Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien

I picked this book up while I was at the local library with my nephew. Since he is 2 and no patience for his auntie to dig through the stacks I picked up the nearest book in the YA section. Am I glad I picked this book up! It turns out it is in my favorite genre : Dystopian Society. 

This is a great first book for the new year! It of course is one of my favorite genres; Dystopian society. Now as time keeps going by all these novels with this premise seem less far fetched then before.

Gaia Stone is the daughter of one of the only two midwifes in her Sector.It has come to pass that disease lack of food and other factors the privileged (whom reside in the Enclave) of the area can not have children of their own. So they request (more so tell) the women in the lower sectors to pass on the first 3 born children each month to the Enclave where these children will be the future and raised with much love and care. She is trained by her mother whom has already given up two of her own children; and due to an accident Gaia has as a child which scars her face she was allowed to keep her.  On her first solo midwife job she sees first hand how hard it is for the mothers to give up their child to the Enclave; she also does as her mother trains her to do in marking each child with 4 dots; little does she know what those 4 dots hold for her later on. That same day she also sees that something is just not right with whats happening in the Enclave; her parents are arrested; she is questioned; the other midwife disappears. She is left to be the midwife of the sector alone and as she discovers there is much more to it then just delivering newborns. She comes to find a friend in the local baker who helps her enter the Enclave to help her mother. While there she makes a decision that changes her as a person and also makes her a heroic figure for those who want change. She enlist help of people you would not expect. She finally gets her mother but this also causes her to make a choice that will alter her view on everything. I dont want to spoil the story for anyone so I'll stop there but this is going to become on of those that Everyone will be talking about.



I give this book 5 Wiggles out of 5.



Book Name:    Birthmarked
Author:            Caragh M O'Brien
Pages:              361


Book 1 of 2012

2012 Reading Goal

This year I plan to read at least 150 books.

I will not count audio books in this. Since I have been put on a budget from a certain Mr. Due to my overspending on books. I will return to the wonderful world of libraries. Doing so I KNOW I will be able to finish my book goal.

It is almost the end of a new year. I have yet to stay on top of my blog but you know what. I SHALL! I have read so many great books and seen so many great movies. Sometimes we don't have the means to travel the world but books take us all over and let us experience things we might not be able to.

Monster High by Lisi Harrison

I just finished 3 of the book sin this series and sad to say it may be a very teen book but I LOVE IT!!! Its a whole new take on the old. The way that they characters are written is both funny and real (as real as children of monsters can be) teen drama.

This weekend I went shopping and found two dolls based on the books. Little did I know that I was NOT the only one to read these great books; and today as I was shopping online for dolls for my goddaughter I ran across something pretty awesome. She has a website! A whole site based on these great characters, its teen/monster drama and I love it.

http://www.monsterhigh.com/

Beastly by Alex Finn

Beastly by Alex Finn is an intriguing book. The storyline of course is based of the classic beauty and the beast only with a twist. This book was also made into a movie made by CBS Corporation.

Kyle is a rich spoiled mean guy who winds up making the wrong girl angry. He upsets a witch named Kendra and she in turn makes him into a beast whom is ashamed of going out and completely turns his world around. His own father sends him away out of shame (which shows you what kind of life he was raised to lead), to live alone with a maid and tutor. Alone and away from everyone he begins to change even changing his name to Adrian and with his change comes a gift that allows him to look out in the world and once he looks out he sees a former classmate, Lindy, of his whom he always ignored. He falls for her and wants to protect her so she is brought to him in the same beauty and the beast , fathers fault, way. In turn we know the ending but it was a very romantic young love type of thing. I love the way he flowed the story together and made modern life adjust to old love story.

I also took the time to watch Beastly staring Vanessa Hudgens as Lindy and Alex Pettyfer as Kyle/Adrian. The film adaption was one of those that missed alot of the story. It still had the same story line but at the same time I felt that some of the things in the book that were more raw and real were lost in the way that the production wanted it to look hip. It was still the same story line but the beast was completely different then the book described. trying to make  him look more artistic and lovely then a beast. Her fathers reasons were for her protection when in reality it was due to his being on the street and her life in danger. It was enjoyable but I preferred the book to the movie more.