Trilogy Talk: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

I don't know about you guys, but I have a hard time reviewing books in a series. The first one? Sure, no problem, it's just a regular book review. But further in the series? It's hard to review them without spoiling anything, plus if someone is invested in a series, they probably don't need to be told to read the sequels. In an effort to talk about series as a whole and to solve my problem of reviewing sequels, I decided to start Trilogy Talk. Whenever I finish a trilogy (or series, I suppose), I plan to review the books as a whole series and invite you guys to share your thoughts in the comments. Here goes!

Trilogy Talk: Birthmarked, Prized, and Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien

When I started this series in 2011, I thought it was a fresh new take on dystopian fiction. I really loved Birthmarked and almost counted it as one of my favorite books of 2011. I also liked Prized a lot and didn't think it suffered from the dreaded second book syndrome. I found both of the book's subject matter to be fascinating, since you don't see a lot of books involving midwifery, especially in that kind of setting. 

However...there was the last book in the series, Promised. I read Promised in January and while it was a relatively short book, it seemed to drag on and on. I was not a big fan of it, if you can't tell. Honestly, it was kind of boring and I hate saying that, since I truly enjoyed Birthmarked and Prized. I guess I was just expecting more of an ending and not one with such strange plotlines and unanswered questions. If you've read Promised, you know what I'm talking about.

I hesitantly recommend this series to certain students/friends. Like I said, I truly enjoyed the first two books and know that some people enjoyed Promised, but it just didn't work for me. If you like dystopian fiction and are interested in reading about midwifery, try them out! (And let me know what you think of Promised.)

Have you read this series? Tell me what you thought/think!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine to showcase books that are not out yet. I decided to start taking part in it this week because there are so many great books coming out that I am having a hard time waiting for! My WoW this week is:

Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien (Birthmarked #3)
Publish date: October 2, 2012
"After defying the ruthless Enclave, surviving the wasteland, and upending the rigid matriarchy of Sylum, Gaia Stone now faces her biggest challenge ever. She must lead the people of Sylum back to the Enclave and persuade the Protectorat to grant them refuge from the wasteland. In Gaia’s absence, the Enclave has grown more cruel, more desperate to experiment on mothers from outside the wall, and now the stakes of cooperating or rebelling have never been higher. Is Gaia ready, as a leader, to sacrifice what—or whom—she loves most?"

The Birthmarked series (Birthmarked and Prized) is one of my favorite series and I wish it got more attention! They are beautifully written and the subject matter is fascinating! Can't wait for this one to come out in October!

Review: Prized (Birthmarked #2)

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Publish date: 2011
Source: Library
"Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?"

FYI: This review might spoil things for Birthmarked. Beware.

I love this series! I don't think it gets the recognition that it deserves, so I try to pimp it out to my students and friends as much as possible. The series is quite different from other dystopians out right now, but still great!

Prized picks up immediately after Birthmarked ends and even though it's been 3 months since I've thought about Gaia, I was able to jump right back in. Prized doesn't have quite as much action as Birthmarked does, but that was because the majority of the story takes place in Sylum. Still, the plot moves right along and craziness goes down.

One thing I really like about this series that makes it different from other dystopians is that it doesn't have a lot of fighting, per se, like The Hunger Games or Divergent do. Gaia is a midwife, which makes her necessary to society's well-being, but there is much more to the story than that, especially in Sylum. Sylum was a character in itself and I loved Gaia being all kick ass there and not giving up who she really was.

If you haven't tried this series and are looking for a great and unusual dystopian, check out Birthmarked and Prized!

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!