Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien

2011 has been a disappointing reading year for me thus far. I’ve read a lot of firmly 4 star books that have a good plot and strong characters but miss that spark that would throw it over into 5 star happyland. Only two books I’ve read year have done that, and I’m grateful to say that Birthmarked is one of them. It was a dream to read.

From goodreads: 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. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.

In several instances throughout the story when Gaia is worrying about her parents, her mind turns her to a pleasant memories in the past. There is an intimacy in these times of picking blueberries with her father and learning to be a midwife with the help of her mother. The moments slow the story down a bit, in a wonderful way. They made me think of Gaia’s life before things got so complicated. A simpler time- not perfect, but better. A place in which ignorance truly was bliss.

Gaia is a great main character, young, yet extremely capable. Being a midwife forces her to be focused and in control, even when things are going wrong in a birthing. She doesn’t have the choice to run off and ask someone else for help. Throughout the ethical dilemmas she faces, trying to decide whose version of the story to trust, she struggles. Despite that, her strength comes through in her unwillingness to give up.

From the rough outside to the inside of the Enclave, with its secrets, the settings of this book are carefully crafted. I had to think my way through them, making sure I had everything straight, keeping me from flying through the book in a way that would have kept me from appreciating the intricacy.

As for romance, in this book it comes from an unexpected place and has a lot more to it than just chemistry. It’s focus is on the ability to trust the other person completely and finding out who they really are. It takes its time in forming, allowing the experience to be savored.

What truly cinched the deal for me was the focus on family in Birthmarked. From the one that you’re born with to the ones you choose, there’s no denying it’s importance.