Birthmarked

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$9.99

NOOK Book

——

$9.99

Birthmarked (eBook) Pub. Date: 3/30/2010 Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
$5.58

$9.99

Paperback

$5.58

$9.99

Birthmarked Pub. Date: 10/11/2011 Publisher: Square Fish

$7.19

——

Birthmarked Pub. Date: 4/28/2011 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
$7.00

$11.46

Hardcover

$7.00

$11.46

Birthmarked Pub. Date: 3/30/2010 Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In her first YA novel, O'Brien creates a dystopian future in which to explore complex issues of morality and survival. In a world rocked by climate change, the Enclave is a much-needed bastion of civilization, and many of those who live outside its walls serve it in one fashion or another. As a midwife apprenticed to her mother, 16-year-old Gaia Stone is expected, like any other midwife, to bring the first three babies she delivers each month to the Enclave to satisfy its demands for new citizens. When her parents are taken for questioning by the Enclave, Gaia takes over for her mother, even though she's not entirely comfortable following orders unquestioningly anymore. Her quest to track down and save her parents leads her into the Enclave itself, where she befriends the handsome Captain Grey, a man with his own secrets, and discovers the unsettling truths behind the Enclave's need for children. Though predictable in places and unconvincing in others, this science fiction adventure is a brisk and sometimes provocative read, thanks to solid pacing, a resourceful heroine, and a few surprise twists. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)

Kirkus Reviews

A gated community on the banks of a dried-up Great Lake. A disfigured teen midwife. A baby quota. And, in grand dystopic tradition, the story of the moment the idyllic dream shatters and the ugly truth is revealed. Within the walls life is easy, but those outside live in poverty (although the descriptions are rather bucolic) and must trade their infants for food, water and privilege. When the Enclave arrests her mother, Gaia must penetrate the walls and foment a revolution even as she falls for the Protectorat's son. Despite the occasionally formulaic plot points, this offers some original elements: Genetics and medical knowledge play a large role. Serious science-fiction fans will find the world confusing (what is the source of raw resources? where do they manufacture things? how exactly are the films that opiate the masses being produced?), but most will enjoy the engaging heroine and the struggle against a corrupt government. In the end, Gaia must flee to fight another day in the sequels; most readers will contentedly follow. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

More Reviews (3) Fewer Reviews

VOYA

Gaia Stone has trained all her life with her mother to become a midwife, one of the most vital positions in the service of the Enclave. Having delivered her first baby alone because of her mother's absence, Gaia's simple understanding of her society falls apart. Her parents have been arrested as traitors to the Enclave, and she is alone. Worse, the Protectorat believes that she is the only one who can decipher the secret encoded ribbon her father, the tailor, left her. Imprisoned in Enclave, Gaia must unravel a tangled web of blood relations, with the future of the Enclave's population at stakes. For generations, the first three babies born in any month have been delivered by a midwife, but because records were not kept, inbreeding has been the result, with devastating and deadly consequences for the privileged and beautiful few who dwell in the Enclave. Solving the mystery of who belongs to whom will save Gaia's life, but at the cost of continuing the Enclave's dominion. She escapes from the Protectorat's control, but not before she loses her loved ones. O'Brien's world is reminiscent of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Delacorte, Press, 2009), a similarly dystopian world where the heroine quickly faces dangers and enemies alone in a hostile environment. Well-written and fast-paced, this novel explores several topics, including friendship and the will to fight against all odds. The abrupt ending presages a possible sequel. Reviewer: Etienne Vallee

Children's Literature

Gaia Stone is a sixteen-year-old midwife living in a harsh futuristic world where life seems medieval in nature for those who live crowded by the mighty walls of the Enclave. It is a city where the government houses the privileged upper class and uses advanced technological surveillance to keep everyone in line. Plagued by a growing genetic disposition for hemophilia, the privileged families of the Enclave are slowly dying off. In response, the government decides the future of the Enclave depends on expanding its gene pool and instates a baby quota: the first three babies born outside the wall each month must be given to the Enclave for adoption. Unaware of the politics surrounding her every move, Gaia Stone does the only job she knows: delivering babies. Gaia's professional success is marred by the abduction of her parents by the government she has served willingly her entire life. Gaia's journey to find her parents inside the Enclave's mighty walls reveals the truth behind the monthly baby quota and sets her on a dangerous path to figuring out a way to match the adopted babies with their birthparents outside the wall. This book captures the struggle that a young woman often goes through while trying to find her place in the adult world, the emotional roller coaster of dealing with the loss of a loved one, and the confusion of a first crush. Action, adventure, interesting characters, and intrigue combine to create an enjoyable, although sometimes very emotional, read for teenage girls in late middle school or high school. The mixture of medieval lifestyles with technological advances creates a unique backdrop for Gaia's journey from the cusp of adulthood to assuming responsibility not just for herself, but for all of her people in their fight to locate their absent loved ones. Reviewer: Jamie Hain

School Library Journal

Gr 7–10—In a dystopian world of the future, apprentice midwife Gaia, who has served the Enclave faithfully along with her parents, is thrust suddenly into a crisis. She delivers her first baby independently of her midwife mother and takes it to the Enclave inside the Wall as the first of her monthly quota of three newborns. Then her parents are arrested and she learns that they will soon be executed. Gaia springs into action and smuggles herself into the Enclave to rescue them. What follows is an exciting, almost breakneck adventure, as Gaia tries to discover what information the Enclave wants from her and her mother and tries to save both of them from prison. Along the way there is a mildly romantic turn to the story as Gaia develops a friendship and attraction to one of the soldiers, a man with a mysterious past. This world is one in which a small society, composed of an elite inside the Wall and a subservient class outside, is completely cut off from knowledge of anyone or anything outside of its borders. The rulers are authoritarian and mysterious and resemble a monarchy rather than the strictly ideological communitarian system in Lois Lowry's The Giver (Houghton, 1993). The cliff-hanger ending sets up the action for a sequel. Readers who enjoy adventures with a strong heroine standing up to authority against the odds will enjoy this compelling tale.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780312674724
Publisher: Square Fish
Publication date: 10/11/2011
Pages: 384
Sales rank: 40,451
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Lexile: 0800L (what's this?)
Series: Birthmarked Trilogy Series
Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Meet the Author

Since earning a master’s in writing at Johns Hopkins University, Caragh O’Brien has been a high school teacher, a published author of romance novels, and now a novelist for teens. Birthmarked was her first young adult novel and was a Junior Library Guild selection and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, and was nominated for the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list as well as the 2010 Amelia Bloomer list.

Read an Excerpt

BIRTHMARKED (Chapter 1)The Baby Quota

IN THE DIM HOVEL, the mother clenched her body into one final, straining push, and the baby slithered out into Gaia's ready hands.

"Good job," Gaia said. "Wonderful. It's a girl."

The baby cried indignantly, and Gaia breathed a sigh of relief as she checked for toes and fingers and a perfect back. It was a good baby, healthy and well formed, if small. Gaia wrapped the child in a blanket, then held the bundle toward the flickering firelight for the exhausted mother to see.

Gaia wished her own mother were there to help, especially with managing the afterbirth and the baby. She knew, normally, she wasn't supposed to give the baby to the mother to hold, not even for an instant, but now the mother was reaching and Gaia didn't have enough hands.

"Please," the young woman whispered. Her fingers beckoned tenderly.

The baby's cries subsided, and Gaia passed her over. She tried not to listen to the mother's gentle, cooing noises as she cleaned up between her legs, moving gently and efficiently as her mother had taught her. She was excited and a little proud. This was her first delivery, and it was an unassisted delivery, too. She had helped her mother many times, and she'd known for years that she would be a midwife, but now it was finally real.

Almost finished. Turning to her satchel, she drew out the small teakettle and two cups that her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday, only a month ago. By the light of the coals, she poured water from a bottle into the kettle. She stoked up the fire, seeing the burst of yellow light gleam over the mother with her small, quiet bundle.

"You did well," Gaia said. "How many is this for you again? Did you say four?"

"She's my first," the woman said, her voice warm with awed pleasure.

"What?"

The woman's eyes gleamed briefly as she looked toward Gaia, and she smiled. In a shy, self-conscious gesture, she smoothed a sweat-damped curl back around her ear. "I didn't tell you before. I was afraid you wouldn't stay."

Gaia sat down slowly beside the fire, set the kettle on the metal rod, and swiveled it over the fire to warm.

First labors were hardest, the most risky, and although this one had progressed smoothly, Gaia knew they'd been lucky. Only an experienced midwife should have tended this woman, not only for the sake of the mother and child's heath, but for what would come next.

"I would have stayed," Gaia said softly, "but only because there's nobody else to come. My mother was already gone to another birth."

The mother hardly seemed to hear. "Isn't she beautiful?" she murmured. "And she's mine. I get to keep her."

Oh, no, Gaia thought. Her pleasure and pride evaporated, and she wished now, more than ever, that her mother were there. Or even Old Meg. Or anybody, for that matter.

Gaia opened her satchel and took out a new needle and a little bottle of brown ink. She shook the tin of tea over the kettle to drop in some flakes. The faint aroma slowly infused the room with a redolent fragrance, and the mother smiled again in a weary, relaxed way.

"I know we've never talked," the mother said. "But I've seen you and your mother coming and going at the quadrangle, and up to the wall. Everyone says you'll be as great a midwife as your mother, and now I can say it's true."

"Do you have a husband? A mother?" Gaia asked.

"No. Not living."

"Who was the boy you sent for me? A brother?"

"No. A kid who was passing in the street."

"So you have no one?"

"Not anymore. Now I have my baby, my Priscilla."

It's a bad name, Gaia thought. And what was worse, it wouldn't matter because it wouldn't last. Gaia dropped a pinch of motherwort into the mother's teacup, and then silently poured tea into the two cups, trying to think how best to do this. She let her hair fall forward, shielding the left side of her face, while she moved the empty teakettle, still warm, into her satchel.

"Here," she said, handing the cup laced with motherwort toward the young woman on the bed and smoothly removing the baby from beside her.

"What are you doing?" the mother asked.

"Just drink. It will help with the pain." Gaia took a sip from her own cup as an example.

"I don't feel much anymore. Just a little sleepy."

"That's good," Gaia said, setting her cup back by the hearth.

Quietly, she packed her gear and watched as the mother's eyelids grew heavier. She unwrapped the baby's legs to gently pull one foot out, and then she set the baby on a blanket on the floor, near the fireplace. The baby's eyes opened and flickered toward the flames: dark, murky eyes. It was impossible to tell what color they might eventually be. Gaia sopped a bit of clean rag into her cup of tea, absorbing the last hot liquid, and then wiped it over the ankle, cleaning it. She dipped the needle in the brown ink, held it briefly to the light, and then, swiftly, as she had done before under her mother's guidance, she pressed the pin into the baby's ankle in four rapid pricks. The child screamed.

"What are you doing?" the mother demanded, now fully awake.

Gaia wrapped the birthmarked baby again and cradled her firmly in one arm. She slid the teacup, needle, and ink into her satchel. Then she stepped forward and took the second teacup from beside the mother. She lifted her satchel.

"No!" the mother cried. "You can't! It's April twenty-first! Nobody ever advances a baby this late in the month."

"It's not how late the date is," Gaia said quietly. "It's the first three babies each month."

"But you must have delivered half a dozen by now," the woman shrieked, rising. She struggled to shift her legs to the side of the bed.

Gaia took a step backward, steeling herself to be strong. "My mother delivered those. This is my first," she said. "It's the first three babies for each midwife."

The mother stared at her, shock and horror shifting across her face. "You can't," she whispered. "You can't take my baby. She's mine."

"I have to," Gaia said, backing away. "I'm sorry."

"But you can't," the woman gasped.

"You'll have others. You'll get to keep some. I promise."

"Please," the mother begged. "Not this one. Not my only. What have I done?"

"I'm sorry," Gaia repeated. She'd reached the door now. She saw she'd left her tin of tea next to the fireplace, but it was too late to go back for it now. "Your baby will be well cared for," she said, using the phrases she'd learned. "You've provided a great service to the Enclave, and you will be compensated."

"No! Tell them to keep their filthy compensation! I want my baby."

The mother lunged across the room, but Gaia had expected this, and in an instant she was out of the house and moving swiftly down the dark alleyway. At the second corner, she had to stop because she was shaking so hard she was afraid she'd drop everything. The newborn made a lonely, anxious noise, and Gaia hitched her satchel more securely over her right shoulder so that she could pat the little bundle with her trembling fingers.

"Hush," she murmured.

From far behind her she heard a door open, and then a distant, wild keening noise. "Please! Gaia!" the voice called, and Gaia's heart lurched.

She sniffed back hard and turned to face the hill. This was far worse than she'd imagined it could be. Though her ears remained primed, listening for another cry in the night, she started forward again and trod rapidly up the hill toward the Enclave. The moon cast a blue light on the dark, wood and stone buildings around her, and once her foot caught against a rock. In contrast to the urgency that drove her forward, a hollow, sleepy silence filled the air. She'd made this trip many times before on her mother's behalf, but until tonight, it had never seemed like such a long journey. She knew the baby would be fine, even better than fine. She knew the mother would have others. More than anything, she knew it was the law that she turn this baby over and that if she didn't, her own life and that of the mother were forfeit.

She knew all of this, but for a moment, she wished it weren't so. In violation of everything she'd been taught, she wished she could take this baby back to her mother and tell her, "Here, take little Priscilla. Head into the wasteland and never come back."

She turned the last corner, and there was the light over the arching doors of the south gate, a single, gleaming bulb in a lantern of mirrored glass that reflected the illumination onto the doors and hard-packed ground. Two guards in black uniforms stood before the two massive wooden doors. She let her hair slide forward, covering her left cheek, and instinctively turned to keep that side of her face in shadow.

"If it isn't a little delivery," the taller guard said. He took off his wide-brimmed hat with a flourish and wedged it under an elbow. "Bringing us one of your mom's babies?"

Gaia walked forward slowly, her heart thudding against her ribs. She had to pause to catch her breath. She could almost hear the plaintive wail of the mother behind her, and Gaia feared that she was following behind on her pale, shaky legs. A bird flew overhead with a quick burst of wings. Gaia took another step forward, into the reassuring light of the lantern.

"It's my own," Gaia said. "My first."

"Is that right?" the second guard said, sounding impressed.

"Unassisted," she said, unable to resist a glimmer of pride.

She put a finger on the blanket under the infant's chin, taking a satisfied look at the even features, the little, perfect, convex dip in the skin above her upper lip. The great gate was opening, and she glanced up to see a white-clad woman approaching. She was short, with the healthy girth of someone who ate well. Her face was mature, capable, and if Gaia was correct, eager. Gaia didn't recognize her, but she'd seen others from the Nursery like her before.

"Is the baby perfect?" the woman asked, coming forward.

Gaia nodded. "I didn't have time to clean her," she apologized. "I had no assistant."

"This was your first delivery, then? There wasn't any problem with the mother, was there?"

Gaia hesitated. "No," she said. "She was glad to serve the Enclave."

"And when was the birth?"

Gaia pulled at the chain around her neck and pulled her locket watch out from the neckline of her dress. "Forty-three minutes ago."

"Excellent," the woman said. "You must remember to verify the mother's name and address in the quadrangle tomorrow morning to be sure she gets her compensation."

"I will," Gaia said, slipping the watch back into her dress.

The woman started to reach for the baby, but then her gaze flicked up to Gaia and she paused. "Let me see your face, child," the woman said gently.

Gaia lifted her chin slightly and reluctantly smoothed her hair behind her left ear. She turned fully into the light of the lamp that shone over the great gate. As if their sightlines were made of fine, invisible arrows, the gaze of six eyes zeroed in on her scar and lingered there in speechless curiosity. She forced herself to stay still and bear their scrutiny.

The taller guard cleared his throat and brought his fist to his lips in a little cough.

"You've done well, Gaia Stone," the woman said finally, giving her a wise smile. "Your mother will be proud."

"Thank you, Masister," Gaia said.

"I'm Masister Khol. Say hello to her for me."

"I will, Masister."

Gaia let the hair fall free from behind her left ear again. It didn't surprise her that the Enclave woman knew her name. Too often before, Gaia had met someone for the first time only to discover they'd already heard of her, Bonnie and Jasper Stone's daughter, the one with the burned face. The recognition no longer surprised her, but she didn't much like it. Masister Khol was holding out her hands in an expectant manner, and Gaia gently leaned the infant away from the warmth of her left side to pass her carefully over. For a moment, her palms felt light, empty, and cold.

"She's called Priscilla," Gaia said.

Masister Khol looked at her curiously. "Thank you. That's good to know," she said.

"You're going to have a busy time ahead," the tall soldier said. "And what, you're only seventeen, isn't that right?"

"Sixteen," Gaia said.

She felt suddenly, inexplicably ill, like she might throw up. She gave a quick smile, switched her satchel to her other shoulder, and turned.

"Good-bye," Masister Khol said. "I'll send your compensation to your mother's place in Western Sector Three, shall I?"

"Yes," Gaia called. She was already walking down the hill again, her legs not quite steady. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and touched her fingers against the dim building beside her for balance.

The moon's light seemed less powerful now than it had before she stepped into the glow of the lantern, and blink as she might, she could not instantly make her eyes adjust to the darkness. She had to stand, waiting, just around the corner from the gate with its gleaming lantern. In the stillness, she could hear crying from somewhere near, a soft, lonely crying. Her heart stopped. For a moment she was certain that Priscilla's mother was close by in the shadows, ready to plead with her again, or accuse her. But no one appeared, and in another moment, when the crying subsided, Gaia was able to continue down the hill, away from the wall, toward home.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5

( 148 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(85)

4 Star

(33)

3 Star

(23)

2 Star

(5)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

Lawral

Posted August 23, 2010

I Also Recommend:

A great start to a new dystopian series!

Set on the shores of Unlake Michigan, this dystopian world has me hooked. Following some kind of environmental fallout that resulted in not nearly enough water to go around, the difference between the haves and the have-nots grows much more pronounced. What used to be the northern United States becomes something resembling a feudal city-state. The have-nots in Wharfton, where Gaia lives, depend on the "good people" of the Enclave for water to survive. And a bleak survival it is. Gaia and her parents do alright; there are only three of them and both her parents work, her mother as a midwife and her father as a tailor. Gaia's new status as a full midwife should have brought her family the Wharfton version of luxury: plenty of water and extra passes to the local entertainment center, Tvaltar. The Enclave also could not exist without those in Wharfton. Though there are bakers, tailors, and other services available right inside the wall, the people of Wharfton provide much of the labor and services the Enclave requires.

And the babies. The people of Wharfton also provide Enclave families with babies.

At first I thought this was going to be a situation like that in The Handmaid's Tale where most women become sterile and those who still can are pressed into service as babymakers. That is not the case here, though why the Enclave needs Wharfton babies remains a mystery for most of the book. Many people on both sides of the wall believe, like Gaia herself, that the children sent to the Enclave are simply lucky, even while their parents are left heart-broken; they have a chance at a much easier life. The Protectorat, the ruling class of the Enclave, have a much more complicated need for children born in Wharfton. Luckily (not really) Gaia is caught pretty early on on her attempt to rescue her parents and so gets to meet the key people behind the "advancement" program.

After Gaia is captured in the Enclave, where she has no right to be, she learns so much more about the history of her society and world than she could have imagined. She learns just how the Enclave uses those in Wharfton and the vital part she and her mother play in that relationship as midwives. She learns that her parents, who she trusted implicitly and thought she knew inside and out, hid very important things about themselves and their family from her. She learns what they hid about her own past. And during all of this acquisition of knowledge, she makes some unlikely allies inside the wall and, of course, falls in love with an especially broody, high-ranking member of the military who seems to hate her and yet find her interesting.

It's a lot for one girl to go through. And it's all a set-up. It was an emotional thrill ride the whole way through with an ending just barely satisfying enough to not make me want to tear my hair out.

I can't wait for Book 2.

Book source: Philly Free Library

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sarah7498

Posted October 21, 2010

more from this reviewer

Birthmarked

I fell in love with cover of this book, its amazing and matched the story perfectly. The only problem I had with it was that it was very interesting and captivating, then it wasn't, then it was again. Other than being a little jumbled, it was great. Gaia is a very well created character, she's real and fights for whats right and lets nothing stop her.The story's ending hints a sequel, so I'll be looking out for it.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
143EC

Posted December 2, 2011

Awesome book!

Loved this book. Couldn't put it down. A total must read!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Rascal_93638

Posted March 28, 2012

I Also Recommend:

I really enjoyed this book after a few chapters. I was slowly dr

I really enjoyed this book after a few chapters. I was slowly drawn in by the story of Gaia and her determination to fight for what is right, not just what is popular. I loved how the little pieces of her past start to fall together. I have the second book on it's way, should be here tomorrow, and have already pre-ordered Promised. I look forward to reading Prized! I think it was a great book to follow The Hunger Games Trilogy. If you liked this book you'll LOVE the Divergent series!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Shanella

Posted December 26, 2011

more from this reviewer

A thrilling beginning

In my opinion, writing a good dystopian novel can be tricky. First you¿re building a world on something that already exists - our world. Next, you have to take a part of our world, skew it, then write about it, but in a way that makes the reader think that this could happen, especially given the current state of the world. This is usually what I look for in my dystopian novels and I found it in Birthmarked by Caragh O¿Brien.

Birthmarked opens up with a birthing scene - a very gutsy move. Gaia, a young midwife, delivers her first baby; significant because it¿s the first time she¿s doing it on her own and because it lays the path for the reader to learn about the Enclave, the baby quota and the world that will be explored in Birthmarked.

After delivering the baby to the Enclave, Gaia heads home to find her parents have been taken to the Enclave for questioning. The mystery builds as Gaia questions why her parents were taken, what record the guards were interrogating her about and why her mother hid a ribbon with strange symbols on them.

Caragh does a great job at describing Gaia¿s world and situation. Gaia¿s home and all the places she travels to are carefully described, giving the reader a three dimensional view of the world. Once Gaia makes it into the walls of the Enclave the action is almost non-stop, like a wild ride with just enough pause for you to catch your breath and the right amount of twists and turns to keep you intrigued.

There is a splattering of biology in the narrative, but it is so well-weaved into the plot that it does not read like a science book. For the shipping enthusiasts there is a bit of romance which, while not necessary to the plot advancement, does a good job at adding layer of charm.

What I liked best about this book was the questions that it raised. It¿s a great book to open discussions on prejudices in society, hierarchy and class. It also opens questions about the way we use our limited resources and what might happen if we aren¿t careful to care for the world we have. While these are great questions, I appreciated the way that they were subtly intertwined in the narrative. There was no blaring agenda, the questions rose organically from the story and I appreciated this greatly.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Bashel

Posted May 7, 2010

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

Great Book!

I just finished the book and it was amazing! If you like books like Hunger Games and even Maze Runner, this book is for you! It keeps you guessing the entire time. I finished the book in two days!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
fiendishlybookish

Posted March 8, 2010

An Enthralling Debut Read About a Society on the Brink and a Courageous Girl That Can Either Save or Destroy Them.

Caragh O'Brien explores the bonds of kinship in a deteriorating dystopian society that brings to a head many provocative themes, and forces us to ponder some difficult questions and even more troublesome answers. In Birthmarked, three hundred years into the future, humanity's survival depends on diversity. But the citizens of Western Sector Three don't know that. For countless years they have been sacrificing their select newborns to the Enclave for basic necessities, never to see them again. One girl will unravel the mystery and thrust these two societies into chaos.

Birthmarked was such a compelling read because it's chock full of substance. O'Brien's world is one of obedience. Where the technology, the advancements of a bygone era, hydroelectricity, computers, and the means to grow food are all controlled by the Enclave. Their rules are harsh and unforgiving to those that disobey them. Those outside the walls live a simple life, largely uneducated and supply.babies to the Enclave unknowing that genetic defects are so prevalent within the upper castes.

O'Brien does not purposely soften the tone of her story merely because it is young adults who are her audience. Rather the adversities that Gaia Stone goes through in Birthmarked, bonds the readers to her plight. When Gaia starts to unravel the mysteries that are left to her after her parents are jailed, she must confront the consequences of her actions. What ultimately happened to the babies that she and her mother "advanced"? What became of her two older brothers? What does Leon want with her? What is the significance of the tattooed "freckles" and worse, how will the Enclave use that knowledge especially as their situation worsens? She has the power to destroy or join together both societies.will she do it?

There is harsh death as well as the balm of new life within O'Brien's world, which makes it realistic and meaningful. I have read plenty of YA dystopian novels but none of them can come close to the subtly expressive and thought-provoking themes that Birthmarked contained. I was enthralled from the first page, contemplative, and reveling throughout the entire story. It was simply an amazing debut read. Every reader will want to accompany this courageous heroine on the journey to discover exactly what she is capable of, unravel the mystery of the coded ribbon, and whether she can step unfettered into the future. I definitely want more and am anxious to find out what happens in the next book!
A Fiendishly Bookish Review

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 25, 2012

Awesome!!!

This book deserves 5 stars, it's a great read and hard to put down once you've started to read it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
yokota85

Posted May 25, 2012

Recommended, well written

Wasn't sure I was going to like this one until I got past the first few pages and it left me wanting more. the book keep you looking for more. the next book is just as good if not better. the only Con I have is having to wait for the 3ed book to come out. if you liked Divergent you'll like this one also.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 3, 2012

a great read!

This book is kind of slow at first but it speeds up and all this stuff happens. i really liked it. but it left me with questions.....wanting me to read the sequel. ugh. typical! lol. its a good story tho. it keeps you wondering whats going to happen next.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Natasa-WMYB

Posted April 15, 2012

more from this reviewer

While Birthmarked is a great read for a young adult dystopian no

While Birthmarked is a great read for a young adult dystopian novel it also raises some controversial issues concerning life and death, giving an appeal for older audiences. Right now I’m finishing an A-Level course in Religion & Ethics and it was interesting to observe how the theories we’re studying link to the story.

It’s important to note that while people may begin with the best of intentions, the ethicacy of their actions sooner or later deteriorates in the face of achieving the greater good. This is quite worrying especially if someone in a position of power find themselves in this situation, which is what happens in Birthmarked.

The leaders of the Enclave start out with a vision to improve the broken world they live in, and in the beginning the methods they use to achieve this are morally sound—but gradually they go down the slippery slope into gray areas, inflicting atrocities on the people both outside and within the Enclave—all in the name of achieving the best outcome for their people. Is this the right thing to do? Do the means justify the ends?

There is no right answer. Birthmarked is written in such a way that we as readers will come to reject the methods used by the Enclave, and consequently the leaders themselves. But at the same time we have to remember that these leaders also have—or more accurately, did have ideals and principles and wished the best for their people.

Now for the actual review. xD On a scale of 1-10 of originality Birthmarked scores a 6.5 for me. It isn’t the most brilliant story of the century, though in terms of pacing it gets credit where it’s due—I stayed up all night to finish this and I felt it was worth it.

The only thing I didn’t like was the way the characters were developed, and for this reason I knocked off a star. I finished the book feeling as if I didn’t know Gaia and Leon all that well, nevermind the side characters. Gaia’s constant inner turmoil gets tiring after a while, because she shows time and time again that she’ll make the right choice. There’s no need to hear her internal monologue if we know what she’s going to do anyway.

The only exception is Sephie. Her morals and loyalty to the Enclave might be questionable, but I found her pragmatism to be the most realistic and believable character trait in the whole book. Here’s hoping she makes a reappearance in the sequels.

Birthmarked is, at first glance, a good enough read that you might think is easily forgettable. All you need to do is think about the ethics cleverly interwoven throughout the story and realize that the ethics it deals with are very relevant to what is happening today. Kudos to Caragh M. O’Brien for tackling these difficult subjects successfully.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 21, 2012

Soooo awsome

It is so good they will make a horible movie about it ;)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 6, 2012

Great

Definitely a great read!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
KimballSK

Posted March 2, 2012

more from this reviewer

Great Dystopian Tale

Wow, this book was great! So, the deal is: Gaia is training with her mother as a midwife is a village in a dystopian future. Her parents are taken away for questioning (in the first page - so no spoiler here) and Gaia must decide if she can trust the Enclave that has always protected the village or look for answers on her own. Two points for you if you can guess what she decides to do.

I just loved Gaia, she is clever, wary, resourceful and passionate about doing the right thing. Her parents are three-dimensional and a strong influence in her life. I loved the flashbacks to her childhood. Leon is a great character and I enjoyed their back and forth. Even the side characters are interesting and I can see some of their roles expanded in future novels. I also liked that the villains weren't cartoonish and I could understand their motives if not their tactics.

Birthmarked has all of the elements of a page-turning story that I just can't get enough of: a KAH, a great male protagonist/love interest, interesting world building, mysterious secrets, well-paced plot and although the sequel is teased about at the end (and I can't wait to get it), I'm not on suicide watch until I have it in my hot little hands.

Overall, an amazing story that I would highly recommend to anyone, especially if you think your burned out on dystopian tales.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted February 25, 2012

AMAZING!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted February 24, 2012

Great book!

This is a great read! :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
peace03

Posted February 23, 2012

more from this reviewer

I Also Recommend:

A PAGE TURNER!!!!!!

OKAY! ,Let me just say that I finished this book in 2 days. I couldnt stop at all . I was reading so much that my parents kept telling me to take a break and eat something haha! . I kept telling this the book was too good to stop . The suspense of what was gonna happen next was tearing at me.

I saw how Gaia changed in the story. In the beginning she was this young girl who was proud of being a midwife and lived to serve the Enclave . Everything changed when her parents were talking away as criminals , and Gaia needed to find a way to take them out .

During her Journey and Struggle to get her parents out she meet Sgt. Gray/ Leon . Leon was distant , cold , and guarded at first but he started to change. He himself became a criminal aswell and helped Gaia.
I must say i loved their relationship .Even though there was no romance or contact. You can instantly see their connection.

I must say you have to read this book .Its A amazing read .PLEASE READ IT !! Your gonna love it as much as everyone.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted January 17, 2012

Anonymous

Gosh i just loved this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted January 3, 2012

Not the best or the worst.

I probably wont finish the series. The story wasnt really what i expected. Maybe I just couldn't relate to the characters in any way. Borrow from a library if you can.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted December 29, 2011

Recommended by me!

I really liked this book. I immediately bought the second book in the trilogy and loved it too! I can't wait for the third book. It has an interesting story line and is a good example of dystopian literature. If you like the City of Ember series or the Hunger Games series - it is the same type of literature. My sons and I are enjoying these books and I would recommend them to others. I think this series would be good for a book club - lots of interesting discussion points.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

Birthmarked

Pick Up in Store

Available on NOOK devices and apps

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Kirkus Reviews

VOYA

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Product Details

Meet the Author

Read an Excerpt

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

A great start to a new dystopian series!

Birthmarked

Awesome book!

I really enjoyed this book after a few chapters. I was slowly dr

A thrilling beginning

Great Book!

An Enthralling Debut Read About a Society on the Brink and a Courageous Girl That Can Either Save or Destroy Them.

Awesome!!!

Recommended, well written

a great read!

While Birthmarked is a great read for a young adult dystopian no

Soooo awsome

Great

Great Dystopian Tale

AMAZING!!!!!

Great book!

A PAGE TURNER!!!!!!

Anonymous

Not the best or the worst.

Recommended by me!