BIRTHMARKED by Caragh M. O'Brien

First off, I can't figure out if Birthmarked is one word or two. But holy tattoos, people, it so doesn't matter. You need to read this book.

Description: In the Enclave, your scars set you apart, and the newly born will change the future. Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia’s mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty.

I know, you're hooked already, right? Well, if not, here's why you should be.

1. The writing. Gorgeous, elegant, yet every word is there to advance the story, not trip up the reader in beautiful prose. The vocab Caragh uses is awesome. My favorite? The "unlake." It says SO MUCH in just one word.

2. The plot moves. I mean, it moves. I loved every second of it, from the daring rescue of a baby to the tense walk in all white toward the wall.

3. There's a wall (obviously, from #2). I think you know how I feel about these things, but if not, let me remind you. Walls = fences. I like them both. I like the danger they symbolize. I like the "there's something scary out there." But in BIRTHMARKED, the scary is inside the wall. Which makes it even better.

4. The characters. In one word, brilliant. I loved Gaia, and her strength, and her skill, and her wit. I loved her mother and father. They were painted as real people, even though they're not on-page very much. I liked the love interest, which reminds me how much I loved the subtle romance in this book.

So yeah. If you like dystopian settings/stories with well-crafted characters and brilliant writing, you'll like BIRTHMARKED. Add it to your list, stat.


What have you read that made you stop to catch your breath? 

See what the other Bookanistas are up to!

• LiLa Roecker is going bonkers for BETRAYAL
• Christine Fonseca is dizzy for DELIRIUM
• Shannon Messenger features WHERE SHE WENT plus an ARC Giveaway!
• Carolina Valdez Miller is loco for LIKE MANDARIN
• Beth Revis is remembering MEMENTO NORA
• Jessi Kirby is sweet on XVI
• Shana Silver is pumped for BUMPED
• Carrie Harris gets hexed by HEX HALL
• Rosemary Clement-Moore is enraptured by WARPED
• Katie Anderson covets the cover of Myra McEntire's HOURGLASS 
• Corrine Jackson is dazzled by I AM NUMBER FOUR
• Stasia Ward Kehoe leaps for LEVERAGE