The Evolution of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin (2012)

I woke up on the morning of some day in some hospital to find a stranger sitting in my room.

Mara Dyer can't remember anything after seeing her ex-boyfriend, Jude, appear at the police station.  But she is sure she saw him.  She learns that she's in a hospital.

"It became an emergency situation, so under the Baker Act, your parents were able to consent for you."

I whispered so I wouldn't scream.  "What are you saying?"

"I'm sorry, but you've been involuntarily committed."

Mara knows that she isn't okay.  Her family and Noah are afraid for her safety, but while Noah believes her, her family thinks Mara just might be truly mentally ill.  The Evolution of Mara Dyer will make goosebumps rise on your arms as you feel Mara come unraveled.  If you liked The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, you'll love the second book!

Rating:  7 out of 10 stars
*language, sexual references, rape

To check this book out at NOLS, click HERE!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin (2011)

The ornate script on the board twisted in the candlelight, making the letters and numbers dance in my head.  They were jumbled and indistinct, like alphabet soup.  When Claire pushed the heart-shaped piece into my hand, I startled.  I wasn't normally so twitchy, and hoped Rachel wouldn't notice.  The Ouija board was her favorite present that night, and Claire gave it to her.  I got her a bracelet.  She wasn't wearing it.

Seventeen-year old Mara Dyer used to be a typical teenage girl.  That was before three of her friends were killed.  In the hospital she learned that she and her friends were in an abandoned psychiatric hospital, The Tamerlane.  The building crushed, killing her friends, leaving Mara unharmed.

She has no memory of even going to the hospital.

"You have to tell me," I begged, 

my throat filled with ash.

My mother looked at me with glassy eyes 

and a heartbroken face.  

"I would if I could, Mara.  

But you're the only one who knows."

Eight weeks after the tragedy, Mara's family moved from Rhode Island to Miami, Florida.  One her first day of school without her best friend, Rachel, she is filled with anxiety.  She sees Rachel and Claire, and hears Jude's laughter.  Rachel, Jude, and Claire are her friends that were killed.  She knows they are hallucinations.

She also meets a Noah Shaw, a boy with a reputation.

Mara begins to remember what happened that terrible night in Rhode Island.

I woke in the middle of the night with a scream in my throat and an anchor in my chest, soaked in sweat and terror.  I remembered.  I remembered.  The flood of recognition was almost painful.

The dream - the memory - kept replaying itself on a loop, disturbing me more than it should have.  Why now, all of a sudden?  What could I do about it?  What should I do about it?

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer witnesses the memories coming back to Mara about that night in the asylum, questions the connection she has with Noah Shaw, and forces the reader to wonder about other aspects of the story that were left hanging.  The book trailer doesn't have anything to do with the story, either does the dust jacket.  I found it interesting, but scary, the first two-thirds of the book.  The final part felt like an entirely different read.  

The book finishes with

end of volume one

I suppose we can expect volume two soon...

Rating:  2 out of 10 stars
*language, sexual suggestion, sexual inference, tobacco usage, Ouija board

To check this book out at NOLS, click HERE!

Cracked, by K. M. Walton (2012)

I have wished that Bull Mastrick would die almost every single day.

For more than 10 years, Bull Mastrick has terrorized Victor Konig.  They're now 16 years old, finishing their sophomore year in high school.  Neither one has a happy home.

Bull lives with his grandfather, Pop, and his mom.  Pop's fists are big and strong, and he uses them on Bull.  A lot.  

My pop renamed me Bull when I was five - said he didn't want me getting any crazy ideas that I was special.  He said I wrecked everyone's life when I came along, like a bull in a china shop.  The name stuck.

His mom isn't any better.

She loves reminding me that I was never supposed to have been born.  That I stole her dreams...She pretty much blames me for just about every bad thing in her pathetic life.  Like never graduating high school.  

Victor's parents don't believe in physical violence or affection.  They remind him of robots; he's never seen them hug or kiss.

Like I said, my parents don't use physical violence; they don't need to.  They've mastered verbal violence.

His mom's term of endearment for him is "My Accident."

She gets such pleasure from telling me that I was never planned.  She never wanted kids.  Ever.  She had too much to do with her life, she said.  Like travel and shop and impress people.

The only being in his house that makes Victor feel important is his mom's teacup poodle, Jasmine.  

The only thing Victor's parents are concerned about are his grades and SAT scores.  His parents are disappointed with his scores.  Even though he received a perfect score on the math, his parents are upset.

"Victor, how could you let those other scores happen...to us?  It's embarrassing."

His parents decide that Victor doesn't deserve to go on their summer trip to Europe; instead he needs to stay home to study.

Victor and Bull find themselves in a hospital room, together.  

Cracked is an emotional read about bullying and serious family problems.  It's a good read for someone who likes an edgier read.

Rating:  7 out of 10
*language, sexual innuendo, child abuse and neglect

To check this book out at NOLS, click HERE!