Promised - Book Review

Promised (Birthmarked #3)
by Caragh M. O'Brien

What is it about:
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?

What did I think of it:
This is my least favorite book in this trilogy.

Just as in book two there is a lot of beard shaving going on. Beards get shaved off left and right.

I thought Gaia was acting very selfish. She made her choice in the love square that was going on, but when the jilted lovers try to move on and find love somewhere else Gaia gets all huffy and possessive about it, wanting them to pine after her forever.

And don't even get me started about how naive and gullible Gaia was. I'd have thought she learned to be a bit more cautious after everything she encountered.

But what bothered me most was the moralizing. This book has a message to tell and almost shouts it to its readers. I must confess that I didn't think some of the things the Protectorat is doing were that evil, but Gaia thinks otherwise and her voice drowns out all other opinions in favor of her own. It was a clear difference from the second book where Gaia often had a different opinion than others, but at least respected other opinions and decisions.

The lecturing tone of this book really diminished my enjoyment of the story and I must say I had trouble finishing it. All in all it is a very different read than the first two books and I don't think I'll reread this one. I will reread the other two though and I will most probably try other books by O'Brien.

Why should you read it:
It's an interesting Dystopian YA read.

Prized - Book Review

Prized (Birthmarked #2)
by Caragh M. O'Brien

What is it about:
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?

What did I think of it:
What I liked about the first book, Birthmarked, is that there was no love triangle. This book however has a love square. And all the beard shaving! At least two beards are the victim of a razor blade.

Those things apart, this is a very cool read. I like the world O'Brien creates and I like how Gaia isn't some wonderteen as is the case with the heroine in many Dystopian YA books. Instead Gaia is insecure and afraid at times and makes some stupid mistakes. I really rooted for her to solve her problems and it was great to see her grow throughout the story.

Of her three admirers I will confess that I didn't like the love interest from the first book the best as is usually the case. I actually liked the minor love interest of the three the best, he's an intriguing character who could have had a lot more screen time in my opinion. I hope we'll see more of him in the next book.

The story itself is full of moral questions and makes you think. It was intense at times and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.

I am really curious how this trilogy will end and I will be getting my trotters on the last book as soon as I can.

Why should you read it:
It's an intense Dystopian YA read.

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.