The Retribution of Mara Dyer

The third book in the Mara Dyer trilogy begins with Mara in some type of compound, drugged up and not sure what's going on. Supposedly her boyfriend, Noah, is dead, but she doesn't believe it, especially after someone - apparently Jude - helps her break out. She and her friends Jamie and Stella, make a run for it and try to figure out what's going on. What has Dr. Kells been up to, and is there a cure for their strange abilities?

I read this book practically in one sitting, which may be why I'm having a tough time reining in my impressions to form coherent thoughts. I really liked the first two books in this series, and perhaps because of this and the fact that I had to wait so long to read it, I didn't think it quite delivered on my show more expectations. Don't get me wrong; I wanted to see how it all played out, and I was on tenterhooks 'til very nearly the last page. I just thought after the twists and turns and surprises of the first two books that I wasn't quite as invested or blown away as I could have been. The blend of realism and fantasy was, for me, less believable in this book than in the first two, and I'm not really sure why. The references to literature - both pop and classic - amused me. I found the story arc, especially the ending, quite satisfying, and this is definitely a series I'd recommend to fans of teen romance. show less

damn.

this book fucked me up in good ways and bad ways and I love it. I love it I love it I FUCKING LOVE IT and nobody can tell me otherwise. I didn't even use a bookmark when I read this because I knew I was gonna finish it in one sitting. gahhhhh.

this was fucking amazing. the first half of the book had me like "what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck" and the second half had me like "oh my god oh my god oh my god". at one point I had to stand up from my bed and walk out of the house because something so "holy fucking shit" happened.

also I wanna say I was so scared I wasn't gonna like this because a friend of mine had told me that there was less romance in this book compared to the other two and the main reason I enjoyed the first two show more was because of that but I loved this book all the same!!!

ummm so read this series if you haven't already you will not regret it.

("fuck" count: 7 lmao) show less

I really don't know what to say, other than holy COW was that a journey.

Unlike the first two, there is no primary setting in this book. This lack of setting heightens the theme of instability. Like Mara and her friends, there is no “safe space” for the reader to fall back on when they’re trying to distinguish truth from fiction. While they are answers given, there’s always a voice nagging at the back of your head, whispering "but is this the truth? Is it?"

Maybe the ending wasn't as badass and climatic as I hoped, but it is satisfying: all questions that desperately required resolution are answered, yet the novel leaves many pathways still opened, giving the world life (or is this world......... our world? Duh duh duhhhhh). But show more yeah, totally satisfying ending, but I still wish it would have been a bit more.

The Mara Dyer trilogy is phenomenal, the type of series that sticks with you, and makes you question everything you know. It’s the type of series that makes me want to wave the book around and yell at strange to READ IT, READ THIS BOOK. It’s good; what more can I say? show less

I love Mara Dyer. She is such a freakin badass. Like she is so strong and she is filled with so much sass. I have nothing but love for Mara Dyer.
I just want to say the thing that made this trilogy stand out to me was the writing. Not only was it so quotable, it was chillingly beautiful. And it was real. I am so tired of YA books that refuse to swear, like 17-year-old girls swear. Trust me, I am one and I swear. I love that she acts like a 17-year-old. Like yes she is killing people and saving her friends, family and herself, but she is also fawning over this boy. And that feels real. Their relationship isn't over done yet it also isn't under done. It's a perfect mix of romance and action.
And Michelle Hodkin's writing is so captivating. show more I never wanted to put these books down. Nothing felt unnecessary, and by that I mean it felt like everything she wrote was meant to be there. There was nothing added for the sake of making the books longer. Every event felt real and natural.

I don't know if I will ever be able to recover fully from reading this trilogy!! These books truly are beyond amazing and I recommend them to everyone!! show less

"You are a girl, Mara. A girl blessed and cursed."

Unbelievably good. This one made my heart pound, my jaw drop and my heart hurt. There are so many surprises and turns and secrets revealed that I literally spent most of this book with my mouth open in shock.

This is it. The final conclusion. Mara and all the answers. Who survives and who doesn't and who needs to die for a greater good. Don't read any spoilers and don't get any hints.
Just let this one startle you. It's so worth it!!

And in the end, you never know who is the good guy and who is the bad. This book makes a great point. you can be given a good thing but make bad choices with it, and you can be given evil but still use it for good.

so here we are.

"It was just us. Two people and show more a choice."

Don't worry. I think you'll love it too. show less

This series is considered YA but it isn't in any way for the faint of heart. It is dark, often depressing, and quite violent but it is also almost impossible to put down. It has an element of fantasy to it in that the characters discover that they have "powers" but instead of glamorizing those powers, the author moves in a different direction. Mara, the main character, can hurt or kill people just by thinking about their death. Noah, her boyfriend, can heal. They are light and shadow. All of the main characters in the book have mental issues and much of the story once they realize their abilities, consists of them trying to survive being victims of experimentation and figure out how they became what they are.

Mara's character was show more unforgettable. She showed determination when most would have given up or given in. Is her story a happy one? Not really, but there was always that small sliver of hope that she would find what she was looking for and have her chance at a semi-normal future. The book is beautifully written and most of my questions from the second story were answered. There is quite a bit of blood and violence in this book as compared to the others and there were some parts that were downright depressing when you put yourself in the character's shoes. I sometimes wondered how a few of the characters would be able to live with themselves after some of the horrible things that took place. My only complaint was that Noah wasn't present until about the last third of the book and then it seemed a bit rushed. The quick, back and forth point of view once Mara and Noah were finally together wasn't a good choice in my opinion but it was a small detail as compared to the rest of the story, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

If you are looking for a light paranormal romance, this is not the book for you. However, if you don't mind a more complex but intriguing story line that has a dark edge to it, this is a great trilogy with a decent wrap up that won't leave you disappointed. show less

The first book was okay, the second book was great and the third was fantastic! This final installment made me laugh and cry and shudder.

If you're reading this review I'm presuming that you've read at least the first book and probably the second. If you haven't, continuing to read will provide you with spoilers. You have been warned.

Second Warning: This book contains graphically described moments of self harm. If you got through book two, expect those moments in book three to be more stomach churning than book two.

The book picks up directly where the last left off. It gets creepy right from the start and achieves a level of creepiness that I didn't feel was present in the last two. Some moments made me turn off the audio book because show more I couldn't stand to listen anymore. There was a ton of suspense and I spent most of the book in torture wondering if Noah was alive or dead. I felt the story was fairly believable and that the characters mostly acted in reasonable ways. I also spent a lot of time almost crying, although I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con.

I fell in love with the frailty and strength of Mara. I fell in love with the melting ice exterior of Noah. I fell in love with the quirky ways of Jaime and the way he awkwardly comes into his power. I love the conviction of Stella. I love Daniel's heart and his courage. I love how David cannot see that he has turned this "prophecy" into something self fulfilled.

There weren't a lot of cons but it wasn't devoid of them. There are phrases that the author uses over and over through the three books that I found repetitive, but that's a pet peeve. I also found the ending to be satisfactory, but I had expected something else. I feel like we received that content, happy ending when a more spectacular ending would have been to negate everything that had been achieved and to leave the reader distraught at the fulfillment of "loving him to ruins."

Overall, I feel like this might be a series that started out as a well developed ending and needed a beginning plastered to it. The sequels were amazing but the beginning was a little lackluster. But in the end I'm now a giant fan of the series and will certainly read it again. And to add in a little fangirling: Why don't people speak the way Noah speaks? The final chapter of the book is full of some of the most beautiful lines I've ever read and if people would just speak like that all the time, the would would be a beautiful place. show less