The Mark by M.R. Bunderson
"She's had it forever. A tiny mark on her hand. No big deal, right? But when Tori discovers that her ordinary freckle is really some kind of microscopic tattoo, she doesn't know what to think, especially after meeting Eric, a guy she feels strangely connected to--and not just because he has a mark too. All too soon, Tori and Eric realize that their marks are only the first clue to a mystery that will change everything. And with each new discovery, Tori finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into a world she could never have imagined."Book picture and link go to The Book Depository and teaser is from Goodreads.com
Published Mar 2010 (sequel in progess)
Marilyn's website, and blog
** My rating: 4/5**
*My review*
The Mark is a wonderful book. It has romance, mystery and a paranormal element. Marilyn paces the book wonderfully and has written very good characters. The premise for the book is very intriguing to me, and I love how the characters have a special connection to one another. They are mysteriously drawn together, having unique characteristics in common. As they uncover more information, they realize that the further they go could lead to an amazing discovery, but what happens when mysterious powers do not want them to know more?
So that is best as I can talk about the plot and what I liked without giving spoilers. I can talk about the characters themselves a bit more. Tori is a good protagonist- she has an active voice, and the writing is descriptive so that I could connect with her and understand what she is going though and feeling.
She has a wonderful best friend Shae, who even though is not directly affected by the mystery surrounding Tori and her other friends, she is accepting and wanting to help. Tori also builds a wonderful friendship with Eric, Amanda, Miles and Sebastian- the ones who share the unique characteristics and are directly involved. These characters all have unique personalities and voices and this is nice to have because sometimes when you get numerous characters they can be hard to distinguish.
The relationship between Tori and Eric is nice. They have the paranormal element that contributes to the fairly quick progression, and they were also questioning it, and I feel like that is a good thing, because real life relationships and characters that I relate to easily have basis in real world even if they are paranormal. Another element that I saw and like that the trend seems to be reversing is that Tori's family was involved in her life. Although they weren't huge characters in the book, Tori's respect and love for them, and their love and protectiveness for her was shown.
A minor complaint is that I don't like it seems like some events were cut out, but there was still build up to them- such as the dance that was mentioned.
The end wraps things up well so that it could stand alone, but there is a sequel coming that I am excited for!
I would love to hear what you think about this book and/or my review!
Sidenote: I just added this book to my for sell/trade list if you are interested!
