacked the much needed atmosphere and tension for them to work.
Avid horror readers who aren’t easily frightened - stay away.
The plot was dragged out and some storylines felt unnecessary and too messy. The whole book is all over the place, and it actually works on occasion; everyone's convinced that the main character is insane, so it made sense that the novel itself was odd and is a mix of jumbled subplots.
Every character but one have very little personality, and it feels like they’re just there without doing any good to the story.
Mara annoyed me at times, and for the most part she was a dull, helpless girl who I couldn’t relate to.
The romance between her and Noah was intense, but her thoughts about him were repetitive and sometimes… written in a crazily obsessed way.
But my favorite half-smile appeared on his mouth. I wanted to live in it.
Why, oh why? That sounds nothing but weird.
However, she did become stronger and less frustrating toward the end. Fingers crossed that she’ll be likable in the third book.
The secondary characters are no better. This is a big crowd, too: Mara’s brothers, parents and a few other teenagers. They are all in the background, doing absolutely nothing, resulting in me not caring about them.
The good:
There is one interesting character: Noah Shaw, the boy whose name is on every YA reader’s book boyfriend list. I am an exception to that rule, yet definitely not immune to his charm.
He has a darkness to him, one that I want to know more about, and ended up being one of the highlights of this book.
I'd stumble out, two gorgeous, faceless girls clutching my waist, the dull thud of soulless house music matching the dull throb in my temples, evident even though the slight haze of ecstasy and alcohol, and I would drink and feel nothing and laugh and feel nothing and stare at my life for the next three, five, twenty years, and loathe it.
Now, this I adore.
The writing is so much better in these passages told by Noah; on the outside we see a confident, ridiculously attractive person who should have it all going for him. Ladies would die to kiss his feet, his pocket is always full of money, he can get anything he wants.
And he is a numb, broken, lost boy.
The glimpses we get into Noah's mind are small and infrequent, but they are better than the whole book altogether. He has more depth and personality than any of the other characters, is intelligent and cares more than he shows. Noah Shaw is overall a great character. I would’ve preferred if the whole series had been written from his perspective.
I’m an impatient person. I like my questions to be answered as soon as possible, if the response I get is satisfying.
If there’s a mystery in a story, I’ll need a carrot; tiny clues cleverly placed here and there, to keep me interested.
And although there are fewer answers in this book than I’d prefer, I found myself going back and forth between the theories I had, rethinking and trying to solve the mystery.
I was more curious than interested, but it kept me reading, and that counts for something.
Part of me has high hopes for the final installment, and wants it to remain on my TBR list. If Hodkin plays her cards right, it could be great.
The other part of me says, ’’Screw it’’, decides it’s not worthy of my time and puts the series hidden behind the rows of books on my shelf; the not-good-enough-to-be-displayed shelf.
Final verdict:
The good and bad were almost equal when it comes to this one, but it ended up leaning more towards only okay. What’s going on with Mara Dyer? Guess what, we still have no idea and are seemingly no closer to figuring out the answer. Do I really want to know? I'm not sure.
hniereads's review
5.0
NOAH SHAW THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE REVIEW. I BELIEVE HIM AND HIM ONLY. I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER NOAH SHAW. And MARA IS AMAZING!! as a protagonist she does get the hype she deserves!!
bookdevouringmisfit's review
2.0
The Evolution of Mara Dyer was way much better than the first one!!!! I'm literally making whale noises out of my mouth!! weoejdldkefajff isk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I quit! Seriously!!! I don't know if I can still make it til October!! But I have to. AAAAAAGGGHHHH WHY MAKE US WAIT MICHELLE ????
ALSO, NOAH SHAW CANNOT DIE!! NOOOO
P.S. I could not have myself make a proper review. I'm sorry. I just. Cant. My fangirl self is taking over.
ALSO, NOAH SHAW CANNOT DIE!! NOOOO
P.S. I could not have myself make a proper review. I'm sorry. I just. Cant. My fangirl self is taking over.