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Mara Dyer #1-3
The Mara Dyer Trilogy
Experience the spine-tingling, bone-chilling, New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy, now available in one collectible boxed set.
Mara cannot remember anything about the night her friends did. All she knows is what she’s been told: they went to an abandoned asylum, the building collapsed, and only Mara survived.
Two months later, Mara is eager to move forward with her life in a new town, but that’s easier said than done. A boy at school named Noah Shaw seems to know more about Mara’s tragic past than she does. And to make matters worse, Mara is beginning to see people and things that can’t possibly be there. Or can they?
When Mara goes searching for answers, she discovers a secret about herself that is most unbecoming. A secret that promises a future full of destruction, pain, love, evolution, and ultimately, retribution.
This paperback boxed set includes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer.
Mara cannot remember anything about the night her friends did. All she knows is what she’s been told: they went to an abandoned asylum, the building collapsed, and only Mara survived.
Two months later, Mara is eager to move forward with her life in a new town, but that’s easier said than done. A boy at school named Noah Shaw seems to know more about Mara’s tragic past than she does. And to make matters worse, Mara is beginning to see people and things that can’t possibly be there. Or can they?
When Mara goes searching for answers, she discovers a secret about herself that is most unbecoming. A secret that promises a future full of destruction, pain, love, evolution, and ultimately, retribution.
This paperback boxed set includes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer.
1520 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2015
About the author
Michelle Hodkin
20 books12.4k followersMichelle Hodkin is the author of the Mara Dyer Trilogy, which was a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling series. The trilogy, which includes The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer, was described as “haunting and dreamlike” by Cassandra Clare and “darkly funny, deliciously creepy, and genuinely thoughtful” by Veronica Roth. Lev Grossman has called Hodkin “One of the greatest talents in Young Adult fiction.” The novels were praised by Romantic Times, MTV’s Hollywood Crush, and the Los Angeles Times, and books from the series appeared on several state reading lists. Additionally, The Retribution of Mara Dyer was selected as one of TIME.com’s Top 10 YA Books of 2014. Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan, before finally settling in Brooklyn last year.
You can visit her online at:
http://www.michellehodkin.com/
http://twitter.com/MichelleHodkin
http://pinterest.com/michellehodkin/
http://michellehodkin.tumblr.com/
You can visit her online at:
http://www.michellehodkin.com/
http://twitter.com/MichelleHodkin
http://pinterest.com/michellehodkin/
http://michellehodkin.tumblr.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
May 6, 2020
Eksik olan birşeyler var bu seride... 🤔yazar ilk kitaptan sonra kurguyu değiştirip iki ve üçü yazmış sanki...ve bir şekilde sonu varsa da aslında bitmeyen bir hikaye...gerçi sonra shaw itiraflari adıyla devam etti seriye ama nasıl toparlayacak bilmem...
March 30, 2017
This is honestly my favorite trilogy of all time. There's absolutely nothing like it. The writing is delightfully chilling, and the entire series has such an air of paranormal mystery that really kept me on my toes.
July 6, 2015
my favorite trilogy besides divergent. I can't even explain how much I loved these books. the Mara dyer trilogy is so unique and different from anything I've ever read. I also adore Noah and Mara to no end. Noah Shaw is forever bae. Can't wait till Michelle Hodkin's next book!!!!
August 13, 2022
i read this books a really long time ago, at that time i couldn't get them down, i was too much into the story and the whole Mara and Noah mystery thing, but i would recommend it to younger readers because it is not as good when you read it at nineteen than when you read it at thirteen. however, this is one of my favorite trilogy and Noah Shaw has still a special place in my heart <3
April 11, 2021
Best of the best
September 29, 2017
Okay everybody, take a seat. This is another case of “Why didn’t anyone force me to read these before?!” So here I am to shove these books in your face and make you read them.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer starts off with Mara starting a new school in Florida after surviving a building collapse that kills her three best friends. Mara is understandably distraught and is diagnosed with PTSD that leaves her hallucinating at random. At her new school, Mara meets Noah Shaw, a supposedly notorious ladies’ man. There’s something about him that she can’t put her finger on, but he eventually convinces her to go on a date with him.
But Mara isn’t sure all of her hallucinations are actually figments of her imagination. Some of them are too real. She starts receiving creepy messages and photographs, and she suspects they’re coming from her deceased ex-boyfriend, Jude.
I can’t really get into any more details because it’ll be too spoiler-y.
This series is awesome because it combines so many genres flawlessly. It has YA contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, historical fiction, and more. It’s amazing, really. The audiobooks are narrated by Christy Romano… yes, that one — Christy Carlson Romano, known best for her role in Even Stevens and the voice of Kim Possible.
My review of the first book was few words — I couldn’t process it. “Wowwwww. Yes. Amazing.”
The same happened with the second book. ” Wow wow wow. Normally a second book falls flat. But that ending……..On to the next oneeeee!!!”
And the last book prompted this, “Well that ending had me SHOOK. But it definitely felt like it was dragging in the middle there. I can’t wait to read The Shaw Confessions series. NOVEMBER GET HERE NOOOOOW.”
Because *excited face* there’s a new spinoff series coming out that focuses on Noah! The first one is called The Becoming of Noah Shaw and it comes out November 7th, 2017.
So get caught up now, because there’s about to be another installment in the series! Overall, I give this series 4.5 stars.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer starts off with Mara starting a new school in Florida after surviving a building collapse that kills her three best friends. Mara is understandably distraught and is diagnosed with PTSD that leaves her hallucinating at random. At her new school, Mara meets Noah Shaw, a supposedly notorious ladies’ man. There’s something about him that she can’t put her finger on, but he eventually convinces her to go on a date with him.
But Mara isn’t sure all of her hallucinations are actually figments of her imagination. Some of them are too real. She starts receiving creepy messages and photographs, and she suspects they’re coming from her deceased ex-boyfriend, Jude.
I can’t really get into any more details because it’ll be too spoiler-y.
This series is awesome because it combines so many genres flawlessly. It has YA contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, historical fiction, and more. It’s amazing, really. The audiobooks are narrated by Christy Romano… yes, that one — Christy Carlson Romano, known best for her role in Even Stevens and the voice of Kim Possible.
My review of the first book was few words — I couldn’t process it. “Wowwwww. Yes. Amazing.”
The same happened with the second book. ” Wow wow wow. Normally a second book falls flat. But that ending……..On to the next oneeeee!!!”
And the last book prompted this, “Well that ending had me SHOOK. But it definitely felt like it was dragging in the middle there. I can’t wait to read The Shaw Confessions series. NOVEMBER GET HERE NOOOOOW.”
Because *excited face* there’s a new spinoff series coming out that focuses on Noah! The first one is called The Becoming of Noah Shaw and it comes out November 7th, 2017.
So get caught up now, because there’s about to be another installment in the series! Overall, I give this series 4.5 stars.
December 4, 2018
I'll place this trilogy in my soul shelve. it's magical. More than perfect. I totally adore it. It was too much for my heart to handle but oh i would read them again in this life cause i'll know they will always make me feel things. If i could choose one, i would choose the third one because to be honest this one destroyed me cus i couldn't stop reading it, it was like an addiction and i'm glad i am a reader and i get the change to feel what books make me feel; it's a unique feeling and it's so pure. I love Mara, Noah, and i admire Michelle Hodkin :)
December 30, 2021
Ya terminé otra vez La oscura verdad de Mara Dyer y me volvió a encantar como la primera vez. Ya me voy corriendo a leer el segundo porque el final es TREMENDO.
September 19, 2016
I started this series because the author was at Dragon Con a few years ago and I went to like every YA panel that year so I tried to look up as many of the authors as possible afterward.
The premise of the series is interesting. The main character was in a mysterious accident where her best friend and boyfriend died, and she’s dealing with the trauma and memory loss from that night. When her family moves to try to help her cope. But some of the nightmares feel more like memories and as her enemies starting dropping like flies she has to figure out if she’s crazy before she goes crazy. It promises all the comfortingly predictable catharsis of a YA novel with a darker twist than usual, and with a humanizing insight into PTSD. And for the most part, it was pretty good.
The love interest is where it first goes off the rails. He is every cliche in (excuse me) the book. Bad boy, leather jackets and 80s music, super player that is widely agreed to be the most attractive teenage boy in the county, foreign and secretly insanely rich, and the most important quality for a Brooding YA Hero - one dimensional. I’m not big on romantic subplots in the first place, but having a heroine that I respected up to this point become slavishly devoted to a hot dude she just met was extra disappointing. They even do the thing where she doesn’t like him at first because she’s sassy and independent but he keeps pestering her and she eventually falls for him. And at some point he does something she should find unforgivable but she forgives him anyway because she just…really wants to bang him? It’s set up as this huge internal struggle and then shut down in the same paragraph. I get that it’s supposed to be relatable to teen girls full of hormones and all but it’s also a TERRIBLE role model. And maybe the author didn’t want to write a role model, but I think you can write a flawed but relatable character that ultimately teaches the reader a positive lesson and that it’s especially important in media directed towards the young. So that was kind of disappointing.
Another thing in the series that got kind of weird toward the end was the main character herself. Mara spends most of the books struggling with the dark and dangerous nature of the powers she may have and how that darkness is affecting her own self-image. But at some point in the last book she just gives it all up and basically goes full serial killer. She apparently loses that struggle. It was bizarre, and not in a way that matched the overall gothic overtones of the books.
All in all it went from passable if predictable fantasy to something I was just not on board with. I’ve thought about it a lot because I really thought it was gonna work out so I was kind of angry when it got cliche and then uncomfortable. So, the way I’ve felt about a lot of guys in the end.
What I’m saying is I really wanted to like this series but in the end I didn’t.
Oh my God and I forgot the weird conspiracy theory denouement at the end, what was that? Like seriously?
The premise of the series is interesting. The main character was in a mysterious accident where her best friend and boyfriend died, and she’s dealing with the trauma and memory loss from that night. When her family moves to try to help her cope. But some of the nightmares feel more like memories and as her enemies starting dropping like flies she has to figure out if she’s crazy before she goes crazy. It promises all the comfortingly predictable catharsis of a YA novel with a darker twist than usual, and with a humanizing insight into PTSD. And for the most part, it was pretty good.
The love interest is where it first goes off the rails. He is every cliche in (excuse me) the book. Bad boy, leather jackets and 80s music, super player that is widely agreed to be the most attractive teenage boy in the county, foreign and secretly insanely rich, and the most important quality for a Brooding YA Hero - one dimensional. I’m not big on romantic subplots in the first place, but having a heroine that I respected up to this point become slavishly devoted to a hot dude she just met was extra disappointing. They even do the thing where she doesn’t like him at first because she’s sassy and independent but he keeps pestering her and she eventually falls for him. And at some point he does something she should find unforgivable but she forgives him anyway because she just…really wants to bang him? It’s set up as this huge internal struggle and then shut down in the same paragraph. I get that it’s supposed to be relatable to teen girls full of hormones and all but it’s also a TERRIBLE role model. And maybe the author didn’t want to write a role model, but I think you can write a flawed but relatable character that ultimately teaches the reader a positive lesson and that it’s especially important in media directed towards the young. So that was kind of disappointing.
Another thing in the series that got kind of weird toward the end was the main character herself. Mara spends most of the books struggling with the dark and dangerous nature of the powers she may have and how that darkness is affecting her own self-image. But at some point in the last book she just gives it all up and basically goes full serial killer. She apparently loses that struggle. It was bizarre, and not in a way that matched the overall gothic overtones of the books.
All in all it went from passable if predictable fantasy to something I was just not on board with. I’ve thought about it a lot because I really thought it was gonna work out so I was kind of angry when it got cliche and then uncomfortable. So, the way I’ve felt about a lot of guys in the end.
What I’m saying is I really wanted to like this series but in the end I didn’t.
Oh my God and I forgot the weird conspiracy theory denouement at the end, what was that? Like seriously?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2016
This trilogy could have easily been one, good, solid book. Instead it was an endless exercise in overwrought hyperbole. So much hyperbole! I felt like I was studying for the SAT.
The story could have been good. The story was there somewhere. That's why I stuck it out for 3 books. But I just kept waiting for the payoff that never came. It was just wrapped up in so much other junk it was hard to find - and it just went on and on and on with so many useless scenes that distracted from the really good storytelling.
So many times during this book I asked myself why Mara couldn't be more capable. Why couldn't she be the savior. Why couldn't she be the hero. Instead, she was just a selfish shell of a girl who couldn't bother to articulate her situation to anyone other than the hot guy who paid her some attention.
I am so tired of weak, weepy, young girls - swept off their feet by rich, handsome, mysterious, brooding boys. Mara Dyer took it to the limit, and then just kept on going. The bumbling, tentative, yet beautiful-but-doesn't-know-it girl with surprising inner strength is so over and done. Yeah, I get it, it's supposed to be us, but give me a freaking break already! And every time (every. single. time.) Mara sees Noah, the reader gets to learn how incredibly good-looking he is.
For godsakes, there is even a special birthday complete with a gifted ballgown and jewels on a yacht. You can not get more cliché than that. But you can because this book has it all: snotty private school kids; the gay, sweet, funny, best friend; and the loving but misunderstanding mother.
I was so disappointed with this trilogy for so many reasons. One book, with the meat of the story and a more empowered (not to be confused with powerful, as she is) Mara would probably a good 4 stars. Instead it gets 2 stars for the promise of a good story that kept me reading and I still think I'm being too generous.
The story could have been good. The story was there somewhere. That's why I stuck it out for 3 books. But I just kept waiting for the payoff that never came. It was just wrapped up in so much other junk it was hard to find - and it just went on and on and on with so many useless scenes that distracted from the really good storytelling.
So many times during this book I asked myself why Mara couldn't be more capable. Why couldn't she be the savior. Why couldn't she be the hero. Instead, she was just a selfish shell of a girl who couldn't bother to articulate her situation to anyone other than the hot guy who paid her some attention.
I am so tired of weak, weepy, young girls - swept off their feet by rich, handsome, mysterious, brooding boys. Mara Dyer took it to the limit, and then just kept on going. The bumbling, tentative, yet beautiful-but-doesn't-know-it girl with surprising inner strength is so over and done. Yeah, I get it, it's supposed to be us, but give me a freaking break already! And every time (every. single. time.) Mara sees Noah, the reader gets to learn how incredibly good-looking he is.
For godsakes, there is even a special birthday complete with a gifted ballgown and jewels on a yacht. You can not get more cliché than that. But you can because this book has it all: snotty private school kids; the gay, sweet, funny, best friend; and the loving but misunderstanding mother.
I was so disappointed with this trilogy for so many reasons. One book, with the meat of the story and a more empowered (not to be confused with powerful, as she is) Mara would probably a good 4 stars. Instead it gets 2 stars for the promise of a good story that kept me reading and I still think I'm being too generous.
April 9, 2015
This complete series was impossible to put down! The beginning of the first book (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) had me a little confused, but I quickly got past that and was enthralled with the story. The further into the series, the deeper the actions went and the more I had to find out what Mara and Noah (as well as a few of their friends) were really up to. Every time I thought I was guessing what was going to happen, I was wrong. I love that in a book. Predictable is boring. This series is anything but boring!
April 6, 2016
It wasn't horrible it just didn't hold my interest. I need to stop reading teen drama novels. If you like that kind of thing, you may enjoy this series. Even still, I never warmed up to the main character. Could not care less that her family thought she was crazy. And the high school boyfriend was a total fabrication completely and utterly fictional. It was the authors ideal of the perfect boyfriend: rich, kind, caring, not at all interested in sex, and with a British accent just for good measure. Completely, unbelievable.
March 17, 2018
OMG! This trilogy is one heck of a rollercoaster🎢. Like at the end of every book you're shocked and confused like legit this book messes with your mind.
Next there are fictional characters...and then you have Noah Elliot Simon Shaw who is hot af! Like I need a Noah in my life. He is sarcastic and just a very unique character 😭❤️
I love Mara! Her chemistry with Noah is amazing and its one you will remember and love for a long time♥ I cannot wait for 'The Reckoning Of Noah Shaw' coming out Nov 13th 2018😘😘
I highly recommend ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Next there are fictional characters...and then you have Noah Elliot Simon Shaw who is hot af! Like I need a Noah in my life. He is sarcastic and just a very unique character 😭❤️
I love Mara! Her chemistry with Noah is amazing and its one you will remember and love for a long time♥ I cannot wait for 'The Reckoning Of Noah Shaw' coming out Nov 13th 2018😘😘
I highly recommend ❤️❤️❤️❤️
October 11, 2016
I loved everything about this series. I cant even begin to give a review without spoiling it for everyone so I will just say that I have devoured this series about 5 times on audio. Loved it so much I just ordered it in hard back to have it in my hands. So unique and a great freaking series for ANYONE! Read this series! awesome!
November 12, 2016
When i finished the book i thought, i had pretty much wasted my time over nothing. The first 2 books are thrilling and so addictive but when it comes to the ending, I was like "What? That's it?" It was seriously so disapponting.
April 25, 2024
I finished this trilogy a few days ago and the truth is that I liked it a lot.
The book begins with Mara Dyer’s change of school after having survived the collapse of a construction that allegedly kills three friends. Initially Mara is diagnosed with PTSD that causes hallucinations in random moments. Eventually she meets Noah Shaw, a notorious ladies’ man in whom she notices something strange. From starting to spend more time with Noah and her hallucinations, the story is developing.
This trilogy has been great for me since it combines many narrative genres such as contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, fiction and even more.
My review during the first book was a few words, “oh my God, how is this possible”
Almost the same thing happened to me during the second book, I couldn’t process it.
I must admit that during the last book I was DESPERATE because everything that happened at that time was STRESSFUL and I also didn’t know at what point in the story I was.
The truth is that these books entertained me a lot, however, I can’t wait to read Noah’s books.
The book begins with Mara Dyer’s change of school after having survived the collapse of a construction that allegedly kills three friends. Initially Mara is diagnosed with PTSD that causes hallucinations in random moments. Eventually she meets Noah Shaw, a notorious ladies’ man in whom she notices something strange. From starting to spend more time with Noah and her hallucinations, the story is developing.
This trilogy has been great for me since it combines many narrative genres such as contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, fiction and even more.
My review during the first book was a few words, “oh my God, how is this possible”
Almost the same thing happened to me during the second book, I couldn’t process it.
I must admit that during the last book I was DESPERATE because everything that happened at that time was STRESSFUL and I also didn’t know at what point in the story I was.
The truth is that these books entertained me a lot, however, I can’t wait to read Noah’s books.
June 4, 2024
these books where amazing, it feels like I am offending them by JUST giving them 5 stars. THEY ARE WOTH SO MUTCH MORE. The only way I can describe these books is by saying that they remind me of the mindfuck series, the outer banks and fallen. BUT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. Also mara is such a bad b****, she wasn't annoying or made stupid decisions, but I will say that in the first book there were some cringe moments that happend to her. I would have literally died on the spot if it happend to me. But anyways love her to pieces. My boy Noah, ughhhhh why can't men like him exist. BTW I am ignoring the fact that they are both 17 and that he has slept with the whole school.
But I really do recommend it if you want some mystery, thriller, supernatural, romance and just overal a great book series to enjoy. I do have a bone to pick with miss Michelle Hodkin, cuz why is there STILL no third book of the Shaw Confessions. Girl I am going crazy without that ending. Please just release it for the fans, even if it's just a draft. WE LOVE YOU <3
But I really do recommend it if you want some mystery, thriller, supernatural, romance and just overal a great book series to enjoy. I do have a bone to pick with miss Michelle Hodkin, cuz why is there STILL no third book of the Shaw Confessions. Girl I am going crazy without that ending. Please just release it for the fans, even if it's just a draft. WE LOVE YOU <3
July 22, 2018
THIS TRILOGY IS ABSOLUTELY MIND-BOGGLING. WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. FOR MORE, IN-DEPTH REVIEWS ON THEM ALONE, I'VE LEFT REVIEWS ON ALL OF THE BOOKS INDIVIDUALLY!
THANK YOU MICHELLE FOR AN AMAZING TRILOGY THAT MADE MY MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS. EVEN AS I AM OLDER NOW, AND ABOUT TO GRADUATE, I STLIL WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ENJOY READING THEM. I HAVE LOST COUNT FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I'VE RE READ THE ENTIRE TRILOGY.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
X
THANK YOU MICHELLE FOR AN AMAZING TRILOGY THAT MADE MY MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS. EVEN AS I AM OLDER NOW, AND ABOUT TO GRADUATE, I STLIL WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ENJOY READING THEM. I HAVE LOST COUNT FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I'VE RE READ THE ENTIRE TRILOGY.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
X
August 29, 2020
There is no way I would let a young teenager read this book(s). Once again parents in this book have no idea what really is going on, even though they are highly educated. Super fantasy about how teenagers can get away which such crazy things. Oh yes, they all have some sort of supernatural power and there is always someone after them. I guess what I don't like is the lack of trust the teenagers have with their parents. Once again the parents look like total idiots or thugs.
November 9, 2020
For me, this trilogy was magical. The author's writing was just wonderful and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. It was so suspenseful. It was the perfect amount of sci-fi and thriller. The paranormal feel of the book drew me in. I really enjoyed the illustrations for the covers for each book. I would probably say my favorite book out of whole trilogy was the last one. Definitely will be reading more books like this or by this same author in the future!
November 16, 2025
Read this series a while ago now, but I remember being hooked. Didn't want to put it down, chapter after chapter, at least for the first one and second books. I believe the third is where the pacing lost my interest slightly. Not by much though. For a supernatural psychological YA thriller, this was a great read in my opinion.
September 4, 2019
THIS IS MY FAVE TRILOGY SO FAR. I WAS NOT ASKING FOR MORE. THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS UNANSWERED. HOWEVER. I'M SATISFIED❤️ I WILL MISS YOU NOAH ELLIOT SIMON SHAW AND MARA AMITRA DYER. 💔💔💔
April 26, 2020
Wow...Mara Dyer I'm your fan.
May 24, 2020
I absolutely adored this series! Bought all the books on kindle, then again in paperback a few years later to re-read. Creepy premise, mysterious, crazy cool dialogue and characters.
March 11, 2022
Never has a book boyfriend been hotter than Noah Shaw.
"Pride goes before the fall."
"Pride goes before the fall."
May 19, 2024
Best series I've ever read. Third book crushed me.
September 19, 2024
Yes. Marry me. I don’t care that you’re shatter me in different font. I love the way you are. 🤭🤭🫶
December 24, 2024
they are so endgame
January 31, 2025
Liked it but I can't tell if she's insane or not.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews