publisher: Roaring Brook Press
date of publication: November 8, 2011
format: eGalley
pages: 264
source: Netgalley
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
From Goodreads:
Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?
What I Thought
This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite dystopian series. After becoming so absorbed with Birthmarked, I just had to start reading Prized immediately, thus leading me to rearrange my reading list. I hadn't thought it could get any better, but it did. Prized built upon the foundation laid in Birthmarked and introduced even more amazing places and ideas. I was treated to prose that was just as amazing as that found in book 1 and a new backdrop that is, for all intents and purposes, the total opposite of the bleak and brutal Enclave. I read this book within the span of 18 hours and I am already dying to read the third book. This is one series that is not going to relinquish its grasp on me anytime soon.
Poor Gaia. After the hell she went through in the Enclave, she finds herself jumping from the frying pan to the fire. Everything from the community she comes to find herself living in and the complications with her romantic life make her life a big, confusing mess. I couldn't help but feel for the poor girl, even when she was being unwisely stubborn. While Sylum at first appears to be a place where Gaia will be safe and able to start a new life, there are some serious issues that make it just as troubling as the Enclave. Though different, Sylum proves itself to be the total opposite of the Enclave. From the landscape to the political environment, everything is at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. Sylum, with its lush, moist landscape, is just as environmentally unhealthy as the Enclave. Rather than a sort of patriarchal rule, Sylum is under a matriarchal system that has its own strictures that will prove difficult for Gaia. All of this makes for an equally fascinating read that lacks monotony, a wonderful feat on the part of Caragh O'Brien. The characters within are as superbly written as those found in Birthmarked. One of my favorite characters to ponder was the Matrarch. At first glance, it seems as though she is going to be a godsend to Gaia. However, she is much more complicated than that. She is a mind-blowing mixture of social awareness and power hungry stubbornness. She made for such a great foil to Gaia. I kept waiting to see just how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted. Sylum itself was a strangely beautiful yet dangerous place. Its description as a toxic marsh is intriguing to me, especially when the effects it has on those who live there come fully to light. Characters, plot, setting: each is a fantastic piece of this amazing puzzle, none of which I can choose between. I absolutely loved every single minute of the story.
I have been simply blown away by this series. If book three is even half as good as Prized, I will be one happy reader. It is hard to ignore a book with such well-written prose, lush landscaping, and in-depth character development. That Prized can build so well upon Birthmarked is a wonderful thing to behold in a book. I love a book that is so thought-provoking and draws upon one's sympathies so well. I sincerely hope that the wait for book 3, Promised, isn't too long. I am more than ready to dive back into Gaia's world just so I can see what her next move will be.
Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
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