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Birthmarked Audiobook
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(3.00) - 17,864 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the wall and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife, Gaia Stone, who live outside. Gaia has always believed it is her duty, with her mother, to hand over a small quota of babies to the Enclave. But when Gaia's mother and father are arrested by the very people they so dutifully serve, Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught to believe. Gaia's choice is now simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.
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"I LOVED this book. It got me hooked from the very beginning, and I continuously wanted keep reading in order to find out what was going to happen next. I'm not going to lie: I am not a fan of babies and children, so I was a little hesitant about picking up a copy of Birthmarked because the idea revolves around the main character and her mother being midwives. I'm really glad that I didn't listen to my psycho side! Gaia is a very likable protagonist, and throughout the entire book I was rooting for her. Unlike other characters in other stories that dwell on falling in love or hanging out with their friends, Gaia had real issues that forced her to "man up" and deal with. She easily adapted to becoming a brave teenager and always did what she felt was the right thing to do. I can't wait to read the sequel to see what happens with her brother and love interest."
— JoAnna (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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[People] who enjoy adventures with a strong heroine standing up to authority against the odds will enjoy this compelling tale.
— School Library Journal
Birthmarked Listener Reviews
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" This book combines my love of distopian future fiction, environmental issues, love and the fight for justice. O'Brien has created realistic characters with complex natures. Nowhere more so than in the main character, Gaia, a teenager, who contains both wisdom and naivety in abundance. In an uncanny way, the prose and style of writing captures this contradiction in Gaia's character- at times awkwardly naive and spirited, contrasted with deep wisdom, commpasion and insight. I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to “lose themselves” in a story (to borrow from Gaia in book 2. Yes I’ve already started it!). "
— Emily N, 3/22/2023 -
" Awesome book that I just happened upon on the nominees for the Utah young adult award shelf at the library. This book grabbed me right away with the delivery of a baby and then that baby being taken away to give to the Enclave. This book is similar to the Hunger Games and Matched -- society is controlled by a higher government and in this story -- they take some of the children away at birth to raise them "inside" the Enclave and give them better opportunities, etc. I really enjoyed this book -- great heroine character and story with some decoding involved as well. A great read and wouldn't you know -- part of a trilogy! I'm looking forward to reading the other books! :) "
— Erin, 2/7/2014 -
" This wasn't a bad book and I'm interested to see where they go from here. The story was unique but I didn't really like the characters. "
— Brandee, 1/25/2014 -
" This was really good. The ending made me want to- I mean have to read more. The plot was amazing and it was overall a great book. "
— Solarius, 12/27/2013 -
" Some parts were really good but a lot of parts really draaaaaaaaaaaaaaged. "
— Jenni, 12/7/2013 -
" One of the best books I've ever read. :D "
— Hermione, 11/27/2013 -
" The only thing missing was some character development. The plot was really driving, and I liked the writing a lot, but something kept it from being an OMG SQUEEEE kind of story. Still, one of the best dystopians I've read! "
— Shaylin, 10/15/2013 -
" Not a bad book, but I won't keep reading the series. "
— Twigg, 10/1/2013 -
" Whoa what an amazing story! A must read for those who liked Divergent, Hunger Games, etc. I could not go to bed until I finished the book! "
— Brandee, 9/20/2013 -
" Interesting read with a lot of cool ideas and fun characters. I got kind of confused when they did a lot of running around town and describing different buildings, but I enjoyed the story. "
— Roxanne, 9/2/2013 -
" This was a good book! Pretty fast-paced and original. If you like dystopian fantasy this is a book for you. "
— Brenden, 8/17/2013 -
" I loved this book. The third book just became available to me via the library and I'm rereading this and the second in order to move seamlessly into the last book. "
— Joy, 7/28/2013 -
" If you love adventure, this is the book for you! Once I started, I couldn't put it down! : ) "
— Ally, 7/3/2013 -
" It took me several months to get past the first few chapters and get into the story. But once I did I couldn't put it down. "
— Jessie, 4/12/2013
About Caragh M. O’Brien
Caragh M. O’Brien is the author of the Birthmarked series, which includes the dystopian novels Birthmarked, Prized, and Promised, as well as the tie-in stories “Tortured” and “Ruled.” A former high school English teacher, she is also the author of several romance novels, including North Star Rising and Master Touch.
About Carla Mercer-Meyer
Carla Mercer-Meyer, a Southern California native, has a strong musical theater background, as she has been performing her entire life. Her credits include a guest appearance on The Morris Taylor Show, and her performances include Into the Woods and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, as well as many other theatrical productions. An AudioFile Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator, Mercer-Meyer resides in Southern California with her husband and four children. She is an avid audiobook listener and a book fanatic.