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Promised

(Birthmarked #3)

Caragh M. O'Brien (Goodreads Author)

3.76 · Rating details · 14,802 ratings · 1,354 reviews

After defying the ruthless Enclave, surviving the wasteland, and overthrowing Sylum, Gaia Stone now faces her greatest challenge yet--to lead the people of Sylum back to the Enclave and persuade the Protectorat to grant them refuge. But in Gaia's absence, the Enclave has become even more ruthless, picking girls from outside the wall to serve in an experimental baby factory ...more

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Hardcover, 293 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Roaring Brook Press

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Oct 04, 2012 Kandise rated it liked it

Shelves: dystopia

I didn't think it was possible to start a trilogy off strong and end in third place. Gold, Silver and then the Bronze medal. However I can't say that I wouldn't read the next installment, if there was a possibility of one because I have this morbid curiosity to see if Gaia could become more of a dumb-ass. A naive dumb-ass that makes the worse goddamned decisions.

Now I have to admit, Prized wasn't a strong installment but again I was curious, I wanted to find out what happened after she lost her I didn't think it was possible to start a trilogy off strong and end in third place. Gold, Silver and then the Bronze medal. However I can't say that I wouldn't read the next installment, if there was a possibility of one because I have this morbid curiosity to see if Gaia could become more of a dumb-ass. A naive dumb-ass that makes the worse goddamned decisions.

Now I have to admit, Prized wasn't a strong installment but again I was curious, I wanted to find out what happened after she lost her dignity and then regained it at the very end, a strong end to a mediocre read. She became the matrarc and she was going to lead her new people to prosperity and a new life...

This installment really bunched my panties and resurfaced some medical problems I had been facing with prior YA reads, such as ERS (eye rolling syndrome) which started flaring up, at one point it actually got so bad that my body would cease up and my eyes would roll and become stuck in my skull...I just had to wait it out, I didn't have enough cupcakes to help me through it. Then there was my wrist twitch issue that was once dormant, the urge to flick my damn Nook across the room...oh and last but not least my rage. My raaaaaaagggge! that after reading time and time again about how Gaia would go back to the Enclave with this naive and infuriating notion that nothing bad would happen to her if...if people were watching...if she was the matrarc...if she caused a scene...so stupid. She consistently downplayed the ruthlessness of the Proctorant, then had the audacity to be disappointed when she was back in a cell and being tortured, to be upset that this time it didn't work out.

I was just so goddamned pissed that this Gaia was only a shell of the protagonist that she was in the first installment and that it just kept going downhill.

Was I supposed to feel sorry for her at the end? Cause I didn't. I whispered to myself in public and when I was in comfort of my own home, I would shout 'Well that's what happens when you're a fucking idiot, that's what happens when you dont fucking learn to fight fire with fire, you stupid, stupid girl!' ...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Star rated it it was ok

Shelves: ok-could-have-been-better, potentially-corrosive-love-triangle

As an ending to such a high powered trilogy it was awfully tame. It felt rushed and very "happily ever after, gallop dramatically into the sunset.... because I really am not sure where else to go with this...". I also disagreed with who the author chose to kill off since it seemed to be based on who supposedly would never get over Gaia and was therefore expendable. Lame death justification. I also dislike it when the villains are neatly dispatched in crossfire or just put in prison. Its too manu ...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Eve rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-books

Oh my gooooodnesss!! That was quite the ending.

Jeez. What can I say? I went into this book with high expectations, and I was not disappointed. Not even a little bit. This was fantabulous.

So, in a nutshell, Promised is about Gaia leading the people of Sylum back to the Enclave to persuade the (total jerk-face) Protectorat to grant them refuge. And water. Cause them people be thirsty. But of course, things get a little cray-cray, and so begins the emotional overload my poor little heart (and sou ...more

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Oct 06, 2017 Penny rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, y-read-young-adults-fantasy

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

It's ok.

I was disappointed. I was expecting so much more since I loved the second book so much.

Book 1: Birthmarked - 3.5 stars
Book 2: Prized - 4.5 stars ...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Kim rated it it was ok

It seems publishers are hungering for the next Hunger Games and, as such, are releasing YA dystopias faster than their authors can devise plots. As the third and final book in the Birthmarked series, Promised didn't live up to its promise, and instead sputtered to an unsatisfying conclusion.

Clearly, the book is not written for an adult audience. Still, young adult readers deserve an intelligent ending that wraps up the plot. Promised concluded with more questions than answers. Indeed, it raised ...more

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May 05, 2017 Mary Beth rated it liked it

Shelves: 350-series

3.5 stars

This one was just O.K. for me. I did like it and enjoyed it. I just loved the first and second book better. This is the third book in the Birthmarked Series. This is a YA series. It is also a dystopian series.

Teen midwife and revolutionary Gaia has led her people from the false security of Sylum to the gates of the Enclave, determined to build a new city (and strangely confident that the baddies inside the Enclave walls will give her people water, despite her past history with them). ...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Emerald rated it did not like it

Well, despite really liking books 1 and 2, I won't recommend "Promised" to readers, unless they HAVE to finish out the series. I had a total disconnect from all the characters and no longer cared if any of them lived or died. I was not invested in this book. Gaia was so unbelievably stupid in Promised, that I put the book down several times and vacillated between picking it up again or not. I did managed to finish the book.

Considering how incredibly complex the socio-economic situation was in t ...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Clare Cannon marked it as on-hold

My hopes for Promised:
- That Gaia remembers her parents' wisdom. More dad flash-backs please!
- That Gaia looks beyond her feelings to learn what is right.
- That Gaia is willing to make hard choices for what is right, and so rediscover hope which is born in sacrifice, instead of the confusion which comes from compromise.
- That Leon and Gaia get their love back on track, stop squabbling and playing up each other's emotions based on their own moods, really listen to each other and help each oth ...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Sarah rated it it was ok

Gaia leads the people of Symlum to a new life near the Enclave. She asked the Protectorat(Leon's father) to provide a water system for her people in exchange she'll agree to give him samples of all her people DNA. But the Protectorat didn't keep his promise(surprise!)and so in begins.

I dislike long reviews so in short, throughout the book Gaia'character fails in every way possible as a leader. Now I'm not a strategy expert but some of Gaia's mistake could have been prevented by using common sens ...more

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May 09, 2012 Worood rated it did not like it

Recommended to Worood by: Najla Madwar

Shelves: dystopia, fiction, reviewed, regretted-reading, young-adult, romance, science-fiction

First of all I want to say that I regret reading this book. I didn’t like the first two ones much and I had many and countless objections. Despite this I decided to give it a shot and continue reading because I couldn't ignore that the author had a quite good story. But she wasn't able to use it well.

When you read a book after about a year of reading the previous one ,you tend to forget the characters. That's obvious and common. And what's more common that while reading the new book the author w First of all I want to say that I regret reading this book. I didn’t like the first two ones much and I had many and countless objections. Despite this I decided to give it a shot and continue reading because I couldn't ignore that the author had a quite good story. But she wasn't able to use it well.

When you read a book after about a year of reading the previous one ,you tend to forget the characters. That's obvious and common. And what's more common that while reading the new book the author would give you some flashbacks to refresh your memory. That's something the author didn't bother doing. But ok maybe I should've re-read the previous two books .And It would've been useful to tell somehow that it was a year later. Because that is something important to know.

And the most thing that annoyed me is GAIA and LEON! Ok we get it they love each other crazy and they couldn't live without each yada yada…..But it is very bothering to see that they only cared about each others' safety. Especially that the 17-years old is supposed to be the MATRARC. Which I find ironic. She is a teenager and she obviously operates depending on her feelings but she gets to still be the leader!

Not to mention the fact that she happens to be loved and respected by all. Despite everything she does! I just hate when the main character is just so perfect and awesome. Ignoring all the others who reasonably should take over!

Another thing, I hoped to know more about the other characters. The book was from the author's point of view so it would have been good to know about the others more. Not just stick to the girl and what she does and feels while the others just agreed on what she said or objected then agreed again. I didn't like that. Everyone is older than her. How come she is the person to always have the best decisions and make people convinced. Especially when the decisions are obviously wrong!

I have so many other objections but I will stop here and say some good things. Though they are hard to be found!
I liked that it didn't end perfectly, though it was confusing and not reasonable at some points. And....ok I couldn't find anything else.

NOTE: just a reminder that this is my opinion. I noticed that many liked and loved this book ~~though I don't know why~~ and I respect that. And please respect that I didn't like it. Not my type.
...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Sydney rated it liked it

Shelves: scifi, dystopia, ya, fiction

2.5 - 3 stars.

I enjoyed this book, but overall I think it's the weakest in the series. Still, the ties and emotional connections I had to the characters from the previous books makes me want to bump my rating to 3 stars.

Here is my criticism: Why oh why do authors think it will be boring if people have normal emotions? Fo reals. I understand the need for drama and foreshadowing and plot twists blah blah blah. But heavens above! I could not keep up Gaia's epiphanies or Leon's brooding love-sick 2.5 - 3 stars.

I enjoyed this book, but overall I think it's the weakest in the series. Still, the ties and emotional connections I had to the characters from the previous books makes me want to bump my rating to 3 stars.

Here is my criticism: Why oh why do authors think it will be boring if people have normal emotions? Fo reals. I understand the need for drama and foreshadowing and plot twists blah blah blah. But heavens above! I could not keep up Gaia's epiphanies or Leon's brooding love-sick control freak-ness. Gaia seemed to change direction in each chapter and I was so flustered by her mood swings I almost stopped reading. Now I understand men when they deal with PMSing women! For a character who was so steadfast and determined, solid and stubborn in the first two books, she sure does a lot of roller-coasting in this one. And I find it hard to believe that she would just get up after that tragedy happens, shrug and move on. I wish O'Brien would have spent more time focusing on her emotions during that realization. And Leon, oh brother. Just the same old same Cassandra Clare type love interest. All passionate brooding but nothing I could really sink my teeth into until the final chapter.

With my love loss for Gaia and Leon, it was hard to truly adore this book the way I did the others. I was infatuated with Gaia's bravery in book one and two but her heroism in these books stretched by WSOD a tad too far. I couldn't connect that way I wanted to. Thank goodness the story was technically well-written or I would have set this down. I would have also enjoyed a quick recap from the first books. I hadn't read the other two books in awhile and it took me a quarter of the book to play catch up before I remembered everything.

If you have read the first two books (and the bridge), you should definitely read the third to complete the series. The story itself is still captivating, even if its pushed to be unrealistic. Just go into with the notion that the characters are not the same they were when you met them.

Read all my reviews at www.rattlethestars.com! ...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Kellyflower rated it it was ok

Shelves: series-sequels-trilogies, ya-new-adult-mature-ya, dystopian-post-apocalyptic

I'm a little disappointed. This book seemed like it should have been bigger for what it explored. I was frustrated at the pace things were happening at because it just felt rushed.
The main reason why I liked Birthmarked & Prized was because of Leon, but in this book he seemed to be missing.It was all about Gaia 24/7. While the story progressed and the series came to an end I just feel like this book should have been expanded, maybe more on how the people from New Sylum felt. Why bring in new cha ...more

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Nov 19, 2016 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

And here it is!
I have to say that I really enjoyed this series, the world building was so convincing even if my connection to Gaia and her actions wasn't that good. The characters fitted perfectly into the story. So all in all it was a nice time but I don't think it's a series I am going to reread... ...more

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Feb 14, 2012 K. D. Grace is currently reading it · review of another edition

Why must you make me wait? I wanna cry. Patience is a virtue I severely lack. Release it soon. My heart is aching for more pages to turn and mentally devour.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE IT WILL BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 2nd... ME HAPPY

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Oct 09, 2012 Abbey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian, medical-fiction

I really enjoyed this book! I read the reveiws thinking that it was going to be terrible and it really wasn't at all....
I think the main reason behind the negative and critial reveiws is that the series went beyond the intended YA audience. I enjoyed Gaia much more in this book than the last two but perhaps that is because I am in my 20's and can relate to her situation more. I think she grew up significantly and perhaps outgrew the YA readers. Now I don't mean this critically at all! But it is I really enjoyed this book! I read the reveiws thinking that it was going to be terrible and it really wasn't at all....
I think the main reason behind the negative and critial reveiws is that the series went beyond the intended YA audience. I enjoyed Gaia much more in this book than the last two but perhaps that is because I am in my 20's and can relate to her situation more. I think she grew up significantly and perhaps outgrew the YA readers. Now I don't mean this critically at all! But it is just that she lost her air of innocence, is in a serious relationship now with Leon, and is the leader of New Sylum. She grew up, and she now is engaging with more adult decisions an themes (unfortunately being a grown up isn't all that fun all the time). If you think about it, the success of the Harry Potter franchise was rooted in the fact that HP readers literally grew up reading HP so could relate to what was happening in his life. On the flipside is the popular YA series Hunger Games (Which I did mostly enjoy) where the main character Katniss really fails to develop any adult reasoning or integrity and in the last book is moping around like a bratty teenager who you literally want to slap at times! It is unrealistic to imagine that Gaia would not mature after all she has been through and I felt that Caragh O'Brien made a good choice in doing so, even if she did loose her YA readers.

There are certainly alot of adult themes in the book, hints and mentions of themes such as abortion, genetic screening, drug use, sex, childbirth, feminism, 'designer' babies, suicide, coercion, child abuse, incest.... Relatively heavy moral/ethical dilemmas that occur throughout that to me make it a good read, but that parents of young teens might want to be aware of. That said, they are presented in ways that are meant to be challenging and intellectually rigorous. I like that she held nothing back! The story would have lost its fibre had she done so.

I enjoyed that Caragh O'Brien obviously did extensive research in the area of genetics and reproduction. This is always fascinating and a theme that is often seen in adult dytopian fiction.
My only issue is that the novel is set 400 years from now, would it not be reasonable to expect that the Enclave would have kept records of advanced babies anyway because of the risk of inbreeding. That was the only flaw I found in the logic of this storyine. It is a future oriented text and it is unlikely that knowledge would have been 'lost' bacause of global warming.... But hey, that is what makes this a great story right? Any dysopian fiction needs to hold on to enough realism to make sense and I think this does.

Many people have complained that the book isn't long enough or tht there should have been a fourth book. I must admit that it was short, but it must be considered that Caragh O'Brien would have had a word target assigned to her by her publishers and there were only ever going to be three books funded for this series... And I personally feel she did a good job of making it all fit together... there weren't any loose ends flapping in the breeze so to speak. And imagination goes a long way.

I loved the character of Gaia. She has flaws! All to often fiction is saturated with characters that are irritatingly perfect heroes, whose 'destiny is written' so to speak. But Gaia is a character with no particular special skills other than being able to use her initative, she has an intact moral code and is intrinsically good! She still has typical conflicts that all of us face. I really liked that.
I also see that many people said that this lacked the excitement because of the loss of the 'love square' between her, Leon, Peter and Will. I personally found it satisfying that we got to enjoy a novel where her and Leon were together and there was still plenty of internal conflict. Like how she felt jealous of Peter and Will talking to Wharfton women - a natural human emotion! And how she still questioned Leon and his intentions after they were together. This happens: No relationship is plain sailing and there are certainly apprehensions about your partner that you go through at the start, mixed with happy feelings too. And that it alludes to them being involved sexually.. sometimes sexual tension between characters is annoying (a la Hunger Games) and detracts from the actual development of their relationship (all the while reminding you that the book is written for a younger audience so has to be candy coated and innocent) while not being overt as adult fiction is (Such as Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series - who didn't Mikael Blomkist sleep with btw?). The sex is portrayed as loving and meaningful which I think would be fine for a younger audience anyway. The story was true to itself - Such as the 'peaceful' walk into the Enclave. This was great - no guns blazing, macho action stuff. Sure, it may not have got the pulse racing but it was true to Gaia as a character.

Only random thing about this series was book 2.5 - Ruled. Utterly pointless no? What did that add to the series that it didn't already have? A bit of a Leon/Gaia fix I suspect... but weird.

All in all, great book. I have enjoyed this series and am sad there are no more! I will probably read it again to think more about the themes in it. I hope that more adults read this! To me this last book graduated more into adult dystopian. I read an interesting article one that YA and A dystopian differentiate by YA having happy endings and hopeful themes... and this has a mix. It is a bittersweet ending.

Look forward to reading more reveiws,
Lots of love
...more

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Oct 05, 2013 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: genre-science-fiction, genre-dystopia, age-young-adult, bought-in-store, 2012, 3-star, genre-apocalyptic

Wow. I was afraid this was going to end badly.. I wasn't expecting the torture scenes either. This whole stealing ovaries so they can have babies who aren't sick is insane. A valid reason, but also crazy. I'm sad this is over but I'm also glad I binge read the entire thing in a span of a couple of days so I would have a series completed. Wonderful story full of science, action, mystery and indeed a love square to match, you'll love this one if you enjoy the dystopian genre. ...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Arie rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi, dystopia-and-post-apocalypse

Despite remembering almost nothing about the previous books in the trilogy (and becoming increasingly doubtful as to whether I even read the second), this was pretty easy to pick up and enjoy. Unlike my apparent feelings about the first book, this final piece isn't amazing but it's certainly interesting. There's a little too much back-and-forth (view spoiler) and so the pacing of the story is a little off ...more

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Oct 21, 2015 Donna rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

3 stars. This is the third book in the Birthmarked trilogy. In spite of all my dislikes with this, I still liked the story line. It was intriguing. There were some creative twists that had me saying, "Nice."

The problems mostly dealt with the writing and with the constant stupidity of the characters. They didn't seem to progress much. They always did the same things they always did. The MC was self-absorbed in the first one, the second one and in this one. And she was still the same silly girl at ...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Colleen rated it did not like it

Duh! What a let down. Torture, lies, surgery, in and on.... And Gaia still doesn't get it??!! This was so stupid I regret the money & time I invested. Boy, talk about falling apart after the first book. ...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Ky rated it it was amazing

I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER?

*sob*

Why?

~*~ Edit ~*~

akhdglkjsf;klgaj;lgkhdlg I cried. It was beautiful and sad and I CAN'T FORM GOOD SENTENCES.
... that was bad. ...more

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Apr 02, 2017 Karen’s Library rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian

Overall I really enjoyed the Birthmarked Trilogy and felt that Gaia was a great heroine to root for!

Promised starts off with Gaia leading the people of Sylum across the wasteland and back to the Enclave.

Once they reach the Enclave, they try to form New Sylum on the outskirts and try to work with the Proctorate for much needed water. Unfortunately, the Protorate refuses to help. Gaia and Leon do whatever it takes to ensure the people of New Sylum survive.

This book was pretty much non-stop actio ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Anne rated it really liked it

Actual rating 4.5

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THINGS GREAT! I SERIOUSLY CAN'T EVEN! DAMN THAT ENDING WAS JUST SO HEART BREAKING!

1.)The protectorat wins all the awards for being the single most annoying fictional character ~~in the universe~~ and for just being a douche-bag

2.) A love Gaia she is seriously one of my favorite protagonist's. Unlike other female leads in YA fiction, shes not invincible and she has flaws just like everyone else (which makes her even more real)

3.) I lied. Mabrothe ...more

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May 15, 2015 Myrza H Darmaditya rated it really liked it

OH MY GOD. IT'S FRICKIN' INTENSE.

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This book guys! This one was absolutely stunning! I can't get enough of the idea of this series! I can't believe that this series already ended. That was such a bittersweet ending for me. I don't know but Caragh M. O'Brien successfully ruined me emotionally! I just can't understand that O'Brien will be so mean with Gaia's fate, that's so evil! UGH.

I feel like this book was a major turning for this series. Everything changed for better. You'll get a l ...more

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May 11, 2012 Gracie marked it as to-read

I really liked the other two books, and I want to know if this one lives up to the reputation. Hopefully it does! But damn, OCTOBER? I seriously need to get my hands on this book!

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Jun 10, 2019 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: series-read-in-full

The conclusion to the Birthmarked trilogy left me somewhat underwhelmed. It's largely in line with expectations, but somehow the series manages to get even more baby-focused, and it's really not a good fit for me.

Promised gets off to a slow and rocky start. The Sylum folks are slowly making their way back to the Enclave where they hope to make new homes outside of the wall. There are several chapters of this, and they're not exciting, despite Leon and Gaia's engagement (shrug). They conveniently The conclusion to the Birthmarked trilogy left me somewhat underwhelmed. It's largely in line with expectations, but somehow the series manages to get even more baby-focused, and it's really not a good fit for me.

Promised gets off to a slow and rocky start. The Sylum folks are slowly making their way back to the Enclave where they hope to make new homes outside of the wall. There are several chapters of this, and they're not exciting, despite Leon and Gaia's engagement (shrug). They conveniently find Gaia's brother Jack, along with a new character, a little girl who will not matter to the story at all, and who thus should not be there.

Once they arrive in the Enclave, they shockingly do not experience a warm welcome. It feels simultaneously slow and like it goes far too quickly. Gaia makes a swift swing from wanting to argue peaceably with the Protectorat to going "eh, okay, blow them up", and I really didn't buy it at all. Nothing about Gaia's characterization up to that point explains why she capitulated so quickly and easily to Leon's less friendly negotiation tactics.

Also, weirdly enough, I found myself not feeling as mad at the Enclave about the titular new indignity. While Gaia was in Sylum, the Enclave ended the system of advancing babies and, instead, created what is, essentially a surrogacy program. They invited 40 girls, and some 10-15 agreed to birth a baby for other parents. Gaia's deeply upset by this because she doesn't think any woman should have to give up the baby she carries, which sure in most cases. But the thing is that these girls DID agree to give up the baby they carried, entirely voluntarily. They signed a contract willingly. There's no argument made that they were forced to do so. If you agree to be a surrogate, I don't think you can just decide to keep the baby, at least not with legal ramifications. Gaia's so infuriated, and I really couldn't understand why, which did not help, since it's one of the big moral motivators for her desire to take the Enclave down.

This series isn't bad, but, in the end, I didn't care about the characters enough and there's not quite enough detail to really explain everything. There are some interesting ideas here, and the series does strongly advocate for women making decisions about their own bodies (and men still having rights too). I guess I'm glad I finished, but I don't think it would have bothered me much if I hadn't. ...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Kelly | xoxo, Kelly Nina rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. " 'You impossible idiot...' "--Caragh O'Brien, Promised

Ok, wow...I don't really know how to begin this. I've just finished Promised the final book in the Birthmarked Trilogy by the amazing Caragh O'Brien and I have to say I am both sated and sad. If you haven't read the first two books please go do so immediately. I'm serious. I will be SPOILING the books for you in the very near text so unless you want to know how it ends stop reading this and go pick up the books...now.

K, good, that's out of " 'You impossible idiot...' "--Caragh O'Brien, Promised

Ok, wow...I don't really know how to begin this. I've just finished Promised the final book in the Birthmarked Trilogy by the amazing Caragh O'Brien and I have to say I am both sated and sad. If you haven't read the first two books please go do so immediately. I'm serious. I will be SPOILING the books for you in the very near text so unless you want to know how it ends stop reading this and go pick up the books...now.

K, good, that's out of the way. *sigh* So Promised was everything I wanted out of the final book. I devoured it in a day (go figure, like this odd for me or something) and while I am every so happy with how it ended and that there is no more conflict for them I can't help but feel a little sad I don't get to read about Leon and Gaia anymore *tear*. Anyways, my emotional instability needs to be set at bay for a moment if I have any chance of writing this.

SO a quick summary or I'll go into way too much detail; Gaia and Leon and the rest of Sylum that decided to come with are traveling to the Enclave in hopes of settling there. On the way they find Jack who is with a child named Angie. They reach the outside of the wall and Gaia is immediately taken in for questioning where Mabrother Iris puts in V cell as punishment. She has an emotional breakdown thinking about poor Leon being beaten in this very room *keep it together Kel*, Gaia gets out, Protectorat is PISSED, Leon and Gaia plot what the best thing is to do, Leon sneaks in *DAMMIT LEON YOU'RE GONNA GET YOURSELF KILLED*, Gaia goes after him, Gaia's other brother Arthur finds her and gets her back out, the Vessel Program is discovered (aka a baby factory-esque program for rich people to buy babies), Gaia goes to the Vessel Program ceremony because they have Leon, he's drugged, she rescues him, they eventually blow up the wall, get captured, torture Leon and Gaia, take Gaia's ovaries (yes you read that correctly), try to execute all her friends, and after a close call Leon lives, Peter is not so fortunate and Gaia and Leon plan to wed the next day. *WIPES BROW*

Needless to say I was an emotional roller coaster throughout the entire novel. I absolutely love the characterization of Gaia and Leon and there are some really beautiful moments and conversations between them that leave you with the feeling of unquestionable loyalty between them. Do they always agree? No. Do they piss each other off quite a lot? Yes. Are they both perfect? Of course not. But this is what makes them so perfect for each other and so great together. They push each other to be completely honest with their feelings. They bring out the best (and sometimes worst) in each other but aren't all great relationships the same? The quote I put at the top is my favorite in the entire novel because it just sums up their relationship so sweetly. They may fight and banter but in the end they know they are meant for each other.

And Gaia does question their status a lot which I also found refreshing while reading. She isn't stupid, she doesn't just throw herself into marriage because it feels right at the moment. She thinks about it, makes sure it is what Leon wants as well. I love this about her character she tries not to make rash decisions. In regards to Leon my two favorite Gaia moments are when she is in V cell and when she is lost in the tunnels and she realizes that at the end of the day none of the other political mumbo jumbo matters, she just wants to be with the person she loves and live in a society that is safe and fair. *That's all I want for you too Gaia!*

The end of the book had me in an emotional wreckage. I was crying. My heart hurt. My head hurt. The scene where Gaia wakes up and realizes her ovaries were forcefully taken and her future dreams of having kids with Leon were ultimately over before they began cracked me (the breaking came later, stay tuned). I just cannot imagine having that choice taken away from you without having any sort of say in the matter. She wakes up and they're gone. My heart was breaking for her and I could not even begin to imagine what that would feel like. *tears streaming down my face*

And we're not done yet. Emily is there when Gaia wakes up and informs her that Leon, Peter, Jack and Malachi are all going to be executed in a matter of minutes. She runs out, makes a scene, tries to save Leon and the Protectorat orders to open fire on her and the prisoners. In the chaos of it all Leon gets shot three times after shooting his father in the leg and is so very near death that he begins to tell Gaia that she was the best thing that ever happened to him and all the stuff he wants her to do in her life without him. Marry Peter, have kids, grow old. She yells back not to be stupid because she is doing all that with him. Right there. That moment. I broke. I actually am tearing up now remembering it. *How sad and pathetic am I?* Ugh, it hurt. Leon is just so amazing. What a damned hero.

Gaia finally finds Sephie and hooks Gaia up to give Leon her blood for a transfusion. Caragh O'Brien, this might be the most touching romantic scene I've ever read. Gaia is literally giving Leon his life back and the irony that she lost the ability to create life in the form of a child was not lost on me. Beautiful. Touching. Poetic. Just Perfect. Bravo.

Leon eventually heals, there might be a chance Gaia could implant one of her eggs with another man's sperm into her uterus but she doesn't know if she wants to try. I can't blame her. She says she has Maya and Leon and that might be enough for her. Ugh. I so badly wanted her to be able to have kids with Leon but O'Brien did a fantastic job of outlining the real loss that war and battles and political turmoil can bring. While she did end up with Leon alive and well *THANK GOODNESS*, the sacrifice of having children is a huge loss.

This series is amazing. It is young adult but I absolutely love how O'Brien takes real-life issues and manipulates them in a way that young adults can understand and discuss. The topics in this book are not light or watered down. She discusses the issue of human rights, scientific advances to society, oppression, human dignity and suffering. These are not things that are found in most young adult books...or even adult fiction books. The brilliance behind this writing is above and beyond and I will be recommending this series to everyone I know. ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Eva rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This third book of the birthmarked series didn’t meet my expectations. While reading the first two books I have already noticed how fast the story moves forward (which makes it very easy to read, there’s no part that’s boring or too long). But I have missed some depth and detail from the beginning of the series. I have given the first two books higher ratings because I enjoyed reading most of them, the ideas and settings are interesting and I wanted to know how things would turn out for the char ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Katy rated it liked it

A happily ever after story to end the trilogy.

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Sep 23, 2012 Tati rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia-sci-fi

The book begins with Gaia and the people for Sylum that decided to leave for the Enclave on the road. Right at the beginning, new and not-so-new characters join Gaia and Leon. It goes without saying that they are not welcomed with open arms. As soon as they settle, they come across a serious problem: the Protectorat refuses to supply them with water.

It's the search for water for her people that leads Gaia to ultimately discovering how desperate the Enclave has become in its search for healthy, n The book begins with Gaia and the people for Sylum that decided to leave for the Enclave on the road. Right at the beginning, new and not-so-new characters join Gaia and Leon. It goes without saying that they are not welcomed with open arms. As soon as they settle, they come across a serious problem: the Protectorat refuses to supply them with water.

It's the search for water for her people that leads Gaia to ultimately discovering how desperate the Enclave has become in its search for healthy, non-hemophiliac babies. She also finds out the Protectorat's plans for her, and let me tell you, they're not pretty.

It was a good book overall, but I have to say I didn't like the ending, it was a little too bitter for me. It's not that I wanted a Happy Ever After, as that usually comes across as too artificial (not much of an optimistic here), but this was a little too much for me. I hate to see dreams crushed so cruelly at the end of a series. I understand the need for some characters to die, I truly do (there are some exceptions, though *ahem* Game Of Thrones *ahem*), but this was too devoid of hope (and yes, I know this was repetitive).

Now for some random thoughts:
(view spoiler)

Whew, think I'm done. ...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Kristine rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, dystopia, e-book

I'm not sure what to say. Many reviewers have already said what I felt, that this series starts out with high marks with Birthmarked, and then consistently gets a little worse with each book.

I'm not sure how to describe it, this book had plenty of action - but I didn't feel it was necessarily compelling. After everything that happened, I had more of a 'huh' response. There was never any twists or surprises.

I generally like books that explore the gray areas of topics and subjects - and while thi ...more

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About Caragh M. O'Brien

Caragh M. O'Brien

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Caragh M. O'Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS series, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O'Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA from Johns Hopkins University. Once a high school English teacher, she resigned to write young adult novels. For more information, visit http://www.caraghobrien.com. ...more

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“It hurts to love someone this much. I feel each place where our minds meet, and each little place were they don't, until we talk things over and line up again...I've never had anything like this with anyone else. Now I'm never fully happy anymore unless you're with me.” — 27 likes

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