Carrier of the Mark

By Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Bewitching debut teen fiction from Inkpop sensation – dark magic, prophecies and irresistible romance collide in this beguiling read.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. She makes close friends with the girls in her class, her relationship with her dad is better than ever, and she finds herself inexplicably drawn to gorgeous, mysterious Adam DeRis.

Adam is cold and aloof at first, but when Megan finally breaks down the icy barrier between them, she is amazed by the intensity of their connection. Then Adam reveals a secret about the magical destiny that will shape both of their lives but also threatens to tear them apart…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Oct 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9780007445967

Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Shirley Rousseau Murphy is the author of twenty mysteries in the Joe Grey series, for which she has won the Cat Writers’ Association Muse Medallion nine years running, and has received ten national Cat Writers’ Association Awards for best novel of the year. She is also a noted children’s book author, and has received five Council of Authors and Journalists Awards. She lives in Carmel, California, where she serves as full-time household help to two demanding feline ladies.

Reviews for Carrier of the Mark

[mrsboswellbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I heard about Leigh Fallon's Carrier of the Mark a while back, before there was even news that it would be picked up and published by HarperCollins... back when it was still The Carrier of the Mark and had a giant THE covering the girls head on the cover. The story at the time sounded so intriguing and I quickly added it to my list of books to read some day.Well, sure enough, Leigh came out with the news that Carrier of the Mark would be a real, tangible book! Now all I had to do was wait many many months until it was published. And wait I did... while I read on Twitter about other people receiving this book for review, or seeing blogger's In My Mailbox posts containing this beauty. Finally, release day came around and I got my very own copy.For those of you who don't know, Leigh is an Irish lass. I've watched YouTube videos of her and her cute little accent is just to die for! Now knowing the way that Leigh speaks, I was able to easily transfer that accent to Carrier of the Mark which takes place in Ireland.Megan Rosenberg has moved quite a few times with her father since her mother's death. Most recently they've ended up in Ireland and, mysteriously, it feels like home. Megan can't explain the sudden attachment she has to Kinsale or the weird electrical current she feels coursing through her body when Adam DeRis is around... The more time she spends around the DeRis family, the more questions she has that need answers.My main downfall with this story was how much the beginning of the book felt like a Twilight rerun. With YA novels nowadays, it's really hard to come up with something truly unique without following the same formula as other novels. The first couple of chapters really read like Twilight to me. Girl moves to strange place with single father. Girl meets dark, broody boy in school and is instantly interested. Boy has never been interested in ANY girls and continues showing no interest in new girl. Suddenly, boy can't stand to be away from girl any longer even if it is dangerous. See?That being said, once Leigh added in the paranormal aspect the storyline picked right up and took of! I loved the mythology and the lore, the unique use of the elements (Air, Water, Earth, Fire) in the storytelling. The things that each character could do with their element and the ways they chose to use them was fascinating. I especially loved how Megan came more fully into her powers towards the end of the book, the way she harnessed them and fought to protect those she loves.I adored the setting. I'm fascinated with stories that take place outside of the United States. I like to hear about faraway places that I will most likely never travel. After googling photos of Kinsale and Ireland, I fell in love with the lush green hills and the sparking blue sea. The small town life was charming. I was grateful to find that I wouldn't be smothered by the Irish dialect in the story, as I learned how to pronounce the words through Megan learning to pronounce them correctly.I would have liked a little more depth to the characters, but I believe Leigh can easily build on them in her second novel. I would have loved to see Rian get a little more acknowledgement in the story. I think he could have been a real standout character had there been a little more dimension to him. I'm hoping that he will take more of a front seat in the upcoming novels. I loved the overall dynamic of the DeRis family. Their nature and spunk was just infectious.Overall, Carrier of the Mark is a very enjoyable read. Author Leigh Fallon has graced readers with a promising premise, steamy romance and a potent setting. I look forward to seeing where Leigh and the Carrier trilogy will take readers.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Megan Rosenberg has always moved around a lot. After her mother's death, her father just can't stay in one place for too long. This time, they are moving to Ireland because of her father's new job at a marina. When she goes to her new school for the first time, she immediately notices Adam DeRis and feels a magnetic connection to him. Unfortunately, he seems to avoid her at all costs. Other than this anomaly, Megan makes many friends like Caitlin, who tell her about the rumors that Adam and his family are druids and cast black magic. This doesn't deter Megan from her crush. As she spends more time with him, she notices strange things happening around him and his family. Is Adam some sort of druid? Is he dangerous? Why does she feel such a strong connection with him?When I first heard about this book, I was really excited about it. I enjoy Ireland and paranormal books, plus the cover is gorgeous. I was also impressed that it was picked up by HarperCollins after being put up on InkPop, a creative writing community. However, Carrier of the Mark fell short of my expectations. I enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the dialog between Megan and her friends. The writing was really what kept me interested. It flowed really well and had energy behind it that kept me reading even when parts of the plot didn't interest me. The characters were well rounded and detailed. The dialog between them felt authentic and I wanted to know more about them. No one was a stock character and I wish the book was more focused on character development. The other aspect I really liked was the paranormal and mythological aspects. I had never heard of anything like it before. It seemed to be loosely based in Irish mythology with Leigh Fallon's own ideas thrown in. I loved it and again wished there was more of it.The main problem I had was with the romance and some of the plot points. The romance was love at first sight and Adam and Megan became quickly obsessed with each other. I get that young love is intense, but they seemed too in love too quickly. I felt that their declarations of love and how they would die without each other got old really fast. There were a lot of similarities to Twilight including the forbidden love, girl moving to a new school and falling in love with the hot outcast, Adam's family, and even some structural problems. The main conflict was introduced very late and then resolved very quickly as well because their meeting and subsequent relationship took up about the first two thirds of the book. The beautiful Irish landscape and culture was also underplayed for the most part. Overall, I liked Carrier of the Mark for the original paranormal storyline and skilled writing. The romance was overplayed, tiresome, and seemed to similar to others in its genre. I would read the next book in the series to see if the mythology is explored in greater detail.

[waclements7 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

***Spoilers***



If I were smart I would probably not even review this book. I think I'm more puzzled than anything else. I should probably also state at this point that I did read the Twilight series: I didn't gag and groan about it as many people did, complaining about how pathetic Bella Swan was as a main character, nor am I a "Twi-Hard." I do think it set an unfortunate trend in Young Adult literature that I thought we were starting to pull out of.

Maybe I should back up a little further. Maybe six months ago, I watched the DVDs of The Vampire Diaries, and I thought, boy, they are really copying Twilight. Then I looked up the dates and found out The Vampire Diaries had been written years before Twilight. It was simply that Twilight made vampires all cool and popular and sparkly. But new? Hardly.

Varney the Vampire was written in the 1840's, almost fifty years before Dracula. I'm sure there are earlier stories than that, Varney is just the first one I thought of (one of the only good things about specializing in Gothic Fiction for my MA. I did have to check the date, though. I don't remember the important things, but that's a hard title to forget).

Anyway, my point is that vampires were suddenly "in" and the new thing, when really they've been around for hundreds of years in literature. Stephanie Meyer just made them popular again. To death. (Sorry, no pun intended).

Publishers, as always, pay attention to the covers of their books. Goodreads has lists of some of the categorizations some of these covers fall into, such as my favorite, "Girl running in dress in the forest." There are a lot of books on that list. Some of them are more tastefully done than others. One of them, Entwined, I happened to like quite a bit and own a copy myself now. I also think it was one of the better done of the covers.

Carrier of the Mark has one of those interesting, pretty covers that made me want to check it out. I liked the abstract blue swipes? feathers? I'm not a graphic artist, I don't know what you call those swoopy things on the bottom of the cover. Incidentally, the same sort of swoopy things also grace the cover of Everneath, which I am also interested in reading, also partially because of the cover. I really like the swoopy things.

The book also takes place in Ireland, which is a sure thing to suck me in. As I was reading, though, the story began to feel very, very familiar. An Amazon reviewer summed it up better than I did because she actually went through Twilight and matched all the similarities situation for situation. I am too lazy to do that--if you want to see how similar they really are, go to Amazon and check out the reviews there. Actually, it's because I have other things I'd rather be doing, but I'm glad someone spent the time to do what the reviewer did, because I thought I was possibly losing it a little.

Basically, it has exactly the same plot line as Twilight, with some exceptions that did make it interesting. Instead of vampires, they are elementals. If things get messed up, it could mean the end of the world in some obscure fashion. The "family" (e.g. the Cullens) consist of a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and a cranky older brother who is very hostile toward the new girl in town that his younger twin brother has fallen head over heels in love with, and vice versa, and the man who is their guardian. Oh, and their rook. I did like the rook, Randel (I think I spelled that right--I've already turned the book back in to the library). But it's too dangerous for them to be together, they might create some sort of monster that could mean the end of the world, or, absolutely nothing. The translations of the histories are a little scrambled. Those crazy monks. Who knows what trouble they get up to down in those catacombs.

Wait, that sounds a little like some past current events--the end of the world is nigh: oh, well, wait, maybe we just read that wrong. We'll try that again another time. Nope. Another year, maybe? We'll get back to you on that. But don't hold your breath.

One difference is the main character, Megan, does actually have some power and uses it at the end, unlike Bella Swan, who, well, doesn't really change very much other than going from human to vampire. Maybe Megan and Bella aren't all that different after all.

This book was "found" on inkpop. For those who don't know, inkpop was a Harper Collins site sold very recently to another company. It is a place for young adults and people who write for young adults to post their manuscripts and from then on it is a mad popularity contest to see if you can get your manuscript to the top five and keep it there for a month. It consists of a lot of spamming other inkpop members, etc. I know this because I did post a manuscript on inkpop, and also on authonomy, which is the adult version of inkpop. I ended up so disgusted by the whole thing (and worse, somewhat obsessed by it, wondering what number my manuscript was at--it's a little nerve-wracking) I pulled my manuscripts from both sites and deleting my accounts. As far as I know, Carrier of the Mark may be the only book, or one of the very few, to actually have been published from the hundreds, if not thousands, of manuscripts that get posted to those sites. I was wondering if I may have read an earlier version of the book on inkpop, because the names were very familiar, the plot was familiar, etc. Then I was left wondering if it was just the Twilight similarities.

It's extremely unfortunate. The book had the potential to be good, instead of a knockoff of an already extremely popular set of books. You can dress a duck up in a dress and call it your Aunt Martha, but it's still a duck. Unless you happen to be a duck, in which case it very well could be your Aunt Martha.

Similarities happen. I believe in the collective unconscious, and am so frustrated when I read something in a book that's already in mine that I started fifteen years ago but am still working on. It's maddening. Will I change it? If it's something big, I might have to. If it's something small, I may just leave it alone. There are a limited set of stories out there--there are theories on that, I'm not just tossing things out there as I sometimes tend to do. (Who told you that? Um. They did?) The point is to tell those same stories in different ways--the challenge. Carrier of the Mark isn't just a case of getting some of the same ideas from the collective unconscious, it's an all out collision with all of the flashing lights.

Carrier of the Mark is supposed to be the first book of either a series or a trilogy. I don't make fun of those people anymore since I've become one of them and people in glass houses... (what? need curtains?) I may read them anyway, just to see if Fallon can pull the books out of the Twilight trap, take the pieces off the ground, and make them into something beautiful and new. (And who would have guessed I could have fit a reference to... now I'm curious to see how many people actually know what that reference is from. I'll give one hint. I like to sing it at the top of my lungs in my car, which is the only place I really sing. By myself. So now you know it's a musical.)

I feel badly, to an extent, about this review. I get on my younger sister's case about being professional in reviews online because you never knew who will read them. I'm not trying to offend anyone. I think it's just my extreme disappointment that the book wasn't what I was hoping it would be, and my fear that now that the Twilight furor is dying down, depending on the popularity of Carrier of the Mark, it might start up again, when there are truly good novels coming out.

Froi of the Exiles is coming out the 13th of this month. It's excellent. I'm actually considering spending the forty dollars or whatever it will be to order the third book from Australia when it comes out in October (not coming out here until next March). Melissa Marr's new book of short stories is out. Some I've already read from when they were posted online. I read one, on the Wicked Lovely timeline, that comes after Ink Exchange. It looks like a really good collection. I should write up a list of Young Adult books that I really liked, which means only that I really liked them, not that I am queen of the world and my taste dictates that everyone else must like them as well.

On the other hand, if you liked Twilight, I think you will really like Carrier of the Mark. I didn't dislike it--I read the whole thing. Pretty quickly. It was just a disappointment. And a frustration. Why won't publishing companies be a little more courageous and publish new things instead of sticking to what they are sure will sell? That's another whole post in itself, not a review. Enough said.

[andreat78_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes do you feel like just getting lost in a swoon-worthy, enchanting book? Me, too. Carrier of the Mark is that kind of book. From the ominous prologue, through the very last line, this book pulled me in and carried me along on the remarkable journey of Megan Rosenberg.Carrier of the Mark has so much going for it. Starting with the characters. Megan is a lovely teen protagonist. She is sweet, slightly awkward, and has a great sense of humor. She's not perfect. She occasionally has a snarky comeback, but usually keeps the snark in her head. She is an American new to Ireland, along with it's customs and slang. Her confusion and funny reactions to the slang she doesn't understand and the names she can not pronounce had me smiling through the whole book. You would think my favorite guy in Carrier of the Mark would be Adam. And I do dig Adam, I'll get to him next. But my favorite man is Megan's dad, Caleb Rosenberg. The father/daughter relationship is so heart-warming and great to see in a Young Adult novel. So many of the fathers in these books are absent or bumbling, cartoon-ish men or distant and hateful with their child. Megan's father is loving and attentive with Megan. He's not completely clueless and that was so awesome! Now for Adam. If you like your guy to be a appropriately mysterious and aloof when first meeting, and handsome (of course), then you will fall fast and hard for Adam. He's sweet and loving, but not cheesy. Romantic, without being sleezy. Protective, but not condescending. Adam is everything you want in a Young Adult guy. As for the rest of the characters, they are all equally fabulous. If I went into all the details about why I liked each one, this review would be way too long! Megan's friends, Caitlin and Jennifer are always good for a laugh. Adam's family Fionn, Rian, and Aine (forgive me because I lack the proper character keys to type their names properly) are all equally as intriguing as Adam. Fionn just completely breaks my heart. Aine is a delight. And Rian, well, I think (and hope) we will learn a lot more about this mysterious quasi-bad boy in the future. Author Leigh Fallon did a fantastic job of creating her own spin on the "paranormal young adult" genre. The paranormal aspect of the story is completely unique. Yay! Because, let's face it. Sometimes we really need a change from the same old story. I try so hard for spoiler-free reviews, so I won't get into the details, but her background for the story is elaborate and extremely well-developed, and not overly confusing. And if you are into Irish lore and traditions, and who isn't, you will really enjoy the background story of the Carrier of the Mark. Carrier of the Mark is such an enjoyable book. I devoured it within a day. Leigh Fallon has such an ease in her story-telling, making you feel as if you are part of the world. Carrier of the Mark is paranormal Young Adult at it's finest. Favorite Quote: " 'You feel it, too. I can tell. It's more than just attraction.' His finger that was caressing my lips moved slowly to my cheek. He let it slide gently up my jawbone toward my ear, stopping there to twirl a lock of my hair in between his finger and thumb."* I received this book from Harper Teen, in exchange for an honest review. *

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Carrier of the Mark owes its existence to Inkpop.com. I actually didn't know this before I picked up the book, but it's a fascinating story. Aspiring author Leigh Fallon posts Carrier to Inkpop.com, where it becomes the most popular work of fiction on the site. Thus, it caught the attention of editors at HarperCollins, who offered her a three-book deal to bring the Carrier story to the world. I've actually not heard of something like this happening before in the publishing world -I mean, why would a publisher want to publish something that's already around online for readers to enjoy for free? I suppose that it had enough promise that it was just worth it -seriously, this story sounds like something out of a dream.In Carrier of the Mark, young Megan Rosenberg moves to a new town and a new school in Ireland. She hopes that, this time she can stay in the same school for more than one year and you know, actually have a normal high school life complete with friends, boyfriend and a stable life. As she starts to settle into her Irish school (complete with new best friends, and new crushes), things turn out to be not-so-normal in Ireland. Megan's feeling for Adam are connected to an age-old secret group of elementals whose very existence helps to keep the world in balance.There really isn't much else to Carrier than that. In fact, if you've read just about any other YA novel with a thin paranormal backdrop, then you've read Carrier. It's the typical girl-moves-to-new-school, gets-crush-on-hot-boy, then there's some paranormal element that threatens to drive them apart. And sadly, the paranormal element of Carrier isn't all that interesting. At least there's the faint resemblance of some sort of originality here, but the concept is so overly complex that's its nearly impossible to fully understand -which makes much of the Megan/Adam romantic conflict difficult to get into. There was just not enough weight put into the conflict here -it didn't feel meaningful or "earth shattering" enough if the two "forbidden lovers" ended up together.I spent much of the novel struggling with its cliche approach and seemingly thin mythology, so it was very difficult to even attempt to enjoy anything else. At least Fallon is a decent writer -not great, but good. Most importantly, she did an excellent job of creating dialog that was interesting, realistic and really made the characters come to life, which is much more than I can say for a number of other books in the same genre. This is probably the only thing that got me through this book, though I never fully connected with Megan's dilemma. Recommendation? If you like these types of frequently-used teen paranormal setups, then Carrier will deliver exactly what you're expecting, complete with romance and a slight paranormal backdrop. If you're looking for something different, or don't care much for these types of setups (like me), then give Carrier a miss.

[kreagsheehan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Carrier of the Mark was a great, refreshing Young Adult read. It was not at all what I was expecting, and I loved it.Carrier of the Mark focuses on Megan, an American teenager relocated to Ireland when her father receives a new job there. Soon, Megan meets Adam, a mysterious boy rumored to be a member of a family that practices dark magic and stuff like that. Megan begins to notice strange things when Adam is around, and soon she finds out she is a large part of something that has been in the works for thousands of years. What is it exactly? Read it to find out :) I found the story to be engaging and amazing, and unlike anything I have read so far. Though at times it felt somewhat slow, overall I enjoyed it, while I do wish there was a bit more action. Ireland! I really have wanted to go to Ireland for a while, seeing as my father's side of the family is from there and I know people from there, and they always talk about how great it is. Carrier of the Mark only increased my desire to go there. The beauty of the island where perfectly described and it fit the story perfectly. I really think it was one of the aspects of the story that made it really believable. The characters were a very strong point in this book. Every one of them had something likable about them. The relationship between Megan and her new friends was very believable, and they acted like friends would in real life. They had their ups and downs, but overall they stayed together. It was believable, which I found great. Adam and Megan's relationship was perfect. I liked the explanation behind their instant attraction. I really don't see many reasonable (in my opinion) explanations for some insta-romances in YA, so it was nice to see one that I really liked. Megan was a strong main character and it was great to see things from her perspective. She was never annoying and she didn't complain, and she really took care of herself. She had her moments when things didn't work out for her and she was upset, but that's understandable, nobody's perfect. Leigh's writing was excellent. Even when not much was going on, she had a way of making you keep reading, needing to know what's gonna happen. The tension of underlying threats was always there, and you never knew what's going to happen. Even at the slow parts, I found myself flipping pages pretty fast. Also, the mythology that Leigh found/created/used was amazing. As I said before, I have never seen any other plot like it. And if anyone else was thinking they knew what the novel was really about, you probably don't :) I thought I did, and I was wrong! (Which surprised me, haha)(kidding ;p ) Anyways, I felt the pace of the novel was perfect, it didn't keep you waiting too long to find out was going on, which I always love. (I am a very impatient person when reading.) While I wish there was a tad more action, which I expected there to be, I think it was enough to expect a lot more action/fights to be happening in future installments. (As you can probably tell, I am a lover of fight sequences and such.) Overall, I really loved Carrier of the Mark, and I think a lot of other people will too. It is original and isn't about werewolves or vampires or anything I have seen in the young adult world before. I think that will stick out to a lot of people, it definitely did to me. My outcome: Check this one out, I have a feeling you guys will love it just as much as I did.*I received this arc from Harper Collins publisher free of charge in exchange for an honest review- this in no way changed my review.*

[zoey_talbon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't get a chance to read Carrier back when it was still on Inkpop, so I can't tell you how different it is from what it used to be. I can tell you that Meghan was a great character - a little unbelievable at times, but realistic when it counted. It was easy to read her narration. The one thing I didn't like is that in the beginning, she gave up too easily after she saw Adam and his sister do some strange things. Sure, she still wondered about them, but she didn't really do much to try to figure it out, she didn't speculate about what it could have been.I'm not sure how I felt about Adam. There were times when I absolutely loved him, and then there were times when he just felt . . . blah to me. Easily forgettable.Adam's family was awesome, though. I loved how they each had their own history that we got to learn about. I feel like we might have met them a little too early, though.And this is where I have something to seriously complain about - the speed of Adam and Meghan's relationship. They've barely said ten words to each other and then suddenly they're claiming they can't stop thinking about each other and kissing. I was like . . . come on. Meghan knows absolutely nothing about Adam, other than his name and who his family is and where he works. That's pretty much it. I don't care if he's pretty. You don't just suddenly start making out with each other. And then the next day she's going to his house. I don't know about you, but that screams. "CREEPY" to me.I don't understand why everyone has to be "meant" for each other, "drawn" to each other by forces unseen. WHAT'S WRONG WITH PLAIN OLD FALLING IN LOVE, HUH?There were some other parts in the beginning that seemed a bit rushed, too. You'd be reading a chapter, and then suddenly the next chapter is talking about how it's a month later, and I'm wondering what the hell happened.It got better once you got farther along, though I wish there had been some more descriptions of things. I want to know what things look like, what the people look like. There was so much dialogue and the descriptions of what was happening through Meghan's eyes that i have no idea what anything looked like.Overall: I probably made it sound way worse than it is. The plot of this book was awesome and original, and there were times when Adam was downright adorable that I loved him as much as Meghan. Adam's family and their interactions with Meghan had me laughing sometimes, angry others. Carrier of the Mark brought out some emotions from me, and I'll definitely be waiting for the next book. 3 stars.

[pnh002 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Let me start by saying I was a little disappointed in this book.... It was like EVERY element of Twilight was featured here. So much so, I remember thinking that Bella and Edward must have packed up and moved to Ireland while I was reading the book. Lucky for the book, I did enjoy Twilight. I just don't think the book had enough of its own voice. One thing I did like about it was the cover. Wow, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! And once you read it and you find out why it looks that way..... Psssh you'll be just as hooked as I was. I also liked the mythology that was featured in the story. I learned so much about the Irish culture that I had never even heard of. I absolutely love books like that. I can enjoy reading them but also learn about different cultures and places as I read. Which brings me to my next point. I felt as if I were swept away to Ireland as I was reading this. It was a very readable book, but the thing that put me off was the fact that I thought I might have been reading a book I thoroughly enjoyed before or if it was her actual writing. I am looking forward to the next installment of the trilogy to see if it was her writing or the thought that I may have heard the story before.

[lchs1mrso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon is the first of two books about a young girl, Megan, who moves to Ireland with her father. She finds comfort in her new friends there, and a boy named Adam, soon catches her eye. Megan can feel a pull that she cannot deny between her and Adam, but little does she know that this pull sprouted from a magical fate from her ancestors. She and Adam then find out that their unbreakable love could also be their death sentence.The cover of the novel is quite intriguing. The bright blue dress that the girl, who would presumably be Megan, is very captivating and contrasts with her bright red hair. Megan is floating in the sky in her dress because the element she possesses is air. I would recommend this book to any girl that is in middle school or high school.

[allureofbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I started Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon with not a little trepidation, mostly assuming that I'd totally dislike it. Misty at The Book Rat's review covers all the ways the book mimics Twilight, and I think I've already proven I have zero tolerance for that. That being said - I ended up getting much more into the story than I expected!First off. Hell yes, the beginning of the book is basically Twilight set in Ireland. Every single thing about it is a straight up imitation and I was about to die of shock that the book had been published. Then things changed.Once the plot really gets going, all (well, most) of the Twilightness disappeared for me. Megan Rosenburg finds out that she is part of a mythological world she knew nothing about. She is eager to embrace the power she is discovering - until she learns it might be at the expense of her growing relationship with Adam. I am definitely not a fan of girls giving up their lives for a boy - but come on folks, we're dealing with teenagers here. Angst is a given. Unfortunately, insta-love is also usually a given, and this book is no exception. The entire book is so dramatic though, that the intensity of Adam and Megan's relationship in no way stands out.The magical system is very easy to get interested in - and the characters quickly grew on me once we got past the book's unfortunate beginning. If you find yourself wanting to throw the book against the wall when first starting, I highly recommend you keep going.Also, involved father alert! I love love when YA books don't just sweep the parentals under the rug as dead weight.So - the book is certainly not one that I feel the need to immediately rush out and buy to have on my shelves, nor is it one I'd mention to people asking me for recommendations - but if you have a copy or think the plot sounds intriguing, pick it up! The story is easy to get lost in and is definitely worth the few hours it will take you to read.

[cynditefft · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I made it about 100 pages in before I gave up. The dialogue is unbelievable (especially the interactions with her dad) and her reactions to what is going on around her just didn't ring true to me.

[emroda · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was not nearly as good as it seemed it would be. The plot was much too similar to Twilight, which I didn't enjoy. I'm just sick of the new girl comes to a different place and finds a beautiful, vapid young man who loves her instantly and has to valiantly stop himself from jumping her bones. The main reason I enjoyed any of this book was because of the Irish setting, names, and the premise of the four elements.

[suz4haugland · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Carrier of the Mark is not a novel that I will be forgetting about anytime soon, as I have many questions regarding certain aspects of it. I believe that it has a wealth of potential that it quite possibly taps into, as you follow along with the story it has to tell, whether or not some of it is confusing in some ways is left to the reader to decide for themselves. It is a bit different and unique, but that in and of itself, and I applaud Leigh Fallon for that. There was so much to the story, that needed to be told and sometimes it felt as if it were a bit too much, in a way it was a touch overwhelming with everything being given to the reader all at once. Then the relationship aspect of it, that occurs between Adam and Megan, seemed quite intense and almost rushed in a sense. I think I would have liked to have seen that slowed down just a bit and pulled back on. I have always been one for slow build up's to a romantic interest, it makes it more realistic in a sense. Although, I will have to say, that I found these two quite adorable. Fallon also gets bonus points for not writing in a love triangle, as fun and interesting as those can sometimes be, sometimes it's much nicer without them hanging about and mucking things up in the process.The scenery was gorgeous and very well depicted in the novel. With every flourish of Fallon's turn of phrase, I felt like I was right there with the character's and was experiencing everything they were. Reading this novel, felt like reading beautiful poetry set to real life motion. It was undeniably beautiful. There is just no other way to describe it. And the thing is, as confusing as the prophecy and the Carrier's were to me, I very much enjoyed that aspect of the novel. I felt like there was so much more to the story and that it would be revealed with the next book, if I could just wait long enough for it. I have this strong desire to know more about them, like more on the history of how the legend came about and why the Carrier's function as they do, and what makes that prophecy so important?As confused as I am with some aspects, I find myself captivated and driven by a natural desire to know more. I want to see other stories given the chance to unfold, such as Rian's, Adam's older brother whom I was quite taken with. The supporting character's are just as interesting as the main protagonists, few of them I think I may have ended up liking a bit more. The only flaw, that I keep inherantly coming back to, is that it seems as if Fallon has this desire to tell everyone's story all at once to get them out there, but I do feel it muddles up the plot and again becomes a bit overwhelming to the reader with everything being given to them all at once, instead of built up over a period of time and then revealed. The plot line was well developed, I do feel, with some room for improvement and a little less clutter or confusion. Carrier of the Mark does provide an interesting and unique story, with some pretty memorable supporting character's as well as the two main protragonists that accompany them. I found myself deeply invested in this story and all that it had to offer, it's almost as if you're leaving normal and you're headed out into the great unknown. It's just that strong feeling of wanting to know more, even if it is dangerous to know and you do have a strong keen sense of power to keep the balance in the world from shifting. All of this and so much more, is what Megan now has to deal with and it's probably one of the most interesting and confusing things that I have ever read in a long time. For me, personally, Carrier of the Mark was powerfully alluring, massively exciting, and filled with so many questions that I want the answers to. Which is why, I have no problem giving it four of five stars, I would have given it the full five if it hadn't been for some of the confusion and the feelings of being overwhelmed by all of the stories that were being told at once. These are minor flaws though, and they don't slow me down in recommending this book to all who enjoy great paranormal novels that provide unique stories being told. In my opinion, Carrier of the Mark was a great debut novel for Fallon and I look forward to seeing more from her. It just simply possesses everything that I would want a new debut young adult paranormal romance complete with legend's, original storyline's, and star-crossed romance to entail.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If anyone knows me, they know how much I love Ireland. So this book not only had me bouncing in my seat, but I'm in love with Ms. Fallon's writing. Written beautifully, Carrier of the Mark captures the reader from the very first page, marking them forever...The plot line of this book is what captured me immediately. I loved the pacing of the story as well as the development of the characters. Strange things happen little by little, making the reader curious, ensnaring the reader to keep reading. Ms. Fallon's elements in this book aren't overly done all at once, but gives the right information at just the right moments.The characters of the book are amazing! I love it when an author came bring fresh voices to a whole new story. Megan is a smart, easy going girl that everyone loves. I love how Megan is not easily fooled by excuses. This girl knows what she wants and what she saw!The love interest is another great part of this book! I love that Ms. Fallon created a love that is not only meant to be but forbidden. It makes the story much more exciting to see to lovers fight for their right to be with each other. I love watching them endure hardships but also find peace in each other. Now that, is true love.If you like a type of book where there is more than meets the eye, read this book. It's a unexpected move, new school, new boy, and strange happenings. Dark and intriguing, Ms. Fallon created a world like no other. Are you marked?

[yabookiemonster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although it took me a little while to really get into, once The Carrier of the Mark got me, it kept me reading. This book has a unique story line that is quite different than anything I've ever read before and that's one of the reasons why this is a good read!My favourite part of this book was the cool elemental twist! I've always been fascinated with the elements and a book about 4 people who can control and who are pretty much human embodiments of the elements was pretty darn cool! I really liked learning about the history and mythology of how the 4 elements came to live, for lack of a better word, within human bodies and how the powers traveled down through bloodlines. Although it was a bit confusing, it was definitely interesting!I liked our main character, Megan, for the most part, but she did annoy me a bit. She was definitely a strong character and was able to handle the crazy stuff that got thrown her was really well. She really cared about the people that she was close to and would do so much to keep them safe. But my problem with Megan was that I found her to be a bit selfish at times (which she admitted herself in the book). With her power, she had the opportunity to do something that would positively affect the lives of so many people, but she was so caught up in her relationship with Adam that she wasn't willing to give him up, even if it was for the "greater good, so instead of making a choice, so decided that she wanted to have both even when she was told that she couldn't. Although I still liked her, I feel like I would have liked her a lot more had she been a little more selfless.I quite liked our love interest, Adam, and his family! His family was really interesting and I liked getting to know them better as the book progressed. I also found Adam to be very sweet and willing to do whatever he could to protect those who he loved, even if it meant putting his own life at risk. I just wished that we had gotten to know Adam a bit better than we did, I feel like even by the end of the book I still didn't quite know him as well as I would have liked to.I also feel like the relationship between Megan and Adam was a bit weird. I felt like the two characters had hardly any interaction with each other before jumping into a super lovey-dovey relationship. I feel like the romantic build up between Adam and Megan was kind of skipped over, which I didn't like. What makes a romance feel real to me in a book is the build up and tension between two characters as they start to fall for each other. With this couple, it felt like Adam was just there in the background for a while, no interaction was really going on between him and Megan and then bam! I turned the page and they're suddenly a couple. It kind of caught me off guard. I felt a bit like their relationship appeared out of thin air (no pun intended, you'll understand this if you read the book :P).As a whole, I did quite enjoy The Carrier of the Mark and I look forward to reading its sequel, but it definitely wasn't the best book that I've ever read. I really liked most of the characters, I just had a few issues with Megan and wished that I knew Adam a bit better. I also feel like the romance between those two could have used a lot more building up so that it didn't feel so strange and sudden when they got together. Although the relationship might have been a bit of a miss in my eyes, the overall story line and cool element stuff behind this book was definilty a hit!I think that this book is definitely worth a shot because the good greatly out weighs the not so good in this book! I think that if you're willing to look past some of the flaws in this book, then it's an enjoyable read!

[wolfangel87 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story and concept were nice and engaging even though they were not totally unique in themselves. I love fantasy elemental ideas and I think the author pulled this off pretty well.Meg was an okay character, she didn't really do anything for me and really neither did Adam. They seemed pretty flat and one dimensional. The insta-love kind of bugged me too. Okay, I can see a little bit the elemental attraction but it never really was explained enough for me, it was still just uninspiring insta-love.As I was reading I did (like everyone else) pick up on the twilight similarities. Unlike everyone else I found this to be amusing and quite entertaining overallI will read and am looking forward to the second addition to this series. The book was a light quick read that was entertaining and fun

[jenwitch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Carrier of the Mark gave me a little bit of Twilight deja vu. Girl moves to new town living with her dad. She is drawn to the mysterious boy who is a loner along with the rest of his family. Once it got off that track though it found it's own plot. I really liked what the made the family so "strange". I've always felt that things incorporating nature seem a little more realistic to me. In a whole if magic was actually real sense. I enjoyed the writing and the character development. I was a little confused on some of the bloodlines. I felt like I needed a chart but I got the jist enough to understand what was going on. I liked the ending even though some things were tied up in a manner of speaking it still left some unanswered questions. Question that I want to know the answer to and will definitely be diving into the next book as soon as it comes out.

[kr15tina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What I LovedStoryLoved the magic, romance, conflicts, the beginning of many trials to come and of course the setting. I was kept very interested throughout the entire book, never any dull moments that made me want to skim through paragraphs.RomanceA Romeo and Juliet type love affair, always a wonderful classic type love. They have wonderful chemistry and passion, they still keep it innocent for the younger readers though. I am rooting for them to be together and I can't wait to see what will happen in the next book. Fallon has some hard trials ahead of them in the coming books.A Little ConcernedWhen I first started reading the book I was a little put off by all the similarities to Twilight. The grouchy across the room first meeting with a cold shoulder, the new girl in a small town with the mysterious hottie family, a Rosalie type character and even the almost attack and save. But I guess we have to all realize that similarities will always happen in books, there is only so many storylines that can be created, but how the author creates the characters and conflicts is how this story completely went its own direction. By the middle of the book I no longer cared about the similarities and I was completely riveted and entranced with this Irish land with magic.RecommendationEven with the little off puts I still completely enjoyed and loved the book. It is a great quick read that kept me interested at every page. Worth the read for all readers in this genre.

[hobbitsies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really, really wanted to love The Carrier of the Mark. Ireland, intriguing supernatural storyline, and a darkly handsome boy?And the storyline of The Carrier of the Mark certainly grabbed my interest. It was original and I honestly didn't know where Leigh Fallon was going to take her story because I've never read anything quite like it before.But the romance. The romance was maybe just a bit too much for me. If you liked Edward Cullen, you would definitely like Adam. Very overprotective, lots of the insta-romance. It just wasn't for me. I like dark and dangerous. I found myself hoping she would be attracted to his brother or something just to make it interesting. Although, I did think it was funny to see a guy embarrassing himself in front of the girl for once.The setting was beautiful. I love reading about Megan's time in Ireland because it reminded me so much of my time living abroad. Overall, I liked and disliked The Carrier of the Mark. Without the romance, it would have definitely been an absolute hit with me. Sort of witchy, which I like a lot. If you're looking for an original supernatural storyline, and are a fan of romance, definitely check out The Carrier of the Mark.

[bookloverslife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book!!! I loved the fact is was set in Ireland. All the characters were really easy to like and Adam is swoon worthy!!Full review to come.

[breereads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

More at theawesomemagicattic.blogspot.comThe cover is just gorgeous! One of the best covers I've seen this year, no doubt. And the summary's got a lot of potential, and definitely makes you itch to get your hands on this book. Lucky for me, the publisher sent me a review copy :DIt's a wonderful story, and has plenty of potential. The whole idea with Carriers and the Marked is all very unique, and quite unlike any other story I've read so far. And it's set in Ireland! Don't think I've read any other book set in the same place before.Megan moves to a new town in Ireland with her dad. At her new school, she's drawn to the mysterious Adam, but many girls warn her against him. Adam and his family are quiet, aloof, and keep to themselves, and there are strange stories surrounding the family. However, Adam acts differently around Megan, and when Megan begins seeing and experiencing strange things when being around the DeRis family, she begins to wonder if there was more to them than meets the eye.This was an interesting story, with a lot of interesting characters. I've never heard anyone speak with an Irish accent, and I was kind of wondering what it sounded like? It's the first story to be 'discovered' on Inkpop, and I can see why the people over at HarperTeen chose this one to publish, but honestly, I had some tiny issues with this one. Nothing major, but with all the buzz running around about this book, my expectations were pretty high. Like I said earlier, this story was unique, and definitely had a lot of potential. But to be honest, the part where Adam and his family explains all about the legends, the prophecy, and the Carriers confused me, and even when I re-read it a few times, my mind was more than a little muddled up. I feel that we should've been been explained things gradually, and reading that much information at once put my brain at an overload. Also, Adam and Megan's relationship was... unreal. I felt like it was rushed, too fast and too intense at a way too early stage. But they were a really cute couple, and I wish the author had slowed down, and let their relationship slowly unfold.My favorite character was Adam's sister, Aileen. To be honest, most of Megan's friends seemed like the stereotypical 'popular girl,' with all that talk about boys, boys, and boys. Aileen was the most realistic one out of them all, with a preppy but slightly mysterious and nice attitude, and a sunny smile. But a good thing was that the dialogue was realistic. It was interesting, and really brought life and attitude to her characters.Overall, it was a very entertaining story. I'd recommend this to paranormal romance lovers, and fans of books like Twilight, or perhaps Beautiful Creatures. I'm really glad I got the chance to read this book, and I'll definitely be looking out for the second book when it hits stores :)(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC!)

[damarisgcr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, look at this cover and tell me it doesn't scream "READ ME!"? I have been in such a big reading slump lately that it has been very hard for me to get into a book and actually finish it. I started maybe six books and did not finish them. Finally, I decided that I would try the book with the amazing cover and see if I can finally snap out of this. Two pages in and I was hooked!It only took me a day to read it. This book went everywhere with me and whenever I could sneak a page or two, I did! I loved all the characters and the whole world Fallon created. It was very believable and very exciting. I also REALLY liked that Fallon did not waste any time at all bringing Adam into the picture. From their first meeting I was already a fan of Adam ,I am a sucker for the dark and mysterious boys.The only thing I did have a bit of a problem with was that almost every character had a story to be told. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to learn all the why's and who's, but it just felt like it was way too much information being thrown at me all at once, and at times I got a bit confused. I actually had to reread some parts to make sure I was getting everything. In the end though, it all fell into place and made perfect sense. I am so happy that I got the chance to read it.Carrier of The Mark is just AMAZING. The End.5 out 5 Stars!

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Instantly drawn to a mysterious, alluring boy in her class, teenaged Megan, an American living in Ireland, discovers that they are linked by a supernatural destiny that gives them power Megan never knew she possessed.

[Thursday, December 15, 2011] I'm almost half way through the book. But as always I can't wait to write my review before I'm done. I guess I don't want to forget a thing. When I first began, I thought the story was very cute, but later on, I thought: "Oh boy! Another Twilight fan!" The story might be set in Ireland (where it's cold) but the story line seems similar to Twilight a lot. First, a girl living with her dad alone, than the whole clan thing, than the weird sister (like Alice) than the accident, and her feeling something is off, and than the incident with the boys assault and him saving her, visiting his family, the possibility of a strange baby if they ever get married... etc etc. The author is following Twilight story line to a fault!! That... I didn't like. But unlike Twilight, the use of words and vocabulary is not strong. Beside that the characters seem lame. I like the cover though.

[Wednesday, July 24, 2013] I can't even give this book two stars. The story is fake, so are the characters. The worst books are the books that make you see that the author is lying and that his/her imagination is flawed. Great books make you believe every lie and invention that author creates.

[wendyclements · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

***Spoilers***



If I were smart I would probably not even review this book. I think I'm more puzzled than anything else. I should probably also state at this point that I did read the Twilight series: I didn't gag and groan about it as many people did, complaining about how pathetic Bella Swan was as a main character, nor am I a "Twi-Hard." I do think it set an unfortunate trend in Young Adult literature that I thought we were starting to pull out of.

Maybe I should back up a little further. Maybe six months ago, I watched the DVDs of The Vampire Diaries, and I thought, boy, they are really copying Twilight. Then I looked up the dates and found out The Vampire Diaries had been written years before Twilight. It was simply that Twilight made vampires all cool and popular and sparkly. But new? Hardly.

Varney the Vampire was written in the 1840's, almost fifty years before Dracula. I'm sure there are earlier stories than that, Varney is just the first one I thought of (one of the only good things about specializing in Gothic Fiction for my MA. I did have to check the date, though. I don't remember the important things, but that's a hard title to forget).

Anyway, my point is that vampires were suddenly "in" and the new thing, when really they've been around for hundreds of years in literature. Stephanie Meyer just made them popular again. To death. (Sorry, no pun intended).

Publishers, as always, pay attention to the covers of their books. Goodreads has lists of some of the categorizations some of these covers fall into, such as my favorite, "Girl running in dress in the forest." There are a lot of books on that list. Some of them are more tastefully done than others. One of them, Entwined, I happened to like quite a bit and own a copy myself now. I also think it was one of the better done of the covers.

Carrier of the Mark has one of those interesting, pretty covers that made me want to check it out. I liked the abstract blue swipes? feathers? I'm not a graphic artist, I don't know what you call those swoopy things on the bottom of the cover. Incidentally, the same sort of swoopy things also grace the cover of Everneath, which I am also interested in reading, also partially because of the cover. I really like the swoopy things.

The book also takes place in Ireland, which is a sure thing to suck me in. As I was reading, though, the story began to feel very, very familiar. An Amazon reviewer summed it up better than I did because she actually went through Twilight and matched all the similarities situation for situation. I am too lazy to do that--if you want to see how similar they really are, go to Amazon and check out the reviews there. Actually, it's because I have other things I'd rather be doing, but I'm glad someone spent the time to do what the reviewer did, because I thought I was possibly losing it a little.

Basically, it has exactly the same plot line as Twilight, with some exceptions that did make it interesting. Instead of vampires, they are elementals. If things get messed up, it could mean the end of the world in some obscure fashion. The "family" (e.g. the Cullens) consist of a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and a cranky older brother who is very hostile toward the new girl in town that his younger twin brother has fallen head over heels in love with, and vice versa, and the man who is their guardian. Oh, and their rook. I did like the rook, Randel (I think I spelled that right--I've already turned the book back in to the library). But it's too dangerous for them to be together, they might create some sort of monster that could mean the end of the world, or, absolutely nothing. The translations of the histories are a little scrambled. Those crazy monks. Who knows what trouble they get up to down in those catacombs.

Wait, that sounds a little like some past current events--the end of the world is nigh: oh, well, wait, maybe we just read that wrong. We'll try that again another time. Nope. Another year, maybe? We'll get back to you on that. But don't hold your breath.

One difference is the main character, Megan, does actually have some power and uses it at the end, unlike Bella Swan, who, well, doesn't really change very much other than going from human to vampire. Maybe Megan and Bella aren't all that different after all.

This book was "found" on inkpop. For those who don't know, inkpop was a Harper Collins site sold very recently to another company. It is a place for young adults and people who write for young adults to post their manuscripts and from then on it is a mad popularity contest to see if you can get your manuscript to the top five and keep it there for a month. It consists of a lot of spamming other inkpop members, etc. I know this because I did post a manuscript on inkpop, and also on authonomy, which is the adult version of inkpop. I ended up so disgusted by the whole thing (and worse, somewhat obsessed by it, wondering what number my manuscript was at--it's a little nerve-wracking) I pulled my manuscripts from both sites and deleting my accounts. As far as I know, Carrier of the Mark may be the only book, or one of the very few, to actually have been published from the hundreds, if not thousands, of manuscripts that get posted to those sites. I was wondering if I may have read an earlier version of the book on inkpop, because the names were very familiar, the plot was familiar, etc. Then I was left wondering if it was just the Twilight similarities.

It's extremely unfortunate. The book had the potential to be good, instead of a knockoff of an already extremely popular set of books. You can dress a duck up in a dress and call it your Aunt Martha, but it's still a duck. Unless you happen to be a duck, in which case it very well could be your Aunt Martha.

Similarities happen. I believe in the collective unconscious, and am so frustrated when I read something in a book that's already in mine that I started fifteen years ago but am still working on. It's maddening. Will I change it? If it's something big, I might have to. If it's something small, I may just leave it alone. There are a limited set of stories out there--there are theories on that, I'm not just tossing things out there as I sometimes tend to do. (Who told you that? Um. They did?) The point is to tell those same stories in different ways--the challenge. Carrier of the Mark isn't just a case of getting some of the same ideas from the collective unconscious, it's an all out collision with all of the flashing lights.

Carrier of the Mark is supposed to be the first book of either a series or a trilogy. I don't make fun of those people anymore since I've become one of them and people in glass houses... (what? need curtains?) I may read them anyway, just to see if Fallon can pull the books out of the Twilight trap, take the pieces off the ground, and make them into something beautiful and new. (And who would have guessed I could have fit a reference to... now I'm curious to see how many people actually know what that reference is from. I'll give one hint. I like to sing it at the top of my lungs in my car, which is the only place I really sing. By myself. So now you know it's a musical.)

I feel badly, to an extent, about this review. I get on my younger sister's case about being professional in reviews online because you never knew who will read them. I'm not trying to offend anyone. I think it's just my extreme disappointment that the book wasn't what I was hoping it would be, and my fear that now that the Twilight furor is dying down, depending on the popularity of Carrier of the Mark, it might start up again, when there are truly good novels coming out.

Froi of the Exiles is coming out the 13th of this month. It's excellent. I'm actually considering spending the forty dollars or whatever it will be to order the third book from Australia when it comes out in October (not coming out here until next March). Melissa Marr's new book of short stories is out. Some I've already read from when they were posted online. I read one, on the Wicked Lovely timeline, that comes after Ink Exchange. It looks like a really good collection. I should write up a list of Young Adult books that I really liked, which means only that I really liked them, not that I am queen of the world and my taste dictates that everyone else must like them as well.

On the other hand, if you liked Twilight, I think you will really like Carrier of the Mark. I didn't dislike it--I read the whole thing. Pretty quickly. It was just a disappointment. And a frustration. Why won't publishing companies be a little more courageous and publish new things instead of sticking to what they are sure will sell? That's another whole post in itself, not a review. Enough said.

[PitchEmily M · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

SO INTERESTING OMG!LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO SO MUCH HAD ME SHOOK !

[bookratmisty · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

1.5I feel bad about what I'm about to do. Honestly. I'm not one of those people who just writes snarky, mean-spirited reviews, just for the sheer black-hearted, puppy-kicking glee of it. As tempting as that sometimes it, I just am not that reviewer (generally). I like puppies.   And Leigh Fallon seems like a really nice person, and  I had high hopes for this book.  And everything I'm about to say makes me feel like a bully, but no.  Just - no.I knew almost immediately that I was not going to like this book.  You may be asking yourself, then, why the hell I kept reading.  Generally, I would not.  But there were a few reasons in this case:1. When it's a book I requested, and it's for an event like this, then I absolutely will make myself finish.2. I was curious enough and it was a quick enough read that I was willing to give it a chance - and then at a certain point, when you get so far, you just can't back down.But mostly 3. I kept noticing these little things (that added up to one very big thing) that were driving me out of my mind, so I had to finish it just to see how many I would come across.  (The little things are spoilery and rant-like, and OHMYGOD I could go on about them forever, but instead they comprise a chart at the bottom.  Read at your own discretion)Beyond the one-very-big-thing-comprised-of-little-things, I never connected with the writing in this.  The characters speak like they're in an after-school special.  It was strange: by turns formulaic, other times robotic, and often just not natural.  They were caricatures rather than characters, and they crossed the line into cheesy one too many times for my liking.  It was all these stupid, seemingly insignificant things - for example: people don't generally say each other's names a lot in conversations.  If someone were to speak to you like this: "Hey, Mary. What are you doing later today, Mary?  I was thinking, Mary, that maybe we could go to the mall - what do you think, Mary?" you would be like, WHY THE F*CK DO YOU KEEP SAYING MY NAME?!  It's weird. It's uncomfortable.  And it makes it seem like the characters aren't well acquainted, like they aren't comfortable enough with each other to just talk.Sort of in-line with that, the characters have a tendency toward woodenness.  Megan's dad is ridiculous, as cardboard and saccharine as they come.  There's never any tension or discovery with any of the characters because they all stay basically what they enter the story as, and what you are expecting them to be.  Rian is the only one who changes(ish), but the rest pretty much leave the story as they entered it.And I think this is emblematic of the problems with the book as a whole: there isn't enough depth and tension. There's an immaturity to the writing that deprives the story of tension, of struggle, of that key element that makes you sit on the edge of your seat.  Instead, everything is obvious and the reader is hit over the head with it.  But worse, everything comes so easy.  Megan accepts what she is too easily, she transitions into the deRis family too easily, she and Adam fall in love too easily, become comfortable with each other and the situation to easily - everything just happens and it's not really built on any kind of foundation other than "I say so".  The monk and the bird and the rumors and the OBVIOUSNESS of it all, and the suddenness and the easy acceptance - the way is cleared time and time again for things to just happen and as a result all chances at the delicious tension readers crave is killed.  There's never very much of a struggle on Megan's part to understand* or accept this whole new way of thinking about the world and herself.  It's frustrating.The only thing I can really say in its favor is that it did actually start to pick up at one point.  The only thing is...that was 200 pages in. And for a review, I'll stick with it, but for pleasure, you are NEVER going to get 200+ pages out of me before I can call it enjoyable. That book will be put down (like a rabid dog).*And on the note of "understanding", I do have to make a mention of the times when understanding does not come easily to Megan.  There are times - huge swathes of the story - when Megan's intellect and powers of comprehension seemingly revert to that of a 4 year old.  Every time one of the deRis' begin to tell her of the history of the Marked and all that shiz, she peppers them with "why"s and "what about"s and "I don't understand"s and "but"s - and it's all a sneaky little set-up for Fallon to do massive amounts of info-dumping in the guise of dialogue.  I mean, paragraph upon paragraph, page upon page of convoluted, over-sharing info-dumps, with set-ups you can see coming a mile away.  All for the sake of trying to explain what is a fairly strained mythology and backstory.  It just - no.Just no.And now: The Little Things: aka The Carrier of the Twilight Mark by Leighmeyer Stephallon; or, The Tale of an Epic Rip-Off(unless Misty is just hyper-aware of these things...)See the chart here!

[christajls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Originally posted at Christa's Hooked on BooksTo be quiet honest I had mediocre expectations for this book. It sounded like so many other books I've read this year. But let this be a lesson to me! Expectations can be wrong. This book was so fun and unique and I absolutely loved it. In fact I ended up loving it more than many of those “similar sounding” books. Here are some of the reasons it really stood out for me.First of all it's set in Ireland. Sorry to all my American readers but as a non-American resident, sometimes it gets frustrating when every story is set in the U.S. Having The Carrier of the Mark take place is Ireland was a refreshing change. Plus Ireland is amazing. It's beautiful, it's got amazing history and culture and the book is full of neat little nuances and sayings that make you wish you could head over to the Emerald Isle yourself.In addition to the setting I love the way this book draws on nature. I can't tell you exactly what the supernatural powers are in this book but there are many references to the elements and I love this. I saw one review that said it made them think of Captain Planet! I love that description! I think Megan has a kick-ass superpower and that makes her pretty darn cool in my book!Finally I loved Adam. Seriously, could this guy get any more sweet? Though I also love the rebel without a cause thing, that many leading men in YA tend to emulate, it's nice to come across someone like Adam. Someone who doesn't play games and get angry at every little thing. There's no stupid little arguments, where one (or both) characters stomp off and don't talk to each other (quick tip – this is not the foundation of a solid relationship and is no way to solve your problems!). Instead Adam and Megan face things together. They're a team and they care about each others well being. I think this sends a positive message to readers of every age. My only complaint, however, is that this book falls into the trap of insta-love. I'm sorry but you just don't fall completely “head over heels – I'd do anything for you – we're going to be together forever” in love, after only a few days. You just don't. I just wish there was a little more relationship building instead of just jumping right in.To sum up, this book totally exceeded my expectations! It has an amazing setting, a unique plot and the love story is adorable (although a little cheesy). I am now one of Leigh Fallon's dedicated fans and I am certain I will not be the last. The Carrier of the Mark is a great read and I hope you pick it up!

[summerskris_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story follows Megan following her move to Kinsale, Ireland for her father's new job at a marina. Leigh introduces the characters in a wonderful manner from Megan showing her father how to work the 'wonders of technology' to bumping into Caitlin and catching the deliciously hot Adam staring at her on the first day of school. (Okay, Adam staring comes second, but I'm listing it last to place more emphasis on hot Adam.) Leigh has a light-hearted writing style, and you can see her humor mix in with Megan's thoughts as she adjusts to Irish lingo and Irish life in general. From the first chapters, I fell in love with Kinsale. Leigh does a fabulous job of describing the place while building the tension surrounding Megan's instant chemistry with Adam and the development of the mystery surrounding the DeRís family. Her attraction to Adam is all too understandable because of his looks, but Leigh has another explanation for it, one that I'm going to have to leave out so as not to spoil the surprise. Adam may appear to be aloof and unapproachable at first, but the reader will find in him a passionate, charming young man with a level head that will cease to listen to reason should harm threaten to come to those he loves. His sister Áine has a wonderful sense of humor. I'm certain that I had a silly smile on my face during her appearances. And as for the rest of the family, I'm going to leave it with there's a lot more beneath the surface than one would initially think, and I grew to love each member of the family. Leigh has created another kind of paranormal. It's one that we may have seen in another form, to be fair, but she's incorporated a mythology and ancient orders into it. Her use of imagery isn't especially ornate or embellished, but her words are mesmerizing and filled with a simple beauty that captivated me from the beginning, the attraction only continuing to grow as I delved deeper into the magical world of this book. While her powers excite her at first, presenting her the opportunity of growing closer to Adam, they threaten to tear her away from him at the same time. Love is never easy, especially when your partner comes from the same breed as you in The Carrier of the Mark. The battle for love and the protection of order in the world will be a long and heartbreaking journey for Megan, and I will be cheering for Megan and Adam all the way. Thanks Leigh for the great read. The Carrier of the Mark touched both my book-loving and my human heart. I will definitely be on the lookout for Dawn of the Knights, the next installment in the trilogy. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to grab an ARC of that story as well!

[thelostentwife · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m really conflicted on this book – because first of all, it read like a big-time Twilight rip-off, and second of all… I was entertained by it. That entertainment means I’m not going to go all crazy in my review, because, frankly, there are quite a few reviews out there that do that for me.However, I do want to say this – if you are an author looking to write a book to appeal to the young adult crowd, think long and hard before making an “instant” relationship happen between two teens. It’s unrealistic and it sets a really bad example and I don’t see it well received well at all in reading reviews and looking around the blogosphere (this is also in general, not just with this book – although it is guilty).Now – I will admit I was fascinated by the magic system in this book, and aside from the relationships, everything else seemed pretty solid. The setting was fantastic, the group of friends plausible, and the writing pulled me in and kept me entertained, despite the lack of original story-line.All that said, I cannot blame Fallon for taking inspiration from the Twilight books. They are a huge success. I think for those people who love the story, this book will be a great read for them, and for those who had some of the issues I had (the breaking of rules, the implausibility of parts of the Twilight story), you might actually enjoy this one more.

[bkwormblogger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book and I'm glad I read it, but I didn't love it. The story is wonderfully set in Ireland which I enjoyed. The characters are all great and the writing is good but sometimes a little oversimplistic.Symopsis:From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.Review:While reading the story I felt a little disengaged from the main character-Megan. I don't know whether its because she seemed to have little personality or whether it was her seventeen year old POV but at times I wanted to scream at her for her one-tracked mind. Especially when it came to Adam.Personally, if I'd meant an eighteen year old boy that was so compassionate about me, I too would probably never want to leave him. But at times I felt the romance was a bit overkill. I love a nice swoony lead man but it was a little too much in very inappropriate places. Such as the training session where they seemed unable to take their hands (or eyes) off each other. I mean, there were three other people there trying to help with her training and all she can do is snog Adam in front of them? Awkward!The story continues and picks up the pace to a suitable conclusion however another thing that affected me was the fact that Adam had to have a kidney removed. A KIDNEY REMOVED-SERIOUS STUFF!!! And all Megan can do is go gooey over his love for her, his kisses and caresses....yeah, that didn't ring true either. Overall I will read the next one, and am keen to find out where the story takes me but at little less self-indulgence wouldn't go amiss.