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The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

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About The Book

Mara Dyer doesn’t know if she is crazy or haunted—all she knows is that everyone around her is dying in this suspenseful and “strong, inventive tale” (Kirkus Reviews).

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

After Mara survives the traumatizing accident at the old asylum, it makes sense that she has issues. She lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s sister, and as if that weren’t enough to cope with, her family moves to a new state in order to give her a fresh start. But that fresh start is quickly filled with hallucinations—or are they premonitions?—and then corpses, and the boundary between reality and nightmare is wavering. At school, there’s Noah, a devastatingly handsome charmer who seems determined to help Mara piece together what’s real, what’s imagined—and what’s very, very dangerous.

This fast-paced psychological—or is it paranormal?—thriller will leave you breathless for its sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

Excerpt

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer 1 BEFORE
Laurelton, Rhode Island

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.

Kneeling on the carpet, I passed the piece to Rachel. Claire shook her head, oozing disdain. Rachel put down the piece.

“It’s just a game, Mara.” She smiled, her teeth looking even whiter in the dim light. Rachel and I had been best friends since preschool, and where she was dark and wild, I was pale and cautious. But less so when we were together. She made me feel bold. Usually.

“I don’t have anything to ask dead people,” I said to her. And at sixteen, we’re too old for this, I didn’t say.

“Ask whether Jude will ever like you back.”

Claire’s voice was innocent, but I knew better. My cheeks flamed, but I stifled the urge to snap at her and laughed it off. “Can I ask it for a car? Is this like a dead Santa scenario?”

“Actually, since it’s my birthday, I’m going first.” Rachel put her fingers on the piece. Claire and I followed her.

“Oh! Rachel, ask it how you’re going to die.”

Rachel squealed her assent, and I shot a dark look at Claire. Since moving here six months ago, she’d latched onto my best friend like a starving leech. Her twin missions in life were now to make me feel like the third wheel, and to torture me for my crush on her brother, Jude. I was equally sick of both.

“Remember not to push,” Claire ordered me.

“Got it, thanks. Anything else?”

But Rachel interrupted us before we could descend into bickering. “How am I going to die?”

The three of us watched the board. My calves prickled from kneeling on Rachel’s carpet for so long, and the backs of my knees felt clammy. Nothing happened.

Then something did. We looked at each other as the piece moved under our hands. It semi-circled the board, sailing past A through K, and crept past L.

It settled on M.

“Murder?” Claire’s voice was soaked with excitement. She was so sketchy. What did Rachel see in her?

The piece glided in the wrong direction. Away from U and R.

Landing on A.

Rachel looked confused. “Matches?”

“Mauling?” Claire asked. “Maybe you start a forest fire and get eaten by Smokey the Bear?” Rachel laughed, briefly dissolving the panic that had slithered into my stomach. When we first sat down to play, I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes at Claire’s melodramatics. Now, not so much.

The piece zigzagged across the board, cutting her laughter short.

R.

We were silent. Our eyes didn’t leave the board as the piece jerked back to the beginning.

To A.

Then stopped.

We waited for the piece to point out the next letter, but it remained still. After three minutes, Rachel and Claire withdrew their hands. I felt them watching me.

“It wants you to ask something,” Rachel said softly.

“If by ‘it’ you mean Claire, I’m sure that’s true.” I stood up, shaking and nauseous. I was done.

“I didn’t push it,” Claire said, wide-eyed as she looked at Rachel, then at me.

“Pinky swear?” I asked, with sarcasm.

“Why not,” Claire answered, with malice. She stood and walked closer to me. Too close. Her green eyes were dangerous. “I didn’t push it,” she said again. “It wants you to play.”

Rachel grabbed my hand and pulled herself up off the floor. She looked straight at Claire. “I believe you,” she said, “but let’s do something else?”

“Like what?” Claire’s voice was flat, and I stared right back at her, unflinching. Here we go.

“We can watch The Blair Witch Project.” Claire’s favorite, naturally. “How about it?” Rachel’s voice was tentative, but firm.

I tore my eyes away from Claire’s and nodded, managing a smile. Claire did the same. Rachel relaxed, but I didn’t. For her sake, though, I tried to swallow my anger and unease as we settled in to watch the movie. Rachel popped in the DVD and blew out the candles.

Six months later, they were both dead.

Reading Group Guide

A Reading Group Guide to

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
By Michelle Hodkin


Discussion Questions

1. Although she is the narrator, we get to know Mara Dyer as a character rather gradually in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. What were your first impressions of Mara? How did your opinion of her change from the beginning of the book to the end? Can she be considered an "unreliable" narrator? Explain.

2. What do you know about post-traumatic stress disorder? Do you think Mara is experiencing conditions associated with this disorder, and how so? Perhaps it's something else? Explain using specific examples from the book.

3. Noah Shaw has a bad reputation around school, though Mara sees a different side to him. Why do you think Noah cultivates this reputation? Do you think he is right not to correct other people's assumptions?

4. What are the qualities of Noah that attracted Mara? Did Mara fall in love with Noah at first sight, or did it happen over time? Was there a particular turning point that seemed to signify a shift in their relationship? Do you believe in love at first sight?

5. Mara asks Noah, “Are you afraid of anything?” and Noah replies, “I’m afraid of forgeries.” What does he mean? What does his response say about him? What are your own fears?

6. Often we’re faced with discrepancies between reality and illusion in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It isn’t always easy for us, as readers, to determine what was real or not. What clues did you look for—or observe, in retrospect—that helped you determine what was really happening in Mara’s life? Do you think the author deliberately intended for there to be a discrepancy? Is this why Mara is an unreliable narrator? What does this accomplish?

7. What does “real” mean to Noah? Consider the following excerpts:
• Noah: “I’m afraid of forgeries.”
• Noah: “No matter what, I’m an imposter. An actor in my own life.”
• Mara, talking about Noah: “And that made him real.”
• Noah, to Mara: “You made me real.”

What makes a person “real” to you?

8. Mara thought Noah's surprise tour of the art exhibit was a perfect date. Describe the ingredients of your perfect dream date, and the significance of each detail.

9. What happened at the conclusion of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer? Explain. Use evidence from the text to support your theories.

10. Now, looking back at the very beginning, how would you explain Mara’s situation when the story first opened? What did you learn, later on, that helped make sense of the story’s initial disclaimer? Why do you think Michelle Hodkin chose to introduce The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer in this manner?

11. Define “unbecoming,” as it relates to Mara Dyer.

Guide written by Catharine Sotzing, an elementary school teacher at the Dalton School, New York City.

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.

About The Author

(c) Shirin Tinati

Michelle Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan. She is the author of the Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw trilogies. Visit her online at MichelleHodkin.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 27, 2011)
  • Length: 464 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442421769
  • Grades: 9 and up
  • Ages: 14 - 99

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Raves and Reviews

"Haunting and dreamlike, the intrigue and romance of Mara Dyer will inescapably draw you in." --Cassandra Clare, author of the New York Times bestselling Moral Instruments series

"The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer strikes a rare balance of darkly funny, deliciously creepy and genuinely thoughtful. One minute I was laughing out loud, and the next, I was so scared I wanted to turn on all the lights and hide under the covers. Michelle Hodkin’s talent and range are obvious, from her chilling descriptions to romantic scenes that almost crackled on the page. I’ve never read anything quite like it."--Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of Divergent

"A clever, captivating thriller, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is perfect for those (like me) who like their heroes dark, their heroines dangerous, and their romances seriously twisted."
--Kirsten Miller, New York Times bestselling author of The Eternal Ones

"WOW. Michelle Hodkin's debut will keep you guessing until the last page--and long after."
--Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Across the Unviverse

"As spooky and twisty as it is lyrical and beautiful, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Read this one with the lights on." --Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author of Demonglass

"A strong, inventive tale."
--Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2011

Hodkin's debut is witty and thought-provoking and will have readers captivated until the very end. It takes readers through constant chaos, wonder, and bewilderment...The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer will satisfy mystery lovers, dark fantasy seekers, horror believers, and readers who have a knack for romance.
VOYA, October 2011

There are echoes of Stephen King's classic Carrie in this young-adult series kickoff...Written from Mara's perspective, The Unbecoming deftly melds alternate realities. Hodkin's transitions from the mundane to hallucinated horror are unexpected, seamless and creepy, packing the same sort of cinematic punch as scenes from The Blair Witch Project....Discerning the truth is just part of the pleasure of reading the delightfully bent reality in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.
--Los Angeles Times

"Anyone who thinks old-fashioned romantic scenes can’t move teens today will be proven wrong here. This boy will make readers swoon. The characters are real and wonderful, and the supernatural story is riveting. Expect this book to fly off the shelves."
--SLJ

"Creepy, haunting, addictive and surprisingly romantic, Mara’s story is beautiful and complex...Hodkin has elevated the teenage paranormal romance into something completely her own."
--Romantic Times

"First-time author Hodkin has paired a steamy romance with a paranormal mystery that will cause teen readers whiplash as they jerk from one plot twist to another."
--Booklist

"It's the story of a girl trying to piece together what happened the night she, her best friend, her boyfriend and his sister spent the night in an abandoned asylum and only she survived, unscathed but traumatized…And it's the story of a girl falling in love…Be careful, 'cause you'll fall right along with her."
--MTV's Hollywood Crush

Awards and Honors

  • ALA Best Books for Young Adults Nominee
  • Blue Spruce YA Book Award Nominee (CO)
  • The Flume: New Hampshire Teen Reader's Choice Award Nominee
  • ALA/YALSA Readers/ Choice
  • ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults - Top Ten

Resources and Downloads

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More books from this author: Michelle Hodkin

More books in this series: The Mara Dyer Trilogy