Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Birthmarked
Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Pages:

Rating: 4.5 stars

After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.

Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned.

Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, BIRTHMARKED explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code

Birthmarked is a thrilling dystopian that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's really a remarkable debut.

The plot had me on the edge the entire time. I kept guessing about what would happen next, and then something else would happen. Plus, I loved how Caragh M. O’Brien managed to capture that essence of how something like this could happen. It was so believable, and I think that was what made me love it so much.

My single issue with Birthmarked was the ending. It seemed abrupt and choppy. The story was flowing so nicely, and, in my opinion, the lead up to the ending was my favorite part of the book. Then it just ended. I would’ve liked to hear a bit more, and not just be left wondering.

I love the cover for Birthmarked. I think it does a nice job of capturing the books contents. Birthmarked was really eerie, and I think the cover captured that light exactly. I love the design, the cover is absolutely stunning. I love the gleam in the girls eye – it just draws you to the book.

I absolutely loved Birthmarked. The entire book was gripping, but the last 100 pages were impossible to put down. This is one dystopian you don't want to miss!