Review of Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

HarperTeen

Carrier of the Mark

By Leigh Fallon

2 Scribbles

Megan and her dad have moved nearly every year since the tragic death of her mother, and Megan hopes this latest move will be the last because she feels right at home in Kinsale, Ireland. Megan makes friends fast, even though (in very Twilight-esque fashion) the boy she is most interested in, Adam, avoids her. What Megan doesn’t know is that the odd gray-cloaked man she has seen in the strangest places has brought her to Kinsale for a very important event. There is something special about Megan that even she doesn’t know—and through a series of odd and mysterious happenings, Megan will soon find out what that something is.

Let me first say that while I loved the setting for the novel, I found the character of Megan…well…dull. Outside of being an American in Ireland, there isn’t anything particularly interesting about her. She doesn’t have any obvious skills, interests, or traits that make her outstanding (with the exception of her birth secret that comes out later). I loathe the fact that when Megan meets her beloved she falls head over heels for him despite the fact that she has never dated before. She doesn’t even seem to have any doubts about swearing eternal love to him and he does the same, even though they’ve only known one another for like, five minutes. The narrative seems to focus around him obsessing over her, her objecting to (but secretly relishing) his obsessing, the two sparring and then making up. What could have been a strong supernatural element gets overshadowed by the sappy romantic elements and the weak characterization. And, in true series fashion, the ending leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Sadly, this novel would have been stronger if some of those questions at least, had been answered. At this point I probably won’t pick up a next installment.