Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Review: Birthmarked

Author: Caragh O'Brien
Publish date: 2010
Source: Library
"In the Enclave, your scars set you apart, and the newly born will change the future. 


Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia's mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.
"

This is yet another dystopian novel, but I just can't get enough of them! I can't help but love reading about these future societies that are teeming with adventure and craziness and Birthmarked was no exception. I wish I could remember where I heard about this one, but I can't. Probably a blog, knowing me.

In this future society, there are two communities of people: those inside the wall and those outside. The outside ones sometimes have to give (or advance) their babies to the community inside the wall, where the kids will be adopted by wealthy families. I found that concept terrifyingly fascinating and it was really interesting to see how the author explained the reasons for that as the story continued.  The whole concept of reproductive rights and genetics was refreshing to read about, especially in a YA. The world building was great and I found some of the little details to be quite compelling, like how certain classes of people wore specific colors, and there was code breaking, which is always a plus.

Another aspect of the book I liked was the characters, especially Gaia. It was interesting to watch her change throughout the story, as she realized that perhaps advancing the babies each month was not the right thing to do. This was definitely a story that valued the importance of family, which is nice to see in YA novels. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading Prized, which came out in November of this year. Already on hold at the library!

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