![]() ![]() ![]() Reminded of the isolated prawns in the movie ‘ District 9’ and the children in ‘ The Thief Lord’ by Cornelia Funke, Edyth Bulbring’s orphans are as memorable. ![]() I wrapped it around me like a second skin and didn’t come out until the last page. The mysteries of this new world lead the reader on a fast-paced adventure that is compelling and hauntingly South African. Hiding where there were no distractions, I dived eagerly into The Mark and was not disappointed. Left with no choice but to follow her heart, Ettie who loves only books, must challenge the future of Mangeria. Defining marks are etched onto their bodies to label and box them in sectors of production, so when Nicolas shows his interest in Ettie, both of them know that he is forbidden to her. Their handler is cruel and uncaring, but Ettie and Kitty must just survive long enough to reach their coming of age, where they will then be assigned a trade, controlled by the Machine. With an instant connection to the main characters, Ettie is nearly caught, on purpose, in order that Kitty can get away safely. Thrust immediately into a scene of chaos, readers are confronted by invisible monsters, market nags, locusts and sun worshippers, watching as thieves from the Slums dig for treasures in the debris. Instantly gripping, The Mark’s first chapter has readers scrambling for some semblance of recognition in a city that sounds like Johannesburg but where nothing is the same. ![]()
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