Book Review 31 - The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Pages: 470
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: November 4, 2014
Summary: 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.

My thoughts:
Let me start off by saying I waited 2 years for this and it was so disappointing. Why did it keep getting pushed back? It just made it worse.

I have to add this to the list of book that were part of the Third Book Syndome.
Third book syndrome is when the third book in a trilogy sucks. Like royally sucks.
Unfortunately, I think this one is going to be second (first is and always will be Allegiant) on that list. 
I don't really know how to review it because im so angry but I'll do my best
THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

I found this book extremely boring. It was excruciating getting through the beginning and it only started picking up when she got to New York. I will say that I did enjoy the book at moments and I was hooked on it from that point on, but the book itself wasn't for me. 
There was no conclusion in this book. Yes, we got an explanation as to why her and Noah are connected and why they are gifted and everything, but there was nothing REALLY explained beyond that. The end itself had no conclusion like who ends a book in a fucking SEX SCENE?? Are you kidding me??? Seriously disappointed. But the biggest disappointment for me is definitely that she didn't tell us her real name. I know it means nothing, but I really wanted to know and was a huge reason why I wanted to read this book so much.
I feel like this book fell flat to me. There was no closure, no conclusion. I'm leaving this series wanting more. Wanting closure with characters we didnt even see this book. Stella?? where'd she go. His dad?? Joseph? Her parents? What's going to happen to horizons?? Is anything going to happen with the Professor? Not to mention WHY was she being tested on? Where do the gifts she and the others have come from? etc. This book ultimately had one purpose and that was to conclude a romance plot. Which is upsetting because the unique plot of this series was what drew me. But Hodkin completely left it in the dust in order to focus on their romantic connection. 

Mara Dyer is one of the most selfish YA heroine's I've ever read. Lets just start by saying... no care in the world for why anyone drugged her and her friends, no care in the world for WHY anything happened to her (and surprise surprise we don't know) all she cared about was Noah. Noah Noah Noah. So. Annoying. I think Michelle coped out making him live, it woulda been better if he died. Not to mention the fact that I seriously think it's ridiculously selfish that they ended up together. Like Noah could save the world and instead he's living with someone who could kill him any day basically. 

I just want answers. What was the purpose of horizon and why were they experimenting anyways?? Why do they have their powers, how does it work? How do they go away forever (as I recall it was supposed to be Noah who got rid of them forever but since they are both so incredibly selfish we'll never know). 

The best part of the book was the chapters on Mara's grandmother. That's not a good thing when the best part of a book is a secondary storyline. Especially when they don't seem to have really had any purpose to the story at all besides the introduce one character Mara would encounter like 2 times. 

I'm just disappointed. I waited so long for this book and was so let down.
I honestly don't see what anyone liked about it. I really don't. I don't understand how anyone could find this an acceptable conclusion to this story. This book does have a conclusion to romance plot, which is why I can assume that everyone loves the book, but those of us who read for the plot were left very underwhelmed. 

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