If you haven’t read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer yet, you may want to skip this review to avoid potential spoilers.
I usually love books in a series more than standalones, simply because I get to spend more time with the characters I’ve grown attached to. I’ve often questioned people who complain about books in a series because they drag or could have been condensed into fewer books. I always feel like those people are such spoil-sports. This series seems to be making me eat my words, however.
Mara wakes up in a mental hospital, doped up and afraid. She knows she can kill with her mind and Noah can heal with his, but doesn’t understand the complexity of her gift and how to convey to others, especially her family, that she is not crazy. The only person Mara can turn to completely raw and real is Noah. Although she’s afraid of the power she possesses and if she’ll make an irreparable mistake, causing her to hurt him too.
I feel conflicted about Mara’s story up until this point. Unfortunately, I do think The Evolution of Mara Dyer could have been condensed. Most of the story was spent locked away in her home because Mara’s parents were convinced she needed constant supervision. Noah was distant at some points, and everyone treated Mara as if she’d snap at any moment. It all felt a slightly dull and repetitive, like we were spinning our wheels, until the last 25% of the novel.
The story was enjoyable enough to read and I liked the chemistry between Noah and Mara becoming more evident in this story. It didn’t feel quite as forced as it did in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I also really enjoyed the spooky feel of the plot at times. It’s always interesting to read a story where the narrator could be unreliable or she could be experiencing exactly what is being described.
Overall, I hoped for more and wanted to be more anxious to read the final installment than I currently am. I am slightly disappointed more of my questions weren’t answered. It seems as if there are a million loose ends that need to be tied up and I’m slightly hesitant to believe all of the answers I need can be given in one final book. While we got some history about Mara’s condition through the discovery of Mara’s grandmother, there was not enough backstory to satisfy my curiosity. Usually, I find myself so hungry for the next book in a series, I devour the whole thing within in a week or two. Instead, I’m sitting here thinking I need a break from the non-answers I constantly received with these books.
Who knows, maybe The Retribution of Mara Dyer will be everything I’m hoping for and will exceed my expectations? At this point, I’m quite skeptical.
I probably sound as if I completely hated this novel, and luckily that’s not the case. I find myself being more disappointed than I expected to be because I really hoped for more. My 3-star rating seems to be a blip in a sea of 5-star reviews, so if you’re considering reading these books, don’t let my lackluster review deter you.
Ashes Books & Bobs 