Prized (Birthmarked Trilogy, #2) (Birthmarked Trilogy (Hardcover), #2)

by Caragh M O'Brien

Having escaped from the corrupt Enclave, Gaia ventures into the wasteland with her baby sister, Maya, hoping to find a settlement that's rumoured to lie in the Dead Forest. After days of travelling, Gaia is close to death when Peter, a ranger from the mysterious village of Sylum, finds her and takes her back with him. Gaia soon realises that Sylum has as many strict laws as the Enclave she fled from, but when Maya is taken from her by the ruthless village leader, the Matrarc, Gaia is forced to stay and submit to their strict social code, or risk losing her sister forever.

But Sylum is in trouble. The population is falling and the amount of women dwindling dramatically, and with a deadly fever affecting striking down anyone who tries to leave, the future is bleak for the village. Desperate to escape with her sister, Gaia is determined to uncover the secrets of the village, whatever it takes.

And when Leon is captured too, Gaia is faced with another tough choice between the boy who captured her heart in the Enclave, and Peter, for whom she can't deny her growing feelings. But when the decisions you make affect the lives of everyone around you, how can you be sure you're making the right choices?

• ISBN10: 0857074962
• ISBN13: 9780857074966
• Publish Date: 10 November 2011 (first published 8 November 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2013/10/prized-by-caragh-m-obrian.html
Prized is the second release in the Birthmarked series, which follows the story of Gaia, who recently lost both her parents, has never known her brothers whom were taken away before Gaia was born and only has her newborn sister left. Gaia has faced prejudice since at two years old, was deliberately burnt by her parents so that she couldn't be advanced to a wealthy family inside the walls of the Enclave, and she still carries the scar to this day. Now, she's fled to the Dead Forest to seek refuge for her and her baby sister.

I've really enjoyed the Birthmarked series so far, and Prized is quite entertaining. For the most part, the storyline is engaging and characters are well developed, but I felt it ended too soon, wrapped up within a few chapters. It's almost as irritating as a cliffhanger, but it was anticlimactic. It was good, but not great. I can only hope that the final in the trilogy will be as intense and entertaining as the original.

[nannah]

Though Prized was totally different than Birthmarked, I felt it worked, and it didn't make this second book in the trilogy any less poignant, beautiful, or tragic, three things I loved so much about the first.

Overall, my favorite aspect of Birthmarked and O'brien's writing was her characters and characterization and I was so happy to find it was my favorite of the second too, and that characterization wasn't compromised by the plot/setting up the third book, as usually happens in the middle installment. Although, what I found original and fascination is that, instead of having the main character improve and grow positively, Gaia's character actually becomes more flawed and less strong in Prized (I mean, at least for a while). It just shows how powerful and dominant the Matrarc is, since she's what really takes credit for the weakening of Gaia's spirit, which helps define her character without spelling it out, and finally which proves how character-driven these novels are.

Sure, there was a moment where I rolled my eyes. I think you all know the moment: when three guys, THREE declare love to Gaia. But in a city where men outnumber women 9:1 and this is commonplace, I think it's used less as a cliche and more as a look into Sylum and how things really work there. Not to mention, the first book was about Gaia's being rejected by society because of her scar, and the second turns that completely around to have her thrown into a situation where guys are fighting for her attention. No wonder she was so confused!

This brings me to Leon. I loved him, ADORED him in Birthmarked. I was SO GLAD that my feelings still haven't changed. The whole "love square" thing didn't lessen my love for him at all. He accepts Gaia for all her flaws, and most of all, he notices her flaws instead of ignoring them/refusing to acknowledge them. HE is what saves Gaia and helps her regain her former strength and character. The significance of this is just . . . EVERYTHING is character-driven. Once I stop and think about it I realize how complex these books are, not because of plot twists or the codes or anything, but because of how each character relates to one another and how they truly, not just under the surface, affect each other. That moment in the second half of Prized, that moment where Gaia stands up and claims her spirit (I won't tell how--spoilers, spoilers!), is so beautiful because we know how she's been weakened, and we know why she's strengthened then, and by who. UGH this is so important.

Anyways, I couldn't put this book down. It was frustrating, desolately gorgeous, and heartbreaking. I heard the third book came out yesterday. I NEED to get it immediately. O'Brien's really crafted a winner here, I can't wait to see what she does next!!

Blog Review: http://yainfatuation.blogspot.com/2011/12/prized-birthmarked-2-caragh-m.html

Oh, Mrs. O’Brien. You never cease to amaze me. I’ll admit, although I loved the first one, I was hesitant to read this next one based on the synopsis. I wasn’t sure that that the two books would…connect, considering this one is dealing with a new dystopia. However, this book is amazing! And the author did an amazing job of bringing these two books together.


This takes place two weeks after the ending of Birthmarked. Gaia and her baby sister Maya have been traveling in the Wasteland trying to find her grandmother in the Dead Forest. However, this brings her to another dystopic society, one just as crazy as the one she left behind. It’s up to Gaia to maneuver through this society and learn to stick up for what she believes is right.


Prized deals with many moral and ethical issues and really makes the reader think. These books focus on life and the hardships of it and how different people react to it. This story brings to mind the questions, “Should you do anything in order to live? Or are some things worth fighting, and possibly dying, for?” Gaia has had so much loss in her life and she just wants to be accepted. In Sylum, Gaia becomes part of the ruling class and even catches the eyes of two brothers. That’s right, she’s now got three guys vying for her attention. And just like Gaia, “she’d heard of love triangles. But love squares?” Personally, I loved this new take on romance. It was kind of amusing. You have the oldest brother Will, his younger brother Peter, and Leon. Which one, which one….guess you’ll have to read to find out ;)


The characters were amazing. Gaia, who became so strong in the last book, begins to teeter a bit, trying to decide what to do. Does she accept the new life, or defy it? Will who’s amazingly sweet, kind, warm, and sarcastic. The younger brother, Peter, who is in many ways like his brother, with a bit of a more rebellious streak in him. And then Leon (who I’m totally rootin for) that goes through many changes, but I understand why and still love him. I also love Norris. He’s a bit hard on the outside but is such a sweet guy and becomes almost like a father figure to Gaia. Then there’s your really crazy leader who has some crazy voodoo over her people and thinks what she is doing is completely right.


Here is a book that can make you both agree and disagree with the society. It makes you understand both sides of the story and allows the reader to make the choice. I absolutely love this book and recommend it to everyone.