Birthmarked - Book Review

Birthmarked (Birthmarked #1)
by Caragh M. O'Brien

What is it about:
In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the wall and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife, Gaia Stone, who live outside. Gaia has always believed it is her duty, with her mother, to hand over a small quota of babies to the Enclave. But when Gaia's mother and father are arrested by the very people they so dutifully serve, Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught to believe. Gaia's choice is now simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.

What did I think of it:
A surprisingly cool read.

I will confess I picked this book up because it was on sale. I didn't have high expectations about it; it just sounded like an entertaining Dystopian Young Adult read.

And I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that this actually a very cool Dystopian read.

The world building was done very well. Of course there are some things you could pick apart when you stop to really think about it, but overall it all sounded really believable and for once it was easy for me to let myself be dragged along with what was happening without raising my eyebrows at the world building.

I really liked Gaia, she's a very believable heroine as well. I liked how she only slowly begins to question things and how it takes being shocked to her core to actually take action.

I was also pleased this story isn't pulling any punches. Too often Dystopian stories only hint at the darker things, but keep them out of the main storyline. Birthmarked isn't like that luckily enough and shows you the things like they are.

Although there were still quite a few things left to resolve the ending didn't annoy or frustrate me. I do have to confess I immediately ordered the next book though, because I want more!

Why should you read it:
It's a cool Dystopian YA read.