The Mark

Title: The Mark
Author: Jen Nadol
Genre: YA Fiction
Page Count: 228
Why I read it: sounded good
Grade: C

Synopsis:
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.
Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

My review:
I expected a little more out of this one.  It felt like the prologue to a longer, move involved book, which, unfortunately, seems to be the trend in YA lit right now.  It was one of those where the ending wasn't really any kind of ending at all.

The writing is pretty good, but I just didn't think the story was that great.  I would have liked the story if it had explored the Greek mythology of the fates more.  That was a more interesting angle for me, instead of spending the whole book with her debating whether or not she should tell someone when she sees the mark on them.  I mean, it is an interesting dilemma, but there just wasn't enough there to make this story very interesting, for me.

The characters felt flat to me, and although Cassandra's story could have been very emotional, I just wasn't feeling it.  The other characters really weren't fleshed out enough for me to care about them one way or the other.  Still, it wasn't bad, just a little wasted potential, I think.

If you're really into YA fiction, give this one a go, but there is a lot of other, better YA lit out there right now.