Birthmarked --- Caragh O'Brien

Rating: 5 Stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Young Adult

Pages: 361

Official Summary:

After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopiam 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 noght one agonized mother objects, and Gaia's parents are arrested.

Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia's efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned.

Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich intricate layers of codes, BIRTHMARKED explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code.

Review:

Wow. What a cool book! Very original. It was fun to unravel the plot of the book as I read, but there was twists and turns I didn't see coming! The plot was very conflicting and it really made you think about what would be the best solution to the problem. Bit by bit the author reveals information about our world and what led to the Enclave society.

Gaia is a very likable protagonist. She is vulnerable without being weak or whiny, if that makes sense. She grows throughout the story and is a strong woman in the end. I enjoyed this dynamic character.

I highly recommend this book! It smells awesome :)

Inside Out --- Maria V. Snyder

Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia
Pages: 315

Official Summary:

Keep Your Head Down.
Don't Get Noticed.
Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Review:
People, read Maria V. Snyder! She is great. Inside Out was released April 1, 2010 and this new book does not disappoint. In all of Snyder's books, she has such likable, strong, female main characters. In case you haven't noticed....I must have good main characters! That's one of the many reasons I enjoy Maria V. Snyder.

The story and setting of Inside Out are one-of-a-kind. It is science fiction, but not in a nerdy way. Haha! I was hooked the moment I began reading. This is one of those books you will cruise through.
I recommend this book for anyone. (My dad read it and really liked it....so it must be good!)

The sequel, Outside In, is expected to come out next year! Can't wait!