Review: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Published: November 4th 2014 (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Number of Pages: 480 Pages (Hardback)
Series: Yes, #3 of Mara Dyer Trilogy
Buy it: The Book Depository
~ Free shipping worldwide ~

   Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
   There is.
   She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
   She should.
   She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
   She will now.
   Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.
   Retribution has arrived.

"She looked genuinely concerned, and I'm not sure I'd ever wanted to hit someone as much in my entire life." (Mara)

   Where to start, where to start?
   I've been waiting to read this book ever since I finished reading The Evolution of Mara Dyer for the first time maybe a year ago. I must admit, it was frustration to see the release date being pushed further and further back but, in the end, I am happy because I know that it was all worth the waiting.
   I've read a lot of trilogies over the years but rarely they had such a perfect last book as The Retribution of Mara Dyer. (I'm looking over at you, Allegiant) After reading the first two books I had so many question, just like everybody else. There was so much I wanted to know and that I felt needed more explaining and depth. And let's face it, after THAT EDING in The Evolution of Mara Dyer, we all needed this one to find out if certain things were true or not.
   I can promise you that this book will give you all the answers to any question you might have ever had regarding the characters, the chapters set in India et cetera. But, while you get a lot of details, informations and background to our beloved or hated characters, there are also moments and lines that will make you burst out laughing, loud. Michelle somehow managed to create teenage characters that really felt like teenagers. They made jokes that felt truly like jokes that teenagers make. They used pop culture references toward The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. It was simply brilliant.

"I thought you were going to give it the District Twelve salute." (Jamie)

   Oftentimes author create teenage character which just do not feel like the age they are said to be, but these characters did. They were amazing, smart but also had flaws which made them more real than a lot of other characters out in the world of books.

"Before I could say anything, Jamie began writing giant letters over the words with his index finger. F-U-C-K Y-O-U. My sentiment exactly."

   Something that makes this book stand out is the depth of detail we get regarding the medical and psychological aspect of what is happening to our lovely protagonists. I seriously am not surprised that Michelle Hodkin needed more time to write this book because I am sure it took a lot of time to figure that all out and make it sound so spot on as it is done in this book.

   It was also very interesting to get more background info regarding Dr. Kells which, in the end, helped you understand what was going on in her head and how it all fit together. And I admit, I might hate her now even more than I did in the previous book.

   Mara, on the other hand, now she goes through a lot in this book. But she is such a strong character that she still manages to survive it all, against all odds, even though she might not always make the best decisions ever but it all just perfectly underlines and explains all the things that are going on inside of her, the way the "thing" affects her mentality and personality. She is not afraid of making hard choices, not even the hardest one of them all.
   Jamie is just amazing in this book. He never loses his sense of humor and he is just such a great character and friend for Mara. Even at the worst times he decides to stand with her, despite how scared he might be. I enjoyed the fact that he had a bigger role in this book and that we got to see him so much for the last time.

"The freaks shall inherit the earth." (Jamie)

   There are also other characters which I would love to comment on BUT I don't want to spoil anyone. But I can tell you there are surprises coming, good and bad ones, so prepare yourself. One in particular surprised me a lot when I thought I might have it all figured out but then I realized "you know nothing, Alice (Jon Snow)"

"I want to double-fist the shit out of this pizza" - I still cannot believe that Michelle Hodkin managed to sneak this sentence into a published book. Amazing!

   All in all, The Retribution of Mara Dyer was more than just a worthy ending for this outstandingly amazing, dark, mind-blowing and brilliant trilogy. This book had it all, all the things a final book should have: Answers, moments that will make you laugh, moments that will make you cry, gasp and shocked, happy and sad, and the perfect amount of cuteness.

   The Mara Dyer trilogy is dark, twisted and psychological in exactly the way I love and want a book to be. It will make you fall in love with the characters, it will make you feel what they feel and it will make saying good-bye to them even harder.

   I am both happy that I have read this book and sad that this is it. There will be no more.

"This is a love story- Twisted and Messy. Flawed and Screwed up."

   To conclude this review I want to say Thank You Michelle Hodkin for writing this amazing trilogy, for giving us Mara, Noah, Jamie and all the other outstanding characters. This trilogy is truly perfect and I cannot wait to see what you will write next.

"My name is not Mara Dyer."

I give The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 5 out of 5 Stars.

Top 5 Wednesday - Red Covers

   Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Lainey & Mindy. Check out the Goodreads page here!

   This weeks we are talking about red covers where I have to admit that I don't have read many books which have a red cover. But, let's see what I can find and, as always, these are in no particular order.

   #1 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
   I love this cover. I love the title and I love the book itself. Enough said.

   #2 Fractured by Teri Terry
   Somehow, normally this cover always looked redder then it does on this picture. Oh well. I really like the cover and I like that the covers for this entire trilogy are consistent. The cover fits the book perfectly.

   #3 The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
   This cover is really nice and red. A fun thing is that the spines of the books in this trilogy, when put together, form a clock which is amazing and it's perfect.

   #4 Allegiant by Veronica Roth
   Again, here we have a case of 'in reality this cover is redder'. I really did not enjoy this book but it has a red cover so it counts.

   #5 Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
   I'm not the biggest fan of this cover. I think the white US version (if I remember correctly) is much nicer but that's the one I have. The book was all right and the cover is red so it has the spot.

October Wrap Up

   Hey guys!
   Somehow the month of October was not that big of a reading month for me. I mean I bought 5 amazing books yet I've only read 2. Like what? And I'm sorry that I did not film my warp-up just like last month but I've been sick all throughout last week and so I'm not really in a state that is good for filming.

Book of the Month:
I loved this book! It was action
packed, mysterious and amazingly
written!

   Book of the Month: The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry
   Most Anticipated: The Young Elites by Marie Lu.

   Books read:

• The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die by April Henry [5 Stars]
• Frostbite by Richelle Mead [Re-read 5 Stars]

   Books acquired:

• The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die by April Henry
• The Young Elites by Marie Lu
• Die Insel by Manuela Martini
• Der Anfang von Danach (The Beginning of After) by Jennifer Castle
• Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

   ~ In Progress ~

• The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (58%)

  

  Most Anticipated:
  You guys know just how
  much I love Marie Lu's
  Legend trilogy which is
  why I am super exited for
  this one, even though it's
  fantasy...

• Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (87%)
• The Young Elites by Marie Lu (70%)
• Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (8%)
• HIM: His Infernal Majesty by Reinhardt Haydn (30%)
• Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (22%)

   I hope the month of November will be a little better in terms of reading, which I kind of doubt because November is the month of NaNoWriMo, in which I of course am again participating. But, we'll see how it goes and maybe I get some reading done anyways.

   I hope you're having an amazing day!
   Cheerio!

Top 5 Wednesday - Books you recommend for Halloween

   Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Lainey & Mindy. Check out the Goodreads page here!

   This Wednesday is all about the spooky/scary reads which are perfect for Halloween. By the way, I absolutely love Halloween with all the dressing up as scary or weird figures, the horror movies and all that belongs to it. Well, maybe except for the kids that ring your doorbell and demand candy. I don't like that.

   #1 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
   This book is not scary in the traditional sense, I think. It's rather the mystery factor that can just creep up on you and make you doubt everything and anything that's happening in the book. It's a fantastic read. I love it. One of my favorite books of all time.

   #2 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
   This book...Like, THIS BOOK! This one will just creep you out to a point where you will inevitably be scared of turning the lights off for weeks on end because this book is just creepy and scary and just. I cannot even.

   #3 The Nightwalker by Sebastian Fitzek
   Mr. Sebastian Fitzek is like way up on my favorite authors list, probably even on #1, and his books are just so creepy and scary that it would almost be a sin not to mention him and this book. It's takes the reader on a creepy and really scary journey which will stay on your mind even way after you finish reading it.

   #4 Bad Girls don't Die by Katie Alender
   This is a classical scary book designed to be scary. If little kids and creepy dolls freak you out, this is for you.

   #5 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
   Another German author that makes it onto this list. But holy smokes this book is just amazing. What happens in it itself may not be scary in the classical sense, but solely the thought that out there, there might be a murderer who might kill you simply because he wants to collect the way you smell, now THAT is scary if you ask me.

Top 5 Wednesday - Favorite Titles

   Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Lainey & Mindy. Check out the Goodreads page here!

   So this Wednesday is all about our favorite titles and, oh boy, there are some really amazing ones out there. Again, these are in no particular order, simply the five I like most.

   #1 The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
   This title is perfect. Not only does it sounds really beautiful but it also fits the content of the book like no other title could. The book is very slow and beautifully thought out, just like this title. Each time I read it I have this mental image in front of my inner eye of just this peaceful lake at night. Love it!

   #2 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
   I'm sure I'm totally original with this one but it's simply a really beautiful title.

   #3 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
   This title sounds badass, so it's just like the book!

   #4 Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
   This title is super long but at the same title really perfect. Sometimes you just cannot sum up the awesomeness of a book with a short title, so you take a long one. Some people might hate it; I utterly love it, just like I love the book and the brilliant cover.

   #5 These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
   Again, this is a case of a perfectly fitting title. These stars are broken, oh just how broken they are.

Review: Escape the Fate Live @Lido in Berlin, Germany (19.10.14)

   Na das war mal ein Abend! Und damit willkommen zu meiner ersten Konzertreview! Normalerweise mach ich sowas ja nicht wirklich, was wohl auch daran liegt das ich nicht sehr oft die Chance habe auf Konzerte zu gehen, was sehr schade ist, aber die Dinger sind aber auch immer so verflixt teuer. Da hatte ich mit Escape the Fate noch relativ glück.
   Jedenfalls, das Konzert war gestern, also am 19.10.2014, jap einem Sonntag, und ich bin mit einem Kumpel hingegangen. Das witzige war, das als wir so um 19:15Uhr vor dem Lido ankamen fanden wir eine recht lange Schlange vor, was mich überraschte da ja eigentlich 19Uhr Einlass war. Jedenfalls, genau neben uns stand der Tourbus von Escape the Fate, welcher übrigens von der Firma Absolute Touring gemietet war, was für mich interessant war, da ich die Busse die man sich auf deren Seite ansehen kann als 'Vorlage' genutzt habe für einen Tourbus in einem Buch an dem ich arbeite. Jedenfalls, irgendwann verließen und stiegen Leute in den Bus und irgendwann standen auch die Escape Mitglieder im Ausgang des Busses so ca. einen mater von uns entfernt. Nice.

   Jedenfalls, irgendwann hatten wir uns dann den weg nach drinnen gebahnt wo wir erstmal am Merchandise stand vorbeikamen, an dem ich mir dann auch später ein Escape T-Shirt kaufte.
   Gegen 20:00Uhr ging es dann los mit der ersten Vorband, die wohl eine Lokale Band waren. Down to Date war eine Truppe junger Männer die eindeutig spaß auf der Bühne hatten und versucht hatten die Zuschauer zum mitmachen zu animieren, auch wenn ich vermute das die meisten sie nicht kannten. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Bands die man so als Vorband aufgetischt bekommt, waren die Jungs eigentlich recht gut und ich bin versucht mir ihre Musik etwas genauer anzusehen.
   Nach einem recht langem umbau kam dann auch schon die zweite Vorband - New Years Day - die von einer Weiblichen Sängerin angeführt wurden, was eine erfrischende Abwechslung war. Auch diese Band hatte spaß auf der Bühne und ihre Musik gefiel mir recht gut. Visuell waren sie die typische Hardcore/Screamo/"Goth" Band, wobei ich dieses Wort nur zaghaft in dem 'Mund' nehme. Viele Tattoos, abgefahrene Frisuren und schwarze, teils zerrissene Klamotten. Beides, Musik und aussehen, passte wunderbar zusammen.

   Kurz vor 22:00Uhr, oder so in dem dreh, war es dann endlich soweit - Escape the Fate betraten die Bühne und die Menge drehte durch. Ich hatte leider nicht unbedingt den besten platz in der Menge ergattert, da ich recht nah an den Lautsprechern stand (wodurch ich heute immer noch recht taub bin) und noch dazu standen ausgerechnet vor mir mindestens zwei große männliche Personen, und mit groß meine ich groß, die mir mit ihren köpfen die Sicht leicht versperrten, jedoch war mir das in dem augenblich völlig egal. Das einzige was mir in dem Moment wichtig war, war das ich Escape endlich mal live erleben kann.
   Die Show war zusammengesetzt aus alten und neuen Songs, was für mich viel spaß zum mittanzen und mitsingen mit sich brachte. Jap, meine stimme war daher nach dem Konzert auch leicht futsch. Die Band hatte viel spaß auf der Bühne, suchte kontakt zu den Zuschauern und animierte sie zum tanzen, singen, herumspringen und auch zur Wall of Death.
   Was für mich ein wenig traurig mitanzusehen war, war das einige in der crowd nicht richtig mitgegangen sind und oftmals nur mehr oder minder regungslos dastanden und zur Bühne schauten. Ich meine, wenn man schon 20€ zahlt um eine Band live zu sehen, sollte man diesen Abend dann nicht nutzen um komplett auf die kacke zu hauen, im tanz/mitsing/herumspring sinne? Oder denke nur ich so? Natürlich gab es auch viele Leute wie mich, die konstant mitgetanzt haben, mitsangen und evident spaß an der Musik hatten.

   Irgendwann kletterte sogar jemand auf die Bühne, stellte sich für einen Augenblick neben Craig Mabitt, also dem Sänger von Escape the Fate, und sprang danach in die Menge die ihn einen Moment lang auf Händen trug. Dies geschah noch zwei weitere male, wobei beim dritten Mal jemand von den angestellte eingriff und die Person von der Bühne scheuchte. Leider hatte nur keiner so recht bock den typen zu fangen also fiel er wohl mehr oder weniger ungebremst zu Boden. Ich glaube jedoch, dass ihm nichts passiert ist.

   Alles in allem kann ich sagen, dass ich das Konzert wirklich genial fand. Man konnte sehen das die Band spaß daran hat, was sie macht, was für den Zuschauer immer gut zu sehen ist. Es gab viel kontakt zwischen den Zuschauern und der Band, was ein weiterer Pluspunkt ist, finde ich. Wenn ihr auf Escape the Fate steht oder auf Band die ihnen ähneln, dann kann ich euch die Jungs live wärmstens empfehlen. Es lohnt sich definitiv das Geld auszugeben, denn dafür bekommt man ein absolut geniales Konzert bei dem man echt ins schwitzen geraten kann, wenn man den mittanzt und abgeht.
   Für alle anderen kann ich nur sagen das ich mir nicht ganz sicher bin ob Escape the Fate unbedingt was für euch ist, wenn ihr normalerweise eher auf das zeug steht das so im Radio gespielt wird. Escape the Fate machen schon etwas lautere, härtere Musik die vermutlich nicht jedermanns Sache ist.
   Persönlich fand ich es jedoch genial und empfehlenswert. Wenn die Jungs das nächste Mal wieder in die Stadt kommen, werde ich definitiv versuchen wieder hin zu gehen.

Ich gebe dem Escape the Fate Konzert im Lido (Berlin) 5 von 5 Rockstars!

Taylor Swift Book TAG

   Hey guys!
   I recorded this TAG a few days ago and finally came around to edit and upload it. I must admit I'm not the biggest fan or listener of Taylor Swift but this TAG was fun. PLUS I've never seen a TAG before which mixed music and books so props to the creator of this TAG.

   By the way, you who is watching this video, feel yourself tagged to do this video too if you want.

   Cheerio!

TBR for the #TeenReadsWeek Read-a-thon!

   Hey guys!
   Today I'm bringing you news of a read-a-thon which will be happening from October 12th until October due to the Teen Reading Week, hence the #. This read-a-thon will be hosted by CC's Books on YouTube, here's the link to her video. I have never participated in a read-a-thon so I thought that this is a great reason to finally participate in one. 
   As you may or may not know the Teen Reading Week is held in order to encourage Teens to read more because hey reading is awesome just so you know. And, although I'm not a Teen anymore, oh the burden of being 20 and being considered a 'adult' (yeah sure), I still decided to participate and encourage you guys to participate too. Read more books guys!
   So, as always there are a few challenges that you can yet do not have to complete.

   Challenge Nr.1 - Read a first book in a series.
   For this one I chose The Young Elites by Marie Lu. I admit I already started this one so I am fairly hoping to finish it during the Teen Read Week.

   Challenge Nr. 2 - Read a second book in a series.
   For this one I'm going to go with Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas, which as you guys know I've been trying to read for quite some time now but I just can't sit down and do it so I hope this read-a-thon will finally make me do it.

   Challenge Nr. 3 - Read a book you feel like everyone read but you haven't!
   Okay, I know for certain that EVERYBODY, and I mean it when I say it, has read the following book, which has also been chillin' on my shelves for way too long, and the book I'm talking about is... Cinder by Marrisa Meyer. Yes I know, I should be ashamed for not having read this one yet. I am, really.

   Challenge Nr. 4 - Pick a book from your TBR Jar or if you don't have one, pick one you have simply not read yet.
   I don't have a TBR Jar, I don't even know why like I totally should make myself one, so I am simply going to pick one and it's going to be The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I already read a couple of pages of this one and I'm really intrigued so I guess it's a perfect pick for this read-a-thon.

   To be completely honest with you guys, I'll be super surprised if I even manage to finish half of these books, which is why I will not add more books to this TBR. But I still hope that maybe, just maybe, I will have a great reading week and read at least two.
   I'm not sure if I will do a daily update but I will try to do it at least every two days. But if you follow me on Twitter, there you'll be able to follow my progress and tweet yours and maybe we could have reading sprints and all that fun stuff. We will be using the #TeenReadsWeek on Twitter.

   And that is all. I know school is back on and so is University and all that fun educational stuff, but hey trying to join doesn't cost so why not give it a try?

   Cheerio!

Top 5 Wednesday - Female Characters

   Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Lainey & Mindy. Check out the Goodreads page here! 

    So this Wednesday is all about female characters. They are in no particular order.

 
   #1 Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)
   I absolutely love Katniss. She is a amazing and strong character. She is special and the journey she goes on, which all started by volunteering in order to save Prim, is just... I'm lacking the words to describe just how much I am a fan of Katniss. 

    #2 Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead)
   I am a huge fan of Rose. She is so sassy, witty and funny. There aren't many female characters like her out there. I had a great time reading the Vampire Academy series thanks to her great narration. 

    #3 Hermione Granger (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)
   Do I need to explain this one? I don't think so. 

    #4 Maddie Freeman (Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky)
   Maddie will always have a very special place in my heart because Maddie and the Awaken-Trilogy introduced me to the world of dystopian novels which I fell in love with. The development that Maddie undergoes is great and realistic, which you can't say about a lot of character developments in some novels out there. 

    #5 Mara Dyer (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin)
   Mara is amazing and just such a (probably) unreliable character. But, her narration is outstanding and amazing. The journey she takes us on is brilliant and I love each and every page of the Mara Dyer books.

BONUS (shameless plug) BONUS (shameless plug) BONUS (shameless plug) BONUS

   #6 Bexx Kajan (Into the Unknown by Alice Reeds)

   It takes time to warm up to her simply because Bexx was trimmed into believing in herself, even to a point where she seems utterly egocentric, but once you start to see what she is just as vulnorable and human as everybody else you'll like her. She is only getting to know the world as it really is and discovers something that we feel is something basic and normal, but for her is new and foreign - emotions and feelings. And yes, she is my protagonist so it's kind of pre-destined that I like her but I think if you give her a chance you might like her too. 

Your Bookish Identity TAG

   Hey guys!
   This TAG was originally created by LittleBookOwl over on her BookTube channel but I decided that instead of filming a response I will simply write about it on here. That is simply because I've been filming so many TAGs lately yet I didn't post that much on here.

   THE QUESTIONS:
   - What dystopian/fantastical world would you live in?
   Okay, let's be real for a second. Who would at their right mind want to live in a dystopian world? I mean would you like to live in District 12 or the Divergent version of Chicago? I don't think so. I wouldn't want it either so I'm going to go with a fantastical world, which I guess I'm going to be super uncreative in answering, because I would like to live in the Harry Potter world and go to Hogwarts (just like anybody else who grew up with Harry Potter or simply has ever read the series) and meet all the awesome Harry Potter characters and learn magic and all that cool stuff. I mean who wouldn't?
 
   - Who would your partner be?
   Do I really need to answer that question once again? I mean I've talked about HIM so many times already that I am sure you all know who I will name but okay. 
   Brace yourself for no surprise here: Dimitri Belikov from the Vampire Academy Series. I mean he is Russian (yes!) which also means he has that amazing Russian accent (double yes!), he is really tall (yes!), he has long hair (I'm a total all for that so hell yes!), he is mean, sarcastic and grumpy (hell yes!) and he is just a total badass. What did I tell you, no surprise here, like at all. He is and will ever be my fictional husband, which I think we've established already a long time ago.

   - Who would be your godly mother/father? [Percy Jackson]
   Can I be honest with you guys for a second? Yes? Okay, because I need to confess that I have actually never read the Percy Jackson Series. Like ever. I mean I watched the first movie but like it just didn't throw me off my feet and I couldn't get myself to read the books so yeah. Sorry. Please don't hate me.

   - Would you be a downworlder or nephilim? [Shadowhunter world]
   As awesome as being a Nephilim must be, I don't feel like I could really risk my life over and over and over again to hunt down yet another daemon that crawled into our world. Therefore I think I would rather be a Downworlder, or to be a little more specific, I think I would be a Vampire. I mean I already sleep was too little and my eyes dislike bright sunlight. And, if I would be a Vampire I wouldn't have to sleep at all which means I would have so much more time for reading and writing. Just imagine how many books I could read or write. So yeah I think I would totally be a Vampire. But not a sparkly one.
 
   - Which house would you be in? [Harry Potter]
   Slytherin, like obviously. I mean even Pottermore told me I belong there. And I know that the students from Slytherin are like supposed to be the evil ones whom you should not want to be but I just feel like that is the place for me. Gryffindor is simply overrated. Besides that I love the color green and, I'm quoting a friend on this one, I'm an evil mastermind so therefore I am perfect for Slytherin.

   - Which faction would you be in? [Divergent]
   Well, I think the only one I would fit in at least a bit is, no surprise here, Dauntless, like probably anybody else who answered this question ever. But in all honesty I could never be in Amity or Candor like I wouldn't manage a day with the people from the other factions because that is just not who I am. I mean I'm surely not a very fit and sporty person like Dauntless are supposed to be but hey I could hit the gym if I wanted to, right?

   - What would be your daemon? [Northern Lights]
   So I had to google this one because I had no clue which series this is or what the deal is with the daemon BUT I found it and now I know. So, the daemon is a creature that is supposed to reflect on your inner being so maybe I could be like a wolf? I mean I love wolves and they are just the best and I feel like I have like a inner wolf. And yes i know that just made me sound crazy of some sorts but that isn't anything knew now is it?

   And that is it for this TAG. Feel free to go and do it too (if you do leave a comment below with a link or something so I can check it out) and also check out LittleBookOwl's video.

   Cheerio!