Review: Birthmarked (Audiobook)

Source: eLibrary
Birthmarked by Caragh by M. O'Brien
Series: Birthmarked #1
Genre: Dystopia, YA, Young Adult
Length: 12 hours and 42 minutes
Narrator: Carla Mercer-Meyer
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Description:

IN THE ENCLAVE, YOUR SCARS SET YOU APART, and the newly born will change the future. In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish

My Rating:

My Review: In this dystopian wowrld, we have a society split into people who live inside "the wall" and those who live outside "the wall."  Those who live inside of the wall are the haves and those who live outside the wall are the have nots.  Sixteen year-old Gaia Stone lives outside the wall and is trained to be a mid-wife, a calling she's been looking forward to her all life.  Until one day she experiences having to fulfill her quota, a requirement that a number of babies be give to those inside the wall each month.  She never questioned the quota until she witnesses first-hand one mother's loss.  She returns to find her parents have been taken away and she is alone.
On the story...
I've been reading a lot of dystopia lately and I've been starting to feel they've lost their charm for me.  Birthmarked rekindled my excitement for the genre by providing an exciting premise that intrigued me but minimized the glorified killing present in many of others int he genre.  The world building could have been much better as the reader knows little about how this society came to be or why the wall was ever necessary.  But the characters were likeable and resilient.  I see the potential in this series.  The romance was nice.  I liked the ousider with an insider thing (with a twist) and I'm usually picky about my YA romances.
On the narrator...
Ms. Mercer-Meyer did a good job though the performance didn't stand out in any distinct way.  I plan to continue this series on audio.
Overall, a refreshing, though not completely unique read that renewed my interest in the genre.