The Mark
By: Jen Nadol
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today. Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?
My Review: This was a morally complex book that I thought about for days after I read it. In my opinion, the main point of the book was to get the reader to ask themselves what they would do if they had this ability. Would you treat it as a gift or a curse? Cassie certainly feels the burden that this ability lays on her. Initially, she allows other characters in the story to influence how she treats her ability. And, she learns pretty quickly that it's very easy for others to judge what she should be doing with her gift.
The character development was really good. I loved that everyone who knew about or also shared Cassie's ability to see imminent death had a different way of dealing with that knowledge. Some people handled it better than others, but either way, you could understand what would drive that character to behave that way.
The end of this book definitely opened up the possibility of a sequel. I kind of hope it's left where it is. There are so many possibilities that can be imagined from the end of this book that it would almost be disappointing to see them come to a conclusion.
Overall, a wonderful read by yet another 2010 Debut Author. This is a very talented group of writers, and I'm really excited to read more by Jen Nadol.
Book-A-Likes: Wake by Lisa McMann
My Rating:
4 Stars!
Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild; some underage drinking
Sexuality: Mild; Definitely alluded to, but never described
Violence: None
