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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I could have gone my whole life without reading this. I am so disappointed. Noah Shaw is one of my favorite YA male leads so I was stoked for this book. I wish the author stopped after the Mars Dyer trilogy 😔
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
☆☆½
I found a lot of this book boring like I didn’t really care about the plot but holy shit chapter 46 and that epilogue saved it kinda for me, the only reason i’m not rating it lower is because the ending.
I found a lot of this book boring like I didn’t really care about the plot but holy shit chapter 46 and that epilogue saved it kinda for me, the only reason i’m not rating it lower is because the ending.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book really seems to be a hit-or-miss with fans of the Mara Dyer trilogy but I feel it was neither? I think the reason for that is the fact that I barely remember what happened in the first trilogy: what I can remember is that I really liked the first two books and didn't have any strong opinions about the third; I had no memories of the specifics of the plot, just a general idea, and I relied on this book to fill in the blanks.
One of the main criticisms I've read is that nothing really happens but I don't feel that's a bad thing per se: a fast-moving plot is not always necessary and I liked being in Noah's head.
Many people also felt this book erased Noah's character and development but I don't believe that's really the case: we never knew the real Noah before, only what Mara saw and the brief glimpses we got in book three. When I picked up this book I remembered him as a desperate kid whose only reason to live was pretty much Mara, so I was expecting a pessimist and suicidal teenager and that's exactly who Noah was here, a mess disguised under a sassy, snarky exterior.
I wish other characters were explored more though, especially Jamie: Noah's perspective didn't add much to what we knew from Mara's. And the Goose guy was such a random addiction, he went along with everything without rhyme or reason: I think the regular person would ask more than a couple questions when faced with the supernatural. Also, Mara: she's such a grey character, with a twisted moral code (does she even have a moral code?), and I know this book is about Noah but I wish they interacted more? I get the lying, directly or by omission, because there were reasons behind that, but they barely talked to each other, it makes zero sense.
The writing wasn't spectacular either, but then I generally have more problems with books written using a first person perspective because I feel that's a way to justify bad writing: you're inside the head of a teenager so here's some teenager-level writing. No thanks. Not to say the writing was bad but I wasn't impressed.
One of the main criticisms I've read is that nothing really happens but I don't feel that's a bad thing per se: a fast-moving plot is not always necessary and I liked being in Noah's head.
Many people also felt this book erased Noah's character and development but I don't believe that's really the case: we never knew the real Noah before, only what Mara saw and the brief glimpses we got in book three. When I picked up this book I remembered him as a desperate kid whose only reason to live was pretty much Mara, so I was expecting a pessimist and suicidal teenager and that's exactly who Noah was here, a mess disguised under a sassy, snarky exterior.
I wish other characters were explored more though, especially Jamie: Noah's perspective didn't add much to what we knew from Mara's. And the Goose guy was such a random addiction, he went along with everything without rhyme or reason: I think the regular person would ask more than a couple questions when faced with the supernatural. Also, Mara: she's such a grey character, with a twisted moral code (does she even have a moral code?), and I know this book is about Noah but I wish they interacted more? I get the lying, directly or by omission, because there were reasons behind that, but they barely talked to each other, it makes zero sense.
The writing wasn't spectacular either, but then I generally have more problems with books written using a first person perspective because I feel that's a way to justify bad writing: you're inside the head of a teenager so here's some teenager-level writing. No thanks. Not to say the writing was bad but I wasn't impressed.
I’m sorry what. I have so many thoughts. This book actually took over a year for me to read because the beginning was just so............disappointing? I’m not sure I totally love Noah’s voice, but the ending redeemed itself so catch me reading the next one!!
more like a 3.5- 3.8 ? so ye i liked it can't wait for the second book bc that ending ??? wowoowowo
I’m just going to come out and say it: The Becoming of Noah Shaw was disappointing. I have to be honest and as much as it pains me to say, this book was boring. It’s 360 pages of nothing as things happen around and to the characters as they repeat that they have to do something, but never do anything.
I think the problem with this book boils down to its necessity. The Mara Dyer trilogy is a contained story with no loose ends or unanswered questions. The trilogy ends with readers wanting to spend more time with the characters, namely Noah Shaw since he’s absent for most of The Retribution of Mara Dyer. Hodkin then decided to write a trilogy from Noah’s perspective since he’s one of the best parts about the original trilogy. The problem with this decision is that the Mara Dyer trilogy is such a contained story that any spinoff or addition will automatically feel out of place.
Hodkin’s writing in The Becoming of Noah Shaw is flawless. Noah’s perspective, attitude, and thoughts read like a continuation from the previous books. The dialogue between characters and their interactions are genuine and signals to readers that these are the same characters they grew to love all those years ago making it feel as if no time has passed between novels.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much going on throughout the whole book. The synopsis is incredibly vague so I will be as well. Things, for lack of a better word, happen in this book, but they happen to the characters and they do nothing about it. They sit around talking about it until they’re forced to act. Quite frankly, it was boring.
Overall, The Becoming of Noah Shaw is an absolute disappointed, especially compared to the original trilogy. The only good aspect of the Mara Dyer trilogy this book retains is Noah Shaw himself. That may be enough for some readers, but it wasn’t for me. I probably should have rated this novel two stars instead of three, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it since I enjoy Hodkin’s writing immensely.
I think the problem with this book boils down to its necessity. The Mara Dyer trilogy is a contained story with no loose ends or unanswered questions. The trilogy ends with readers wanting to spend more time with the characters, namely Noah Shaw since he’s absent for most of The Retribution of Mara Dyer. Hodkin then decided to write a trilogy from Noah’s perspective since he’s one of the best parts about the original trilogy. The problem with this decision is that the Mara Dyer trilogy is such a contained story that any spinoff or addition will automatically feel out of place.
Hodkin’s writing in The Becoming of Noah Shaw is flawless. Noah’s perspective, attitude, and thoughts read like a continuation from the previous books. The dialogue between characters and their interactions are genuine and signals to readers that these are the same characters they grew to love all those years ago making it feel as if no time has passed between novels.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much going on throughout the whole book. The synopsis is incredibly vague so I will be as well. Things, for lack of a better word, happen in this book, but they happen to the characters and they do nothing about it. They sit around talking about it until they’re forced to act. Quite frankly, it was boring.
Overall, The Becoming of Noah Shaw is an absolute disappointed, especially compared to the original trilogy. The only good aspect of the Mara Dyer trilogy this book retains is Noah Shaw himself. That may be enough for some readers, but it wasn’t for me. I probably should have rated this novel two stars instead of three, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it since I enjoy Hodkin’s writing immensely.
Review also found here.
"Fate is bullsh*t. Destiny doesn't exist. If I want a happy ending, I'll have to write it myself."
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
When the Mara Dyer trilogy ended a few years back, I found myself beyond bummed to say goodbye to these gorgeous and intriguing characters. One might say that I get overly attached to fictional characters, now more than ever, and there's just something about Mara, Noah, Jamie and Daniel that just went straight to my heart and began to weave themselves into my veins.
Plus, the overall creepy vibes and atmosphere the original trilogy possessed was right up my alley. When I heard that Hodkin would be returning to these characters--a new set of novels centered around Noah Shaw--I nearly screamed in excitement. In all honesty, I probably did. Even with that joy, I was a little hesitant and skeptical on how this spin-off would truly work. The Becoming of Noah Shaw is, of course, its own story and a truly intriguing one at that. Michelle Hodkin manages to work right back into her groove and has just as tight of a grip on my heart as she did when The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer came to be.
Because of this, I might be a little biased. It's not secret that followups and spin-offs aren't always the greatest. When Mara Dyer's story ended, we had a specific picture in our head. Each of us imagined a set of details on what happened in the aftermath of the conclusion. We had knowledge from the bits we were served in the finale, but The Becoming of Noah Shaw is allowing Hodkin to return to the roots of the story (the creepy factor, the romance, the angst) and building up a new set of rules in just under 400 pages. All of our beloved characters have returned in all their glory, but the game is changing--and some faces we knew before are rapidly changing in their own secrets and build up.
I'll be honest with you: the story starts off slow. I can't pinpoint what was wrong with the beginning of it, but it just doesn't grip readers quite like the first quarter of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It is not a bad start exactly, it just lacks that extra power that we've come to know from Hodkin. Even the dry wit from Noah, the mystery surrounding his family, the funeral he is attending, and all the new plotlines tangling into the narration didn't make it kick me in the arse like it should have.
Another flaw I found in The Becoming of Noah Shaw was the fact the angst that comes with every last reveal. I'm here for tension and mystery and spine-tingling elements but there was a lot of things that bugged me in how emotions were handled and what we were told. See, there were times when we were told and not shown.
I felt like I had a lot of unfortunate questions towards many things. A lot of characters appearing with little to no backstory or development. Again, during some revelations, I felt like we were only told a bit of what was happening and it was just shrugged off. Perhaps this was only me, perhaps it is a part of Noah's narration I have yet to get used to. I just had some sort of frustration in these moments.
Leo, Stella, Goose and Sophie for example. I felt like the inclusion of these characters to be very, very important.
Sophie and Stella we knew.
Stella being the girl who was (briefly) friends with Mara and Jamie, who escaped their "treatments" with them. She was (basically) an entirely different character in The Becoming of Noah Shaw and while we've already witnessed the changes in everyone, hers was the strongest and I wasn't sure what to think of it. Sophie, we only really knew in passing as Daniel's girlfriend--but now she is in the mix, and revealed to be "gifted" and had known about Mara's abilities this whole time.
Tension, tension, tension.
Leo and Goose are new transplants into the story. Like Noah can't, I don't get much of a reading on Leo and honestly... don't trust him. There's something charming about Goose's appearance and the fact that he ties into Noah's past and present now that he is living with him and apparently an amplifier.
Despite its flaws, I still found the story to be highly entertaining once it got into its groove about 25% of the way in. I am quite keen on reading more because I have a lot of questions I hope will be answered as the series wraps up. Especially after the last few chapters of the book itself.
Longtime readers of Hodkin know the woman is a pro at giving some serious cliffhangers and this is one of those moments. Because of the way the story ends (so! much! angst!) it's apparent that she is really going straight for the kill with this spin-off and boy, I am here for it.
Overall, it was a really fun read and has all the markings of what readers knew and loved about the Mara Dyer trilogy. A total must-have for the hardcore fans of Noah Shaw and lovers of mystery. I can't wait to read the next book!
"Fate is bullsh*t. Destiny doesn't exist. If I want a happy ending, I'll have to write it myself."
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
When the Mara Dyer trilogy ended a few years back, I found myself beyond bummed to say goodbye to these gorgeous and intriguing characters. One might say that I get overly attached to fictional characters, now more than ever, and there's just something about Mara, Noah, Jamie and Daniel that just went straight to my heart and began to weave themselves into my veins.
Plus, the overall creepy vibes and atmosphere the original trilogy possessed was right up my alley. When I heard that Hodkin would be returning to these characters--a new set of novels centered around Noah Shaw--I nearly screamed in excitement. In all honesty, I probably did. Even with that joy, I was a little hesitant and skeptical on how this spin-off would truly work. The Becoming of Noah Shaw is, of course, its own story and a truly intriguing one at that. Michelle Hodkin manages to work right back into her groove and has just as tight of a grip on my heart as she did when The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer came to be.
Because of this, I might be a little biased. It's not secret that followups and spin-offs aren't always the greatest. When Mara Dyer's story ended, we had a specific picture in our head. Each of us imagined a set of details on what happened in the aftermath of the conclusion. We had knowledge from the bits we were served in the finale, but The Becoming of Noah Shaw is allowing Hodkin to return to the roots of the story (the creepy factor, the romance, the angst) and building up a new set of rules in just under 400 pages. All of our beloved characters have returned in all their glory, but the game is changing--and some faces we knew before are rapidly changing in their own secrets and build up.
I'll be honest with you: the story starts off slow. I can't pinpoint what was wrong with the beginning of it, but it just doesn't grip readers quite like the first quarter of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It is not a bad start exactly, it just lacks that extra power that we've come to know from Hodkin. Even the dry wit from Noah, the mystery surrounding his family, the funeral he is attending, and all the new plotlines tangling into the narration didn't make it kick me in the arse like it should have.
Another flaw I found in The Becoming of Noah Shaw was the fact the angst that comes with every last reveal. I'm here for tension and mystery and spine-tingling elements but there was a lot of things that bugged me in how emotions were handled and what we were told. See, there were times when we were told and not shown.
I felt like I had a lot of unfortunate questions towards many things. A lot of characters appearing with little to no backstory or development. Again, during some revelations, I felt like we were only told a bit of what was happening and it was just shrugged off. Perhaps this was only me, perhaps it is a part of Noah's narration I have yet to get used to. I just had some sort of frustration in these moments.
Leo, Stella, Goose and Sophie for example. I felt like the inclusion of these characters to be very, very important.
Sophie and Stella we knew.
Stella being the girl who was (briefly) friends with Mara and Jamie, who escaped their "treatments" with them. She was (basically) an entirely different character in The Becoming of Noah Shaw and while we've already witnessed the changes in everyone, hers was the strongest and I wasn't sure what to think of it. Sophie, we only really knew in passing as Daniel's girlfriend--but now she is in the mix, and revealed to be "gifted" and had known about Mara's abilities this whole time.
Tension, tension, tension.
Leo and Goose are new transplants into the story. Like Noah can't, I don't get much of a reading on Leo and honestly... don't trust him. There's something charming about Goose's appearance and the fact that he ties into Noah's past and present now that he is living with him and apparently an amplifier.
Despite its flaws, I still found the story to be highly entertaining once it got into its groove about 25% of the way in. I am quite keen on reading more because I have a lot of questions I hope will be answered as the series wraps up. Especially after the last few chapters of the book itself.
Longtime readers of Hodkin know the woman is a pro at giving some serious cliffhangers and this is one of those moments. Because of the way the story ends (so! much! angst!) it's apparent that she is really going straight for the kill with this spin-off and boy, I am here for it.
Overall, it was a really fun read and has all the markings of what readers knew and loved about the Mara Dyer trilogy. A total must-have for the hardcore fans of Noah Shaw and lovers of mystery. I can't wait to read the next book!
Okay
SO
I haven't read Mara Dyer in a few months, but I was excited for this series to begin.
I'm incredibly unsure of how this started.
I'm not unhappy with it, but at the same time the amount of dysfunction in this story was frustrating.
I felt like everything moved too fast without a ton of development
I want to know more about Goose, and why the sudden introduction but without any real information, but again he wasn't the main focus obviously. The challenging part of this is that I couldn't figure out the plot, was it trying to understand their gifts, was it trying to figure out why everyone's dying. I get the fact it was an introduction to Noah, but honestly, I kind of wish she included Mara's perspective as well, I feel like it would've been more fitting. I understand the idea of this series is supposed to be in his POV, but I just feel like there's so much more missing because he's not aware of everything going on, and overall I was extremely frustrated with this and I was happy with it, but there's so many things that I would fix. But I will continue the series regardless, because now I need to know.
SO
I haven't read Mara Dyer in a few months, but I was excited for this series to begin.
I'm incredibly unsure of how this started.
I'm not unhappy with it, but at the same time the amount of dysfunction in this story was frustrating.
I felt like everything moved too fast without a ton of development
I want to know more about Goose, and why the sudden introduction but without any real information, but again he wasn't the main focus obviously. The challenging part of this is that I couldn't figure out the plot, was it trying to understand their gifts, was it trying to figure out why everyone's dying. I get the fact it was an introduction to Noah, but honestly, I kind of wish she included Mara's perspective as well, I feel like it would've been more fitting. I understand the idea of this series is supposed to be in his POV, but I just feel like there's so much more missing because he's not aware of everything going on, and overall I was extremely frustrated with this and I was happy with it, but there's so many things that I would fix. But I will continue the series regardless, because now I need to know.