Lauren Wilkerson

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Birthmarked. Gaia is such an amazing girl who is steadfast in her beliefs and is very passionate and protective when it comes to family. In Prized, we encounter another dystopian world that is very different from the one in Birthmarked. In Sylum there are few women and even fewer babies being born female. The women rule the town and the families. When a couple marries, the man takes the woman's last name. The woman own all of the property. And the big rule... no man can touch a woman. Crazy world, huh?

So we continue Gaia's journey to safety and we hope that the ravishing Leon whom we all know and love will find a way to return her. Gaia doesn't abandon her midwifery skills in Sylum, even though at one point, I thought she would. She had to give up a part of herself in order to find herself again. Yeah... mull that one over.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the second book in this series. The world that Caragh built was so well thought out and I literally felt like I was there... walking the dusty roads in my heavy boots, visiting the townsfolk. I was captivated until the last word. I can't wait to read the next book.