I usually don't post twice in a day, but I actually sorta forgot that it was Tuesday.  Yeah.  Anyway, since it is the third day of the week, that means it's time for my favorite bookish meme, Top Ten Tuesday.  It's hosted by the fine ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This week, our hostesses with the mostesses ask:  What are the Top Ten Books You Liked More/Less Than You Thought You Would?  In the spirit of putting the bad news first, I'm going to start with the latter question.  Here we go:



1.  Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card—I admit I'm kind of a fair weather fan when it comes to OSC.  Some of his books I like, some I don't.  But, everyone (it seems) talks about how amazing Ender's Game is and ... I just don't get it.  Admittedly, I've only read the first third or so, but I've done that at least three times!  The book's so terribly written that I've never been able to get past that point.  Judging from the enthusiastic responses of readers whose opinions I respect, I thought I would love this one.  Yeah, not so much.


2.  Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien—After I read Birthmarked, I went a little fan girl over this author.  Since I loved the first book in the series, I figured I'd adore the second.  Again ... not so much.


3.  Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani—I love Trigiani's adult books, so I thought I'd really get into her YA series.  Nope.  Even after two installments, I'm still very underwhelmed by it.


4.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys—This is another one that readers/bloggers adore and recommend like crazy.  While I understand why (it's definitely impactful), the book didn't wow me.  The prose felt cold and distant, which makes sense considering it's about the imprisonment of innocent people, but still ... Sepetys' second book, Out of the Easy, was much more to my liking.  Even though it also dealt with difficult subjects, it was a much warmer, more satisfying novel.


5.  Beauty Queens by Libba Bray—I loved the cover and the premise of this one.  The beginning made me laugh with its quirky, tongue-in-cheek examination of beauty.  However, as the story went on, it got increasingly bawdy and bizarre.  I read it, but found the experience disappointing.

(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Prized, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from the book's predecessor. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

I loved Birthmarked, the first book in Caragh M. O'Brien's dystopian YA series, so much that I couldn't wait for the sequel. So, when a publicist from Roaring Brook Press contacted me recently about reviewing the sequel, I squealed like a pig and nearly wet my pants in excitement said yes. Since the book doesn't come out until November 8, I made myself wait to read it. For like a month. Then, I caved. So much for self-restraint. I should know by now that I have none at all when it comes to books. Now, I have to answer the big question: Was Prized worth the wait?

Really? You thought I would tell you in the second paragraph of my review? Wrong! You'll just have to wait for it (Or, you could always skip to the bottom of this review, which I don't recommend at all, but as you can tell, patience is not one of my virtues either, so whatever. I won't judge).

Birthmarked ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, with 16-year-old Gaia Stone running into the wilderness, desperate to escape the cruel control of the Enclave. When Prized begins, it's days later - Gaia's outrun her pursuers, but is now lost in the wasteland, weak from exhaustion and starvation. Her infant sister grows frailer by the hour. If Gaia doesn't find help soon, they'll both die.

When a man on horseback rides up to her camp, offering to take Gaia to a safe place, she knows it's her last and only hope for survival. But when she arrives in Sylum, a small city run by a domineering woman called Matrarc Olivia, she begins to doubt that her new home is any better than her old one. She doesn't understand the matriarchal society where it's illegal for unmarried men and women to touch each other; where she, who's risked everything for her baby sister, is declared an "unfit mother;" and where dangerous community secrets are being kept from the people of Sylum. Gaia knows disobeying the Matrarc could mean never seeing her sister again, but she didn't fight the Enclave only to be enslaved to a different kind of tyrant, did she? With everything she holds dear hanging in the balance, Gaia must make a decision - conform or flee, once again, into the unforgiving wilderness. In Sylum, she has friends, a job, and the affections of several men; in the wasteland, she'll have nothing. Except freedom.

So, maybe I cursed Prized by wanting it so much. I don't know how else to explain my disappointment with the book. No matter how much I wanted to love it - and I did, I really, really did - the story seemed to annoy me more with each page I turned. A huge problem, for me anyway, is that much of the plot revolves around Gaia's love square (yes, three guys are fighting for her attention). The fact that she encourages each of them and still can't decide which to choose just gets irritating after awhile. I can understand her confusion, though, since none of the three had enough personality to stand out - I couldn't keep track of who was who either. Outside of Gaia's romantic issues, not a lot of other stuff really happens, even though there's plenty of built-in conflict that offers potential for intriguing subplots. The problems that do arise for Gaia seem to resolve themselves too easily, resulting in an unrealistic and unsatisfying storyline.

On the plus side, I found the idea of a Sylum-type community fascinating. Terrifying, but definitely interesting. Since so much of the people's lives revolve around childbirth, the story brings up pertinent questions about issues like abortion, adoption, a woman's right to choose, unfit mothers, gender roles, etc. Those sections made me think, much more so than all of Gaia's lover's quarrels.

So, back to my original question: Was Prized worth the wait? Mostly no, although I'm glad to know how Gaia's escape into the wilderness ended and, even though I didn't love Prized, I'm still anxious to see where the story goes next. I just wish this book offered more excitement, more depth, more suspense. More of what I loved about Birthmarked. I'm not ready to write off Caragh M. O'Brien just yet - in fact I'm looking forward to Promised, the final book in the trilogy. My enthusiasm's just a little more cautious now, that's all.

(Readalikes: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien and Delirium by Lauren Oliver)

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for intense situations

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Prized from the generous folks at Roaring Brook Press (a division of Macmillan). Thank you!