Birthmarked

Gaia's world is outside the wall.  She is a midwife and those outside the wall are required to give up three of their babies to the enclave inside the wall where they will live the privileged life every month.  When Gaia's parents go missing she suddenly questions her existence and the rules that her society has always followed.  She breaks into the enclave and finds that things there aren't as perfect as they've always seemed.

As the story continues the moral story of a perfect race and the perils of inbreeding and genetic manipulation (with an elementary genetics lesson wrapped in) becomes an engrossing one and Gaia has to make difficult choices to save herself and do what she knows is right.

Gaia is a wonderfully strong teen heroine.  She fights for what's right and won't let anyone or anything stop her.  If you liked Katniss from The Hunger Games and Tally from the Uglies series you'll love Gaia. 

The ending is complete yet leaves space for a sequel which I will be thrilled to purchase.

Appropriateness: There isn't any subject manner that will annoy adults.  No drinking, drugs, sex or graphic violence.  The romance is sweet and the heroine is the type of girl that parents would like their daughters to be.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine