The Retribution of Mara Dyer question

I certainly enjoyed it enough to race to the finish, but I agree that it was sort of underwhelming! When I first started Unbecoming I thought it was almost too teeny-bopperish (i.e. totally hot guy falls for broken, introverted girl etc. etc.) but it picked up around the halfway mark and by the end I was totally hooked. I really enjoyed book 2 as well. But then... Noah was missing from way too much of book 3, and like others have said, Mara came off flat to me. I understand why, but I didn't like it (thank God for Jamie!) It's as though the actual evolution of Mara Dyer was Hodkin's growing literary pretension. She's obviously a talented writer, but this final installment felt detached from the previous ones, and as though Hodkin's main goal was to toss as much at the reader as possible so we would be entrenched enough in the minutia to forget that this whole thing started as a YA series. The super flowery sex scene was kind of the icing on the cake that just didn't do it for me. Rose and umbre, anyone? ALL THAT SAID, I still enjoyed the read well enough. I guess I just wished Hodkin hadn't felt the need to show off quite so much.

I disagree,
This book was everything it was supposed to be.
I love Noah with all my heart but him being gone half the book was kind of the point, Mara evolved without Noah by her side every minute and became such a strong woman.
It also answered all of my questions and left me open mouthed half the time,
This book was,in my opinion, one of the greatest conclusions I have ever read.

I'm totally with you! Finally I found someone who feel the same.
I don't know whether the other readers just love it blindly or what. This final book is a disappointment for me :(

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the problem I have with the book is that it's too common (for the lack of a better word). And what I mean be that is the first two books were one of a kind and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was as if Hodkin had set me on a roller coaster I have never been on before. The last book though. . . Hodkin placed me on a roller coaster I've been on hundreds of times, one where I knew what was coming. Now, from time to time I like to be on that roller coaster but after the first roller coaster the last seemed. . . well, childish.

Don't get me wrong, I did like the book, it made me laugh, it made me cry. But I knew where she was going with it and I didn't want her to. I know this sounds ridiculous because I love Mara/Noah but something tells me it would have been better if one of them DID actually die (horrible I know) or failing that, they did actually part ways in order to think about something other than themselves. I felt like staying together was the selfish cowards way out. Plus there were so many unanswered questions that we'll never have answered now. Still, it was really good in some ways and I did enjoy it a lot. I just wish the ending wasn't so damned soppy, I prepared myself for heartbreak.

I totally agree. When I started to read this book it was like I was reading a book that belonged to a completely different series. I recognized the characters but Mara was just sooo different. I put it off that she was just "manifesting". Later, I was waiting for this big reunion with she and Noah but all we got were more and more questions. I mean I want them to be together but I do not want Noah to die because of their relationship. Or is that not right, will he die? See more questions.

Disagree. Sorry! I felt it was everything that I wanted, albeit the whole dying coming back dying coming back. Also, for everyone complaining about unanswered questions, that was done 100% intentionally by Michelle, so if you don't understand something that's how its suppose to be.

I too was underwhelmed. I LOVED the first two because you never really knew what was going on. Does she really have powers or is she just crazy? If crazy, is she naturally crazy or are doctors pumping her full of drugs to make her go crazy, etc. I kept hoping for a twist in the final book that never came. The reveal was at the beginning and nothing new or unexpected happened. Then I didn't like how they mixed metaphysics and science. "It's her genes BUT it's also magical that the genes only manifest in one person in each bloodline at a time, once you die it magically menifests in another person and it will make archtypes out of these people. Your genes make you a shadow and his make him a hero. He must kill you to end the cycle. No one will manifest, no one will have these genes if he does so." WTF? LAME. Finally, I didn't like the relationship between Noah and Mara in this one. The chemistry they had in the first two I just wasn't picking up on in this one. You don't see Noah until the book is almost over and what should have occurred over 10 chapters was smooshed into a few and felt hollow in the process. Just going through the motions.

I really didn't know anything about the series when I first read it. My niece recommended it to me, so I just picked it up. The first two books really kept me interested and wondering - I didn't know this was in the paranormal category, so it was really interesting and kept me engaged.

The third one, however, felt like the author had to finish the trilogy but didn't really know how to do it. The tone was completely different as were the characters. Noah was my favorite character (my third favorite novel boyfriend behind Augustus from TFIOS and Peeta from The Hunger Games), and he's not even in it for most of the book. Mara changed, but not in the evolution that is told to us. She's just different for no real reason.

I enjoyed the trilogy, but the third book could have and should have been much better. So disappointing.

I somehow agree and disagree. Agree because I felt like something is lacking in the ending of the book and that I kinda expected the biggest finale ever. And after reading the book I felt super empty, maybe because the book ended and I wanted more because the story was so good or maybe because the ending didn't do much as a closer on me. but that never really stops me from appreciating the book.

Disagree, because they deserve that ending. I know the ending is too sweet and romantic but they deserve that ending after all they've been through. I mean look, they've been through a lot of hell and you expect them to be traumatized and not okay in the end? That wouldn't be great. They deserve a happy (or in this case, peaceful) ending. It's actually right that michelle ended it that way.

P.S I still love the trilogy so much and madness

Yep totally agree. There we so many questions and I thought OMG its all going to come together in this awesome finale but no. Its all going to make sense and fit perfectly and be so clever and then...no. It was rushed. So many unanswered questions. Things didnt fit together and made no sense at times. And I was so over Noah be gone. I probably rated it as high as I did because I wanted to love it so much and I love Noah so much but I cant lie and say I wasnt disappointed. The most redeeming quality though was the banter between Noah, Mara and Jamie was hilarious. I think more so than the other books.

Agree! I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt disappointed.