Offical Review: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

[Kate_Emme]

Birthmarked is the first book of the Birthmarked trilogy written by Caragh M. O'Brien. The story introduces a teenage girl named Gaia, a midwife in training, as she is delivering a baby on her own for the very first time. The delivery is successful, however, it is now Gaia's responsibility to take this newborn child from its mother and deliver the baby to the Enclave.

This book opened with a captivating few chapters, I could tell right away that I would be interested in the story, even though the subject matter (taking newborns away from their mothers) was hard to read about. Gaia's character was interesting and conflicted. The author allowed her to be a sixteen year old that felt genuine, with all of the fears and impulsivity that goes along with the age.

As the story progressed, an entire world is opened up. It takes place in the distant future, the world has altered due to climate change. Illnesses plague the elite, and poverty plagues the rest. Gaia finds herself responsible for the duties of her mother (delivering babies and handing a few over to the Enclave each month), but she quickly realizes there is a lot more to the world than she realized. Gaia finds herself stuck in a power struggle, trying to stay alive and do what is right at the same time.

I enjoyed this novel, the pace was quick and easy, and the world that was introduced was interesting and unique. I am very glad that I picked up all three books at the library