Birthmarked

Birthmarked is a American-Canadian direct-to-VOD comedy film, directed by Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais, from a screenplay by Marc Tulin, from a story by.
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Her father makes his living as a simple tailor, and her mother is a midwife, delivering the first three babies of every month to the Enclave for compensation. Now sixteen-years-old, Gaia is finally able to step into her mother's lead and deliver babies on her own. There isn't any tension between her family and the Enclave until one night Gaia's parents are arrested without any explanation. Gaia learns more about what really goes on in Gaia Stone's family has always faithfully served the Enclave.

Gaia learns more about what really goes on inside the walls of the Enclave, and slowly her once unalterable devotion disintegrates into mistrust and anger. Now she must do whatever it takes to save her parents from danger, even if it means becoming a fugitive herself. Birthmarked was a solid debut novel, although there were a couple of things that could have been done differently. Gaia was a strong female lead, but there almost seemed to be no development at all from any of the other characters. Also, the antagonist of the novel was rather dull, and the climax of the story - lets just say it was rather Still, the nonstop action and overall excitement created by this novel had me in a rush to see what happened next.

The plot was layered and the pace pitch perfect. The ending was a satisfying stopping point in the story, but it also could give way to a sequel. I would recommend this to those who are interested in genetics, dystopia, or fans of The Hunger Games. From the beginning, this book had me on my toes. I love the way the author really drew you in from the first page with intrigue and the thrill of walking in the same footsteps as our main character, Gaia, a young woman who grows up in a world thinking that life is just black and white.

As the story progresses, Gaia slowly begins to discover that the black and white world she felt comfortable in, was in fact filled with many gray areas and it was just really exciting to go on the adventure with G From the beginning, this book had me on my toes. As the story progresses, Gaia slowly begins to discover that the black and white world she felt comfortable in, was in fact filled with many gray areas and it was just really exciting to go on the adventure with Gaia on her path of discovery of this new world.

I really couldn't put it down and was highly disappointed that I had already reached the end of the book. So much so, that I immediately went online to purchase the second and third book in this series in hardcover. I refuse to read this series as an ebook because this story deserves to be read as a tangible copy. If you like stories shrouded in mystery, a whole new world filled with different laws and customs, weak characters that blossom into heroes and heroines, then this story is definitely for you.

I highly recommend this book and I can't wait until I get the second and third copy soon so that I can delve into those as I did the first book. I don't think I will be disappointed because the first book was so very well written. May 23, elissa rated it really liked it Recommended to elissa by: Definitely had a good start, but I found it to be slightly uneven. Dystopic futuristic atmosphere was very good, and reminded me of Handmaid's Tale , partly because of the reproductive aspects involved in the plot.

World building good, characters interesting, plot was compelling and moved the reader along. I guess sometimes the coincidences didn't always work for me like when the main character meets just the person who can help her in an alley--a man who she's never met before--right when she n Definitely had a good start, but I found it to be slightly uneven.

I guess sometimes the coincidences didn't always work for me like when the main character meets just the person who can help her in an alley--a man who she's never met before--right when she needs help , and sometimes the writing pulled me out of the story, especially near the end. Ending is one of those very ambigious ones that often annoys readers. I usually just choose to be hopeful, but I really would have liked to see what would happen next to Gaia and the baby, and also how things turned out for Leon.

There's definitely room for a sequel here! I'd probably read something else of O'Brien's. Love the colored stringy lines on the cover! I keep not wanting to take this off of my favorites shelf, so I guess it's a true 4 stars. Not sure what about it is staying with me better than I thought it would. It is well done dystopian SF, so it may just be that. I liked some things and I didn't like other things and I don't want to spoil anything so I'll talk about this later: Birthmarked pretty much had me from the first few pages! My friends have been telling me that I'd enjoy these books and, as usual, they're right.

I started and finished this one in one day and it's been a very long time since that's happened.

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Gaia is a midwife in a society where the people who live on the outside of the wall are willing to give their newborns up so they will be raised in better circumstances on the inside of the wall. This story was very gripping and full of discoveries with non- Birthmarked pretty much had me from the first few pages! This story was very gripping and full of discoveries with non-stop action. I had a hard time putting it down. Gaia was a strong heroine, nothing wishy washy about her. I can't wait to see what she does next.

I have Prized out already because this is definitely a series I need to binge-read! Dec 27, Aa'Ishah rated it really liked it Shelves: Heartbreak ahead Birthmarked was a book I had been thinking about since I first knew it existed several months ago, so I was pleased to get hold of a copy. I was even more pleased to find this was a book I enjoyed hugely. Injecting the dystopian genre with some new ideas, it definitely had me glued to the pages. Society is divided between those who live inside the wall and those who live outside. Those inside enjoy a life of luxury and privilege, whil 4.

Those inside enjoy a life of luxury and privilege, while those outside have to fend for themselves. Each month the first three babies born must be delivered to the Enclave, for which their mothers get compensation in return. Gaia Stone has always accepted this way of life until, on the day of her first delivery as midwife, she reaches home to find her parents arrested.

Mystified as to why this could be, she becomes determined to reverse this injustice and get her parents back. She becomes doubly resolved when she learns that the quota of babies is to be raised. This was another book where I was pulled in right from the beginning. The first chapter immediately acquaints us with the laws of the Enclave and it quickly got an emotional reaction from me.

I was pained to see a baby taken away from its mother and each protest from the helpless mother made me wince. What was sadder was that later on, it mentions how one mother Gaia attended was simply passive, knowing that her baby was not hers to keep. It showed that people were accepting of society and without fighting spirit, more a sense of hopelessness and resignation. The bond between mother and child is supposed to be the strongest of them all, yet here were the Enclave destroying that bond before it had even begun. The idea of a baby quota, however, while painful, is still not one I have ever come across.

I like that the book has some original ideas. It has that social division, yes, and that physical division to establish and emphasise it.


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Nor is it a far-fetched one. The author details well the consequences of having such a closed-off section of society; I was amused at how the undesirables turned out to be the ones that mattered most. It was interesting to see how, with all our knowledge of DNA now, the 24th century is only just reclaiming it. But it was relatively easy to see where she was coming from; she, like many others, believed that the babies would have better lives inside the wall. But aside from that, even in the first chapter she had that little voice inside of her head, questioning and doubting. I liked that she was fierce, strong and independent.

If she decided something was right or had to be done, she went ahead and did it regardless of the risk. She never gave up, instead bringing hope to others. Reading about her inquisitiveness at a young age made me laugh, but I was also admiring and respectful because it showed her to be perceptive and intelligent.

I felt bad for her when she had to deal with reactions to her scar, and the relationship she had with her parents was heart-rendering. I grieved with her over her parents. Nor were here parents ignorant or conforming — quite the contrary. What can I say? He starts off as Sergeant Grey. Leon is a complex mix of ruthlessness and gentility, coldness and compassion. He is haunted and bitter and in no way does he shy away from sacrifice. Granted, he was a bit foolish at times in his obvious behaviour, but this was a comparatively minor detail.

My heart broke for him. For him and for Gaia. Because this book does not have a happy ending.

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If you like dystopia, this is for you. If you like a strong MC, this is for you. If you like relationships that are slow and subtle, this is definitely for you. Birthmarked has an engaging plotline that signals the problems of having too divided a society and the lengths an authoritative power might go to to maintain that division. And now I need to get down to the task of obtaining the second book.

In the meantime, excuse me while I go anguish over the ending. This review is also posted on my blog. View all 11 comments.


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    6. If I remember correctly, and I am For my English 12 class we were required to read at least 3 books per semester for further analysis, presentations, homework, etc about them. Now, 3 books per semester? I read over 35 books that year even though I had to study hard for my Spanish A-Levels we call it Selectividad.

    I was immediately drawn to the cover, such gorgeous and mysterious cover, but I decided to read it when I reach the part of the plot summary where it says "enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying" because I do not often encounter characters who persevere through think and thin to rescue their parents. It introduces us to the dystopian world of the Enclave.

    Birthmarked

    The Enclave is a walled town, much like castles in the Middle Ages, where the rich people live and of course they have access to the best water quality, food, nice clothing, education, etc. The only problem that the Enclave encounters after some years is that suddenly all the babies and kids inside the wall start dying.

    In order to solve this problem the Enclave established a "quota" of babies each month, meaning that every midwife outside the wall had to take the first 3 newborns they attended and give them to the families inside so they can be adopted and raised with all the privileges. By the way, the Enclave is ruled by a Protectorat and works like a dictatorship.

    What he says is law. Gaia Stone is a 16 year old girl and one of those poor people living outside the Enclave with her parents, she has been trained to be a midwife just like her mother and in this context is where the book begins. Gaia is out of her home attending a woman in labour when all the bad news come, her parents have been arrested and taken inside the Enclave.

    Here is when Gaia can't believe what the Enclave has done because her family has always followed the rules, they have been loyal and always paid the quota. You may think "oh well but they will be raised properly and they won't lack nutrition" that is true but the story here is HOW and WHY the Enclave does such an evil thing like taking the babies away from their parents. Gaia decides to break into the Enclave and rescue her parents but in her attempt she gets imprisoned as well good job Gaia.

    While she is in jail she is brought to the Protectorat for interrogation and that's when the mystery starts. She discovers a series of secret messages her parents left for her but she has to solve their riddles and codes in order to decipher it. Meanwhile she meets Leon Grey , a good-looking soldier of the wall's army who decides to help her. For those of you who were wondering if there is any romance Romance gets deeper in the following books nonetheless. I won't tell any spoilers of course but it was very very interesting to read the whole story which by the way is not complete until you read all the trilogy.

    I didn't have any problems with this first book. I had some issues with the next books but this one was fantastic! I loved this book so much. It is on my favourites list. It has a deep meaning behind that sometimes we don't think about when it comes to YA or dystopian books but it is actually there, we just have to search for it. I enjoyed being inside Gaia's head and I almost never felt like I disagreed with her decisions, she had good reasons to do what she did everytime.

    I recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys reading about dystopian, a bit mystery, some romance but not too cheesy romance and YA.

    Oceans Ate Alaska - Birth-Marked

    Even if you're not into any of those genres I still recommend it, give it a chance! I once emailed Caragh to express my love for these books and a fanmade poster I thought was brilliant and she replied back! It is always nice when your favorite authors reply to your messages. I Love That Book! I would give this 2. It wasn't terrible and would probably appeal and be good for a younger audience. For me however, I seriously wasn't even very interested until page !

    This book fit a spot in a challenge, so I was determined to finish. I started out with the audio, and the narrator did a big injustice to an already slow moving storyline. The main character was supposed to be a strong resourceful heroine but the narrator made her seem timid and flat. Her voice inflections were off an I would give this 2. Her voice inflections were off and she was actually rather boring.

    I started reading the book about halfway through and it was much better, but overall I was completely underwhelmed.

    Birthmarked (Birthmarked, #1) by Caragh M. O'Brien

    Not even close to either one. It lacked both the intensity and disturbing yet captivating subject matter. I"m not even sure I get what all the struggle was about in this book. It certainly seemed like the two sides could have easily worked together to solve a lot of issues. The separation just didn't feel strong enough to be believable.

    Even though the second half was more exciting, the ending was quite typical and predictable for YA…and for me…ended with the most common and annoying cliffhanger. It seems to me that a really good writer could come up with a better way to end books like these and yet still leave them open for a sequel.

    Nov 07, Laura rated it it was ok Shelves: Set about years in the future, after the "cool age" which seems to represent both the time during which we were dependent on oil and possibly pre-serious global warming , this dystopian novel hits all the usual notes: The Enclave's insistence on perfection is what ultimately saves Gaia yep, the name is significant , who has a disfig Set about years in the future, after the "cool age" which seems to represent both the time during which we were dependent on oil and possibly pre-serious global warming , this dystopian novel hits all the usual notes: The Enclave's insistence on perfection is what ultimately saves Gaia yep, the name is significant , who has a disfiguring scar on her face.

    She's also saved by her naivete and intelligence, and by her non-unexpected knack for getting people to help her even when they'd be at risk for doing so. None of the characters feel real, they're more like character sketches that still need to be filled in. While the ending, and the uncertainty of what the rest of America is like at this time, lends itself to a series, my hope is that this is a one-off. ARC provided by publisher Mar 13, Steph Sinclair rated it it was ok Shelves: I really wanted to love this book, but sadly I did not. I felt that it just dragged on and was a bit anti-climatic for me.

    I tried to connect with the characters and I just couldn't. Another reviewer mentioned the characters seemed more like rough sketches and I have to agree. In the end, I had to force myself to finish the book. It seems like there will be a sequel and I'll think I'll give it another shot. But for now it's pretty far down on my list.

    Review: Birthmarked fails to live up to its promising premise

    May 23, Emily rated it it was ok Shelves: I love dystopian novels. I mean really love them. The worldbuilding is so intricate and unique, the struggles are so real, and the power of the human spirit is all over every page. I'd heard great things about this book before it was picked as a May Blog With Bite selection; pretty much across the board, the book didn't really live up to my expectations. Set phasers to stun, then, and read on.

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    Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. Two scientists raise 3 children contrarily to their genetic tendencies to prove the ultimate power of nurture over nature. Filmes vistos em Share this Rating Title: Use the HTML below. Kids hit each other with an oar so hard that it breaks. A man hits another in the head with a shovel. Two people are hit by a car that's driven by kids.

    Somewhat problematic because it's not clear whether these incidents are supposed to be realistic or slapstick. Topless woman shown briefly. References to masturbation and genitalia. Some instances spoken by kids. At one point, she passes out. One character smokes a lot. Parents need to know that Birthmarked is a quirky, mature comedy about scientists who turn raising their children into a grand science experiment -- without telling them. Adult characters' unconventional sexuality is played for laughs, and partial nudity includes bare breasts and bottoms.

    One character drinks a lot of wine and is often drunk; another smokes. Toni Collette and Matthew Goode co-star. Add your rating See all 1 kid review. They set out to condition their biological son, Maurice Anton Gillis-Adelman , and adopted kids Luke Jordan Poole and Maya Megan O'Kelly against what they consider to be the kids' genetic predispositions.

    The goofy music, slapsticky moments, and certain situations and performances have the trappings of broad comedy. The pacing feels slow, emotions unearned. But those moments are few and far between in this misbegotten comedy. Families can talk about how parents are portrayed in movies about raising kids. When they come across as overbearing, are the results usually positive or negative? How realistic did you find the portrayal of parenthood in Birthmarked?

    How are sex and drinking portrayed in the movie? What message does that send? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate.