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

by Caragh M O'Brien

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.