Review: Birthmarked (Birthmarked Trilogy #1) By: Caragh M. O'Brien

Title: Birthmarked (Birthmarked #1)

Author: Caragh M. O’Brien

Published: March 30th, 2010

Source: Bought

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.

My Thoughts:

I love dystopians, I really hadn’t heard much about this series and I was really curious about it. I didn’t have many expectations going into this book but, I really loved it! The story started off with the action and it kept my attention by never slowing down. The only problem I had at times with this story was that at times it read a little bit young even for YA. Somethings were overexplained or explained in very simple terms.

Gaia Stone has always lived outside the wall of the Enclave with her family, but her and her mother have served the enclave as long as she can remember. Her mother is a midwife and every month she has to deliver the first four babies to the Enclave. The children are adopted by families of the Enclave and they have the opportunity to come back to their families outside the walls of the Enclave but, they never do. Gaia had just thought that serving the Enclave was something that was their duty until her parents are arrested by the Enclave and she doesn’t know what happened to them.

I really enjoyed Birthmarked, it was so fast paced and engaging I was never bored and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Gaia was a great character and she would do anything to help her family and finding out that everything she believed in was wrong.  

Overall, Birthmarked was an exciting beginning to a trilogy that I can’t wait to continue, I definitely recommend for a younger reader or a hesitant dystopian reader.