Review ~ Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

TITLE: Birthmarked

AUTHOR: Caragh M O'Brien
COPYRIGHT: 2010
TYPE: young adult, Dystopian
PAGES: 361
SERIES:  
yes

REASON FOR READ:

The premise sounded really interesting and I thought it would be a good book to dive into and find out more about.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):

In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying. 

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

I am going to just start off with I didn't like it. I tried to like it and there are parts that were interesting to me, but overall I just didn't like it. Nothing really jumped out at me like OH WOW this is awesome. The characters are flat, the plot has holes in it, there are too many questions, and the whole story doesn't make sense. All in all I found myself rolling my eyes through the majority of the story and skimming more pages then actually hooked on anything in general. The main character has a scar at times I would have told it was the most life alternating massive, huge half of her face has to be marred, her eyes have to sewn shut, life alternating scar for her to think she is as hideous as she is. Only to find out it has to only be a fine thin line or barely seen scar or a mark of some sort that shockingly her parents gave her so that she wouldn't be given up. And that's it the main character at one point is so native that she loves the government, and serves them loyal with no questions until one day when the lights come on then hates them with a burning passion. A  girl who can barely do anything for herself plots to bring down the wall. But first sneaks into the wall to rescue her parent but before she can do this the one thing in the world she wants she ruins it by saving a dead woman's baby by bringing it back to life when she has only be successfully delivering babies on her own for 4 months? or is it 6? Either way it doesn't make sense and don't' get me started on the love story or the code breaking to figure out whose related to who? Why wouldn't the government keep track of the parents that they take the babies from that doesn't make sense. You want healthy babies yet you don't keep birth records on who you pay money to when you take the babies from their parent? 

The inbreeding and the cause of the inbreeding is a bleeding disorder and that's it not a mental disorder or multiple toes but a bleeding disorder that you won't have your scientist fix instead you demand more adopted babies outside the way from the poor people who have better genes instead of fixing the problem like IDK finding the gene and treating it? Anyway this book just irritated me. The character is strong and weak and not in a the healthy way. She is annoying and childish yet wants to lead a revolution at the same time. Yet can't figure out how the government knows all and sees all. It is a mixed bag. I had a hard time wrapping my head around why people were risking their lives to help her when she lack inspiration. I mean the only thing she stood for was herself nothing she wanted to do would help anyone but her. Add to it the girl didn't do anything but ask a question and get an answer she didn't do any work at all to get anything.

There were parts I liked for example the tattoos her mother put on the babies to represent the lost child and what that meant and stood for. 

I am trying to think of something else I liked but other than that I am at a lost for a words there is not much else the premise was interesting then it fell very very flat. 

FINAL GRADE: 2 out of 5 stars

Would you recommend this story? no

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