Birthmarked

O’Brien, Caragh M. Birthmarked: In the Enclave, Your Scars Set You Apart. 2010. 368 p. ISBN 978-1-59643-569-8. Book 1 of the Birthmarked Series. FIC OBR on the library shelves.

Accidentally burned just after birth and thus disfigured, Gaia Stone has trained all her life with her mother to become a midwife, one of the most vital positions in the service of the Enclave. Having delivered her first baby alone due because of her mother’s absence, Gaia’s simple understanding of her society falls apart. Her parents have been arrested as traitors to the Enclave, and she is alone. Worse, the Protectorat believes she is the only one who can decipher the secret encoded ribbon her father, the tailor, left her.  

Imprisoned in the Enclave’s prison, Gaia must unravel a tangled web of blood relations, with the future of the Enclave’s population at stakes For generations the first three babies born in any month have been delivered by a midwife, but because records were not kept, inbreeding has been the result with devastating and deadly consequences for the privileged and beautiful few who dwell in the Enclave. Solving the mystery of who belongs to whom will save Gaia’s life, but at the cost of continuing the Enclave’s dominion. She escapes from the Protectorat’s control, but not before she loses her loved ones.

O’Brien’s world is reminiscent of Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a similarly dystopian world where the heroine quickly faces dangers and enemies alone in a hostile environment. Well written and fast-paced, Birthmarked this novel explores several topics, including friendship and the will to fight against all odds.

Fans of the dystopian novel will like this book, and might also enjoy the following: Arena 1, Starters, Maze Runner, Ship Breaker, Reboot, Not a Drop to Drink, and Divergent.