Prized (Birthmarked, #2)

Nov 07, 2011 Clare Cannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write, both because the book left me heartbroken, and because it was so confusing that it left me quite exhausted. It is also difficult because I highly respect the author, especially for her openness to honest feedback, and though I disagree with some of the things in this book I continue to respect her and will eagerly await whatever else she may write. The other difficulty is that the themes dealt with are highly controversial, and yet they...more This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write, both because the book left me heartbroken, and because it was so confusing that it left me quite exhausted. It is also difficult because I highly respect the author, especially for her openness to honest feedback, and though I disagree with some of the things in this book I continue to respect her and will eagerly await whatever else she may write. The other difficulty is that the themes dealt with are highly controversial, and yet they are too important to leave undiscussed.

I considered the first book in this series, Birthmarked, to be a rare find in contemporary YA literature. In my review I couldn’t praise it highly enough.

Some of these qualities can be seen (somewhat faintly) in Prized, but it is a completely new story in a different place with different people and different values.

In general terms the story seems to have lost its ‘epic’ quality: while Birthmarked created a logical and coherent world and told the story of one girl’s place in it, this book is more about the ups and downs of Gaia’s personal struggles, and the ‘world outside’ in Sylum (her new home) sometimes seems a mere backdrop. This book also places more emphasis on emotions and physical appearance than the first, and it is a lot more morally confusing.

Feelings determine right and wrong
I must acknowledge Gaia’s admirable appreciation for honesty and her earnestness in wanting to do what is right. However, in Prized, Gaia’s earnestness is set above the question of whether or not she acts rightly, and so her moral choices become cloudy. She no longer asks ‘what is the right thing to do?’, but rather ‘do I feel right about this?’

There are many examples of this that I would have preferred to know about before reading the book, and perhaps others may too... things to do with rebellion, romance, and especially life issues.

(view spoiler)

That’s about all I can say for now; there are other good and not so good things in Prized but it would take a book to explore them all. And though book one looks a little different in the light of book two, I still think Birthmarked was one of the best YA I’ve read in a long time. Prized is taking time to get over, but as we learned in Birthmarked, there’s always hope.(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Disillusioned dystopian and/or YA readers who want to read something deep, smart, and honest

Recommended to Jillian -always aspiring- by: Pactmate (you know who you are)

Shelves: 2012-reads, amazing-storytelling, best-characters, best-endings, stories-that-challenge-me, made-me-cry, soared-above-and-beyond, stories-with-a-message, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, dystopian-worlds-hells-and-cesspits, exceeded-my-expectations, best-couples, fab-writing, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, heroes-i-love-and-respect, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, left-me-feeling-drained, love-it-for-the-characters, recommended-to-me, surprisingly-liked, swoon-worthy-book-crushes, thought-provoking, ultimate-favorites, very-nearly-heartbreaking, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, wish-i-had-read-it-earlier, world-building-worth-noting, worth-every-star, wowed-me, writer-crush, writing-to-which-i-aspire, reviewed

It seems fitting that I devoured Prized on Valentine's Day as if it were a box of chocolate -- but this book was so much better than chocolate to me.

I don't think a book in recent memory has made me dread or hope as much as this one did.

Prized made my heart a knotted mess, and then slowly -- painfully -- the knots began to untangle and leave me even more stricken.

This book and its predecessor Birthmarked are so much more than run-of-the-mill YA dystopian novels. They are rife with important topi...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Kyra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I became so attached to the first book when I read it. . . I absolutely cannot wait for this to come out!

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Oct 05, 2011 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm really giving this book a 3.5 (between liked and really liked) because I really did like it but there were a lot of things that bothered me about it.

THIS REVIEW WILL MOST LIKELY CONTAIN SPOILERS IN ORDER TO MAKE SENSE.

My biggest problem with Prized is I felt it was a totally different book from Birthmarked. None of the characters were the same. Gaia is supposed to be this strong young woman who stands up for what she believes. While she does redeem herself at the end, I found that she gave u...more I'm really giving this book a 3.5 (between liked and really liked) because I really did like it but there were a lot of things that bothered me about it.

THIS REVIEW WILL MOST LIKELY CONTAIN SPOILERS IN ORDER TO MAKE SENSE.

My biggest problem with Prized is I felt it was a totally different book from Birthmarked. None of the characters were the same. Gaia is supposed to be this strong young woman who stands up for what she believes. While she does redeem herself at the end, I found that she gave up to too easily in giving up her sister, in not standing up to Olivia, in not convincing Peony to believe in what's right, and in letting Leon tell her everything she's doing wrong and not defending herself, among other things. I know the story is about Gaia losing herself for a while, but she's not the character that I loved in the first book. And Leon, the one who was so sweet and caring and the one who sacrificed everything for her is such a cold jerk. Again, I know it was because he was hurt, but he was just SO mean.

The other thing that I didn't like about this book was the romance involved. I started reading the book thinking "Where in the world is Leon and who are these random new guys?" Why, oh why, did you put a love triangle (no, make that rectangle) in the mix. I didn't like how Gaia's role switched from being the ugly duckling in the first book to being a very desirable woman in the second book. And I didn't like how the O'Brien had to involve BOTH Will and Peter. If she was going to introduce an interest, just put one. Will was just kind of thrown in there. And so was the relationship with Adele. It felt out of place and unnecessary.

I also don't understand what's going on with Peter. Yes, she likes him, but I don't that he kissed her and we're left with the assumption that he did it to almost force her into choosing him. So after she decides she doesn't think she's right for him, he treats her the same way Leon had treated her, after he scolded Leon about it. I know he's hurt, but I thought he was a better character, and those two things just made me dislike him.

I also wished that O'Brien gave us a happy ending where the series could have ended. I know the third installment is probably going to consist of the group going back to the Enclave, but I hope it's just her having the courage to tell Leon how she feels. Really, I don't want them to take one step forward and then two steps back in the third book where he'll be "she loves me, she loves me not." I also have a feeling this may not be the last of Peter and Will that we see pulling her emotional strings. Leon and Gaia have been through so much together, I just hope that a love triangle won't be thrown in just to keep drama there.

Otherwise, I think the book was good, and I enjoyed reading it. I like O'Brien's style, and the dialogue wasn't cheesy or anything. I also like that she tried to introduce a new concept (women being in charged) but also not in a way of the Amazons. The men weren't treated equal, but other than the part about Josephine treating Leon in the cabin, the men weren't being treated like servants.

I just wish there were some things that would have been done differently. I know I'm not the author, but I just hope that this wasn't extra drama to bridge the first book with the third (and maybe last).(less)

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Sep 15, 2011 Dea Sauva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, favorites, dystopia, netgalley, read-in-2011, young-adult, romance

I read Birthmarked in March and couldn’t wait for Prized ever since. Imagine my delight when I saw the title on NetGalley! Everyone who knows me is fully aware that I’m a dystopian buff. Leaving whatever I was reading was such an easy decision when I found out that my request got accepted. All those months of waiting are definitely worth it! I loved Prized more than I did Birthmarked and I’m anxiously waiting for the last book in the trilogy.

Prized begins where the first book left off. After esc...more I read Birthmarked in March and couldn’t wait for Prized ever since. Imagine my delight when I saw the title on NetGalley! Everyone who knows me is fully aware that I’m a dystopian buff. Leaving whatever I was reading was such an easy decision when I found out that my request got accepted. All those months of waiting are definitely worth it! I loved Prized more than I did Birthmarked and I’m anxiously waiting for the last book in the trilogy.

Prized begins where the first book left off. After escaping from the Enclave, Gaia arrived at Sylum where the society is matriarchal and the women’s number is continuously decreasing from an unknown cause. She is forced to live within the stretch of the newfound society to be with her sister and adjust to the way the laws are enforced in Sylum.

Caragh O’brien handled everything with virtuosity. Prized held me entranced from the very first page until the last. It has everything that the first book lacked of and exceeded my expectations. The romance was fun to read, especially that it’s a love square! It’s good that Gaia doesn’t fall in love quite easily. I adored the two new guys but my heart will always be for Leon. Prized was also full of surprises and mysteries. I hardly remember every detail in the first book so I’m glad to be reminded of bits of them. In spite of having many dystopia books being released these days, this series still kept a unique identity for its readers. I’m taking Genetics this semester and I was delighted to find a little of it in Prized! Anyway, I’ve always admired Gaia for her skill in midwifery. She’s just my age but her talent is unbelievable.

Prized deals with the issues of justice, love, trust, gender egalitarianism, and leadership. I can’t say enough how much this series is a must read for people in all ages. You’re seriously missing out on something if you haven’t heard of this, especially if you love dystopians as much as I do. Now I have to wait another year for the third book! But I know it’s going to be worth the wait. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for providing an e-galley of this book!
(less)

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Dec 31, 2011 I'm Your Ramen Eating Mate ~~~~ The Rogue rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: unleashed-2011, 2011-read

I AM SO BLOODY EXCITED!!!
WHOOOOO

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Oct 09, 2011 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 2 of 5 stars

If the debut book in a series is even semi- good, I will continue with a series. I understand that it is hard for a debut book in a series to knock my socks off because you have significant amount of world building, and brand new characters to introduce. Usually, the plot is deep in the book and so I know patience is the key.

Why I wanted to read book 2 in the Birthmarked series?

I liked book 1 but I did not love it. I did like the 2nd half and because I thought it had potential, I wanted to see...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Natasa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tumblog

This review also appears on my blog, What Makes YA Beautiful.

Prized is a hard book to give a rating to that reflects its quality. On the one hand there are a few things that are very well done, such as the idea of a matriarchal society—truth is, I don’t think there are any YA books that explore this idea—and the gradual way Caragh M. O’Brien transforms Gaia from a headstrong leader into a submissive follower. However, there are some things that prevented me from giving it the five stars I wanted...more This review also appears on my blog, What Makes YA Beautiful.

Prized is a hard book to give a rating to that reflects its quality. On the one hand there are a few things that are very well done, such as the idea of a matriarchal society—truth is, I don’t think there are any YA books that explore this idea—and the gradual way Caragh M. O’Brien transforms Gaia from a headstrong leader into a submissive follower. However, there are some things that prevented me from giving it the five stars I wanted to.

I’ll start with those to get them out of the way. Throughout the story there are three guys declaring their undying love for Gaia. You heard me. Three. Still, it’s not that ridiculous if you place it in the context of Sylum’s matriarchal society where the men outnumber the women nine to one.

What irritates me is that Gaia becomes a pile of mush and is plagued by guilt from the desire she feels for the other two whenever she’s near one of them. Um, who are you and what have you done to the Gaia who never lets anyone tell her what she wants? Plus, there was absolutely no need for this angst because even the most clueless reader could guess Leon would turn out to be the lucky guy.

And now for the things I liked. Unlike with Birthmarked, this time round I felt more connected to the characters. The writing seemed to have improved, really drawing me into the story and enabling me to relate to characters more so than the first book. I realized this when I almost threw the book when Gaia gives in to the Matrarc’s demands.

Believe me, there’s nothing worse than reading about a strong heroine who has to submit and put herself under another’s power. From that point on the story flowed smoothly and I read it right to the end in one sitting.

The word “abortion” is never mentioned throughout the whole book, not even once, which is very crafty especially since this is one of the main themes of the book. I love how Gaia’s view is neither for or against it and believes the choice is ultimately up to the mother.

With this kind of controversial issue it’s always best to have an open mind relative to the situation; if she had taken an absolute stance on something like this that’s neither black or white, as we saw in Birthmarked, she wouldn’t be the Gaia we know and love.

All in all, Prized is a well-rounded book that in some ways is better than Birthmarked and in others falls short. Nevertheless it’s a solid continuation of the series and I will definitely be reading the next book.(less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

"THIS. BOOK. SUCKED. I loved Birthmarked SO MUCH, and Prized just ground all those happy emotions into the dust. I said one word throughout the entire book, over and over again: Ugh.
But. Butbutbut.
There were... Some okay moments. But there is a lot of moral issues that bothered me, making it hard to continue reading... And the love square was just plain ridiculous. The fact that Gaia acknowledged that it was a love square made it all the worse.
And while I did enjoy the technical elements, and th...more "THIS. BOOK. SUCKED. I loved Birthmarked SO MUCH, and Prized just ground all those happy emotions into the dust. I said one word throughout the entire book, over and over again: Ugh.
But. Butbutbut.
There were... Some okay moments. But there is a lot of moral issues that bothered me, making it hard to continue reading... And the love square was just plain ridiculous. The fact that Gaia acknowledged that it was a love square made it all the worse.
And while I did enjoy the technical elements, and the puzzles, and the political adversity... I just found that Gaia lost herself in this book. She wasn't Gaia Stone anymore, she was Mlass Gaia, the faithful midwife. There's a big difference, and it's evident.

*SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT*

Okay. Leon frustrated me, and made me (quite honestly) hate him. I hated him. But, I also hated Gaia. I hated her so much in this book, it surprised even me.
I am only fifteen, and I have grown up in a house where my parents told me exactly what was going on, in the world and in my family. For that reason, and for the reason that my aunt is a nurse who also was very vocal in what she knew, I know exactly what abortion is, and I have hated it and the doctors who practice it my entire knowing life. Abortion is the murder of an unborn child. No matter the reasoning or logic behind it, it is wrong. I think people use the term 'fetus' to make the child seem less human, less alive, so that the wrongness isn't so prevalent.
But enough on my anti-abortion thoughts.
My problem with this is, well, obvious, because Gaia helps a woman abort her child. And while the reason is understandable, it still shocked me. It shocked me that Gaia, who was so defensive of the unborn in Birthmarked, would just as easily kill the child when his or her mother didn't want them. This turn of events not only upset me... But shocked me, too. It seemed so unlike Gaia, unlike her character, to do something so heinous. And then the Matrarc is made out to be the evil dictator for commanding her to stop.
My conscience bothered me throughout the rest of Prized due to this.
O'Brien disappointed me, and, for this fact, I'm undecided as to if I will be reading Promised. We shall see.(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Aileen Shara rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: NO ONE. Please, save yourselves...

Recommended to Aileen Shara by: Oh...you stupid self. You stupid stupid past self who said "hey, look there's a second birthmarked! Let's read it!!" You idiot, you. Curse you, past self. Curse you...

Oh. My. Goodness.

Apparently I'm not safe anywhere from this freakin' epidemic of YA love ~~triangles~~ squares. And that's just the first complaint of many about this sequel. Welcome, welcome, one and all to the new face of young adult dystopian fiction: prostitutes and sex in the desert! First with the second Dust Lands book, (elsewise known as Rebel Heart....and we already know my opinion on that piece of trash...) and now with this thing...Ah, well. Let's take things as they come, shall we? We'l...more

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Jun 13, 2012 ◕ ◡ ◕ Arooj rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: blargh

*sigh* This book...I just did not enjoy it. At all. The first book was an interesting start to the series, but this book was not what I expected it to be.

First of all, this series doesn't sound dystopian at all to me. In Birthmarked I could have believed it, but not so much now. This world just doesn't make sense to me. I also didn't like how after learning so much about the Enclave, we now have to learn about another society. It was just plain boring. All Gaia did was sit around for weeks as a...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Anja rated it 4 of 5 stars

it's three months since i finished this book, about time to rate and review o.O

in birthmarked, gaia left the enclave with her baby sister, and prized picks up were birthmarked ends. o'brien is briefly mentionig what happened over the weeks out there in the wasteland, there are no countless chapters of endless wandering and whining and starving, and that's a good thing. she's telling what's important with enough room for the reader's imagination.

well, wasteland... a stranger comes, finds gaia and...more it's three months since i finished this book, about time to rate and review o.O

in birthmarked, gaia left the enclave with her baby sister, and prized picks up were birthmarked ends. o'brien is briefly mentionig what happened over the weeks out there in the wasteland, there are no countless chapters of endless wandering and whining and starving, and that's a good thing. she's telling what's important with enough room for the reader's imagination.

well, wasteland... a stranger comes, finds gaia and her sister, rescues the two of them, and brings them to sylum. sylum is... fucked up. it's even more fucked up than the enclave. at first appearance sylum is a nice community, but on closer inspection you can see how crappy this society is.
first off, women are in charge. well, okay, could be much worse, right? but it's too much matriarchy. men have no say. why? that's why! there are far more men than women, so women are sacred or something. there is no balance, women rule, men obey, (in the abstract this sounds good ^^) and this is just wrong. balance is vital.
second off, there are very strict social structures to abide by, otherwise they cast you out or off you go in the brig. it's too long since i read this book, so i don't remember all the levels of shit in sylum, but what i remember is that my prevailing thought was wtf o.O

i can't even beginn to describe what i felt when the matrarc got all bitch. they took gaia's sister, then offered a choice, leave now alone or stay forever and live by the rules. what would you do? leave your sister with this fucked up people? no way. but... once your system adjusted to sylum's environmental conditions you can't leave. ever. you die if you try it.
so gaia is forced to stay, being completely dominated by the matrac, who's controlling the whole community.

but something is brewing in sylum. gaia will be the catalyst for revolution. the world will change, and the enclave and sylum will mingle... i think ;)
oh, and not to forget the love connection. leon... leeeeeeeeeooooooooooooon ❤ *le sigh*

like birthmarked, prized was quiet told with scary wtf-moments. sometimes the book puts you on the edge of your seat, sometimes it's unwinding and almost peaceful without being boring. from time to time gaia was the weak point of the strory. sometimes i really wanted to strangle her. but in the end she found her wits and her strength and was again the likeable girl from birthmarked :)
again the writing is good, easy to read, easy to follow. but the ending, oh the ending. did i mention i don't like cliffhanger? but it's okay for it's a tame one.
now i have to wait for promised, the last book in this series. i'm sure it will be even better than prized, like prized was far better than birthmarked.(less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

okay...so i'm giving this 4 stars, but i think it's more like 3.5. i rounded up because the last third of the book is what really hooked me...the first two thirds of the book, i wanted to smack gaia about 12 times - who was this girl??? she was not the same girl that we met in birthmarked. her actions, her thoughts...ugh...then leon - oh leon...wanted to smack him too - though a little less so...(upon rereading it, i really didn't want to smack leon at all...my feelings toward gaia were the same...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Cici rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, favorites, romance

The first book, Birthmarked is one of my favorite books! I really loved all the characters and coding and puzzles. I can't wait to get a hold of this book! :)

Prized is AMAZING! I LOVED it! It feels very different from Birthmarked (maybe because of the place setting and how Gaia is treated) but I loved it just as much. Definetly a new favorite.
Gaia Stone and her baby sister, Maya escape the Enclave with hope of finding a better life for them in the Dead Forest(Sylum).
Sylum, Gaia discovers is comp...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Ambur rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Birthmarked, so I was really excited to read Prized, and I wasn't disappointed! While the feel of the two books differs quite a bit, they both still have Gaia, and they both still center around some very amazing women...and powerful women.

In Prized, Gaia has left her home and is now in Sylum. Sylum is completely different than the world she knew before. First, the women are the ones in control, and the leader is a woman. In Sylum, women aren't on...more I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Birthmarked, so I was really excited to read Prized, and I wasn't disappointed! While the feel of the two books differs quite a bit, they both still have Gaia, and they both still center around some very amazing women...and powerful women.

In Prized, Gaia has left her home and is now in Sylum. Sylum is completely different than the world she knew before. First, the women are the ones in control, and the leader is a woman. In Sylum, women aren't only in control. They are valued because the men far outnumber them, and as a new member of the society, being a midwife and being a woman, Gaia is highly valued. It seems as if Gaia should have more freedom in this new place, but that couldn't be further from the truth. There are very strict social structures to abide by, and Gaia is pressured and looked at in ways that she never thought she was before.

As to Leon's whereabouts, and his status...well, I can't tell you that. You're just going to have to read Prized to find out. If I told you I'd just spoil it for you after all, but I'll give you at least a taste...Gaia does mention him, more than once...but I won't tell you if that's all the input he has in the story. :P Even without her feelings Leon, Gaia would have found herself in a pretty twisted love situation. Not only does she still think about Leon, but she also has two brothers who are both interested in her. It gets pretty dramatic, and complicated...and it will definitely keep you on your toes.

Birthmarked was an amazing beginning to this series, but Prized holds its own and offers a completely different view of the world, and of Gaia. Being placed in such a different society shows the reader a whole new side of Gaia, and she is challenged in a variety of new ways. I've read in reviews that some people have read Prized before Birthmarked, or without even planning on reading it, and I think you definitely could. You get a lot of history in Prized, without it being redundant though, which is so nice, but I'd recommend reading Birthmarked...if only to get to see lots and lots of Leon. ;) If you loved Birthmarked, Prized will probably surprise you because it certainly feels like a very different story, but once again, you will be captured by the story, and I hope that you will be satisfied, just like I was. (less)

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Feb 25, 2012 Drottni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian

ahhh what happened?
where is the world and the characters I came to love and care for and was looking forward to read about...

-Gaia's character ended up just like all the other boy obsessed, selfish, and stupid female leads out there. Here was a character who was strong and independent, brave and resourceful, and smart. Suddenly she is weak and pathetic, stupid in her decisions, and falling head over heels for every guy that gives her a second look.

-Although I found Leon's abrupt character chang...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Oh. Em. Gee.
Oh. Em. Gee.

First off, how much do I love Birthmarked? Very, very, very much. I looove Birthmarked. And Gaia. And (really love) Leon. And especially Leon. And so I was so. Very. Leery. Because a sequel is HARD to do correctly. Honestly. There are few successful ones.

This is one of the successful ones. I can't say much, for fear of spoilers. but suffice it to say this was flipping awesome. And if I can looove a character as much as I love Gaia--and I do love Gaia--and yet still disagr...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Carien rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, ya

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 probl...more

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Dec 31, 2012 drey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, dystopia, ya

Sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone finds herself outside Enclave, with a baby, heading off into the wilderness to try and find her grandmother. It’s not long before she runs out of formula and food, and when she meets up with a rider, she hardly has the strength to refuse when he offers to take her to his village.

In Sylum, Gaia finds refuge – of a sort. While women rule here, this matriarchal society may not be any better than the patriarchal Enclave. Both seek to subdue a portion of their popu...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Shelf Talkers Anonymous rated it 3 of 5 stars

From the dessert to the water, Prized carries the brave and stubborn Gaia from the harsh world of the Enclave to the restricted settlement of Sylum. There the women rule everything from sexuality to marriage to crops, and Gaia will find even harder challenges before her: learning to compromise, learning to lie, learning to believe, learning to love, and learning to lead.

Compared to Brithmarked, Prized is a slower story. Though Gaia enters a society almost as rigid as the one she fled, here she i...more From the dessert to the water, Prized carries the brave and stubborn Gaia from the harsh world of the Enclave to the restricted settlement of Sylum. There the women rule everything from sexuality to marriage to crops, and Gaia will find even harder challenges before her: learning to compromise, learning to lie, learning to believe, learning to love, and learning to lead.

Compared to Brithmarked, Prized is a slower story. Though Gaia enters a society almost as rigid as the one she fled, here she is not fighting for her life. In fact in this place she is cherished, prized. For in Sylum there is only one girl born for every nine males. This extreme difference in gender population has made the women the rulers of the land, and the rules are strict: a simple kiss can be considered attempted rape. For the first time in her life Gaia finds herself admired and desired, and no one seems to care about her scar. But things aren't as easy as suddenly having men flocking after you; Gaia finds herself in direct opposition with the leader of Sylum, the Matrarc, when she helps a young girl have a miscarriage. In Sylum every women is expected to marry and have 10 children and to abort one pregnancy--that might have been a girl--is a heinous crime. With the lives of her baby sister Maya and Leon hanging in the balance, Gaia finds that the true and honest principles taught to her by her parents can no longer solve every problem.

I really enjoyed the expansion of the world from the Enclave to Sylum. Rather than entering the wilderness to find a paradisaical utopia, Gaia goes straight from one dystopia to another. She is dragged half-dead out of the wilderness and placed in a situation as difficult and precarious as the one she fled, yet this time she has the chance to make a difference. Sylum was well developed, adding depth to the world's past and present, and built well on the issues of reproduction and genetics established with the Enclave in Birthmarked.

Gaia was once again a strong heroine, but I felt that she faltered a little in this book. Her decisions were sometimes confusing, and her inability to understand Leon's frustrations was, well, frustrating. She is only sixteen and new to the realms of love and responsibility, but I wanted more fight out of her, more passion. There were times when I felt she was floating through the intense events of this book, hiding from the emotions and conflicts, instead of dealing with them head-on. She did pull through at the end and showed the stubbornness that I admired in Birthmarked, and her actions and decisions at the end of the book give me a lot of hope for the final book, Promised.

Leon was once again a great hero, and he got even more complicated and attractive in this book. He arrives, beaten and brooding, his attraction for Gaia grown into love. But with love comes more than long looks and stolen kisses: with love comes hard decisions and sometimes tears. Leon is strong and passionate all throughout this book, and you could feel his pain and turmoil as he waits for Gaia to sort herself out.

Overall a very good sequel to Birthmarked and a solid second book for this series. I am very excited to see how everything concludes.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Krysta Felix rated it 4 of 5 stars

Stunning, very thought-provoking book. One thing I loved is that the characters seem so real. They're very conflicted, often have trouble making decisions, and frequently question their conclusions. In short, they act like real people do. Another thing I really liked is that even though *spoiler* there are three possible love interests, they all make sense. To a large extent. I still don't buy how two of them got so attached in such a short time, but there you go.

I also loved Gaia's concern for...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Cindy rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 21, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Birthmarked and was pleased when I saw there was a sequel. But I was a little disappointed with myself for not writing a better, spoilerish review since I couldn't remember everything that happened in Birthmarked. I read many reviews and googled Birthmarked spoilers in hopes of finding something...and I came out with nothing. Still I refused to reread Birthmarked (I'm stubborn!). So I went in remembering Gaia, the birthmarks, her sister, her mother, the premise of the novel, but not mu...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

“It isn't always easy between us. I admit that. But it's right between us, always.”
--Caragh O'Brien, Prized
Ok, SO...I am not a sap. I feel as if there is a part of me that is slightly a hopeless romantic but I'm also completely realistic and practical as well. With that said, while Prized (the second book in the Birthmarked series) has so much to it I have to say that the love square (yes you heard me right) was one for the record books. My heart and chest physically hurt due to the intensity o...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Tricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was very frustrating to read. After book one and the 1.5 where we see Leon's overwhelming love for Gaia, book two makes us want to grab them both and give them a hard shake. Gaia was especially frustrating. I found I couldn't like her anymore until nearly the end when she finally starts to think more rationally. Leon is about the same. I liked how Will and Peter pointed out to Gaia how they didn't understand how she could like Leon when he was always mean to her. The images we get are...more This book was very frustrating to read. After book one and the 1.5 where we see Leon's overwhelming love for Gaia, book two makes us want to grab them both and give them a hard shake. Gaia was especially frustrating. I found I couldn't like her anymore until nearly the end when she finally starts to think more rationally. Leon is about the same. I liked how Will and Peter pointed out to Gaia how they didn't understand how she could like Leon when he was always mean to her. The images we get are very confusing and frustrating as the reader sees the truth in Leon being mean but feeling Gaia's logic that he's not mean at the same time. I wonder if this plays into us seeing things like how abused women could stand to continue being with the abuser. This book covers many topics which make the reader uncomfortable and frustrated. Just like Gaia is confused about what is right or wrong, we also face the same decisions in choosing if we believe the same. However, this world we are thrown so hap-hazardly into is so completely opposite yet the same kind of as what we saw in book one. In the end it's like we've seen two choices of how it could be And must pick which is better. It's as if the whole message is simply, is the grass greener on the other side? Yet, you don't know until you experience it. Then you question even that. You can't experience everything. So perhaps the strongest theme is trust and loyalty. Leon and Gaia must remember who they trust and who their loyalties are to, even if it means having to make hard decisions and possibly letting others that we may care about down. This book is so complicated and full that I'm actually quite frustrated with the author and wish that perhaps for a YA novel, it would be a little less blunt and complicated. Next time only throw nails at us while drowning us instead of lighting us on fire, cutting off our fingers, then beating us to death while screaming in our ears, pulling out our hair one strand at a time and throwing nails at us before drowning us. See my point? Lol. If not, I'm sorry this review is as complicated and messy as this book. All said and done, I did like the ending and it was Almost worth screaming through the rest.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Das Land der verlorenen Träume" von Caragh O'Brien ist nach "Die Stadt der verschwundenen Kinder" der zweite Teil einer dystopischen Trilogie, die sich hauptsächlich mit den Thema der Fortpflanzung innerhalb eines stark eingeschränkten Genpools beschäftigt. Während ich den ersten Teil überraschend gut fand und er zu einem meiner Highlights der letzten Monate wurde, ist die Geschichte im zweiten Band zwar immer noch gut, aber in meinen Augen leider doch etwas schwächer als der Vorgänger.

Inhalt:...more "Das Land der verlorenen Träume" von Caragh O'Brien ist nach "Die Stadt der verschwundenen Kinder" der zweite Teil einer dystopischen Trilogie, die sich hauptsächlich mit den Thema der Fortpflanzung innerhalb eines stark eingeschränkten Genpools beschäftigt. Während ich den ersten Teil überraschend gut fand und er zu einem meiner Highlights der letzten Monate wurde, ist die Geschichte im zweiten Band zwar immer noch gut, aber in meinen Augen leider doch etwas schwächer als der Vorgänger.

Inhalt: Die 16jährige Gaia ist mit ihrer neugeborenen Schwester Maya tagelang durch das Ödland marschiert und beide sind kurz vorm Verhungern, als sie ein Reiter findet und sie in das Dorf Sylum mitten im Sumpf bringt, wo Gaia erfährt, dass ihre Großmutter dort gelebt hat. Jetzt regiert in dem Dorf eine blinde Frau, die Matrach, mit harter Hand. Maya wird in die Obhut einer anderen Familie gegeben und Gaia bleibt nichts anderes übrig als sich den strengen Regeln zu beugen, denn niemand, der länger als ein paar Tage in dem Dorf gelebt hat, kann es wieder verlassen, ohne bei dem Versuch zu sterben. Doch auch das Dorf selbst stirbt, denn es werden kaum noch Mädchen geboren, weswegen Frauen dort sehr wertvoll sind, und viele Männer sind unfruchtbar. Gaia fühlt sich nicht im Stande an den strengen Regeln, die sie kaum nachvollziehen kann, etwas zu Enden, doch das Auftauchen eines alten Bekannten reist sie aus ihrer Resignation...

In sich hat auch "Das Land der verlorenen Träume" wieder eine durchaus ansprechende Handlung, die allein schon überzeugen kann, doch leider konnte ich nun einmal nicht ausblenden, das es sich hier um den zweiten Teil einer Trilogie handelt. Als ich dieses Buch in die Hand nahm, wollte ich keine neue Geschichte lesen, sondern eine Weiterentwicklung, die sich einiger offener Fragen des ersten Teils annimmt und diese beantwortet. Aber das passiert nicht. Kaum etwas von der Vorgeschichte wird aufgegriffen und statt der Enklave wird eine völlig neue, eigenständige Dystopie entworfen. Nur Gaia, Leon und Maya bleiben als Konstante erhalten, alles andere ist neu, von den Charakteren selbst bis hin zu den genetischen Besonderheiten dieser neuen, kleinen Welt. So wie Gaia im ersten Teil den Geheimnissen ihrer Eltern auf der Spur war, löst sie jetzt die Rätsel um ihre Großmutter. Das überraschende Ereignis am Ende des ersten Teil, Leons Verhaftung, wird natürlich aufgelöst, aber selbst das geschah für mich nicht auf eine zufriedenstellende Weise, sondern eher nebenbei.

Natürlich spielten hier auch meine Erwartungen eine Rolle. Gaias Brüder sind noch nicht gefunden, Leon war verhaftet, also hatte ich erwartet, dass sich dieses Buch mit der Suche nach den beiden und mit Leons Befreiung befassen würde, aber nichts davon spielt eine Rolle. Stattdessen wird Gaia wieder zur Hebamme und sieht sich mit neuen moralischen Fragen konfrontiert. Außerdem buhlen gleich zwei neue junge Männer um ihre Aufmerksamkeit, was sie unter den strengen Gesetzen, nach denen Männer Frauen nicht berühren dürfen, in Gefahr bringt.

Gaia selbst verblasst dabei langsam. Sie wirkt unentschlossen, irgendwie schwammig, und ich habe die durchsetzungsfähige Protagonistin des ersten Bandes in ihr kaum wiedergefunden. Auch die anderen, neuen Charaktere überzeugten mich nicht wirklich - zumal ich nicht um sie gebeten hatte. Ich wollte keine neue Liebesgeschichte, erst recht keine Dreiecks- bzw. Vierecksgeschichte, denn ich mochte Leon und die Beziehung zwischen Gaia und ihm. Seine Rolle in diesem zweiten Teil hat das Buch daher in der zweiten Hälfte wieder ein wenig lesenswerter gemacht, aber der große Wurf wurde es einfach nicht mehr. Mir fehlte das Gefühl des ersten Teils und vor allem fehlte mir eine Hauptprotagonistin mit Profil - die neue Gaia ist zu wechselhaft.

Sprachlich hat mit auch "Das Land der verlorenen Träume" gut gefallen. Die Dystopie wirkt auch hier durchdacht und das matriarchalische System hat zusammen mit den genetischen Veränderungen sowie mit der mysteriösen Krankheit, welche die Bewohner daran hindert, den Sumpf zu verlassen, seine interessanten Seiten. Die Handlung ist vor allem in der zweiten Hälfte auch wieder spannend. Das Cover ist das des ersten Bandes mit einer anderen Farbe und gespiegelt. Ich fand schon den ersten Band eigentlich zu kindlich gestaltet und thematisch wenig passend und das gilt auch beim zweiten - wobei hier hinzukommt, dass es durch das gleiche Cover auch noch ein wenig langweilig ist.

Fazit: Ein wirklicher Folgeband ist "Das Land der verlorenen Träume" nicht. Er greift kaum eine der offenen Fragen des ersten Teil auf und entwirft eine völlig neue Dystopie, anstatt sich mit der alten zu befassen. Die Charaktere - mit Ausnahme von Leon - wirkten blasser. Ich fand das Buch insgesamt nicht schlecht, aber nicht annähernd so gut, wie den Vorgänger und nur, weil es in der zweiten Hälfte wieder etwas an Gefühl und Spannung zulegte und das Buch nichts für meine Erwartungen an seinen Inhalt kann, vergebe ich noch knappe 4 Sterne.

(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Debbie Hantusch rated it 3 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed this one and found it as hard to put down as the first, in the end it was less satisfying. Part of the problem was that everything moved so quickly, perhaps because of being in the YA genre (character development and rising community tensions would have been more convincing if it had played out over decades, but then I guess she'd have aged out of the genre!). In the first book the character is a bit of a mouse, but here she suddenly has the confidence to take on an entire commun...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Amelie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-bookshelf

Zur Aufmachung

Dass das Cover hier orange ist passt sogar zur Wüste und auch diese hellen Schlieren könnte man als aufgewirbelten Wüstensand deuten. Wenn man es also so sieht, dann passt das zweite Cover sehr viel besser als noch das erste. Vergleicht man das aber nun mit dem Originalcover, dann kann das deutsche hier leider nicht mithalten. Allein, dass das Monokel hier abgebildet ist... Es hat einen Bezug zur Geschichte und ist zusätzlich auch schnell zu erkennen, weil es eher besonders ist als...more Zur Aufmachung

Dass das Cover hier orange ist passt sogar zur Wüste und auch diese hellen Schlieren könnte man als aufgewirbelten Wüstensand deuten. Wenn man es also so sieht, dann passt das zweite Cover sehr viel besser als noch das erste. Vergleicht man das aber nun mit dem Originalcover, dann kann das deutsche hier leider nicht mithalten. Allein, dass das Monokel hier abgebildet ist... Es hat einen Bezug zur Geschichte und ist zusätzlich auch schnell zu erkennen, weil es eher besonders ist als das deutsche Cover. Die Titel passen allerdings beide sehr gut zum Buch. Prized ist perfekt, aber ich beginne auch die deutschen Titel sehr zu mögen. Besonders, da Das Land der verlorenen Träume einfach super zu Sylum passt und zusätzlich noch wunderschön klingt... Ich bin gespannt auf die deutsche Aufmachung von "Promised"!

Zum Buch

Ich habe mir erst nach dem Lesen des Buches viele der Rezensionen durchgelesen und kann eigentlich alle recht gut nachvollziehen. Diejenigen, die hieran kritisieren, tun das hauptsächlich an Gaia. Es stimmt, dass sie sich hier etwas verändert, aber ich persönlich finde, dass das unausweichlich war nach allem, was sie durchgemacht hat. Sie muss in diesem zweiten Band vor allem lernen, dass es manchmal vielleicht gar keine schlechte Idee ist, sich dem System zu fügen. Zumindest in einigen wenigen Situationen. Man kann nicht immer alles anzweifeln und es ist entscheidend zu lernen, wann es entscheidend ist seine Stimme zu erheben. Dadurch, dass Gaia hier in eine völlig neue Zivilisation eingeführt wird und auch ihre Vergangenheit zu Beginn kaum einen Teil ihres neuen Lebens einnimmt, liest sich dieser zweite Band ganz so als sei es der erste Band einer Geschichte. Gaia entdeckt auch sofort wieder die Fehler in diesem System, besonders natürlich, weil die Gesetze hier völlig verdreht sind und durch die geringe Anzahl an Frauen, sie diejenigen sind, die alle Macht haben. Also genau das Gegenteil von der Welt in der Gaia groß geworden ist.
Dass sich plötzlich so viele junge Männer für Gaia interessieren wirkt zu Beginn etwas übertrieben besonders, da sich bei ihr zu Hause ja niemand außer Leon für sie interessiert hat, aber je besser man diese andere Zivilisation kennen lernt desto logischer erscheint es! Was den jungen Peter angeht so finde ich nicht, dass Gaia sich hier sehr rücksichtslos verhalten hätte. Vielleicht hat sie den einen oder anderen Fehler gemacht, aber sie ist auch erst sechzehn Jahre alt und alle ihre Handelsweisen waren sehr gut nachvollziehbar von daher kann man ihr die Fehler, die sich macht leicht verzeihen. Besonders da sie sie selbst einsieht und alles versucht um die Dinge wieder gerade zu biegen.
Was mich an diesem Buch am meisten überzeugen konnte (außer der wunderbaren Schreibweise, die ich ja auch beim ersten Band schon sehr mochte) waren die Charaktere und die Spannung, die hier aufgebaut wurde. Die Charaktere waren sehr authentisch und wirklich alle waren durch und durch sympathisch. Selbst die Matrarch, die ja hier ein wenig die Rolle der "Bösen" einnahm, konnte man gut verstehen und hat sie doch auch irgendwo ins Herz geschlossen. Und wenn einer Autorin das gelingt, dann sollte das schon was heißen.
Ich finde es jedenfalls interessant welche Wende die Geschichte genommen hat und was Caragh O'Brien wohl im dritten Teil aus der großen Konfrontation noch machen wird...

Fazit

Schreibstil: 4,5 Herzen
Charaktere: 4,5 Herzen
Spannung: 4,5 Herzen
Emotionale Tiefe: 4 Herzen
Humor: 3 Herzen
Originalität: 4 Herzen

Ein wirklich toller zweiter Band, der sich zwar wie ein erster Band liest bei dem bei mir aber dann der Funke übergesprungen ist, der bei Die Stadt der verschwundenen Kinder noch nicht so ganz überspringen wollte. Und nun warte ich sehnsüchtig auf den dritten Band...

♥♥♥♥(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 3 of 5 stars

While I did enjoy this story, it wasn't quite as good as the first, BIRTHMARKED. I fear the author may have caved to her readers and critics, adding in superfluous descriptions that didn't add much to the overall story and reducing the impact of several characters (including Peony).

It's still beautifully written, with lush world-building and intriguing characters. However, it had a very different flavor than the first in this series. Gaia just wasn't the same strong, passionate individual she'd...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think this three is more a reflection of how different this book two is from book one, Birthmarked. I don't really want to go long here, but not only is the world quite different but the characters Gaia and Leon also seem quite transformed. Since I found the Enclave and Gaia's life outside its walls quite compelling, it was tough to follow Gaia and her infant sister to Sylum, a post-apocalyptic outpost dealing with its own reproductive challenges and established rules and traditions

Here, only...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Leon or Peter?	25	85	Mar 02, 2013 10:38am
What's The Name o...: Girl is in a small town where women are ranked higher than men? [s]	3	148	Dec 17, 2012 05:59pm
GAME Befriend, Marry, Avoid	4	22	Jul 19, 2012 09:19pm

title link	preview: Prized
avg rating	preview: Prized Goodreads rating: 4.05 (8689 ratings)
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Prized (Birthmarked #2)

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