Book Review: The Retribution of Mara Dyer

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Retribution of Mara Dyer is the third and final book in the Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin. This installment begins with Mara having awoken in a hospital after the events of the previous book, as she fights to find out what has happened and to finally put an end to the nightmare that has plagued her since the accident that started it all.

This was a fantastic conclusion to a trilogy that had me hooked literally months before they'd even released the first book. This is like the previous two books, but on a more intense and fast-paced level. Some freaky shiz happens in this book, and yet it all manages to be explained clearly, and in the right time. You never feel rushed, or like you have to go back and reread a section to understand what it means.

The third book in a trilogy, at least in YA fiction, is always as much about the main character finally coming into their identity and deciding to own themselves as much as it is about plot lines being resolved. This was done so well with Mara, because she has always straddled the line between hating herself and reveling in her destructive capabilities. That's not something easily resolved, and you see her go back and forth between this even up to the point of the story's climax.

I won't spoil anything else, because this story is leaving you guessing on CERTAIN THINGS for a very long time, and spoiling them would be an act against my basic sense of humanity. I will leave you with the knowledge that this novel is as full of fear, intensity, and witty pop culture references as either that have come before it, and I CANNOT WAIT to see what else Michelle Hodkin's mind has in store for us. Well done, you.

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