Birthmarked -- BWB Book Review

After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.




Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned. ( goodreads.com)

Gaia lives on the outside and helps her mother with delivering babies.Both of her brothers have both been advanced to help the Protectorate. Gaia does her first delivery and she advances her first child , which to her is helping the community. She comes back to her home and finds that her parents have been taken away to jail. Gaia also has a scar on her face, which she believes herself a freak.

Gaia at this time starts being questioned by Sgt. Grey and he is asking if she knows anything at all about records. She doesn't know anything , but she wants to see her parents. This city is color coded on status.  The colors are red, white, black . She finds a way to get into the city by wearing a red cape. When she is there she sees a hanging of a pregnant woman. She saves the baby , and then taken into jail.

While in jail , she learns more about the city , and learns that its not so perfect. She is able to solve the coding from her mother because she kept a log of all the kids that were born on the outside and then advanced. Gaia mother gave all the kids a birthmark .

Gaia is also attracted to Sgt. Grey and with her solving the code..it was a relief to find out that they aren't related . Leon Grey is the protectorate son and a guard.  He gives her little gifts through out the book. Gaia is able to break out of prison and find her mom. Her mom is also pregnant and Gaia delivers her sisters Maya.

Gaia is on the run and trying to solve the mystery of why certain kids are a certain way. Why only 1 midwife kept records of the births that she delivered is interesting.

As a parent I couldn't imagine giving up any of my kids. I don't think I could give up my child to someone just because it was law.  This book kept me on my toes and many times I wondered why this society was this way. I have more questions about the parents, family members mentioned, whether Leon survived, and whats going to happen to Gaia. I will be reading the next book and its awesome.

Gaia does have some romance with Leon and we learn more if his story . Gaia doesn't feel as pretty because of her scar on her face, and because of her actions or not knowing about the conclave, she becomes a hero or someone that help the city with knowing who the birth parents are to the kids in the city. She finds her brother . Gaia seems birthmaked for something big that help the future .

This is one book I want to reread and pass along to friends. Its that Good. There will be a 2nd book and no clue when that book is coming out.

BOOK Review=4
BWB Review=4

I bought this book and this is my Honest review.
1.When reading dystopian, the scary aspect is thinking, "Could this happen one day?" Did you ask yourself this while reading Birthmarked? Do you think a future like this is possible?  Sometimes I do think that this could happen with all the global warming people are always talking about.Maybe


2.How did the puzzle aspect of the story work for you? Did you figure out the code or was the explanation a surprise? Does this element work for you in a story or is there one you like/appreciate more? Yes it made more interested in the secrets the parents held from the city and from the their daughter.  I like books that make me think or try solving them.

3.Gaia follows in the steps of her mother as a midwife. For Gaia in the beginning its service and only later does she realize what taking the babies signifies. Can you put yourself in the mothers role, what would you do if Gaia tried to take your newborn? As a mother , I got that aspect of the story, did l like that the kids had to given to the conclave, but seeing it through Gaia eyes..I understand that it was part of her job to give them to it. Would I give my kids up? Nope never, they are too precious to me.

4.Gaia feels ugly because of her scar and unable to fit in within the wall (enclave) because she wasn't perfect. Do you think finding out that her parents lied to her [about how she got the scar] was able to move the story along?? I think it made Gaia question more about her parents and why they did the things they did to her like the scar. I do think that she doesn't have enough self confidence and I don't think the scar is that big or red as she imagines but this is her story, and trying to figure out her parents mystery.