Birthmarked was a mixture of disconnection and curiosity for me. I HAD to finish it based solely on the fact I was curious how it was going to play out - not necessarily because I was addicted to the story or the characters themselves. Harsh, I know. Ironically, my favorite part was the fact O'Brien showcased a MAJOR fault/problem in dystopian life:

Spoiler

Incest and/or inbreeding, the continuation of a society with minimal genetic variety

I mean, that is a pretty big deal. One of which I don't feel like gets mentioned enough in YA dystopia. That's just me though. Gaia and Leon's relationship leads me to the disconnected part - I liked both of the characters, I'm just not sure I liked them together. Maybe over time I will? I need some meat. Some potatoes. Get down to the nitty gritty and off the surface. Overall - I'm glad I stuck it out and finished it.