Review: The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

Tags: YA, fantasy, political intrigue, magic

Summary

Outlander Harry Crewe, new to their newly colonized homestead in Damar, feels a connection to the deserts beyond her new home…a connection that she doesn’t understand until she meets—and is taken by—the Damarian king, Corlath. For Harry is part of a prophecy that tells of a female warrior’s destiny to save Damar from their enemies. In doing so, Harry becomes a part of a culture that’s strange and mysteriously familiar at the same time, and cannot even begin to comprehend the extent to which her legacy will be imprinted on Damarian history.

Review

Well, they don’t really write high fantasy as they used to, now do they? There has to be a reason that Robin McKinley’s THE BLUE SWORD, first published in the 1980s, is still being widely read and adored, and that is because it is arguably the absolute best in its genre, an unmatched blend of strong characters, political intrigue, and quite simply the best damn fantasy world ever imagined and written.

It’s a little strange for me to read THE BLUE SWORD for the first time, nearly ten years after I picked up The Hero and the Crown and read it to pieces for about four years straight, it having been my favorite book in middle school. THE BLUE SWORD was written before The Hero and the Crown. I can hardly wrap my mind around that! The depiction of the Damarian landscape is incredible: ranging from endless red deserts to the hidden valleys and villages within the mountains. Robin McKinley’s language is not quite lyrical, per se, but there is a certain hypnotic rhythm that her descriptions possess. That, combined with the scope of the worldbuilding—the politics, myths, fashions, traditions, everyday duties—is entrancing. McKinley inspires awe in readers.

Harry, of course, serves for many as the blueprint of the admirable fantasy heroine. True, at times it feels like the mysterious magic of Damar is carrying her along, instead of her leading it. But her magnanimity, her determination to succeed even as she does not completely understand what’s happening to her, is inarguably admirable. Corlath’s appeal, I think, comes less from his specific characteristics, and more from his inexplicable status as the archetypal complement to Harry’s heroine role. However little or much we perceive of Harry and Corlath’s personalities, beliefs, or desires, however, they are a pair for whom we feel absolute sympathy.

I have little more to say because I feel like this is one of those instances where the more I try to examine what made this book move me so, the less impressed I will be by it. So I’ll just say that the scope of what it accomplishes is unparalleled, and if you read it at the right stage of life—say, on the brink of adolescence, just when you’re searching for a role model—then THE BLUE SWORD will undoubtedly become your bible of sorts.


Cover discussion: McKinley's books have so many different covers each. I like the design of this edition. It's uniform and hints at epic majesty without feeling too heavy or too light.

Ace Trade / Dec. 4, 2007 / Paperback (reprint) / 320pp. / $15.00

Personal copy.

Review: Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Tags: middle grade, historical fantasy, Regency England, magic

Summary

12-year-old Kat Stephenson wishes she could do something to help out her family. Her brother is in debt, her father is weak, her stepmother is borderline evil, her sister Angeline has been casting love spells that go awry, and her oldest sister Elissa might have to marry the sinister Sir Neville to save their family from ruin.

It’s a good thing, then, that Kat has inherited her mother’s magic skills. However, it’s hard to know who to trust, especially when it appears that there are people who might be interested in her family just for their magic…

Review

If KAT, INCORRIGIBLE had been around when I was in middle school, it would’ve been my favorite book of ALL TIME. It has an amazing narrator and charm to the likes of which I haven’t seen since I read Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted for the first time in fifth grade (and which still remains one of my favorite books to this day).

Kat is undeniably the best part about this book. Unlike other historical fiction heroines I’ve encountered in the past, Kat’s modern-day stubbornness and rebelliousness feels perfectly natural. She is at that wonderful age when she can resist societal conventions without appearing petulant or immature, and she defies all our expectations, much to our endless delight. She has moments, for example, when she consciously refuses to act like the silly, spineless heroines in her sister’s favorite gothic novels, the similarity to some 21st-century YA lit too good to go ignored. It takes great skill to write a historical character with modern appeal, but Stephanie Burgis does it like she was born to write this.

The villains in this book may be rather straightforwardly sinister, but it works for its middle-grade audience, and besides, it’s the “gray” characters—the complex supporting ones—that showcase Burgis’ extraordinary talent for creating and developing characters. Kat’s older sisters, Elissa and Angeline, have distinct personalities and are enjoyable in their own way. Throughout KAT, INCORRIGIBLE, Kat struggles to figure out whom she can entrust her secrets to, and we can empathize with her confusion and suspicion as the adults circling her approach with a variety of motives.

KAT, INCORRIGIBLE charmed me into a place of childlike giddiness that I haven’t encountered in too many years. This deceptively easy read is actually rich with character development and possibilities for future books in the series. Without a doubt I would not hesitate to hand this out to every girl I know between the ages of 10 and 14, and I highly recommend you check this delightful book out, and fall under Kat’s benevolent charms. I can’t wait for more of Kat’s adventures!

Similar Authors
Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted)

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: It's cute! Although admittedly not what I was expecting as a cover. Still, the more I've looked at it, the more I like it.

Atheneum / April 5, 2011 / Hardcover / 304pp. / $16.99

Received for review from Simon & Schuster. Thank you!

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Tags: YA, dystopian, love

Summary

Rhine Ellery lives in a future world where genetic science has unexpectedly shortened women’s lifespans to 20 and men’s to 25. In Rhine’s world, girls are often kidnapped to become brides for rich men desperate to procreate before their time runs out. When Rhine is kidnapped to be one of House Governor Linden’s brides, all she wants is to escape and go back to her old life with her twin brother, despite her new luxurious surroundings.

Linden is not a bad man, but still Rhine dreams of the day when she can finally escape. As she gets to know her sister-wives and a servant named Gabriel, Rhine struggles to hold onto herself and the idea of home that she wants to go back to.

Review

WITHER is a stunner of a dystopian YA debut. It immediately blew its way onto my favorites list, and does its breathtaking cover and alluring jacket summary justice.

I’ll be honest: at first I thought that WITHER’s premise was going to be all flash and no substance, but Lauren DeStefano immersed me in Rhine’s world quite convincingly. Reading WITHER is perhaps a lot like looking at an enchanted old piece of art: things look discolored and damaged at the surface, but you’re drawn to the magic whispering of beauty beneath. Neither Rhine’s world nor the writing feels particularly “pretty”: the narration often seems to be told at a distance from its occurrence, and I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around the very concept that a world in which people died before the age of 25 could exist as a potential future for us.

Nevertheless, there’s something about the story that compels you to keep reading. Trapped both physically and emotionally by her situation, Rhine cannot be as vibrant a protagonist as others have been, but we still feel drawn to her and are amazed by her doggedness, though we might not necessarily empathize with or even like her. The story’s setup may feel a little far-fetched, but it’s the careful and thorough character development and emotional range that brought me to my knees before this book’s achievement. There is no melodrama here: for example, Rhine’s sister-wives’ reactions to their shared situation feel instinctual. Gabriel worms his way into our hearts as subtly and dependently as he does Rhine’s, but even Linden gets our sympathy vote, and it becomes truly difficult to decide whether Rhine is better off with Gabriel or Linden. The only character who seems a little underdeveloped is Housemaster Vaughn, he of the dreaded Voldemort-esque presence over the entire household.

Others I’ve talked to have mentioned a slight disconnect they felt from Rhine, her world, and other characters, but I didn’t really have this problem. Rhine keeps a cool face yet simmers with anger and despair within—and she has every reason to be so. After all, no matter how luxurious her new life is, it was not by choice, and yet she has to act at least grateful lest her captors easily replace her with another girl they steal off the streets.

WITHER is one hell of a powerful read, intriguing, thought-provoking, and an amazing example of dystopian literature at its best. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants to experience a story that will immerse them utterly in a strange and ominous world with characters that will imprint themselves on your heart. I have no doubt that this book will stay on my “Best of 2011” list at the end of this year.

Similar Authors
Nancy Farmer
Lois Lowry

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 5 out of 5 - This has got to be hard to beat as my favorite cover of 2011. It has everything: a stunning use of complementary colors, texture, geometric elaboration. I was blown away.

Simon & Schuster / Mar. 22, 2011 / Hardcover / 368pp. / $17.99

Received from publisher for review. A million thank yous!

Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Tags: YA, boarding school, family, turf wars

Summary

Taylor Markham’s mother abandoned her by the Jellicoe School when she was eleven. Now a Year 12 student, Taylor is in charge of the Jellicoe students holding their own in a traditional turf war against the townies and the visiting Cadets. At the same time she also worries about the disappearance of Hannah, the one adult she’s close to in her life.

Interspersed with Taylor’s story is the story about five teenagers that Hannah is writing. The stories interweave beautifully as Taylor discovers what all these people have to do with her past.

Review

Everyone wants to discover life-changing things, whether they come in the form of events, people, paintings, or books. If you’re lucky, you will experience these encounters more than once.

I was lucky. I read JELLICOE ROAD. This extraordinary book changed my life, and maybe it will change yours, too.

To tell the truth, JELLICOE ROAD kind of ruins you temporarily for all other books. For several days after I finished this book, I wandered around in a daze. I picked up books, halfheartedly read the first few pages, then put them down and wandered away. Nothing seemed to match the magical dream-come-true that was genius author Melina Marchetta’s third novel.

It starts out confusingly. What’s going on? Why is there so much tension between all these people? Who are they, anyway? What do they want? Why are they so serious about their situation? But then, invariably, you’ll get sucked in. It’s probably a little like how the average person might fall in love: you can’t pinpoint exactly when someone became special to you, all you can say is that it happened, and you can’t even remember back to a time when they weren’t special to you.

The narration and plot progression of the book reads like a dream: choppy and distracted in a whimsical manner. Don’t expect a conventional story arc, or you’ll probably get really frustrated. Best if you just let it happen as it does.

JELLICOE ROAD reads like someone laughing through tears. I couldn’t help but smile as Taylor, Jonah, and the others endeared themselves to me even before I could figure out what was going on between them all, even as their painful discoveries about their tragic pasts tugged at my heartstrings.

A story this magnificent, this heartbreaking, shouldn’t have this much hope…but it does. That’s the beauty of this book. Melina Marchetta has written a book that is so much more than a simple story in words: it takes on a life of its own.

Similar Authors
Cath Crowley

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 (duh.)

Cover discussion: 4 out of 5 - Something about colors and abstractions.... oh, does it even matter, since the inside is so precious?!

HarperCollins / March 9, 2010 / Paperback (reprint) / 419pp. / $8.99

Copy bought.

Review: The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

Tags: YA, dystopian, technology, networking

Summary

Katey “Kid” Dade feels out of place in the Game, the futuristic school run by Corporations that observe everyone for market research. While her best friend embraces the hectic, consumerist, public lifestyle, Kid isn’t as concerned that she doesn’t have a large number of people subscribing to her stream, or that she is absolutely mediocre by Game standards.

Then Kid witnesses an unauthorized act of rebellion by a mysterious group called the Unidentified and gets pulled into a type of game of its own. What does this group want from the Corporations? Will Kid get played by these groups, or will she and her friends find a way to overthrow the organizations that have an eye, ear, and hand on them at all times?

Review

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has impressed me, and so when I picked up and got instantly sucked into THE UNIDENTIFIED’s riveting and eerily familiar world, I was beside myself with happiness. THE UNIDENTIFIED is smart, well-written, and suspenseful, the perfect example of what dystopian literature should be: a fully realized and recognizable world without forgoing characterization and plot.

Rae Mariz impressively introduces us to a shocking and complex futuristic world, one in which privacy has no meaning thanks to the constant flow of information and technological interconnection. With Facebook’s recent introduction of the disconcertingly stalker-like “See Friendship” button, the issues regarding privacy that THE UNIDENTIFIED explores in such an entertaining and intelligent fashion are so much more immediately relevant. Rae Mariz succeeds in crafting for us a scarily plausible world that is possibly an inevitable extrapolation of the already network-filled world of Facebook and Twitter that we live in.

THE UNIDENTIFIED is smart, but it’s also hardly boring. Kid’s voice is fresh, with just the right amount of quippy attitude. She’s the perfect balance of the observant outsider with the propensity to create change, and the gullible market to which the Corporations are pandering. And Kid’s not the only interesting and well-developed characters. Her two best friends, Ari and Mikey, light up the page with their very different personalities whenever they appear in a scene. Even more minor characters are fully realized with their limited “on-page” time. The characterization is really an incredible accomplishment for a 300-something page book, which most might even consider short for modern dystopian novel standards.

I really wish I had the capacity to speak more about THE UNIDENTIFIED’s marvelous critique of the infiltration of networking websites in our lives. But I’ll leave that to the academics, and just let you know that this book does it, along with providing us a highly unputdownable adventure. I don’t think I can recommend this book enough. READ IT if you’re looking for smart and snappy dystopian literature.

Similar Authors
Cory Doctorow
George Orwell

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 3.5 out of 5 - I think it was designed to be disconcerting. The genericness of the face (so unlike how I imagined Kid's) superimposed with the bar codes...creepyyy.

Balzer + Bray / Oct. 5, 2010 / Hardcover / 304pp. / $16.99

Copy borrowed from library.

Review + Giveaway: Hush by Eishes Chayil

Tags: YA, sexual abuse, rape, Jewish, marriage

Summary

Gittel’s best friend Devory hanged herself when they were ten, and now, at seventeen and on the cusp of being married to a proper Jewish boy, Gittel finds horrible guilty memories surfacing. For Gittel believes that the death was her fault: she should’ve told someone about Devory’s increasing refusal to sleep at home, the way her older brother came into her bed on the night Gittel slept over.

But in their intensely Jewish Brooklyn community, to speak of such things is to bring shame upon your family and lower your marriage prospects. But when does the price of keeping one’s reputation become too high to pay?

Review

HUSH, Eishes Chayil’s pseudonymously written debut novel, is an astonishing look into the highs and lows of an incredibly insular community. It will bring you to your knees, laughing and crying, and is the type of book that you’ll want to pass around to everyone, regardless of their age.

Eishes Chayil makes you feel as if you are truly part of Gittel’s Jewish community. You have grown up surrounded by these people, raised on the prejudices and traditions and beliefs of the community. Some of them, such as being suspicious of the goyim and rejecting anything that has to do with them, may seem oddly backwards to many readers; however, HUSH is not merely a direct condemnation of the unchanging traditions that killed Devory, but a celebration also. This is a community where arranged marriages before the age of 20 are still the norm, where men and women are separated and have clearly defined domestic roles...and they like that. Instead of feeling like an outsider, we quickly begin to feel like we are part of Gittel’s world: Eishes Chayil builds up a thoroughly complete Jewish world without resorting to “as you see, reader” explanations.

Devory’s sexual abuse and subsequent suicide are at the core of this book, but the book deals less with the actual event itself than with its emotional aftermath on a bystander who is silenced by her community, unable to carry out justice for her friend. The only way to ensure a powerful emotional reaction to Devory’s and other Jewish children’s sufferings was to provide a sharp contrast to it, which is why most of the book is spent building up the community and culture. Devory’s suffering is mentioned almost like an aside, the way a naïve 10-year-old narrator would reasonably note it, and it is in fact this contrast, this appalling lack of attention paid it by the rest of the community, mirrored in the actual narration, is the best way Eishes Chayil could’ve slammed it into our faces.

And yet within this serious story is room for normal 10-year-old fun and games. The chapters alternate between 10-year-old Gittel and 17/18-year-old Gittel, the older narrator struggling with whether or not she should tell others what happened to Devory, the younger flitting in and out of typical preadolescent adventures. Certainly young Gittel’s spiritedness adds a layer of heartbreaking fun to this commitment-heavy novel, but older characters give us their fair share of laughs too. I nearly burst out laughing in the middle of a crowded hallway at the scenes involving Gittel’s impending marriage. Suffice it to say that, despite the serious topic, HUSH also gives us plenty of things to smile about, scenes that actually make the core issue of sexual abuse all the more powerful.

The last time I remember reading something this intelligently, creatively, and heartwrenchingly written was for a high school summer reading list. The contrast between the rich Jewish community and the horror of the sexual abuse problem accentuates both in the most effective way possible. Full of laughter and tears, HUSH has all the makings of a modern classic, and is the type of book that truly deserves to be talked about, awarded, and recognized for years to come.

Similar Authors
Chaim Potok (The Chosen)

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 3 out of 5 - I like that it's relatively simple... but I also wish there was more of the Jewish element on the cover, since it is so much a part of the story.

Walker Books / Sept. 14, 2010 / Hardcover / 368pp. / $16.99

Sent by publisher for review.

-

Giveaway Opportunity

Thanks to the generosity of Bloomsbury/Walker Books, I have one copy of Hush to give away to an interested US reader. This book truly is a must-read, which is why I'm so excited for this giveaway. To enter, please fill out the form below. This giveaway is open to US addresses only and ends Friday, October 8, 2010. Also please consider leaving a comment related to the review below. Thanks!

Review (T2T): The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

The Agency, Book 2 (Book One review here)

**Note: slight, minor spoilers for Book One, but nothing earth-shattering or life-ruining, yup**


Tags: YA, historical fiction, mystery, Victorian London, suspense

Summary

Orphan Mary Quinn works for the Agency, a secret spy organization run by and employing entirely woman. Her latest assignment has her disguised as a 12-year-old boy at the construction site of a clock tower near Parliament, investigating a mysterious death and the site’s overall generally bad reputation. Mary is skilled at her “trade,” but she finds being a boy harder than she expects when it brings back long-suppressed memories of her rough childhood.

To make matters worse—or better, in some instances—James, her old flame, has returned from India, changed in some ways, yet exactly the same in others. Will Mary be able to balance all the different parts of her life while she does her job, or will something have to fall—literally?

Review

The first book in this series, A Spy in the House, was a solidly entertaining and well-researched historical mystery, but this second installment, THE BODY AT THE TOWER, throws me into fangirl zone. THE BODY AT THE TOWER, is off-the-charts incredible for its genre, a Victorian London mystery that is sure to please old and new fans.

All of Y. S. Lee’s writing strengths return in full force in this worthy sequel: from character development, to exquisitely immersing historical details, to a sizzling romance. All of the details about the Victorian era never feel forced or extravagant: readers will find it easy to fall into the gritty London that Mary inhabits, while learning incredible things about the Victorian era along the way.

The richness of the setting is matched well by the playful banter between Mary and James, banter that I described as Austen-worthy in my review of the first book, a sentiment that I heartily return to now. Sure, maybe it’s wish fulfillment in a number of ways—James is a self-described arrogant and persistent man—but damn if the pages didn’t nearly catch on fire while I was reading their banter. This is a strong-minded couple that doesn’t have it easy, but they certainly have chemistry.

Lee introduces new characters almost effortlessly, while simultaneously further exploring Mary’s conflicts with her heritage and childhood. Sure, minor characters help move the plot forward or give the MCs necessary information, but in THE BODY AT THE TOWER they acquire the possibility for life outside the story. And Mary is not just your average inexplicably competent female detective, but rather a young woman with demons of her own.

I’m not a big historical fiction OR mystery fan, but this series is one of my favorites, and probably my favorite historical mystery series. Well-written, eye-opening, and entertaining, you will dive in and be immersed immediately. THE BODY AT THE TOWER proves that Y. S. Lee is a rising star, and hasn’t even reached her peak yet. I am on tenterhooks awaiting the third book, and more after that from this incredible author!

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 4 out of 5 - Personally I don't see Mary ever having occasion to dress like that, and I see her slightly different--more feisty, perhaps?--but I certainly appreciate the enormous effort Candlewick goes to to make sure Mary is represented accurately on the cover. Bravo, Candlewick!

Candlewick / Aug. 10, 2010 / Hardcover / 352pp. / $16.99

ARC sent by publisher for a Traveling to Teens tour. Check out the other blog stops on the tour below!

Mon. 8/2 - Kristi (The Story Siren)
Tues. 8/3 - Kristen (Bookworming in the 21st Century)
Wed. 8/4 - Sarah GreenBeanTeenQueen
Thurs. 8/5 - Lizzy (Cornucopia of Reviews)
Fri. 8/6 - Ari (Reading in Color)
Mon. 8/9 - Mariah L
Tues. 8/10 - Steph Su
Wed. 8/11 - Cecilia (The Epic Rat)
Thurs. 8/12 - Laura (Laura’s Review Bookshelf)
Fri. 8/13 - The Book Smugglers

Stay tuned in a few hours for a guest post from the magnificent author Ying herself!

-

[ETA] OH, and HOW DID I FORGET that TODAY (August 10) is The Body at the Tower's release date? Huzzah! Hoorah! Congrats! *pops champagne and sprinkles all over Ying, who is thousands of miles away* Now you can run out and get this book immediately (or tell your local bookstores to stock it)!

Review: By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Tags: YA, suicide, bullying, bullycide

Rating: 5 out of 5


Summary

By the time she is 15, Daelyn Rice has tried—and failed—to kill herself more times than she’d care to remember. Stuck in a neck brace and unable to speak after a botched suicide attempt, Daelyn takes comfort in Through-the-Light.com, a website for people who are extremely serious about suicide. There, Daelyn slowly reveals the years of suffering at the hands of heartless bullies that drove her to hate herself so much she wishes herself dead.

In the real world, however, there are still a few weeks to go before she finally “Completes.” And a dorky but endearing boy named Santana keeps trying to talk to her on the bench where she waits for her parents to pick her up every day after school. But Daelyn is hurt beyond repair. It is too late for someone to reach her…or is it?

Review

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I’LL BE DEAD tore my insides raw. As I read, I screamed. I cried. I threw the book across the room. I apologized and cradled it delicately in my hands. I also chuckled and fell in love with the characters, flawed as they all are. Julie Anne Peters is nearly unmatched when it comes to writing about difficult, taboo, controversial, and absolutely necessary subjects, and her latest book is a terrifying masterpiece that deserves to find its way into everyone’s hands.

Daelyn is not an easily likable protagonist. I hope to God that very few of us out there can actually understand where she is coming from, a dark and frightening world so terrorized, so beaten, so loveless that, for her, suicide is a form of salvation. And yet, as she slowly reveals to us her bullied past, we invariably find ourselves at once within her, shocked into silence at what we experience being her, and at her side, emotionally invested in attempting to give her hope. It’s a powerful duality of readers’ position that only the most skilled of novelists can achieve.

And indeed, Julie Anne Peters’ incredible writing skills are brilliantly showcased in this book. Daelyn’s voice is cynical and snarky without being overwhelmingly pity-inducing. Peters’ prose is short, to the point, and lyrically sweet. Sometimes succinctness is the greatest form of power.

I can’t end this review without pointing out how absolutely lovely Santana is—but I’ll let you find that out for yourself. Needless to say, I wish I could place a copy of this book into the hands of everyone between the ages of 12 and 18. Perhaps if everyone were allowed this candid look into Daelyn’s hurt, bullying and suicide—bullycide—would be hopefully less of a terrifyingly real problem.

Similar Authors
Elizabeth Scott (Living Dead Girl)
Courtney Summers

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 4.5 out of 5 - With the exception of the model (whom I think is too pretty and her expression too...placid to be Daelyn), I love everything about this cover. The way the bright red rose petals contrast astonishingly with the black and white, the title treatment. There's just so much atmosphere going on that I love.

Hyperion / Jan. 5, 2010 / Hardcover / 224pp. / $16.99

Copy bought by me.

Review: Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

Tags: YA, dystopian, action, babies, pregnancy, genetics

Rating: 5 out of 5


Summary

16-year-old Gaia Stone follows in her mother’s footsteps as midwife for her section of town. Every month they advance the first three babies they deliver into the Enclave, the unknown life behind the stone wall. When Gaia’s parents are taken by Enclave soldiers without explanation, however, Gaia sets off on a journey into the Enclave to rescue her parents. What she learns beyond the wall about the advanced babies, the Enclave, and all of their futures is more shocking than anything she could’ve imagined.

Review

Words fail to adequately describe how astonishingly completely Caragh O’Brien drew me into Gaia’s dystopian world in this debut YA novel. Holy cow! BIRTHMARKED is a layered and action-packed dystopian treat that just might satisfy readers eagerly awaiting the third and final installment of The Hunger Games series.

I am absolutely bowled over by how well-written this book is. Caragh O’Brien presents us with interesting characters that we want to follow through all their suspenseful adventures and encounters. From Gaia, the determined “everywoman” protagonist, to the alluring and quietly troubled Captain Gray, to everyone who helps or harms Gaia along the way…all are engaging and three-dimensional to capture our attention from the start and hold on throughout.

A dystopian novel is nothing without a well executed and faithfully imagined world-gone-wrong. Luckily, Gaia’s world is one of the best I’ve read about in a long time, high up there with Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Maria Snyder’s Poison Study. BIRTHMARKED starts with a bang in the first chapter and never lets up. There’s plenty of mystery, code-breaking, narrow escapes, and running to satisfy fans of action and adventure, and it’s all wrapped within a fully realized dystopia.

I don’t think my review was enough to express my admiration of and love for this book, but rest assured that if this sounds even mildly interesting to you, then you will NOT be able to put it down!

Similar Authors
Suzanne Collins
Catherine Fisher (Incarceron)
Maria V. Snyder (Poison Study)

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 3 out of 5 - It's not...bad, I guess. But it's also not the best that I think it could've been. My favorite part is the colorful twisties in the center that kind of echo DNA.

Roaring Book Press / Mar. 30, 2010 / Hardcover / 368pp. / $16.99

ARC picked up at NCTE conference.