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    Prized
    Ebook427 pages6 hours

    Prized

    By Caragh M. O'Brien

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In Caragh M. O'Brien's Prized, the thrilling follow-up to Birthmarked, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone has fled from the Enclave and now must fight for her baby sister's survival in the matriarchal society of Sylum.

    Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateNov 8, 2011
    ISBN9781466802698
    Author

    Caragh M. O'Brien

    Caragh M. O’Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS trilogy. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O’Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA in the Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University. Her young adult science fiction has been honored by the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, the Amelia Bloomer Award, the Junior Library Guild, and numerous state reading lists. A former high school English teacher, she now writes young adult novels full time from her home in rural Connecticut.

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    Reviews for Prized

    4/5

    263 ratings29 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Little BookwormThe sequel to Birthmarked finds Gaia struggling to save her baby sister as she tries to reach her grandmother. But when she is rescued by a stranger and taken to the town her grandmother use to run, Gaia finds the rules of that society are also constricting. The number of men far outweigh the number of women and so the women hold all the power. But power can be corrupting and the men are getting tired of being the underdogs. Gaia finds unfairness at each turn along with someone from her past who provides another source of conflict for her.While there is no such thing as a perfect society, it seems that all Gaia can find is dysfunctional ones. This time she moves to one where the rules seems unfair to her and, frankly, chaffed me as well. The Matrarc of the town immediately takes away her baby sister and her freedom. And it left me angry at how quickly Gaia or any stranger is treated like a criminal simply for being from somewhere else. The action moved pretty quickly even as Gaia is kept locked up. But the romance angle felt like it was too much and it was a little unnecessary. I am curious to see what happens next with Gaia and her tendency to overthrow dystopias. This series is turning out to be a real page turner.
    • 5/5
      Prized is the second novel in the Birthmarked series. It picks up right where the first book (Birthmarked) leaves off, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel. Still, I recommend reading them in order.For a fairly new author, Caragh O'Brien is very polished. The story starts off fast and just keeps going, never dragging. Prized is in such a different setting than Birthmarked that if not for the characters Gaia and Leon, I might have felt I was reading a different series. That was fine with me, I was impressed with how O'Brien masterfully created two different worlds and bridged them together in the two books.This is a fascinating dystopian series. It will be published on November 8, 2011. Officially it's for young adults, but us older kids are allowed to enjoy it, too!*Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
    • 4/5
      As much as I enjoyed Birthmarked, the first book in the series, I liked this one way better. Or, possibly, I just don't recall the first one well now. Either way, I can tell you that I just ate this up. Were it not for work and social responsibilities, I would not have put it down.

      What I love about this series is that O'Brien focuses on topics that are not often tackled in YA novels, like midwifery (which grosses me out, but it's still awesome that there are details) and genetics. Gaia, too, is pretty fantastic, because of her strength, not physically but mentally. Like me, she is a very stubborn woman and that makes her a force to be reckoned with.

      Birthmarked had romance, but much less than can be found here. Now, the fact that Gaia has three men interested in her (two of them brothers) could be seen as a big negative for the book. Certainly, the love triangle (square?) plot can get old. However, I think it has been done fairly well. The reason is that it makes much more sense in the context of the story, since Sylum has so few women.

      In the Enclave, only Leon ever expressed a romantic interest in Gaia. Most ignored her because of the burn scar on her face. In Sylum, that seems hardly to matter. I found the whole crazy society in Sylum endlessly fascinating. The women essentially have the pick of the men and have complete control. In fact, if a man so much as touches an unmarried man before they are engaged, he can go to prison, because otherwise the women of Sylum would be in serious danger, given the lack of available lady folk.

      Even more interesting is the one exception to the women having all the power, which is the 32 Games, wherein the strongest young men play soccer. The begin with two teams of 16 and play until a goal is scored. The winning team divides up into two teams of 8, and so on until only one man remains. That man has his pick of the unmarried women, the Mlasses, to stay with him in the victor's cabin for a month. Supposedly, he's not allowed to get with her, but...come on.

      Oh, how much I wish the final book in the trilogy could come out right now!

      P.S. I know this song is actually about a guy remembering a woman he loved who died, but I just could not resist the chorus' application to the 32 Games.
    • 4/5
      Unlike the last 'middle book' I read, this one actually had a plot, an interesting setting, and great dialogue! I enjoyed 'Prized' and am looking forward to the third book-- which needs to be published soon... Now, if possible!

      I'm not sure what it is about them, but I really love the characters in this series-- especially Leon. He may have his mood swings, but I'd take him if Gaia gave him up! :-)
    • 3/5
      I found this book less strong than the first, which I liked very much.

      I think O'Brien's real strength is in her characters- her people walk off of the page and are as real as real can be. I enjoyed Gaia's alternating defensiveness and realizations of her own mistakes- that was very insightful, and again- so true-to-life. I loved the strong messages about choice, which were both overt and less so. I think maybe I want to marry Will.

      I had some trouble suspending my disbelief at the matriarchy's structure & rules, and some quibbles with plot points, but the people kept me reading.
    • 4/5
      Starting right where Birthmarked left off, Gaia is wandering in the wastelands with her infant sister, and both of them are near death. She's saved by a lone rider, who takes her to a place called Sylum. Maya is instantly taken away from her, and Gaia soon learns that Sylum is in a steady decline due to the skewed population (there hasn't been a girl born in Sylum for two years). The women rule the place, and there's some very strict laws that Gaia has trouble adjusting to rather quickly.And then, of course, there is Leon, who escapes from the Enclave (you can read "Tortured" for more about this, which is a free e-novella, although the events in the novella are summed up quickly towards the middle of the book). I really like this series. I'm a little bummed that the author had to turn down the "love triangle" (actually, love square) route that so many YA dystopian trilogies do, but whatever. The character of Gaia grows and struggles, and I really like Leon as a character too. He challenges her instead of merely just doing whatever she wants, which is a plus. I'm surprised that it took me so long to stumble upon this series, and I'm going to be bummed when I get to the end of the last book.
    • 3/5
      In the first book of the series, we met Gaia Stone who was trained by her mother to be a midwife. They lived in the poor section outside the wealthier Enclave where inbreeding made childbearning near impossible. Children born outside the walls were handed over to the families inside the wall who were better off and needed the genetic material of the people living outside the wall. When her mother gave birth to Maya, Gaia refused to hand her over and escaped.In Prized, she stumbles across another settlement call Sylum which has another whole set of problems with repopulation. Precious few females are being born and they are being threatened with not being able to sustain a population. Females are given higher status and those who have given birth to another female even higher regard. Strict laws about single males and females touching result in harsh penalties.Sixteen year old Gaia works on trying to discover why no females are being born and what is it that makes it impossible for the people of Sylum to exist away from the settlement. Amazingly she does find answers and becomes a hero.What a powerful story for a teen. To have special knowledge and talent, to be able to wield that ability like a weapon, and to have several young men fighting over one can truly give a young woman a sense of power. Like the popular Hunger Games series, this series gives young women a sense they can be more than a secondary citizen.
    • 4/5
      Gaia Stone flees from Enclave and it's opressive regime and finds herself in Sylum, almost dead, with her baby sister Maya. Gaia has swapped the previous regime with a matriarchial society that values women over men and with a population that consists of mostly men that's an achievement. However there are hidden issues and problems and escape will kill people. Gaia has to deal with all these issues and when Leon turns up she has to cope with some other stresses.Ah, complex teenage love lives and complicated societies where they don't tell you the rules but expect you to obey them anyway, I'd rebel!It's not a bad read, I enjoyed it but there were times when I wondered why people don't educate others to customs and then punish them for disobeying.Interested to see what happens next.
    • 2/5
      Prized (Birthmarked Trilogy) Birthmarked is one of my favourite YA books, it has it all: great world-building, well-developed characters who make realistic choices, a real sense of terror considering what was at stake and, oh wonder of wonders!, no love triangle, no insta-love, no Mary-Sue for a heroine.

      There was very little of this in Prized. I don't know, maybe because Birthmarked was so amazing my expectations for Prized were too high. But really, what flowed so beautifully in Birthmarked was stunted and just felt forced here.

      The love quadrangle: I get it, new setting, new rules. But Birthmarked was special because the heroine was unwanted. It was special because there was no insta-love between her and the love interest, because what happened between them was built slowly, and it felt beautiful, it felt real. It wasn't even a major part of the plot but it was all the more cherished for that.

      In Prized we get Gaia making absurd decisions and going back and forth on the ones she does make. I like flawed characters, the thing is, this just made her inconsistent and unrealistic. Surely, with all that was happening, she had more to occupy her mind than wasting time wondering whom she loved more?

      While in Birthmarked there was this feeling of "there may be romance here, but really, now is not the time" (and it really wasn't!), that was set aside in Prized, and in my opinion the book really suffered for it.

      Insta-love: I kind of (almost) understand the thing she had with Will, but Peter? What was even the point? If you needed another one for a love triangle (and believe me, you never need a love triangle), Will at least had something in common with Gaia, something Leon did not have. What was the point of Peter even existing?

      Leon: That was just... I get it, but I'm really, really sorry to say this because I genuinely like Caragh M. O'Brien's writing... it was poorly executed.

      All in all, this book left me feeling that O'Brien was not only trying to make it more conforming to what is generally perceived a YA audience desires but also that she was rushing to meet a deadline.

      I hope this is just second book syndrome, like I said, Caragh M. O'Brien's writing is great - I'm giving this a two, I know this sounds horribly unfair, but if it were another writer, one I'd never read before, I'd probably give it a 3.5. But the thing is, I have read a nearly flawless book by O'Brien, and you just can't follow that with... this. I'm sorry! I feel terrible because, as I've mentioned several times, I love her writing, so I have every hope that Promised will amaze me.
    • 4/5
      I am loving this book. It feels like I am in a totally new world. A world so interesting.

      Update: Wow As I said I loved that the author created a new world. I did not expect it at all and I like to be surprised. Many new characters and a lot of interesting ones. Yes sometimes Gaia annoyed me but hey she is human and can make mistakes. That is probably why she felt more real to me in this book. I can't wait for book 3 and any other books Caragh O'Brien will write. 4,5


      Read from February 17 to 19, 2012

      Re reading for book 3. Forgot a lot.

      I must say that reading this book for the second time I did think one thing was strange. In book 1 Gaia is very conscious of her scar.In book 2 you hardly hear anything about it while in book 1 it was constantly mentioned. In this book it appears every guy wants her. I love the books but I wish Caragh did not have to go there. Meaning another love triangle.

      Why do we need love triangles. Only because twilight had one? Then Hunger Games? No more. please!
    • 4/5
      Sequel to Birthmarked continues in the tradition of the strong female in the continual struggle for survival in an unfriendly world.
    • 5/5
      Hat mir sogar besser gefallen, als der erste Teil! Das kommt nicht allzu häufig vor. Freue mich schon auf den dritten Band :)
    • 4/5
      As far as YA fiction goes, this trilogy worked for me. I will admit that I struggled to get through the first one, but that the ending kept me reading the second. And the third! So now I've finished the set. While I liked Prized better than this (ever-so-slightly), I appreciate the social issues covered in all three books. I liked the plot and character development in this last one most. I still think much of the dialogue feels cheesy and contrived, but I get that this is what teens like and want. Overall, a worthwhile read.
    • 5/5
      Love this book. Rarely do I like the second book more than the first book but in this case I did. New characters are introduced to contribute significantly to the plot and are intriguing. If you liked Birthmarked, then do not hesitate to rush our and get this book. Gaia finds herself in the community of Sylum, where she has a deal of difficulty adjusting to the rules which include no touching no kissing and no voting, if you're a male. Gaia find herself attracted to more than one male and that is a really big problem in this society. I love how spunky she is and how she never stops fighting for what she thinks is right. Book 3 is called Promise
    • 2/5
      Gaia and her baby sister Maya have finally escaped the nefarious clutches of the Enclave and their twisted ways…only to stumble into a completely different society that may be no less stifling and dystopian. Sylum is a haven of an established community a ways away from the Enclave, but it is strange in its own rights: women rule, although they are outnumbered by men almost ten to one; there are strict rules dictating relationships between men and women; and, perhaps most troubling of all, once one enters Sylum, one can never leave.Almost immediately, Gaia clashes with the Matrarc of Sylum, who is determined to quash Gaia and her different ways, even though the community desperately needs Gaia’s midwifery skills. Gaia is encouraged to forget about her past and try to fit into her future, but how can she forget about all that was wrong with her past life, and all she had to leave behind—especially when an important part of it shows up again in her new life?The trouble with the first book in a trilogy rocking your world is that, as much as you anticipate the first opportunity you get to read its sequel, you simultaneously fear that it won’t live up to how much you enjoyed the first. Sadly, in PRIZED’s case, this was true. Whereas I couldn’t put Birthmarked down, I struggled at times to push myself through PRIZED’s copious use of info-dumps and inconsistencies in characterization and plot that really pushed the limit on my tolerance of YA lit clichés.I read Birthmarked in one night, forgoing sleep in my complete absorption within the Enclave and my desperation to discover the fates of these beloved characters. Unfortunately, I did not feel as invested in PRIZED. Perhaps rereading Birthmarked would have helped, but I also felt like PRIZED veered off in an entirely different direction: little but the names of the main characters carried over from the first book into the second, with the result that PRIZED had to create for us an entirely new dystopian world—and not necessarily with complete success.The rules of Sylum are explained to readers mostly through “tell-all” conversations with little plot and nothing concrete to tie all the Sylum-related facts that are unloaded onto readers in one fell swoop after another. I felt like the motivations for various characters’ actions were never fully illustrated. Why did the Matrarc demand such rigid obeisance to their society’s rules? Why was Gaia so insistent on defending her actions without fully considering their impact on herself and those around her? Why did she so strictly divide public opinion regarding her when she doesn’t really do anything at all?For that matter, why is Gaia so appealing to everyone? If you thought love triangles were getting a bit ridiculous in YA lit, wait until you catch a whiff of this book’s love square. Sure, readers love when the protagonist is loved by someone who sees the beauty in them despite her awkwardness/incompetence/insecurity, but Gaia’s situation felt like extreme overkill, like an intervened twist in the story purely for reader gratification. The utter unnaturalness of the situation really prevented me from becoming emotionally and intellectually invested in the story.PRIZED unfortunately seemed to cut corners in explanation of character motivation or plot progression. With little to no relevance to the first book, except through the recurrence of a handful of characters and a promise at the end of a reconnection in the last installment, this could have been an entirely different YA dystopian series—not exactly what you want from the second book in a trilogy. I think I’ll still read the last book, if only to see how Sylum and the Enclave tie back together, but overall it was a rather large disappointment.
    • 4/5
      Birthmarked was one of the best books I read last year. Though another entry into the somewhat over-abundant YA dystopian genre, Birthmarked felt original and unique. It was a really excellent book that screamed for a sequel. With Prized, author Caragh O'Brien delivers another wonderful, though unexpected, journey into Gaia's world.After fleeing from the Enclave in Birthmarked, Gaia sets out into the Wasteland with her infant sister only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a matriarchal dystopian society. While it may seem like a great setup, Gaia finds that she's traded one tyrannical government for another, where kissing is a crime and there are strict codes when it comes to virtually every aspect of life. And if Gaia ever wants to see her baby sister again, she must abide by every single one of them.I was a little surprised by Prized. It's not the the book was bad at all, but just not what I expected and, frankly, a little out there compared to where the story was going in Birthmarked. I kind of felt like there wasn't a great deal of cohesion between the first book and this one, other than the presence of the main character, almost like the plot went off into something else completely -and I think it became somewhat obvious that the author didn't originally intend for Birthmarked to be a trilogy. But despite this, I really enjoyed this book. Gaia is a strong character that readers want to see overcome her circumstances and succeed. The setting is even more chilling than in Birthmarked and, most importantly, Prized was filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me filling pages up until the very end.If you enjoyed Birthmarked, Prized is a satisfying sequel, but if you haven't read Birthmarked, you won't have much trouble jumping in now, as Prized feels like somewhat of a stand-alone novel compared with Birthmarked.
    • 4/5
      I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley(dot)com. This is the second book in the Prized trilogy, the third book entitled Promised is due out later in 2012. There is also a short story called Tortured that will be released in early Dec 2011 that bridges the time between Birthmarked and Prized. I enjoyed this book overall, it was very engaging and Gaia has to face a hard situation that is both the same and opposite of the one she faced in Birthmarked.Gaia has traveled the wasteland with her baby sister Maya only to be captured by the people of Sylum. Sylum is a place where the men vastly out number the women but a woman rule's the city. For a man to even touch or kiss a woman is taboo and considered rape. Sylum is in desperate need of a midwife though, so they are greatful for Gaia. But when Gaia fails to comply with the strict rules of Sylum her sister is taken away and she is forced into seclusion. Now Gaia will find herself not only in a power struggle with the powerful woman ruler of asylum, but with her heart torn between multiple the multiple men who woo her.The first part of this book was an incredibly engaging and intense story. I just got completely sucked into the story. The Sylum society is interesting in a number of ways. First of all the society is matriarcal which is interesting considering the shortage of women in Sylum. Secondly anyone who tries to leave Sylum after they go through the acclimation sickness dies; so once Gaia decides to stay there she is trapped. Thirdly when they find out why the society is so short on women it is incredibly interesting. Since most of these issues were addressed in the first half of the story I was absolutely intrigued and engaged for the first part of the book, especially by some of the genetic and scientific implications about what was going on in Sylum.The social codes in Sylum are very interesting, basically topsy turvy of how old Victorian codes were for women. It was interesting that the rules were so strict and that for the most part they were followed. I did find it a bit unrealistic that the men would be mostly content with the way society was ruled; the majority of the men were so docile about it even though they were occasional the victims of abuse. I was surprised that it took Leon pointing these things out to the other men to rile them against the strict matriarchal rule.Gaia wasn't my favorite character in the first book and she continues to be a weak point for me in this book as well. I felt like she made some pretty poor decisions early on in the book that drew out her confrontation with the leader of Sylum far longer than it needed to be drawn out. In this book she is in a sort of love square; she even jokes about how silly it is to be in a love square. She finds herself torn between loving two men who are brothers and loving Leon when he shows up searching for her. I thought that way too much time was given to Gaia angsting about her choice in men in the latter part of the book. I mean seriously, Leon is pretty much the only one for Gaia and that is apparent pretty quickly...so why spend all this time having Gaia angst about it?I enjoyed some of the side characters a bit more. I have to say though that characterization wasn't the strong point of this book; it was the world that was built and the society that Gaia was forced to live in that really propelled the story forward. Also the fact that Sylum is slowly dying from a lack of females really engages the reader; you are constantly wondering what will become of this village.Overall I was absolutely enraptured with the world and the society depicted in Sylum so I really enjoyed the first portion of the book. I still have some problems with Gaia as a character though; she is just too passive aggressive for me...even more so in this book than the last book. I also didn't enjoy how much time was spent listening to Gaia angst about her trio of boys. I am still very curious to see how things will continue on in the third book, Promised, so I will definitely read it. I just hope the guy problems that Gaia has/had are settled. I recommend this book to people who love dystopian reads. I would also recommend Divergent, Wither, Brave New World, Hunger Games and Matched for those who want more dystopia reads.
    • 5/5
      In Prized, the author transplants the heroine Gaia into a new society which is completely different from the setting of the first book. Sylum has climate change survived by becoming a matriarchal society surviving on marshland north of the Enclave. A mysterious genetic defect has caused an imbalance in the number of males and females being born in Sylum, resulting in the men outnumbering the women 9:1. The matriarchal nature of the society means that 90% of the population does not get to vote. Sylum, quite frankly, scared me. The imbalance of the sexes has caused the citizens of Sylum to only allow children to be born to traditional, nuclear families, punish abortion by death, outlaw any form of physical contact between non-married couples and prize female babies above all else. This completely foreign world allows the author to examine some controversial issues about feminism, slavery and basic human rights.The character development in the book is at first glance unsatisfying. After standing up to the Enclave and having a strong moral compass in Birthmarked, Gaia becomes a weak, submissive character in Prized. The interaction between Gaia and the brothers Peter and Will was cliche at best, with both acting as foils for Leon, the hero of the last book. The growth of Leon was also very confusing, with the darker side of his character, which was hinted at in Birthmarked, coming through strongly in this book. However, once I had finished the novel I felt I understood the motivations behind the characters and their growth. There were three love interests in this novel, creating a 'love square'. Normally the introduction of a second love interest in the story to test the love of the hero and heroine has always irked me, because the heroine it usually makes no sense. However, in this society where women are few and far between, it makes sense that Gaia, being a smart, strong woman, would have more than one suitor. The way she handles the men is immature and although Gaia is only sixteen and acts according to her age and experience, I found myself wanting to slap her at times because of her naivety.A well realised dystopian novel which tackles some controversial issues in a very different setting, Prized is a great novel with plot twists that will keep readers hooked until the last page. Don't miss the stunning sequel to Birthmarked!
    • 5/5
      This book was just as a-m-a-z-i-n-g as Birthmarked, if not even better! I admit, I was very surprised by where this actually went, I thought Gaia and Leon would continue opposing the Enclave, but something kept them from doing that: a place, where the women rule with a pretty cruel hand. Okay, I can imagine this not being an all too bad place for females, BUT every woman is expected to aim to give birth to ten children.Gaia is opposed to many rules the Matrarc (the leader) has imposed on her people, and the things that they believe in. I found many things pretty unbelievable, too, but not because they were written unbelievably, just because they were ... well ... unthinkable. I read it in two sittings, and I think I may have found another new favorite series! I was a bit annoyed with Leon at times, found Chardo Peter (or Peter Chardo if you want to write it like we would) pretty childish and some things a little over the top, but nothing that needs mentioning here. I think I suspected halfway through what would happen at the end, but it was still nice to see it all play out. Maybe not exactly like I imagined, but close.So if you haven't read Birthmarked yet, you absolutely should and while at it, pre-order Prized! I personally like the covers I feature better than the blue ones, so these are the ones you will see!
    • 5/5
      I have to say, I think that "Prized" is far better than its predecessor ("Birthmarked", the first book in the trilogy) and definitely on my best of 2011 list. Why? Because this book takes some pretty big risks. Love triangles? Try love rombuses. You thought the politics were crazy in the first book? The issues introduced in this book blow the ones established in the first way out of the water (or should I say Unlake?). I absolutely ADORE O'Brien for taking these risks, knowing how sensitive (in particular) American audiences are to issues like these. This woman has a uterus of steel. Or maybe titanium. Either way, it's absolutely awesome.Now, spoiler alert: this book delves very, very deeply into the issue of abortion rights. If that makes you uncomfortable, or if you're really pro-life, you might want to avoid this one (though I urge you not to, and listen to what Gaia and O'Brien have to say on the matter). I think the reason why this book worked so very well in terms of discussing reproductive politics is because O'Brien really amped up Gaia's voice, making it the voice of a professional midwife despite her age, and not O'Brien's own opinions (though they may be her own). She does not preach at us, but urges the reader to look at the issue from both Olivia Matarc's side, and from Gaia's side -- that of the female body. In a situation like you have both in Sylum and in the Enclave/Wall, and the goal is to keep the human species alive and reproducing no matter what, to whom does the female body belong? Both sides make really good cases, echoing years and years of debate in current American (and Western) society. She does not preach at us, she does not just blast us with her opinion, but opens it up for discussion. In a time where girls are starting to mature earlier and earlier, this is a very important subject that needs to be talked about, especially within non-contemporary YA lit. Why not contemp YA lit? Because so much of the time, there's a spin for either side. A girl has an abortion because she has no other choice, regrets it, and so forth. Oh, and finds a man by the end of the story to whom she can sob/find love again. Or the reverse - she keeps the baby because of the same reasons. But in the contemp YA lit that I've read that has broached the subject, there's far too much of an emphasis on either side, and not a fair presentation of the entire case as a whole. Couching the ideas within sci-fi/dystopian YA lit helps release the matter to be contemplated as a whole, where you can see cause and effect for both sides without (as much of) the bias. O'Brien makes "Prized" her best book yet because she opens this subject up so very well, and made it so easy to digest. It had me thinking and rethinking my own opinions on the matter, and I hope that other YA gals who read it do the same. While the end of the book does end favoring one side over the other, the message is still the same - discussion is important, and without it, you have a dystopia. Without discussion, you have the end of research and thus, growth. And finally, the biggest punch in the gut of all (which O'Brien did so wonderfully) -- without growth, there is only death. The end of evolution. The end, period.And then there's a love rhombus thrown in, but that too makes perfect sense when you look at how Sylum is populated in a female to male ratio. I enjoyed that, and chuckled quite a bit when Gaia herself brings it up in one of her POV asides.This may be one of the best YA dystopia books for girls yet in terms of discussing gender and reproductive rights. I urge everyone to read it, despite whatever side of the matter you're on. "Prized" is definitely one of the best of 2011, and I can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy whenever it does get announced/released. (posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
    • 5/5
      *This is the second book in the Birthmarked series. This review may contain spoilers for the first book*I read Birthmarked, the first book in the series, prior to having a blog of my own. Of course that means I never reviewed it. I can tell you it was a book I absolutely knew I would want to read the sequel too. Many first books in a series I read and never have the desire to pick up book number two…Birthmarked had me wanting to read Prized right after reading the last page. I even picked up my review copy the day after I received it, that’s how much I wanted to read this book!Birthmarked initially was written as a stand-alone. You could never tell by how well everything flows together from book one to book two. We’re left in book one with Gaia leaving the Enclave with her baby sister and we have no idea what’s in-store for her.Gaia is brought into a different society of people in Prized. In book one and in book two, the lives of everyone revolve around genetics…it’s a huge part of the story. The problems with genetics are totally different from the two books. Gender roles are flipped within this different group of people. I was surprised by this, but it does make sense for what the characters are living through, but at the same time I personally hate it. A villain who you wouldn’t expect is in Prized, I seriously despised her from the beginning. I could see where many people may sympathize with her…I loathed her.I normally am someone who complains about having to learn about a whole new world when the book is a second in a series. This book is the exception to the rule for me…I enjoyed learning the ways of a completely different set of people in the same world and time. The people and society Gaia stumbles upon is Prized in different than anything else I’ve ever read. the world stands out on it’s own.If you’re looking for a dystopian unlike any other the others out there right now, the Birthmarked series is for you! I can’t wait to see what Caragh has in-the-works for us for book number three!Sidenote: Gaia gets herself stuck in what she calls a “love square” which had me dying laughing. It works well for the story because of the situation the characters are in.
    • 4/5
      O’Brien depicts Gaia’s world with the same vivid imagery and gift for storytelling in Prized that had me gripped in Birthmarked, the first book in the series. Gaia has escaped the Enclave, but her adventure is far from over. Immediately afterwards, she is taken to a new society, one ruled by a woman minority.Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about this at first. I got a little attached to Birthmarked, and Prized was less exciting for me. Then again, the new society Sylum is so very different from the Enclave, so although Prized takes place immediately after the events of Birthmarked, we can't expect everything to be the same. In the end, I do like how I got to see more of O’Brien’s writing and how she portrayed a whole new society for us. I like the plot twists and intense moments that had my eyes glued to my Kindle as I repeatedly clicked the buttons to turn the pages.What really had me baffled and a tad bit more disappointed than I’m making this out to be (because I did like this overall) is how Gaia seemingly changes character all of a sudden. She goes from what I saw as a cool, independent young woman to a girl who gave in to everyone’s demands, and some of the other characters showed different sides as well. I’m hoping to see them progress more in the third installment.Again, I liked this book overall. O’Brien has a wonderful, beautiful writing style that I love. If you’re looking for another kind of dystopian read, you should definitely check this book out. And if you liked Birthmarked, know that this may not be the book that you were expecting, but I hope that you’ll give it a try. It deserves it.
    • 4/5
      I read the first book last year and really loved it. Now that I got to read the next one, I admit I expected more but still loved it nonetheless. The book pikes up right where it left off from the first one. Gaia is off looking for another settlement that is not crazy like her last. But what she falls into is not what she thought it was. Some parts of this book made me angry! Gaia has been searching for a settlement, one that is okay to live in. But instead she finds an even crazier one. At first I was little confused as to what this new place does. But once I read more into, I came to enjoy the new element that Ms. O'Brien used...Leverage.Once where Gaia is strong and brave she is now being held to submission because more it at stake. The reader see's Gaia doing things she never thought she would. At first I thought it was okay but I came to see that I didn't Gaia like that. Submissive and doing what she is told. I liked her fiesta and brave. Rebellious and spontaneous. I am glad that an old character comes back bringing her to who she really is and not who she is becoming.The love interest in this book really rocked. I loved that there is a sort-of love triangle. It isn't something dragged on and on. It is lighting done and it give the book more emotions and drama to deal with. I really love how well Ms. O'Brien write this book. You can read the passion of the writing just flowing in the pages.I suggest that you start this series right away. This book, being the sequel in no way it is ruined. Sometimes sequels lack, not this one. If anything, it was way more intense. I felt such excitement in returning to Gaia story. It felt like as if I never left. Beautifully written, Prized deserves to be acknowledge. It nothing what I thought it would ever be.
    • 4/5
      Note: There are necessarily spoilers for Book One in this series, but not for this book, Book Two.This is book two in the dystopic Birthmarked Trilogy, and picks up right after Birthmarked left off. Gaia Stone, age 16, left the town of Wharfton on the run two weeks earlier. She is carrying her infant sister Maya, whom she helped deliver from her dying mother’s body. Trying to make her way through The Wasteland to a safe haven, she has run out of baby formula. Maya is almost dead when the two are apprehended by an outrider from the town of Sylum and they are taken there to get help.Sylum (as in Asylum) is yet another variation on dystopic societal organization, where men outnumber women ten to one but women are the rulers, and the only ones authorized to vote. The usual gender relationships are upended as well; it is men who are submissive and tend to the women. [Wait! That's not dystopic! But I digress....] Moreover, the proportion of men to women is getting worse with each generation; hardly any female babies are born, and some four to five hundred of the eighteen hundred men in Sylum do not have viable sperm. No one knows what is going on. There is also an interesting mystery about people who stay for even a short while in Sylum not being able to leave; if they try to do so, they get sick and die.Enter Gaia, who, like many of the female heroines in YA dystopias, seems to be the first one to ask meaningful questions, and to research possible answers. She has no shortage of help, either. Leon, Gaia’s love interest in book one, follows her to Sylum, although Gaia, suddenly quite popular with the guys, does a great injustice to Leon. (Her characterization here in book two was, I thought, inconsistent with that of book one.) Although it was a bit too much for me that Gaia had three great-looking guys after her, I appreciated the fact that this was in spite of a very disfiguring burn scar on her face. I should also note that the leader, or “matrarc” of Sylum, is blind. There is really no plot-related reason for her to be blind, and I liked that it was never an issue.As the book ends, most of the mysteries are solved, but that only opens up the door to other problems the residents of Sylum need to address. And Gaia must also figure out who and what are most important to her, and with whom she will make her future.Evaluation: While I didn’t like Gaia’s character as much as I did in the first book of the trilogy, I like all the unique environmental problems and societal permutations posed in this future world, and look forward to seeing how it all turns out.
    • 4/5
      Prized picks up where Birthmarked leaves off. Gaia is trying to find her way to the Dead Forest. She is struggling, and Maya is dying. Gaia is picked up and saved by a young man who takes her to Sylum. Sylum, as Gaia learns is pretty much as backwards as the Enclave with rules, except the women are in charge instead of the men. The women are vastly outnumbered 1 for every 9 men. Because of this, and because Gaia put Maya in harm by leaving the Enclave, she is punished as soon as she gets to Sylum, and Maya is taken away.Sylum has some pretty bizarre rules, when Gaia first arrives a man is in the stocks for attempted rape. Later on we learn that attempted rape can mean something as trivial as hugging. Or even holding hands! Gaia learns about her grandmother, what's wrong with Sylum and their people, and we get to meet back up with Leon. He's rather rude to Gaia for a good part of the book because of what he feels she did to him, but later on he understands. . Gaia helps a young girl miscarry, and in doing so she puts herself at risk for punishment by the leader, and because of that Gaia as a character changes. I didn't really MIND the change, but I definitely noticed it. I thought Gaia was a very well-thought out and respectable (enough) character in Birthmarked, she stopped taking shit from pretty much everyone, but at Sylum she has to bend over backwards for the leader.Overall, I really enjoyed this book more than Birthmarked. This felt much more fast-paced and kept me engaged and wanting to know more. Although, I was a bit annoyed at Leon I felt it did help further the story so I understand. I will definitely pick up the third, as the ending really makes me curious as to what happens for Sylum and the gang next.
    • 3/5
      Gaia has fled the Enclave after discovering the horrible truth about the elite society she has been serving her whole life. With her parents gone and the entire Enclave searching for her, Gaia has no choice but to leave the city. She must escape for her own protection and for that of her newborn sister, a baby she delivered with her own hands as she watched their mother die. Guided by the belief that her grandmother is still alive somewhere beyond the reach of the Enclave, Gaia discovers an entire community of people. While a new city could mean a new life and safety for Gaia, she only trades one form of servitude for another. In Sylum, women have nearly ceased to give birth to females and their entire community is in danger of dying out. A female child is a rare and much sought after gift and Gaia's little sister is immediately taken away from her. Forced once again to serve as a midwife, Gaia struggles to obey her new captives in hopes that she can get her sister back. So I really liked Birthmarked, the first book in this series. It was different, edgy and I liked Gaia because she wasn't the run of the mill, gifted beautiful leading lady that everyone fell instantly in love with. But where I found Birthmarked uniquely gritty and disturbing, I struggled with the sequel's predictability. I really, really felt as if I'd read this story before- only I can't remember where. So much of what was included seemed irrational, even for a dystopian story where anything can go. I seriously doubt that nearly 2000 men would let a handful of women completely control them, even if they do have bows and arrows and the proverbial "thing that all men want." I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I mean, a community of mostly men and a blind pregnant woman is in charge? I mean it sounds ideal, I'll give you that, but not very realistic because even in a fictional future- men are still men.Gaia is the new girl in town, she's unattached, possibly fertile and one of the few remaining females, so of course her milkshake is bringin' all the boys to the yard. I liked that O'Brien could see the silliness in her "love square" and even acknowledged it through Gaia. Still, there were some very sweet, romantic moments, though not with the initial love interest from the first book- he's still just a flaky as he was before (and now he apparently has like ten different personalities). I'm Team Peter all the way.I'm still on board for the next book. O'Brien puts a lot of detail into her world and it's an extremely interesting place to visit. Just please, please do something with Leon as he is so very unlikeable.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed Ms. O’Brien’s Birthmarked so had to pick up this sequel. She does not disappoint. The first page of Prized picks up exactly where Birthmarked ended. No unexplained time lapse to catch up on throughout the story. Gaia Stone is wandering the Wastelands with only her infant sister when she is “rescued” and taken to Sylum, appearing to be a Utopia in the midst of devastation. But Sylum has its own dirty little secret and not everything is as perfect as it seems. Having been drawn to Sylum because of her grandmother Gaia quickly comes to question her decision.

      Advertised as a YA book I cannot be too judgmental about some of the writing style, and overly simplistic resolutions to the plot line. However, during other moments I wondered if the subject matter would make sense to the younger end of the YA age range. I did enjoy the book and the characters and the ending definitely lends itself to a continuation. If that happens, I will definitely pick it up.
    • 5/5
      This was a wonderful squeal to "Birthmarked." Where book one started slow, Prized was one I could barley put down. There were so many questions I wanted answered from the beginning and O'Brien did a great job of putting the proverbial "carrot" just close enough that you couldn't help but race through the book. I don't want to ruin anything for you if you haven't read it yet, but this is a series I would definitely recommend. There while be some character types you recognize through many YA books, but the change of scenery freshen what would other wise come across as predictable. Can't wait to start the next one.
    • 4/5
      Such a great sequel!! I loved the writing and the plot. I really enjoyed seeing Gaia grow as a character and I am proud of her!! Such a baddie :)