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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Not as good as the other books, but I still really enjoyed it
This book was the reason that I picked up the series. I kept seeing this book everywhere. I raced through the series and enjoyed it and came to really like Noah. But it all changed when I read this book.
I was looking forward to read from Noah's point of view to see his growth now . But I came to dislike Noah, and that was not what I expected at all. I understood his flaws and its the flaws that make me usually fall in love with the main male character but being in his head changed that.
I felt the story was really slow and I would have to force myself to read it. I got to the end only to find that this was not the end.
I think the problem that I had reading from Noah's pov was that I kept comparing him to all of
Jennifer L Armentrout guy characters(because they are perfectly flawed). This was because of the relationship he had with Mara. He would be not okay with her keeping secrets from him but it was okay for him to keep secrets from her. That part got on my nerve and I could not push it away.
It was those sort of little things that come with trust that I felt was lacking. The story pacing g was slow and the book certainly did not grasp my interest. I only had 10 chapters left but I gave up and just read the last chapter to finish it.
I was looking forward to read from Noah's point of view to see his growth now . But I came to dislike Noah, and that was not what I expected at all. I understood his flaws and its the flaws that make me usually fall in love with the main male character but being in his head changed that.
I felt the story was really slow and I would have to force myself to read it. I got to the end only to find that this was not the end.
I think the problem that I had reading from Noah's pov was that I kept comparing him to all of
Jennifer L Armentrout guy characters(because they are perfectly flawed). This was because of the relationship he had with Mara. He would be not okay with her keeping secrets from him but it was okay for him to keep secrets from her. That part got on my nerve and I could not push it away.
It was those sort of little things that come with trust that I felt was lacking. The story pacing g was slow and the book certainly did not grasp my interest. I only had 10 chapters left but I gave up and just read the last chapter to finish it.
it's 3am and my mind is half in dream land, half wide awake yet incredibly incoherent either way. this is going to feel less like a review and more of a diary entry--which is what i'm intending.
i feel very whole right now, more than i have in years. mentally n psychologically, it's been pretty rough lately. typical teenage woes, but it's the worst i've ever felt and i'm not sure what to do next with my life. everyone's been there. i've felt very lost, though. i live in a town separate from everyone else, i have failed my permit twice, i need a job yet can't get one bc of my living so far away--it's a real bitch, in summary. again, typical teen shit.
i used to be that kid who gave a new response every day when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" i settled on marine biologist for some time (i'm still not sure why; i love animals, but the ocean frightens me), but one day it kind of just clicked that i wanted to act. i'm not sure what prompted this or started me on this path, but here i am over a decade later, more passionate than ever.
my birthday was 4 days ago (ironically, when this book came out lmao). i first read mara dyer in 7th grade. it was a terrible year for me. i had a crush on a boy who i thought about every waking moment; he convinced me that he liked me back, only for me to discover he was leading me on. good times. even though these two events--my blossoming obsession w/ mara dyer & this asshole fucking with me head--happened in the same year, it feels very separate. i never associated one with the other, even if both gave me a sense of freedom i never felt before.
i wanted to play mara dyer in a movie. (admittedly, i still want to.) this kept me going. acting has always kept me going. when i found out this book was coming out, i was scared to dive in. i thought it would bring me back to the terrible, terrible version of myself i was--so desperate and insecure, displayed in such an unhealthy manner.
because of my slump lately, i read a lot early in the year, but the past few months have been difficult for me to get into things i once loved. i don't watch as many movies, shows fall past me, and books don't capture me the way they once did. because of how terrible i've been feeling, i was terrified to jump into this book. what if i went back to how i once was?
i bought a few books today. i think the ride home is what made me pick it up tonight:
one of--if not my favorite person alive--is my brother. he's six year older, but i think we're actually twins. typical, cliche shit: we finish sentences, we know what the other's thinking, we have more inside jokes than i can count. he took me up north to a town we love to go shopping for the day. one of the stops was barnes & noble, naturally, and the first book i saw and picked up was this. with little to no thought. in fact, i didn't consider it much until i picked it up to read once he went to bed and i was left alone in the living room. on the car ride home, we joked around and laughed until our sides hurt. i can't even remember all that was said, but we started discussing relationships. then, our futures. then, my dreams.
i voiced out loud--for the first time, ever, i think--how i can't get myself on a stage because i keep holding myself back. "i would rather be clueless about my future than know what i want and not be able to get it," is what i told him in so many words. it brought me back to the worry i used to experience in middle school: what if they make this into a movie and i'm not old enough? what if i'm not confident with myself yet? what if i fail completely and have to watch someone else play this character i have fallen in love with? the thought killed me. i hate to say it, but it still, still does.
so. we watched some of baby driver and he went to bed. i stayed up, dog by my side, and cracked it open with no thoughts. i don't think i've ever, really, stayed up to finish a book. i know, i probably seem like a fake book lover by saying that, but i don't know. i've just never been like that. tonight, i did. it's even more surprising when you consider i haven't been able to get through a book, truly, in months. the last time i remember being so hungry while reading was during the fever code, from another series i dearly love.
now it's 3:30 and i seem to have lost the Big Thought i intended on writing when starting this review. my friend is coming over in nine hours to sleep over, rooster teeth has an extra life stream starting in four hours, and i want nothing more than to just sit. but i'm also glad all this is happening this weekend. my parents are in that town up north i mentioned before to celebrate their anniversary. i'm alone w/ my thoughts. my friend is going to be here--the first real, REAL, friend i've ever had, someone i can unapologetically be myself with and she understands--and i get to go outside and feel free for once. we'll eat pizza and watch downton abbey, i'll analyze the performances like i do with everything, and by monday i'll get to start anew. i'll be braver. i'll practice for my permit. maybe i'll go driving w/ my brother in his car, get the feel of it.
i'm of the belief--maybe because of my anxiety, maybe because of something more--that everything is destined. that you can will things into existence just by thinking it. no doubt i've willed into existence that i'll be an actress and that i'll, one day, be happy. thinking something does make it true; wanting something does make it real. something, tonight, feels right. i think i've struck some strange gold mine in my mind. i feel really, really good. i have hope for the first time in so long that i could cry. it's pretty great.
anyways. book was great. give it a whirl. ignore my weird diary bullshit. it's therapeutic.
i feel very whole right now, more than i have in years. mentally n psychologically, it's been pretty rough lately. typical teenage woes, but it's the worst i've ever felt and i'm not sure what to do next with my life. everyone's been there. i've felt very lost, though. i live in a town separate from everyone else, i have failed my permit twice, i need a job yet can't get one bc of my living so far away--it's a real bitch, in summary. again, typical teen shit.
i used to be that kid who gave a new response every day when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" i settled on marine biologist for some time (i'm still not sure why; i love animals, but the ocean frightens me), but one day it kind of just clicked that i wanted to act. i'm not sure what prompted this or started me on this path, but here i am over a decade later, more passionate than ever.
my birthday was 4 days ago (ironically, when this book came out lmao). i first read mara dyer in 7th grade. it was a terrible year for me. i had a crush on a boy who i thought about every waking moment; he convinced me that he liked me back, only for me to discover he was leading me on. good times. even though these two events--my blossoming obsession w/ mara dyer & this asshole fucking with me head--happened in the same year, it feels very separate. i never associated one with the other, even if both gave me a sense of freedom i never felt before.
i wanted to play mara dyer in a movie. (admittedly, i still want to.) this kept me going. acting has always kept me going. when i found out this book was coming out, i was scared to dive in. i thought it would bring me back to the terrible, terrible version of myself i was--so desperate and insecure, displayed in such an unhealthy manner.
because of my slump lately, i read a lot early in the year, but the past few months have been difficult for me to get into things i once loved. i don't watch as many movies, shows fall past me, and books don't capture me the way they once did. because of how terrible i've been feeling, i was terrified to jump into this book. what if i went back to how i once was?
i bought a few books today. i think the ride home is what made me pick it up tonight:
one of--if not my favorite person alive--is my brother. he's six year older, but i think we're actually twins. typical, cliche shit: we finish sentences, we know what the other's thinking, we have more inside jokes than i can count. he took me up north to a town we love to go shopping for the day. one of the stops was barnes & noble, naturally, and the first book i saw and picked up was this. with little to no thought. in fact, i didn't consider it much until i picked it up to read once he went to bed and i was left alone in the living room. on the car ride home, we joked around and laughed until our sides hurt. i can't even remember all that was said, but we started discussing relationships. then, our futures. then, my dreams.
i voiced out loud--for the first time, ever, i think--how i can't get myself on a stage because i keep holding myself back. "i would rather be clueless about my future than know what i want and not be able to get it," is what i told him in so many words. it brought me back to the worry i used to experience in middle school: what if they make this into a movie and i'm not old enough? what if i'm not confident with myself yet? what if i fail completely and have to watch someone else play this character i have fallen in love with? the thought killed me. i hate to say it, but it still, still does.
so. we watched some of baby driver and he went to bed. i stayed up, dog by my side, and cracked it open with no thoughts. i don't think i've ever, really, stayed up to finish a book. i know, i probably seem like a fake book lover by saying that, but i don't know. i've just never been like that. tonight, i did. it's even more surprising when you consider i haven't been able to get through a book, truly, in months. the last time i remember being so hungry while reading was during the fever code, from another series i dearly love.
now it's 3:30 and i seem to have lost the Big Thought i intended on writing when starting this review. my friend is coming over in nine hours to sleep over, rooster teeth has an extra life stream starting in four hours, and i want nothing more than to just sit. but i'm also glad all this is happening this weekend. my parents are in that town up north i mentioned before to celebrate their anniversary. i'm alone w/ my thoughts. my friend is going to be here--the first real, REAL, friend i've ever had, someone i can unapologetically be myself with and she understands--and i get to go outside and feel free for once. we'll eat pizza and watch downton abbey, i'll analyze the performances like i do with everything, and by monday i'll get to start anew. i'll be braver. i'll practice for my permit. maybe i'll go driving w/ my brother in his car, get the feel of it.
i'm of the belief--maybe because of my anxiety, maybe because of something more--that everything is destined. that you can will things into existence just by thinking it. no doubt i've willed into existence that i'll be an actress and that i'll, one day, be happy. thinking something does make it true; wanting something does make it real. something, tonight, feels right. i think i've struck some strange gold mine in my mind. i feel really, really good. i have hope for the first time in so long that i could cry. it's pretty great.
anyways. book was great. give it a whirl. ignore my weird diary bullshit. it's therapeutic.
This book was extremely disappointing and it seemed to undo a lot of what was done in the Mara Dyer series. The characters, the story- they're all so different and it just does not fit with the original Mara Dyer books. Noah was not the delightfully appealing, if a little conceited, British boy I remember; he's dull and his wit is lacking the sarcasm and mischievousness I remember, which is perhaps the greatest failure of this book. I found myself wishing to see it all unfold from Mara's perspective again since she made the story so intriguing the first time around. I'm not even sure if it's the fact that Noah is the narrator or that there's actually no plot to this story that makes it so boring and unpleasant. Probably both.
If I read the next two books it will be in the hopes that somehow the story redeems itself and that the characters go back to being as dynamic as they used to, but I don't have high expectations for this series.
If I read the next two books it will be in the hopes that somehow the story redeems itself and that the characters go back to being as dynamic as they used to, but I don't have high expectations for this series.
Definitely not my favorite but I will continue with the series. I didn't care much for Noah's voice or the plot until the end.
I don’t quit the game. I’ll destroy the fucking board.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
I'm curious to see where this story will end up. The events of this novel take place after the Retribution of Mara Dyer. I thought maybe we were going to be taking an X-Men approach, but I still have no clue where it's going. I will say that even though Noah takes over as the narrator, Mara remains an interesting character. I'm really not sure whether she's right or wrong (will she be a hero or a villian). There's a twist at the end which will leave you longing/needing book 2 (alas it won't be out until November 2018).
2.5 stars
CW: suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, nihilism, reference to attempted rape, death of parents, death/murder, graphic scenes (There’s an extensive list of CWs in the front of the book, but it seemed insincere. Be really careful going into this.)
I read the Mara Dyer trilogy in 2016 (almost 2 years ago wow) and I adored it. When I heard that my fav Noah Shaw was getting his own series, I was over the moon. But alas, this book kiiiiiiiiind of really sucked, sorry not sorry.
I don’t know what happened here. I’m usually okay with slower-paced books, but this had no plot. It was 345 pages of filler with rather confusing action in the last 20ish pages. I considered dnfing, but I kept hoping something would happen and save the book for me.
Nope.
A better title would be The Tragedy of Noah Shaw; all of his charm and character development were thrown out the window, and then down a mountain for good measure. In the Mara Dyer trilogy, he was sassy, snarky, a bit pessimistic, and open with his declarations of love for Mara. In this book, his pessimism completely took over and he essentially stopped caring about everything. His snark was abrasive, and almost entirely related to suicide and the pointlessness of life. This boy isn’t my fav. I miss the old Noah.
Every other character was overshadowed by Noah’s 180. Even his relationship with Mara, the passionate slow-burn that we suffered for in the original trilogy, was ruined. He got frustrated with her for not telling him everything, yet did the same thing right back. Every time they were together they were either in each other’s pants or at each other’s throats. This isn’t my ship. I miss the way they were before.
In the first 25 pages there’s an almost-sex scene, in which Mara takes off her underwear and Noah promptly passes out from a vision. Next thing you know, they’re running to see if what he saw actually happened, and it’s never mentioned if Mara got her underwear back or left them on the floor of the ruins. It’s the little things that you notice, you know?
The first time Jamie is mentioned is when he calls Mara, and when she asks who it is, Noah tells her that it’s their “favorite bisexual Jewish black friend.” What exactly was the point of that?? I could be misinterpreting, but it seemed like Michelle was very obviously trying to remind readers that HEY DON’T FORGET JAMIE IS A MARGINALIZED CHARACTER. If you’ve read this, it’s very, very likely you read Mara Dyer, so this was unnecessary. Mentioning a character’s marginalizations on page is good, but a character should be more than just their marginalizations. (Please let me know if I misspoke here.)
The only reason I gave this book an extra half star is Jamie, to be honest. He’s such an underrated character and he was put on the back burner with every other character that wasn’t Noah. He’s comical, a good friend, and he deserves better; if I trusted Michelle to do him justice, I’d say I want a book about him. But I don’t, so I won’t. #JusticeForJamie
I think that’s everything. I don’t mean to come across as harsh, but this book absolutely wasn’t my cup of tea. There’s a chance you’ll like it, so definitely pick it up if you’re interested. But if you loved the original trilogy and Mara and Noah like I did, save your time and money.
CW: suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, nihilism, reference to attempted rape, death of parents, death/murder, graphic scenes (There’s an extensive list of CWs in the front of the book, but it seemed insincere. Be really careful going into this.)
I read the Mara Dyer trilogy in 2016 (almost 2 years ago wow) and I adored it. When I heard that my fav Noah Shaw was getting his own series, I was over the moon. But alas, this book kiiiiiiiiind of really sucked, sorry not sorry.
I don’t know what happened here. I’m usually okay with slower-paced books, but this had no plot. It was 345 pages of filler with rather confusing action in the last 20ish pages. I considered dnfing, but I kept hoping something would happen and save the book for me.
Nope.
A better title would be The Tragedy of Noah Shaw; all of his charm and character development were thrown out the window, and then down a mountain for good measure. In the Mara Dyer trilogy, he was sassy, snarky, a bit pessimistic, and open with his declarations of love for Mara. In this book, his pessimism completely took over and he essentially stopped caring about everything. His snark was abrasive, and almost entirely related to suicide and the pointlessness of life. This boy isn’t my fav. I miss the old Noah.
Every other character was overshadowed by Noah’s 180. Even his relationship with Mara, the passionate slow-burn that we suffered for in the original trilogy, was ruined. He got frustrated with her for not telling him everything, yet did the same thing right back. Every time they were together they were either in each other’s pants or at each other’s throats. This isn’t my ship. I miss the way they were before.
In the first 25 pages there’s an almost-sex scene, in which Mara takes off her underwear and Noah promptly passes out from a vision. Next thing you know, they’re running to see if what he saw actually happened, and it’s never mentioned if Mara got her underwear back or left them on the floor of the ruins. It’s the little things that you notice, you know?
The first time Jamie is mentioned is when he calls Mara, and when she asks who it is, Noah tells her that it’s their “favorite bisexual Jewish black friend.” What exactly was the point of that?? I could be misinterpreting, but it seemed like Michelle was very obviously trying to remind readers that HEY DON’T FORGET JAMIE IS A MARGINALIZED CHARACTER. If you’ve read this, it’s very, very likely you read Mara Dyer, so this was unnecessary. Mentioning a character’s marginalizations on page is good, but a character should be more than just their marginalizations. (Please let me know if I misspoke here.)
The only reason I gave this book an extra half star is Jamie, to be honest. He’s such an underrated character and he was put on the back burner with every other character that wasn’t Noah. He’s comical, a good friend, and he deserves better; if I trusted Michelle to do him justice, I’d say I want a book about him. But I don’t, so I won’t. #JusticeForJamie
I think that’s everything. I don’t mean to come across as harsh, but this book absolutely wasn’t my cup of tea. There’s a chance you’ll like it, so definitely pick it up if you’re interested. But if you loved the original trilogy and Mara and Noah like I did, save your time and money.
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
I really liked the book but it just got really confusing in between and then I had to reread Mara Dyer. I love, love my baby Noah Shaw. But I felt like I needed more Madness in this series — you know them really talking and pouring their hearts out to each other as they used to, because we weren’t really getting anything from Mara until the very end of the book.