Caragh O'Brien's Birthmarked was a refreshing twist on the typical dystopian novel. Unlike most, which create a completely fictional futuristic society, O'Brien incorporates things that affect real lives today into the story to create a very plausible story.
Warning: Plot spoilers may follow.
At first, it surprised me a bit that hemophilia was such a major component of the plot. In my past experiences, authors that try to include a scientific twist tend to botch the actual facts of the disease. However, O'Brien obviously did her research, because both the genetic and physical components of the disease were described accurately and succinctly in the text. Enough information was given about hemophilia to explain to the reader why certain other events were taking place, but on the other hand, the reader was not overwhelmed with scientific data. I thought it was a nice balance, and enough to convince me that this future is possible for our society.
I thought Gaia was a believable protagonist. While there were some points in the book where I could accurately predict what would happen next, I understood that Gaia might not be able to because of her limited knowledge of the world inside the Enclave. In that sense, the reader must be able to separate herself from the main character at times in order to appreciate the story more. While you might be able to figure something out, Gaia might not. And while the POV is third person limited, just as an educated reader in 2011, some things become obvious.
I have to say that the ending of Birthmarked was very reminiscent of the ending of The Giver. (If you've read The Giver- the same thing happens.) While I found that ending to be perfectly suitable for The Giver, in the case of Birthmarked, I thought it was really just an easy way to create a cliffhanger. I thought that there could have been other feasible endings, and O'Brien just chose the most extreme. But I guess I'll have to wait for the sequel and see if I'm less disappointed with this ending based on the plot of that book.
The sequel to Birthmarked, Prized, is expected to be released in November 2011.
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a meme hosted weekly by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming book releases and spread the word about them. This week, I'm featuring Prized by Caragh O'Brien.
If you've heard of Caragh O'Brien recently, it's because her first book, Birthmarked, made a big splash when it hit the YA market last March. Prized is the sequel to Birthmarked, and it's due to be published in November, 2011.
(My review of Birthmarked is coming tomorrow!)
No synopsis has been released yet for Prized, but currently, it is known that it will pick up Gaia's story about two weeks after the end of Birthmarked.
Have you read Birthmarked? What are you waiting on this Wednesday?
Anyone who knows me or has read my blog/Twitter for long enough has easily noticed my obsession with FREE THINGS =D (If you've forgotten, check out this post.)
Since then, I've gotten a couple more fun free items that I want to share with you- like my free Nescafé Dolce Gusto Piccolo machine from Coffee Mate! They're hosting an event called Flavor Friday this Friday, 2/4 in order to promote their new Café Collection of creamers!
They sent me a generous pack including capsules for my Dolce Gusto machine, Free Coffee-Mate coupons for myself and to share with friends, and some instant coffee and creamer packets to share as well. My co-workers at the research lab I work at will be very happy this Friday! And...SO WILL MY BLOG READERS! That's right- check back here on Friday, February 4 for my very first blog contest!! I'm super excited for this, and you should be, too!
I also got, in a very roundabout way, a free pair of moccasins from Payless! Last semester, my university's food services department had a survey that if you completed it, you got money added to your university "debit card". I used my money for a Payless gift card, and ordered a pair of black moccasins, which came today. They are very comfortable and warm- perfect for this icky weather we've been having all winter.
Last, but not least (and maybe the most exciting thing for those readers of mine who are book bloggers) is a copy of The Eagle by Rosemary Sutcliff. The story was originally published in 1954 under the title The Eagle of the Ninth, but was rereleased with this new title in November 2010. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from InGroup, a faction of MacTeen (Macmillan Publishing).
So as you can see, I've been having some fun with my free products recently! Make sure to stop by again this Friday, 2/4, to win some free stuff for yourself!
