Carrier of the Mark

Carrier of the Mark (Carrier, 1) by Leigh Fallon, 2011. 342 pages. Published by Harper Teen. Source: Publisher for review (unsolicited).

Their love was meant to be.
When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.
But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

First Sentence:

Flames engulfed the boat, and my lungs ached as dark, noxious smoke filled the air.

There are so many, nice, things I would like to say about Carrier of the Mark, but I have a feeling that I'll either give something away or babble on endlessly because I enjoyed this book so much. In which case, I shall try to keep this short and non-spoiler filled.

So Carrier of the Mark was one debut book that I had been looking forward to for ages, so when it showed up by post-total suprise- I was ecstatic, but also extremely nervous since it was one I really wanted to read. Loved this book!
One of the things that pulled me in was the beginning of the book. I thought that it was a great way to hook the reader and pull them into the Carrier of the Mark; I know I loved it because I had to know if Megan was going to survive and how it would play into the rest of the story. 

One of the things I really liked about Carrier of the Mark would have to be the story behind the origin of the carriers and marked, and most especially how there was one-whose name I'll not sure- who went power crazy. I liked how the the history of those marked and the carriers was slowly revealed throughout the book and the role that the order played in preserving the line...even if they were a tad on the creepy possessive side (pretty sure they've been in control a little too long and maybe a little corrupt now).

As for the powers of the marked and each of them were based on the elements. I also liked how different each of them were and that each power brought both its benefits and pitfalls. while I thought their powers were interesting, I really enjoyed seeing how having said power affected the lives of the characters, especially Rian's since his was the most destructive.

Megan, I liked her pretty much from the get-go...except for when she started to fall for Adam. While I thought she was a great character, I would have liked to see maybe a little less swoon-edg over Adam. Why, because she seemed to lose a little bit of herself and what made her interesting when ever he came into the picture. Although, some of the things she did while trying to find out more about him was quite funny. On a whole, I liked her and cannot to see where her story will lead next.
Adam, I am afraid that the verdict is still out on him (generally I don't decide whether I like the guy or not till the second book). While I am still tryig to figure out whether or not I like him, I found him to be interesting. What I liked about him was that, well, he seemed like he was a nice guy. Although, he did kind of make me mad at times, like, when he went off to search for an answer to his and Megan's problem and just basically fell off the grid.

So, the one thing that really made this book for me would have to be Ms. Fallon's writing. I thought her writing perfectly matched the tone and pace of Carrier of the Mark and absolutely pulled me in from the very beginning. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by her...especially the next Carrier book, which I need now.
     While I really, really liked Carrier of the Mark there are just one thing- that kept me from giving it 5 pineapples. The biggest thing, and this is important to me, is that I did not like- in the least bit- that the characters in the book tended to use the Lord's name in vain. It just rubs me the wrong way when things like that happen in the books I read. While I did not like that one aspect of the book, the rest of it was absolutely addictive and I read the entire book in just a matter of hours.

Content (may contain spoilers; highlight to see):
Other than taking the Lord's name in vain. swearing is pretty minimal in Carrier of the Mark. As for violence there's some, but nothing to worse then what one might see in a PG-13 movie. Another bonus, there are no sex scenes in this book. Huzzah.

Final Verdict: Carrier of the Mark need more...like the having the second book now would be awesome.

Carrier of the Mark earns 4 out of 5 pineapples.