Birthmarked (Birthmarked, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Feb 12, 2011 Steph rated it it was amazing

Shelves: author-웃, series-ended, no-para-elements, series-book1, year-read-2011, age-group-ya-na

Birthmarked, the first in the YA Birthmarked series, introduces us to sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone. Gaia's mother taught her everything she knows about being a midwife. Gaia, along with her mother and father, lives on the Outside in an area called Wharfton. They lead a simple life and are a happy, loving family.

The Enclave, Inside, requires that the first three children of each month each midwife delivers Outside be "advanced" (turned over to them, to be adopted and live Inside) within 9 Birthmarked, the first in the YA Birthmarked series, introduces us to sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone. Gaia's mother taught her everything she knows about being a midwife. Gaia, along with her mother and father, lives on the Outside in an area called Wharfton. They lead a simple life and are a happy, loving family.

The Enclave, Inside, requires that the first three children of each month each midwife delivers Outside be "advanced" (turned over to them, to be adopted and live Inside) within 90 minutes of their birth. This is the way it's always been. At times the quota has been slightly different and now there's talk that the quota will be increased from three to five.

When Gaia returns home, following her first ever solo delivery, to celebrate with her parents, they are no where to be found. Shortly after her arrival, a guard comes to her home asking her questions about her parents. She is uncertain why he's asking her, but she answers as honestly as she can until he finally leaves. She's then told by a neighbor, Derek Vlatir, who's baker and long-time friend of her parents, that they've been arrested. They've been accused of being traitors, and just this morning were sentenced to death.

"People from the Enclave could come out if they wished, but very few from Wharfton ever went inside the wall, and then only when expressly invited to perform some service or deliver some good." Inside, people live with luxuries like computers, water from faucets, electric lights, etc. Outside, people live day to day, bartering with goods and services. The Wall is guarded by men, many who have been "advanced". But, is life as sweet Inside as it appears on the Outside?

Gaia is about to find out because she's determined to save her parents. She knows they must have been falsely accused, her mother is a midwife and her father a tailor. They've always done as the Enclave demands, or so she believes. She turns to Derek for help. He explains that "people have a way of disappearing when they talk too openly against the Enclave. And, then, many of {their} families have sons and brothers in the guard. {They} can't fight {their} own families. Many of {them} have children who were advanced Inside, children who would be harmed if {they} attacked." But, he agrees to show her a way Inside, since she tells him one way or another, she's going.

The story has some similarities to Collins' Hunger Games, in that the two tell the story of a young girl who refuses to stand by while others suffer, who takes matters into her own hands with nothing more than her determination.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. It's a very quick read, but fresh. You quickly find yourself cheering for Gaia and hoping that she's able to rescue her mother and father. By the time she makes her way Inside, you are as anxious as she is to learn more about the world those Outside know only from the Tvaltar (a large screen where movies and snippets from the lives of those Inside are shown to those Outside - passes must be earned). ...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Kalynn rated it really liked it

This a good, though slightly uneven dystopian young adult novel. I liked the main character and the story of how she came to realize her world was not as it appeared. It felt, however like a book originally intended to be stand alone that was adapted to have a sequel bait ending. The end just didn't fit the rest of the book and left me feeling that this was an unfinished piece. I did enjoy reading Birthmarked however. Throughout it was a solid 4 star read, but because it felt vaguely unfinished ...more

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Dec 10, 2010 Kristina rated it liked it

originally posted: http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/2...

My Thoughts: Overall, I ended up really liking this story. It's just took too long to reach that point.
I had many unanswered or not obvious answers to how this world came to be. I spent the first half of the book trying to figure that out instead of caring about the characters. I never got a feel for how the Enclave came to be or why the people on the outside decided to stay there under those conditions if they were nomads to begin with. ...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Rachel Willis rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult, books-read-in-2013

Standard fare for dystopia.

End of time as we know it.

end of the world gifs photo: End of the world l_0f443c2a2ac5975e6be58691dca5762f.gif

The new society keeps the sheeple under their thumbs.

sheeple gifs photo: Sheeple Crater GIF Sheepleintohole.gif

And one strong girl is the only one to recognize the problem.

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Did I find this incredibly different from the million (or three) other dystopian books that I've read? Not really. I saw the common themes that are prevalent in young adult writing. Does he like me? Can I save them? Will this, in fact, be THE END???

I'm not a spoiler so you'll have to read it yourself. But it was a qu ...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Deidre rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, fantasy, sci-fi-dystopian-post-apocalyptic

I am becoming hooked on dystopian stuff almost as much as post-apocalyptic. This was a new take, and I liked it so much I had to pre-order the next one. It's much easier NOT to like new authors, please stop writing such enjoyable books! ...more

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Aug 11, 2010 Lakisha rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, romance, young-adult, dystopian-fiction, ya, teens

How do you choose which is more important: the life of your family or the lives of the entire world?

That is the choice Gaia faces. When her parents are kidnapped and she's forced to learn about buried secrets, she has to decide what is the right thing to do.

Could you make the choice? ...more

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