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A review by annettebooksofhopeanddreams
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
5.0
The more I read, the less often it actually happens. It becomes harder for a book to really blow me away, to grab me and to not let go anymore, to make me forget the entire world around me. But this book has done it. That badly that I really had to go the toilet with 130 pages to go, but just refused to go until the book was finished.
The story continues where we left and it starts quite spectacular. I have to admit that the part where they are road tripping through the country wasn't my favourite part, but as soon as they reached their destination and more and more pieces of the puzzle clicked into place that was all forgiven and forgotten. Because I all of a sudden started to see the road trip for what it really was: character building, a perfect show don't tell, a chance for the reader to form an image of Mara Dyer and who she is, who she has become.
Because Mara Dyer must be one of the most interesting female leads in a YA book that I've ever come across. She's not a damsel in distress, she's not a poor helpless girl who needs saving, she's for sure not some angel who can do no wrong. She's constantly balancing on the line between good and evil, constantly standing in the grey area, sometimes even leaning towards black.
And no matter how "old" the books already are, it's refreshing. It's maybe not really and truly easy to like and love Mara, but it's easy to feel for her, to understand where she's coming from and due to being in her head for such a long time, we do want what's best for her, even though at some point we no longer know for sure what that is.
During the finale my heart stopped about a dozen times, but the ending, that was an open ending and made me curious to read the Noah Shaw series, felt really satisfying.
I'm so glad I finally picked this series up and I can't wait until my copy of the first Noah book arrives!
The story continues where we left and it starts quite spectacular. I have to admit that the part where they are road tripping through the country wasn't my favourite part, but as soon as they reached their destination and more and more pieces of the puzzle clicked into place that was all forgiven and forgotten. Because I all of a sudden started to see the road trip for what it really was: character building, a perfect show don't tell, a chance for the reader to form an image of Mara Dyer and who she is, who she has become.
Because Mara Dyer must be one of the most interesting female leads in a YA book that I've ever come across. She's not a damsel in distress, she's not a poor helpless girl who needs saving, she's for sure not some angel who can do no wrong. She's constantly balancing on the line between good and evil, constantly standing in the grey area, sometimes even leaning towards black.
And no matter how "old" the books already are, it's refreshing. It's maybe not really and truly easy to like and love Mara, but it's easy to feel for her, to understand where she's coming from and due to being in her head for such a long time, we do want what's best for her, even though at some point we no longer know for sure what that is.
During the finale my heart stopped about a dozen times, but the ending, that was an open ending and made me curious to read the Noah Shaw series, felt really satisfying.
I'm so glad I finally picked this series up and I can't wait until my copy of the first Noah book arrives!