Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Title: Birthmarked	Loved it	Graded
Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Elements: Birth switch
Series: Book 1 of a series

After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents disappear.

As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she faces the brutal injustice of the Enclave and discovers she alone holds the key to a secret code, a code of “birthmarked” babies and genetic merit.

Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, BIRTHMARKED explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where a criminal is defined by her genes, and one girl can make all the difference.

This is a wonderful, wonderful book. You need to read this. I can't really classify this as a dystopian novel because it's not as devastating as the genre usually is. It didn't feel me with hopelessness and grief, which is a good thing.

Dystopian is synonymous to devastation and hopelessness, in my eyes.

As for what it did do, it actually filled me with hope. Because babies! They're the embodiment of life, so anything involving babies must have a happy ending and a future for the people in that world. It's practically a no no for children and babies to be harmed in movies and books, especially babies, aka THE NEXT GENERATION.

Babies as a concept... it's interesting. Babies from a midwife's POV and not as the subject of a 'should I keep him/her oh no I'm a single mother' dilemma is ever better.

So. Birthmarked. In this future, babies are taken from their mother at birth and given to the people in the Enclave. It's a cruel thing to do really, but the mothers are so used to it that they give the baby up with concealed resignation and hatred and a smile on their faces as they 'serve the Enclave'. Pfft! And Gaia is not the unwitting, accidental heroine of this situation. She knows what she's doing, and she does it willingly because that's all she's known. And that's what she thinks is right.

And one day when she finds out that this seemingly perfect society has taken her parents? Whoa boy. You know she's excellent at her job; do you really think that she won't excel as defying the social norms to save her parents?

One thing I really appreciate about Birthmarked is the pace in which it's written. The story doesn't feel the need to join the high-speed chase that action and thriller books are usually in. It languishes at its own pace like the tortoise in a race, and finishes the whole shebang as the underdog of a winner, leaving the reader dazed and slowly realising that they've just been conned into reading what is just the beginning of a great journey. Great debut effort. I hope to read more books from O'Brien.

The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: The Demon's Covenant	Loved it	Graded
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Elements: Demons
Series: Book 2 of The Demon's Lexicon trilogy

Mae Crawford always thought she was in control. Now she's learned that her little brother Jamie is a magician and Nick, the boy she'd set her heart on, has an even darker secret. Mae's whole world has spun out of control, and it's only going to get worse.

When she realises that Jamie has been meeting secretly with the new leader of the Obsidian Circle and that Gerald wants him to join the magicians, she's not sure how to stop Jamie doing just that. Calling in Nick and Alan as reinforcements only leads to a more desperate conflict because Gerald has a plan to bring Nick down - by using Alan to spring a deadly trap.

With those around her torn between divided loyalties and Mae herself torn between her feelings for two very different boys, she sees a chance to save them all - but it means approaching the mysterious and dangerous Goblin Market alone...

It is rare that I give high ratings to books by the same author. It is even rarer when the books are in a series. And the best part? It's the second book in a trilogy. What's the big deal about The Demon's Covenant being the second book in a trilogy, you ask?

These are the basic rules for a trilogy:

Book 1 - Set up the storyline. Build the reader's relationship and get them invested in the characters. Make them immersed in the world building. Once the strings are fully tied around the reader's heart, pull them. Hard. Give a complete resolution for the plot, which turns out to be part of THE BIGGER PICTURE.

Book 2 - Development of THE BIGGER PICTURE. A series of disconnected events that will be explained in book 3. Conflicts between main characters. A lot of loose ends. Let disillusioned readers moan about the fact that the third book comes out about, what? A LONG TIME LATER.

Book 3 - Tie things up tightly in an adventure and action filled package. People die. Have a heartwarming but tear wrenching EPIC FINALE EVENT. Bittersweetly ever after.

In the event of a fourth book:

Book 4 - "What?! I thought this was a trilogy!" The cries of broke readers can be heard all around the globe. Readers who invested in the box set of the first three books. Which, just, ouch. A sort of "What happens after 'Happily Ever After' phase. Gives the readers more of the world they want. Somehow doesn't live up to the trilogy and EPIC FINALE EVENT.

I really dislike the second book phase. This is where I usually get disappointed with the characters, their motivations and the series in general, and thus impacts my feelings for the final book.

The Demon's Covenant is different because while it does the the things in the Book 2 phase well, it's also a story that can stand on its own without the reader having to read The Demon's Lexicon beforehand. Re-reading this will be such a pleasure, with little details popping out and giving different meaning to the storyline.

Readers are treated to a gentler version of the dark humour in TDL. Told from Mae's point of view, it continues from the events in TDL in a warmer, human tone. Brennan truly excels in enhancing the importance of family dynamics and the role it plays in the motivations of the main characters. Mae's relationship with her brother is the focus here, with the relationship with their mother on the fringes. It draws parallels between Nick's life and her own, but while Olivia loves Alan half as much as she hates Nick, Annabel is the doting absent mother trying to make up for her workaholic ways.

Mae and Jamie grew on me. Where once I thought of them as secondary characters, they now play a big part in my TDL trilogy psyche. The series truly will not be the same without them. At times I would get frustrated with how reliable Mae was as a narrator, but not as a participant of what was happening in the book. It was as if all the focus was on the world, and not Mae's internal concerns and angst. But there it is: in that world, there's not a lot of time for fretting and worrying about what ifs. They're all too busy trying to stay alive. She was reactive for the first half, reminiscent of the Mae in TDL. My admiration for her surfaced when she started being more pro-active in the seconf half. While I don't like the 'girl between brothers' plot arc, I thought it was executed well. Mae's comeuppance? Well played and deserved.

Nick would approve. He and Alan are coping with the after effects of TDL, dealing with Olivia and Black Arthur's deaths and their exile from the Goblin Market. Having read TDL just before TDC, it is painfully obvious how it would affect Nick, who loves the market. And yet it is unsaid. It doesn't need to be said, because with every carefully worded sentence, Brennan delves deep into the characters and show the readers their lives, love, fears. I love how every little nuance let the reader care so much about these characters and follow them on their painstakingly vivid journey with anxiety and excitement. These are smart, horribly human characters indeed, and they deserve every bit of your attention. The makeout scenes deserve more than a passing mention, because wowzers, fans of Mae+Alan and Mae+Nick given a treat.

THIS. Is why Sarah Rees Brennan has a fan club of her writing. Along with a fan club of the TDL series. Her writing, guys.

This is the best 2010 book that I've read, and that's saying something when you consider the fact that 2010 is a golden mine of books from published and debut authors. Harry Potter is at the top on my list--and yet The Demon's Lexicon has surpassed it. It's time for HP to pass the mantle on to another series. That's the best praise you'll ever get from me.

I am speechless with wonder and exhilaration. I don't think I've quite recovered from reading it. My first instinct would be to hold a copy of The Demon's Covenant up high and yell "YOU MUST READ THIS!" But that would not do the book, series and the author justice. In fact, this review does not do it justice.

Now I just need a great movie adaptation that stays true to the soul of the series, and a fantastic third book that will surpass my expectedly skyrocket expectations. But I'm not worried.

Book Blurbs: Do You Rely On Them?

Definition:

A blurb is a short summary or some words of praise accompanying a creative work, usually referring to the words on the back of the book jacket.

Here's a short process of how I choose books to buy:

1. The cover.
If it's attractive or intriguing to me, you're through to Round Two! If not, the journey ends there.

2. The synopsis.
So here's a secret. I don't rely so much on the synopsis on the back of the book or the jacket cover. On the very high chance that the book is not wrapped in a protective cover, I flip to the information page and read that tiny synopsis. It's tiny, but it's straightforward and gives more detail than the mystery and intense-laden one marketing one.¹ If I'm still not interested at that point... well, wow. I guess those blurbs, if the book has them, would really help you.

Right?

No, not really.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall	Loved it	Graded
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Elements: Boarding school
Series: Book 1 of a trilogy

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

I knew I wanted to read Hex Hall when I read the preview and character interviews that Rachel Hawkins posted on her blog. I've waited two months for this, and it didn't disappoint one bit. While the premise is not unusual, it had a distinctively tongue in cheek and real voice that I could immediately relate to.

The prose was easy to get into, straightforward without being blunt. I loved the camaraderie between Sophie and practically anyone she talks to. Right now would seem like the perfect time to say that I love Archer's quips, but honestly I love Rachel Hawkins for giving Archer that.

Hawkins expertly brings fresh dimensions to characters and situations that would usually touch on cliched teritory. Jenna is a good example. She doesn't have the smugness and world-weariness of someone who's been alive for a long time, and would for years more. Being a new vampire, (or so it seems to me) she shows the uncertainty and denial of someone who gets to live forever mixed with a teenager tantrum. This is especially refreshing because it is only shown in books where the main character is faced with such a situation.

"I hate it here!" she cried. "I... I hate taking stupid-ass classes like A History of Nineteenth Century Witches. God, I j-just wanna take algebra or somethin stupid like that. I wanna eat lunch--real lunch--in a cafeteria, and have an after-school job, and go to the prom."

With a sob, she sat down on her bed, like all the anger in her had evaporated. "I don't want to be a vampire," she whispered, and then broke down crying, burying her face in the black t-shirt she was holding.

- page 177, UK paperback edition

Another good example is the light take on paranormal books. It pokes fun at the cliches in its own genre, which I find charming in a book. Rarely do I see a female character who's strong and assured enough to make dirty jokes to the love interest, albeit not on purpose, but for me, it's definitely better than the love interest making sleazy jokes at the MC's expense, and then the MC finding herself turned on by that lame pick up line.

Deceptively simple, but it works wonders.

One thing I had an iffy with: Sophie and Archer's makeout session. It just seemed convinient and abrupt. The chemistry between them was veering more towards 'friend' rather than 'crush'. It was just awkward to read that because honestly, it made Sophie seem desperate and Archer like a playboy trying Sophie out. :/

Another thing I'm curious about: Is the UK cover is supposed to depict the trio of girls that Sophie butts heads with? Because I can see several differences between the cover and the story, with Anna being an African American and Chaston a redhead and uhh, the cover not showing that. If that's the case, the publisher should have known better, what with all the recent controversy.

Towards the end of the second third of Hex Hall, I was wondering if it was going to be all light, frothy fun. The trio of witches seemed like Sophie's only big challenge, and a weak one for all the book time they had.

However, the last few chapters clearly showed Hawkins' talent in balancing the funneh all the way to the other end of the emotional spectrum. Along with a better build up to the last few chapters, I would have loved to have seen more of the serious, intense scenes instead of just ominous notes of it throughout the book.

There were many little things that I was impressed with. All in all, one of the most refreshing takes on the paranormal boarding school plot that I've read in a while. I'll definitely be waiting anxiously for Demonglass as it takes on a darker tone. March 1, 2011! How am I going to wait?

But wait I will.

Now, spoilery stuff. Avert thy eyes if thy hasn't read Hex Hall.

Things I'd love to know more about:
- Jenna's age. What is it? She's almost definitely a new vampire(I'd never ask a vampire her age, so I'll leave that to Rachel.)
- Elodie. Who is she looking for, and why can't she hear Sophie? Or is she just being Elodie and ignoring Sophie?
- Did Elodie and Archer do it?

Do you think that Sarah Rees Brennan's Nick would get along with Sophie? Other than the obvious common factor, they're both on the run from people who'd love to kill them. They're also snarky, but different kinds of snarky.

On the other hand, Nick would eat her up and I can't let that happen. Man, Nick is looking hotter than Archer.

Seen on Singaporean Shores

I know how much of a big deal it is for authors to know that their books have travelled far and wide, so here is a new feature showcasing books that have been captured at bookstores and libraries all over Singapore--or wherever I happen to be when I snapped them at that moment.

Authors, I really hope your Google Alerts work right now. Oh, hey Dia Reeves, Bleeding Violet copy #98767 says 'Hi'.