Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan)
Publication date: October 2012
Pages: 295
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Birthmarked, Book 3
*Spoilers are inevitable for the first two Birthmarked books*
Gaia is determined to lead the people from Sylum back to the Enclave, in hopes of saving them from extinction. But the Enclave isn't ready to take Gaia or her new people back. They've started new experiments and the stakes are higher than ever.
Things I Liked:
While I still enjoyed the genetics discussions and the ethical implications of decisions people make, I was overall not enthralled with the book. I did like the way Gaia had to struggle with what she wanted and what she thought was not right. She was a realistic character, making some good and some bad choices and then dealing with the consequences. I thought she was an interesting leader and her struggles with what a leader must do versus what she wanted to do kept me invested to the end. The ending is also rather unflinching and not everything turns out well for the characters. An interesting look at an unusual society.
Things I Didn't Like:
As I said, I was disappointed overall. I found it really rambling and the back and forth of Gaia began to grate on my nerves. She made many stupid mistakes, often by not thinking something through or by just making stupid choices (in my opinion). The ending, while not attempting to avoid the unfortunate, did not please me. I found that there were too many last minute things that fell into place or that conveniently just happened, despite opposition to them previously. And on a more personal note, sometimes Gaia seemed so superior in her ideas about motherhood and women's choices that I wanted to smack her. This is probably because I have experienced infertility for over five years and it is something that if you haven't experienced it, you really won't understand all of it. But, that's me projecting my experiences on the book, so take that with a big handful of salt.
Read-alikes:
A bit like Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
some, not a lot
mrg-factor: X
mostly implied, nothing on page
v-factor: ->->
a bit of violence, not too graphic
Overall rating: **.5
Do you tend to rate some books based on your personal experiences or are you much more objective than I am? :)
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Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: November 2011
Pages: 368
Source: e-book from NetGalley
For: Review
Series: Birthmarked trilogy, Book 2
*Spoilers for Birthmarked very likely*
Set to wandering in a wasteland with few supplies and her infant sister, Gaia's plight seems hopeless. Until she is picked up by an outrider and taken to Sylum, a very different kind of society from the one she left behind. Women are outnumbered two to one and hold all the power too. But in order to see her sister, Gaia must obey the strict society rules and change the way she thinks of the world. Will she be able to give up all she believes and wants or will she find a way to reconcile the two worlds?
Things I Liked:
I was really surprised with the direction this book went. This is definitely not a sequel that just rehashes the first book, or bridges to another book. This is almost a stand alone story. I really enjoyed how it was completely its own book, didn't depend (much) on the first book, and was still interesting. What made the book for me, though, was Gaia. She was a flawed, realistic, confused, but still strong person - especially in the way she dealt with the Matrarc. I kept wanting to read so I could figure her out, since she made both mistakes and hard choices. She was complex and had a lot of emotions and different motivations warring in her. Her choices eventually led to the (somewhat predictable) ending, but were still hard to make and interesting in the consequences. A strong book with a compelling main character.
Things I Didn't Like:
It actually kind of dragged for a while. The middle felt so slow I often set the book aside. And I wasn't too impressed with the way Sylum was set up, how they were kept there, and what Gaia found out about them. It felt only quasi-scientific and just didn't really make sense when I sat and thought about it. And yes, the love square was rather annoying. But didn't bug me too much, even if she should have figured out what she wanted way before she finally did. Definitely its the character development that made this one good to me, not so much the world building or romance.
Read-alikes:
Obviously, start with Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
Reminded me a bit of the society in The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (though, obviously without the zombies) and Wither by Lauren DeStefano
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe a few
mrg-factor: X
some kissing, mostly it was birthing scenes that might be a bit graphic
v-factor: ->
again, it was more for the births, though there is some minor fighting
Overall rating: ****
What stood out to you in this one?
Looking for more dystopian goodness? Be sure to stop at Presenting Lenore's Dystopian February celebration.
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Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: March 2010
ISBN: 9781596435698
Source: ARC provided by Traveling ARC Tours
Gaia has grown up outside the walls of the enclave - with a scar on her face from a childhood accident, she would not have been advanced. As a midwife apprentice to her mother, she has seen babies advanced or given to the enclave every month since she was a child. But, when her parents are taken by the people they've been serving forever, Gaia begins to doubt her loyalty to the enclave. She sets off on a dangerous mission inside the walls. But, she is about to learn a lot more about what it's like inside the walls than she expected.
Things I Liked:
This was an excellent, fast-paced, surprising adventure. I love the dystopian world O'Brien has created here with terrifying familiarity. Gaia was an character that I grew to love as she began to understand more about what she does and why she does it. The plot unraveled with nearly perfect pace - I only once felt like it got sidetracked. Despite some of the things I saw coming, there were still surprises that hit me. An excellent debut and addition to dystopian literature.
"Despite the crude simplicity of the Wharfton homes and the endless work, life outside the wall had a raw decency for a moment. At least no one actually starved. Her parents' arrest and continued absence were making her question things she'd taken for granted and see the impoverished community outside the wall with new eyes. Perhaps the three advanced babies from their sector were simply payment for the water, mycoprotien, and electricity the Enclave gave them all. Perhaps the exchange, stripped of its veneer of privilege and promise, was that simple. And was it worth it?" p 35 of ARC
"Where the route circumvented large boulders, the packed path was cool under her bare feet, but most of the way lay in bright sunlight, and she felt like everything prickled - the bit of grit between her toes, the grasshopper's flecking at her hem, the itch of heat behind her ears." p52 of ARC
Things I Didn't Like:
I thought one particular chapter felt kind of out of place and didn't really add much to the story. Also, I think it would have been more interesting if Sgt. Bartlett had more story about him - I'm assuming there will be more in sequels.
Read-alikes:
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
(at least not that I can remember)
mrg-factor: X
mostly from birth scenes
v-factor: ->->
some disturbing things and brief violence
Overall rating: ****
Have you noticed an increase in great dystopian literature or am I just now paying attention? Do you have older favorites?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
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