While I enjoyed The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer quite a bit, I don't think the hype surrounding it was justified. It definitely has an interesting premise and it was more or less a great debut. However, there were definitely points that could have been improved. 
 The male lead, for example, was one big fat cliche. He's good-looking, rich, clever and a bad boy at that, who may or may not have slept with the entire female population in school. He doesn't really seem to have a personality of his own except that he has daddy issues and he can be a real arse at times. Then suddenly, he admits that his attraction with Mara is because she's "different". That's a bit too absurd, even with all the ghosts and hallucinations. 
 There were a few scenes that I found weird as well, particularly Mara's time in a swamp full of alligators. (view spoiler)[Honestly, the whole point of Joseph getting kidnapped still eludes me. (hide spoiler)] 
 Mara's older brother, Daniel, was a great secondary character for me, though for the most parts, he seemed to be a plot device to allow Mara to do things her mother would otherwise not allow her to do. Her "best friend" Jamie? Token to the point of forgettable. 
 I did find the plot intriguing though. Mara, the sole survivor of an accident that left 3 of her friends, including her boyfriend and best friend dead, is now left with PTSD and is seeing ghosts, hallucinations and is making all sorts of scary stuff happening around her. I did feel a sense of dread and thrill every time something scary happened to her and I did honestly get freaked out a little at times. And the ending? Rather chilling for me, and definitely has me excited for the sequel. I also have a feeling that Mara's family is keeping a lot more secrets from her. 
 Overall, I'd say that this series is one that combines contemporary and paranormal all at the same time but then again, we'll see how the next one goes. 
 3.5 stars but I'm bumping it up for the gorgeous, gorgeous cover.